George W. Bush: “Axis of Evil” Speech

President George W. Bush’s most significant major speech was his First State of the Union Address, delivered on January 29, 2002, commonly known as the “Axis of Evil” speech. His first major speech was his Inaugural Address, of January 20, 2001, and his 2002 State of the Union speech marked the second time he addressed a joint session of Congress. Speaking four months after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Bush focused on the aftermath of the attacks and the war in Afghanistan that started in October. He identified three nations believed to be variously holding chemical and biological weapon arsenals, developing nuclear weapons, and sponsoring terror groups. He dubbed these nations—North Korea, Iran, and Iraq—an “axis of evil” and promised that the United States would take preemptive action to prevent the proliferation of global terrorist networks. He claimed that the “axis of evil” was developing weapons of mass destruction as an immediate threat to the United States and with potential for bigger terrorist attacks. Bush argued that these regimes were a threat to both the United States and their own people, who needed liberation. This speech, composed by presidential speechwriter William Safire, and subsequent congressional actions led to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The 2002 State of the Union speech further increased rising tensions between the United States and North Korea and Iran. Taking a position of preemptive military action, the United States alarmed the world and ushered in a new stratagem for U.S. foreign policy.