President Bush in Budapest to commemorate the 1956 uprising

President Bush is in Budapest, Hungary today as the country commemorates the 50th anniversary of Hungary’s blooding uprising against Soviets.

He spoke today holding up Hungary’s democracy as a model for Iraq, and spoke rather movingly of Hungary's revolt against the Soviets:

"In 1956, the Hungarian people suffered under a communist dictatorship and domination by a foreign power. That fall, the Hungarian people decided they had enough and demanded change.

From this spot, you could see tens of thousands of students and workers and other Hungarians, marching through the streets.

They called for an end to dictatorship, to censorship and to the secret police. They called for free elections, a free press and the release of political prisoners.

These Hungarian patriots tore down the statue of Josef Stalin and defied an empire to proclaim their liberty.

Twelve days after the Hungarian people stood up for their liberty, the communists in Moscow responded with great brutality. Soon, the streets of Budapest were filled with Soviet tanks. The Red Army killed many who resisted, including women and children. The Soviets threw many more into prison.

They crushed the Hungarian uprising, but not the Hungarian people's thirst for freedom." {....}

"Kossuth Square is named for the father of Hungarian democracy, and
honors more than a century and a half of Hungarian sacrifice in freedom's cause.

A bust of this great leader stands in the United States Capitol. It
affirms that those who fight for liberty are heroes not only in their own land,
but of all free nations. All who love liberty are linked together across the
generations and across the world.

Your great poet, Petofi, said this: "Here is the time, now or never. Shall we be slaves or free? This is the question. Answer: By the God of the Hungarians, we swear, we swear to be slaves no more."

These words were addressed to the Hungarian people, yet they
speak to all people in all times. This is the spirit that we honor
today."

Bush will lay a wreath at the Eternal Flame Memorial to those who died in the 1956 revolt against Russian tanks.

Next month, Bush will be attending the G-8 summit in St. Petersburg with Russian President Putin. Considering Russia's strained relationship with the US and Putin's alliance with Iran, this is obviously a message to Putin and not unconnected.