English subtitles for clip: File:President Obama Meets with Liberian President Sirleaf.webm

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President Obama:
I want to officially welcome President Sirleaf to the

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Oval Office.

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I have been an extraordinary
admirer of her work for many years now.

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I fondly recall the speech that
she delivered in a joint session

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of Congress when I was
still in the Senate.

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The United States and
Liberia are close friends,

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long-standing partners, and
Liberia is now emerging from a

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very difficult period
in its history.

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Part of the reason that it has
been able to emerge is because

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of the heroism and the
courage of President Sirleaf.

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Her own personal story
obviously is extraordinary --

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somebody who came from being a
prisoner to the first female

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President not just of her
own country but also on the continent.

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And over the last several years,
what we've seen is a continued

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determination on her part to
have a full accounting of some

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of the tragedies that
took place earlier --

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making sure that the country
is refocused on development,

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being willing to
tackle corruption,

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which obviously plagues not just
Liberia but countries throughout

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the continent of Africa.

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She has been committed
to rule of law.

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She has made strides in
reforming her judiciary.

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And in all these endeavors,
I want to make sure that the

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people of Liberia understand
and I certainly want you,

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Madam President, to understand
that the United States is going

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to be a constant friend and
partner in these efforts.

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We are working with Liberia on a
food initiative that will help

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to create greater food security
and independence in the country.

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We continue to work with the
Liberian government on issues

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like maternal health
and education.

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There has been extraordinary
cooperation between our two

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countries in the issue of
counterterrorism as well as drug

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trafficking, because
unfortunately the western coast

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of Africa increasingly is
seen as a place where drug

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traffickers internationally
may be able to operate with impunity.

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And so on all these issues, we
have been able to cultivate a

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strong partnership, a
strong relationship,

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and I want President Sirleaf to
know that that will continue.

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I also want to commend her for
her commitment to democracy.

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There are going to be
legislative and presidential

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elections in 2011.

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And part of President Sirleaf's
legacy is that she will continue

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to usher in a sense that
democracy is the regular way of

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doing business in Liberia.

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And in that way, she can be
an example for countries like

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Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire and
Niger that I think can --

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should look to Liberia as an
example for democracy and rule of law.

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So, Madam President, welcome.

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We are grateful to you for
your extraordinary work.

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I still recall in your speech
that part of the reason you ran

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was because you wanted to see
the children of Liberia smiling

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again, and I want you to know
that we have that same hope and

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that same dream for Liberia and
will be there with you every

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step of the way.

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President Johnson Sirleaf:
Mr. President, I want
to thank you very much.

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I'm extremely proud,
extremely pleased,

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to have this opportunity
to meet with you.

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In 2006 when our
government stopped,

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we inherited a broken
country -- devastated by war,

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people displaced,
infrastructure broken,

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institutions dysfunctional -- but we said that we were going

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to make Liberia rise again.

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I come today on behalf of the
Liberian people to say that

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we've made a lot of
progress in that commitment.

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We've been able to maintain
peace for seven years now.

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And I say that today, our
children who are entering first

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grade have known -- not known
a gun and not had to run,

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and that's great progress.

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Our security sector reform, with
the United States' support,

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has come a long way with the
training of our new army.

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Today, we're reopening
our economy --

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our mining, forestry,
and agriculture sectors.

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We've tackled our debt.

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We're beginning to provide
basic services by restoring

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infrastructure such
as roads, clinics,

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and schools and
lights and water --

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things that our people have been
deprived of for more than two decades.

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And we're also establishing the
rule of law and governance.

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Freedoms -- we say
today, that all freedoms,

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basic fundamental freedoms,
are allowed in the country.

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And we're very proud of that.

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We have challenges, and I'll
be the first to admit that --

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challenges in national capacity
because most of our brains left

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the country.

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I want to thank you for your
approval of the DED that

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extended them for 18 months,
allowing them to stay a little

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bit while we prepare
to receive them.

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Corruption; the rule of law;
our judiciary system and its

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weakness; unemployment among the
many young who did not have the

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opportunity to go to school, who
knew only war and violence in

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their young days.

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But those challenges we see as
the ones that we have to tackle.

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And the progress we have made
enable us to have the commitment

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and capacity to meet
those challenges.

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I want you to know that the
United States has been a great

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partner to us.

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We could not have achieved the
progress that we have had if we

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had not had the support in those
initial days when we were just

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scrambling and looking for the
ways to be able to go forward.

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The U.S. was there
as a great partner.

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And so the administration as
well as the Congress have been

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very supportive of us.

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It has continued through
these four years.

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And I'm just here to say that
the return on your investment is

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beginning to come.

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We hope that that return will
be even greater in the next few

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years when we consolidate the
peace and when we are able to

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deliver basic services
to our people.

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I bring you greetings on
behalf of the Liberian people.

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President Obama:
Excellent.

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Well, thank you so much.

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Thank you, everybody.

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Thank you, guys.