(HOSTAGE kneels on the stage. JEFF puts a gun to her head.)

War is for pussies. Let me just say that.

If the only way you can get someone to do what you want is by putting a gun to their head.

Then you're a fucking coward.

And right now we've got the biggest coward in the world with his finger on the trigger of the biggest gun in the world: The entire arsenal of the U.S. armed forces.

That doesn't take a lot of courage.

It doesn't take GUTS to go (covering his ears:) "Lalalalalalalalalalala!" When all the citizens of the world, and world leaders, and even your own people are trying to tell you something.

It takes cowardice.

I have no doubt that being a soldier takes courage.

That must be TERRIFYING being on the front lines waiting for battle. Knowing that at any minute your cruise missile could malfunction and destroy the whole ship. Or you could be killed by friendly fire. Or die in a jeep accident.

But you know what's MORE terrifying?

Waking up every morning for the rest of your life. And going to work KNOWING that someone could fly a plane into the side of your building. And you wouldn't even get a chance to fight back.

But that's the risk I'm willing to take. For Peace.

I will take the risk of being blown up in a shopping mall, if it means my daughter might not have to grow up in a world where every Arab child in that world has been brought up to hate her and kill her.

We all know the risks of war.

But how many of us are willing to risk our lives for peace?

Because war. Is for pussies.