    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
    [May 21, 2003]
    [Pages 518-522]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Commencement Address at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New
    London, Connecticut
    May 21, 2003

        Thank you very much. Thanks for the warm welcome. Admiral
    Collins and Admiral Olsen, C.,
    Jr. Secretary Ridge, Lieutenant
    Governor Rell,  Jodi Mr.
    Jr. President--I'm glad you're

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    here; thank you for coming, sir--Congressman Simmons, the fine professors of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy,
    distinguished guests, proud family members, and the graduates, thank you
    for your welcome, and thank you for the honor of speaking to the newest
    officers of the United States Coast Guard.
        You know, I was born in this State, just down the road. [Laughter]
    I've still got relatives living here. [Laughter] And it looks like some
    of them were up late last night painting Pride Rock. [Laughter]
        This is a proud day for the Class of 2003. I know you've worked hard
    to get here. You've persevered through the rigors of Swab Summer. You've
    faced difficult trials in the classroom, aboard Eagle. And now, with
    silver dollars in your pockets, you're ready to become officers in our
    Nation's oldest continuous seagoing service. You have shown each day
    that you ``revere honor'' and that you ``honor duty.'' You have made
    your families, your professors, and your country proud. On behalf of the
    American people, thank you for choosing a life of service, and
    congratulations on a great achievement.
        I bring with me a small graduation present. Pursuant to the
    longstanding tradition, I hereby grant amnesty to all cadets on
    restriction for minor conduct offenses. [Laughter] I leave it up to
    Admiral Olsen C., Jr. to determine the definition of
    ``minor.'' [Laughter]
        Coast Guard Academy life is demanding, and it should be because you
    are entrusted with solemn responsibilities in peace and in war. America
    counts on the Coast Guard to enforce maritime law, to secure our
    waterways and ports, to rescue those in distress, and to intercept
    illegal drugs. In this new century, we will count on you even more. The
    men and women of this class are the first ever to graduate into the
    Department of Homeland Security, which is charged with protecting the
    American people against terrorist attacks. You are bringing a long
    tradition of duty to this new and urgent tasks. Terrorists who seek to
    harm our country now face your ``Shield of Freedom.'' Every citizen can
    be grateful that the Coast Guard stands watch for America.
        The Coast Guard is also playing a vital role in America's strategy
    to confront terror before it comes to our shores. In the Iraqi theater,
    Coast Guard cutters and patrol boats and buoy tenders and over a
    thousand of your finest active duty and reserve members protected key
    ports and oil platforms, detained Iraqi prisoners of war, and helped
    speed the delivery of relief supplies to the Iraqi people. Many have
    returned safely to port, and many remain on duty in the Persian Gulf.
    All have helped to liberate a great people, and all have brought a great
    credit to the uniform of the United States Coast Guard.
        In Iraq, America's military and our allies carried out every mission
    and exceeded every expectation. Heavy units of armor and infantry moved
    with speed and agility that kept the enemy in a state of constant
    surprise and deadly confusion. Airstrikes and cruise missiles destroyed
    the power centers and meeting places of the regime, while targets were
    carefully examined to protect the innocent from harm. Our forces
    confronted an enemy that rejected every rule of warfare and morality,
    but our men and women in uniform showed their decency and kept their
    honor. In a month of battle, American armed services set an example of
    skill and daring that will stand for all time.
        America will not relent in the war against global terror. We will
    hunt the terrorists in every dark corner of the Earth, and we're making
    good progress. Nearly one-half of Al Qaida senior operatives have been
    captured or killed. We will deny the terrorists the sanctuary and bases
    they need to plan and strike, as we have done in the battle of
    Afghanistan. We will not permit terror networks or terror states to
    threaten or blackmail the world with weapons of mass destruction, as we
    have shown

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    in the battle of Iraq. Our country has been attacked by treachery in our
    own cities, and that treachery continues in places like Riyadh and
    Casablanca. We have seen the ruthless intentions of our enemies. And
    they are seeing our intentions: We will press on until this danger to
    our country and to the world is ended.
        Yet, the national interest of America involves more than eliminating
    aggressive threats to our safety. We also stand for the values that
    defeat violence and the hope that overcomes hatred. We find our greatest
    security in the advance of human freedom. Free societies look to the
    possibilities of the future, instead of feeding old resentments and
    bitterness. Free countries build wealth and prosperity for their people
    in an atmosphere of stability and order, instead of seeking weapons of
    mass murder and attacking their neighbors. Because America loves peace,
    America will always work and sacrifice for the expansion of freedom.
        The advance of freedom is more than an interest we pursue. It is a
    calling we follow. Our country was created in the name and cause of
    freedom. And if the self-evident truths of our founding are true for us,
    they are true for all. As a people dedicated to civil rights, we are
    driven to defend the human rights of others. We are the nation that
    liberated continents and concentration camps. We are the nation of the
    Marshall plan, the Berlin airlift, and the Peace Corps. We are the
    nation that ended the oppression of Afghan women, and we are the nation
    that closed the torture chambers of Iraq.
        America's national ambition is the spread of free markets, free
    trade, and free societies. These goals are not achieved at the expense
    of other nations; they are achieved for the benefit of all nations.
    America seeks to expand not the borders of our country but the realm of
    liberty.
        Our vision is opposed by terrorists and tyrants who attack a world
    they can never inspire. This vision is also threatened by the faceless
    enemies of human dignity, plague, starvation, and hopeless poverty. And
    America is at war with these enemies as well.
        The advance of freedom and hope is challenged by the spread of AIDS.
    Today, on the continent of Africa, nearly 30 million people are
    afflicted with HIV/AIDS, including 3 million children under the age of
    15. The African Continent has lost 7 million agricultural workers. In
    some countries, almost a third of the teachers are HIV-positive. A 15-
    year-old boy living in Botswana has an 80-percent chance of dying of
    AIDS. It is a desperate struggle for any person or any nation to build a
    better future in the shadow of death.
        Yet, this shadow can be lifted. AIDS can be prevented, and AIDS can
    be treated. Lives can be saved, and others extended by many years. In my
    State of the Union Address in January, I put forward an Emergency Plan
    for AIDS Relief directing $15 billion over the next 5 years to fight
    AIDS abroad. And we will especially focus our efforts on 14 African and
    Caribbean nations where HIV/AIDS is heavily concentrated.
        I'm pleased that both Houses of Congress have now passed a bill
    authorizing these funds. I look forward to signing the bill next week.
    The Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is the largest single upfront
    commitment in history for an international public health initiative
    involving a specific disease.
        With this dramatic expansion of America's efforts, we will prevent 7
    million new HIV infections, treat at least 2 million people with life-
    extending drugs, and provide humane care for 10 million HIV-infected
    individuals and AIDS orphans.
        When I travel to Europe next week, I will challenge our allies to
    make a similar commitment which will save even more lives. I will remind
    them that the clock is ticking, that every single day 8,000 more people
    will die from AIDS in Africa; there will be 14,000 more infections. I
    will urge

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    our European partners and Japan and Canada to join a great mission of
    rescue and to match their good intentions with real resources.
        The advance of freedom and hope in the world is also challenged by
    an ancient enemy, famine. Our world produces more than enough food to
    feed its 6 billion people. Yet tens of millions are at risk of
    starvation, and millions more lack water fit for drinking. This crisis
    also is concentrated in Africa. We have the ability to confront this
    suffering, and we accept the duty as old as the Scriptures to comfort
    the afflicted and to feed the hungry.
        America is already the largest provider in the world of food relief,
    giving more than $1.4 billion in global emergency food aid and one-half
    of all contributions to the World Food Program. And we are determined to
    do more. I've committed to a nearly $1 billion initiative to provide
    clean drinking water to 50 million people in the developing world. I've
    also asked Congress to provide $200 million for a new famine fund, which
    will give us the flexibility to act quickly when the first signs of
    famine appear. I call on other nations to follow our lead by
    establishing their own emergency funds. By saving time in responding to
    crisis, we will save lives.
        We can also greatly reduce the long-term problem of hunger in Africa
    by applying the latest developments of science. I have proposed an
    Initiative to End Hunger in Africa. By widening the use of new high-
    yield biocrops and unleashing the power of markets, we can dramatically
    increase agricultural productivity and feed more people across the
    continent.
        Yet, our partners in Europe are impeding this effort. They have
    blocked all new biocrops because of unfounded, unscientific fears. This
    has caused many African nations to avoid investing in biotechnologies,
    for fear that their products will be shut out of European markets.
    European governments should join, not hinder, the great cause of ending
    hunger in Africa.
        We must also give farmers in Africa, Latin America, and Asia and
    elsewhere a fair chance to compete in world markets. When wealthy
    nations subsidize their agricultural exports, it prevents poor countries
    from developing their own agricultural sectors. So I propose that all
    developed nations, including our partners in Europe, immediately
    eliminate subsidies on agricultural exports to developing countries so
    that they can produce more food to export and more food to feed their
    own people.
        The advance of freedom is also undermined by persistent poverty and
    despair. Half the human population lives on less than $2 a day. Billions
    of men and women can scarcely imagine the benefits of modern life
    because they have never experienced them.
        For decades, many governments around the world have made sincere and
    generous efforts to support global development. Far too often, these
    funds have only enriched corrupt rulers and made little or no difference
    in the lives of the poor. It's time for governments of developed nations
    to stop asking the simplistic question: How much money are we
    transferring from nations that are rich? The only question that matters
    is: How much good are we doing to help the people that are poor? The
    only standard worth setting and meeting is the standard of results.
        The lesson of our time is clear: When nations embrace free markets,
    the rule of law, and open trade, they prosper, and millions of lives are
    lifted out of poverty and despair. So I have proposed the creation of a
    new Millennium Challenge Account, an entirely new approach to
    development aid. This money will go to developing nations whose
    government are committed to three broad standards: They must rule
    justly; they must invest in the health and education of their people;
    and they must have policies that encourage economic freedom.
        To fund this account, I have proposed a 50-percent increase in
    America's core development assistance over the next 3 years.

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    Under this proposal, our annual development assistance eventually will
    be $5 billion greater than it is today. I urge the Congress to give its
    full support to the Millennium Challenge Account. And when I'm in
    Europe, I will call on America's partners to join us in moving beyond
    the broken development policies of the past and encourage the freedom
    and reform that lead to prosperity.
        These goals--advancing against disease, hunger, and poverty--will
    bring greater security to our country. They are also the moral purpose
    of American influence. They set an agenda for our Government, and they
    give idealistic citizens a great cause to serve. President Woodrow
    Wilson said, ``America has a spiritual energy in her which no other
    nation can contribute to the liberation of mankind.'' In this new
    century, we must apply that energy to the good of people everywhere.
        For more than four decades, the volunteers of the Peace Corps have
    carried the good will of America into many parts of the world. Interest
    in this program is greater than ever before. I'm determined to double
    the size of the Peace Corps over the next 5 years. Today I would like to
    announce a new USA Freedom Corps initiative called Volunteers for
    Prosperity, which will give America's highly skilled professionals new
    opportunities to serve abroad. The program will enlist American doctors
    and nurses and teachers and engineers and economists and computer
    specialists and others to work on specific development initiatives,
    including those that I have discussed today. These volunteers will serve
    in the countries of their choice for however long their project takes.
    Like generations before us, this generation of citizens will show the
    world the energy and idealism of the United States of America.
        I see that idealism in the faces of our soldiers and sailors and
    airmen and marines. I see that idealism in the faces of this Academy
    class. The men and women of the Coast Guard are ``always ready'' to
    defend the security of this Nation. You are ``always ready'' to rescue
    those in trouble. These two commitments define your mission, and they
    define America's role in history. We understand that strength is
    necessary to confound the designs of evil men. And we know that the
    compassion and generosity of this land can aid the suffering and inspire
    the world. We will use the great power of America to serve the great
    ideals of America. And by these efforts we will build a lasting,
    democratic peace for ourselves and for all humanity.
        Congratulations. May God bless the Class of 2003. May God continue
    to bless the United States of America. Semper paratus.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:37 a.m. at Nelson W. Nitchman Field. In
    his remarks, he referred to Adm. Thomas H. Collins, USCG, commandant,
    U.S. Coast Guard; Rear Adm. R.C. Olsen, Jr., USCG, superintendent,
    United States Coast Guard Academy; Lt. Gov. M. Jodi Rell of Connecticut;
    and President Thomas E. Remengesau, Jr., of Palau, who presented a
    commission to the first Coast Guard Academy graduate from Palau. The
    Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language
    transcript of this address.