    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
    [June 5, 2003]
    [Pages 608-611]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the Troops at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar
    June 5, 2003

        Thanks for coming out to say hello. Thanks for your introduction,
    Tommy. I appreciate this warm welcome. I
    have a question for you: Can you hear me now? [Applause]
        I've been on the road for a while, and I hope you didn't mind us
    stopping by.

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    We've seen a lot of fine sights, but there's no finer sight than to see
    the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States of America.
        I am happy to see you, and so are the long-suffering people of Iraq.
    America sent you on a mission to remove a grave threat and to liberate
    an oppressed people, and that mission has been accomplished.
        Each one of you is a credit to the uniform you wear, and I bring a
    message from home: Your families are proud of you, and so is America.
        I want to thank Tommy for his leadership. I don't know if you know
    this, but First Lady Laura Bush and Tommy
    Franks went to high school together, Midland
    Lee High School. She didn't think he'd amount to much. [Laughter] He has
    done a fantastic job.
        I'm also honored to be traveling with a fantastic Secretary of
    State.
        I want to thank the allied forces. I want to thank the Brits, the
    Australians, and I want to thank our friends from Poland for your
    service to your countries and to the cause of freedom and for your
    courage.
        I want to thank the members of the Armed Forces of Qatar, and I want
    to thank the Amir of Qatar,  bin Khalifa Al with
    whom I just met, for his hospitality and for his friendship to the
    United States of America.
        But most of all, I'm here to thank you. We are in a war on global
    terror, and because of you, we're winning the war on global terror. When
    we've sent you into combat, you've performed brilliantly. In
    Afghanistan, forces directed from here--from Qatar--and headquartered in
    Tampa, you delivered decisive blows against the Taliban and against Al
    Qaida. And now the people of Afghanistan are free.
        We have made it clear that we'll hunt the terrorists down. There's
    no place they can hide from the justice of the United States of America
    and our friends. And right now we've got--we're on the hunt in the Horn
    of Africa. And of course, in the battle of Iraq, you set an example of
    skill and daring that will stand for all time. The very first strike in
    the liberation of Iraq started from right here, and many others
    followed. Missions of mercy are directed from here.
        Our actions sent along clear message that our Nation is strong and
    our Nation is compassionate. And we also sent another clear message:
    Dictators can no longer shield themselves behind innocent people. Those
    who threaten the security of others now need to worry about their own.
        As you know, in the battle of Iraq, we had some fine, fine soldiers
    at our side. Great Britain, Poland, and Australia sent some of their
    finest to work with ours. America will always remember their service and
    their important role in our victory, and we're grateful.
        Neighbors in this neighborhood--nations in this neighborhood also
    gave critical assistance to this coalition, for which we're grateful: Of
    course, Qatar, the host to CENTCOM, a great friend to the United States,
    and Kuwait always said yes when we asked. They also kept their oil
    flowing when it looked like there wasn't going to be enough. Our friends
    in Bahrain and the UAE and the rest of the Gulf contributed valuable
    assistance to our cause, for which we're thankful.
        It was from this place that our commanders executed one of the most
    innovative war plans in the history of armed conflict. And the man who
    designed those plans was Tommy Franks. I
    want to thank Tommy and his staff. I also want to thank Command Sergeant
    Major Dwight Brown. I was going to say, ``and
    his staff,'' but you're his staff.
        Under Tommy's leadership, CENTCOM forces
    have shown the true might of America, the strength of our country.
    You've also shown the humanity and decency of your country as well. You
    see, this country, our country, does not seek the expansion of
    territory. We're not interested in more territory. Our goal is to
    enlarge the realm of liberty. We believe that liberty is God's

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    gift to every individual on the face of the Earth. We believe people
    have the right to think and speak and worship in freedom. That's what we
    believe in America, and that's what you showed the world.
        No, our military fights for the security of American people, and we
    fight for freedom. And we sacrifice for freedom, and we have lost some
    of our finest. And this Nation will never forget and will always honor
    their memories for the sacrifices they made. And it's not only serving
    our Nation but serving a cause greater than themselves. May God rest
    their souls.
        Not only does the war on terror go on, but we've got a lot of work
    to do in Iraq. And we're going to stay the course until the job gets
    done. We will stand with them as they build a stable democracy and a
    peaceful future.
        Our forces are taking aggressive steps to increase order throughout
    the country. We are moving those Ba'athist officials that are trying to
    hang onto power. There are still pockets of criminality. Remember, the
    former leader of Iraq emptied the jail cells
    of common criminals right before the action took place, and they haven't
    changed their habits and their ways. They like to rob, like to loot.
    We'll find them. Criminal courts are now reopening. Day by day, the
    United States and our coalition partners are making the streets safer
    for the Iraqi citizens.
        We also understand that a more just political system will develop
    when people have food in their stomachs and their lights work and they
    can turn on a faucet and they can find some clean water, things that
    Saddam Hussein did not do for them. See, he
    spent more time building luxurious palaces than he did in building an
    infrastructure to take care of the Iraqi citizens. And the United States
    and our friends and allies will first take care of the Iraqi citizens.
    And they'll have some money to help themselves. After all, oil is now
    flowing, but this time the revenues are not going to be used and skimmed
    off by greedy gangsters. It's going to be used in a special account on
    behalf of the people who own the oil, the citizens of Iraq.
        One thing else we've done is we made sure that Iraq's not going to
    serve as an arsenal for terrorist--for terrorist groups. We recently
    found two mobile biological weapons facilities which were capable of
    producing biological agents. This is a man
    who spent decades hiding tools of mass murder. He knew the inspectors
    were looking for them. You know better than me; he's got a big country
    in which to hide them. We're on the look. We'll reveal the truth.
        But one thing is certain: No terrorist network will gain weapons of
    mass destruction from the Iraqi regime, because the Iraqi regime is no
    more.
        As people who liberated Iraq, I know you're proud of what you have
    done. You see, the world is now learning what many of you have seen.
    They're learning about the mass graves, thousands of people just
    summarily executed. They're learning about the torture chambers. Because
    of you, a great evil has been ended. Because of you, the dignity of a
    great nation is being restored. Because of you, America and our friends
    and allies, those of us who love freedom are now more secure. You have
    justified the confidence that your country has placed in you. You've
    served your country well. Your Commander in Chief is grateful. And as
    importantly, more importantly, millions of American citizens are
    grateful for what you have done. You believe in America, and America
    believes in you.
        It is our tremendous honor to be here today with you. Keep doing
    what you're doing. You're making a huge difference in the peace and
    security and freedom in this world. May God bless you. May God bless
    your families, and may God continue to bless America. Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:25 a.m. In his remarks, he referred to
    Gen. Tommy R.

    [[Page 611]]

    Franks, USA, combatant commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Dwight Brown,
    USA, U.S. Central Command; Amir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar; and
    former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.