    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
    [April 16, 2003]
    [Pages 348-351]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 348]]

    Remarks to Employees at the Boeing F-18 Production Facility in St.
    Louis, Missouri
    April 16, 2003

        Thank you all very much. Be seated, please. So I'm on my way to
    Crawford--[laughter]--part of the real world, I want you to know--and I
    decided to stop here in St. Louis, Missouri, to say thanks to some of
    the finest workers we have in America. And it's a perfect time to do so.
    The successes of our military begin right here on the factory floors.
    The quality of the workmanship that goes into the aircrafts that you
    build here is one of the main reasons why we were successful in making
    the world a more peaceful place. Our Nation thanks you for your efforts
    and your work.
        Seeing all the good workers here reminds me of one of the big tasks
    we have in America, and that is to make sure anybody who's looking for a
    job can find one. Too many of our fellow Americans are looking for work,
    and that bothers me. So I sent some suggestions up to the United States
    Congress about how to stimulate job growth, and it starts with letting
    you keep more of your own money.
        I have sent to the Congress a jobs-and-growth package that will
    reduce the burden on our taxpayers, that will give you more of your
    money in your pockets so you get to decide how to save or invest and
    spend. In order for all Americans who are looking for work to find work,
    the Congress must pass this jobs package as soon as they come back from
    their recess.
        And the other big task for this Nation is to overcome any threats to
    our country, wherever they gather. Each of you has had a part of
    preparing this Nation to meet the dangers of our time. Today, half a
    world away, America is leading this great coalition of free nations to
    end a brutal regime and to remove a threat to our society. We've applied
    the new powers of technology--like the F-18s--to strike an enemy force
    with speed and incredible precision. Our work is not done. The
    difficulties have not passed, but the regime of Saddam Hussein has passed into history. Thanks to the courage and the
    might of our military, the American people are more secure. Thanks to
    the courage and might of our military, the Iraqi people are now free.
        I want to thank management and worker alike for inviting me here
    today. It's truly an honor to be here. I want to thank Phil
    Condit and Jim Albaugh and Rick Smith for the invitation.
    It gives me a chance to come and say firsthand how much we all
    appreciate what you do on behalf of the security of this country.
        I appreciate Senator Bond and Senator
    Talent for their leadership. It's good to work
    with these two men to make sure this Nation remains strong. I appreciate
    Matt Blunt, representing the State government,
    for being here.
        Today I had the honor of meeting John Sant. He
    was so anxious to see me at the foot of the stairs of Air Force One, he
    was standing in the rain. And I'm grateful for that. But I'm grateful to
    share his story with you. Here's a man who decides to take time out of
    his busy life to volunteer to help children become more literate,
    volunteers to help the AmeriCorps program to make sure that the public
    education system of St. Louis, Missouri, fulfills its promise that no
    child should be left behind in any community in America. It is
    appropriate that we talk about the compassion of our fellow Americans at
    the same time as we talk about the might of our great country.
        I asked John to come and to stand because one
    of my calls to our fellow Americans is to love your neighbor just like
    you'd like to be loved yourself. When you see somebody who hurts, put
    your arm around

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    them and tell them you love them and make sure that--[applause].
        And also standing out there at the stairs was Adrian Fakes, private first class, United States Marine Corps, St.
    Louis native, wounded in An Nasiriyah, soon to recover, anxious to get
    back to his unit. He represents the finest of the fine--those of our
    country who wear the uniform. Thank you for coming, Adrian.
        You and I and all the world are witnessing historic days in the
    cause of freedom. One month ago--just one month ago--the forces of our
    coalition stood at the borders of Iraq with orders to advance hundreds
    of miles through hostile territory against a ruthless enemy. Today,
    organized military resistance has virtually ended; the major cities of
    Iraq have been liberated.
        Two weeks ago, the Iraqi regime operated a gulag for dissidents and,
    incredibly enough, a prison for young children. Now the gates to that
    prison have been thrown wide open, and we are putting the dictator's
    political prisons and torture chambers out of business.
        One week ago, Baghdad was filled with statues and giant pictures of
    the dictator. They're kind of hard to find today. [Laughter] The fall of
    that statue in Baghdad marked the end of a nightmare for the Iraqi
    people, and it marked the start of a new day of freedom.
        Four days ago, seven American soldiers, six men and one woman, were held
    captive by forces still loyal to the fallen regime. Today, those brave
    Americans are with their fellow comrades and are headed home to their
    loved ones.
        American and coalition forces still face serious risks in Iraq.
    Scattered enemy is still capable of doing harm to our forces and to the
    innocent. But we'll stay focused. We will finish what we've begun. We
    will press on until our mission is finished and victory is complete.
        On September the 11th, 2001, America found that we are not immune to
    the threats that gather for years across the oceans, threats that can
    arrive in sudden tragedy. Since September the 11th, we've been engaged
    in a global war against terror, a war being waged on many fronts. That
    war continues, and we are winning.
        In Afghanistan, we and our allies ended the rule of the Taliban and
    closed down camps where terrorists plotted and trained to attack us. In
    Iraq, our coalition has now removed an ally of terrorists and a producer
    of weapons of mass destruction. In other nations, we're hunting and
    capturing members of Al Qaida, disrupting their plans before they can
    strike. Across the world, terrorists and tyrants are learning this, that
    America and our friends and our allies will act in our own defense.
    Instead of drifting toward tragedy, we will protect our security, and we
    will promote the peace in the world.
        We are fighting terror with all the tools we have at our disposal,
    diplomacy and law enforcement, intelligence and homeland security. As a
    last resort, we have turned to our military. And the skill and the
    heroism of American Armed Forces are making this country proud.
        From Kabul to Baghdad, American forces and our fine allies have
    conducted some of the most successful military campaigns in history. By
    a combination of creative strategies and advanced technologies, we are
    redefining war on our terms. Even before the fighting began in Iraq,
    Special Operations forces were inside the country, moving in to protect
    key infrastructure, protect the oilfields owned by the Iraqi people, to
    secure vital bridges. Overwhelmingly yet carefully targeted airstrikes
    left entire enemy divisions without armor and without organization.
    Precision-guided weapons fatally disrupted the regime's system of
    command and control.
        Every armed conflict brings sacrifice and grief. That's why the use
    of our military is our last option. Yet, more than ever before, the
    precision of our technology is protecting the lives of our soldiers and
    the

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    lives of innocent civilians. The overwhelming majority of the munitions
    dropped in the Iraqi campaign were precision-guided. In this new era of
    warfare, we can target a regime, not a nation. Our aim is to track and
    strike the guilty. Terrorists and tyrants have now been put on notice;
    they can no longer feel safe hiding behind innocent lives.
        Our military is strong and our military is ready, and we intend to
    keep it that way. Our Armed Forces must have every resource they need to
    carry out and complete the missions we give them. This morning at the
    White House, I signed a $79 billion wartime supplemental to cover the
    needs directly arising from Operation Iraqi Freedom and the
    reconstruction of Iraq. People who serve in the military are giving
    their best to America, and I want to thank the Members of Congress for
    acting quickly to give our men and women in arms the support they need.
        For the sake of the security of this country and for the sake of
    peace in this world, the United States must maintain every advantage in
    weaponry and technology and intelligence. Our edge in warfare comes, in
    part, because of the American spirit of enterprise, great companies such
    as Boeing, great workers such as yourselves.
        In any conflict, however, this Nation's greatest single asset is the
    kind of men and women who put on the uniform of the United States. The
    methods of war have changed, but the need for courage has not. And we've
    seen once again the courage of the men and women who wear the uniform of
    the United States of America. These are young Americans who engaged in
    furious battles, then carried wounded enemies to medical treatment.
    These are young Americans willing to accept any danger to rescue one of
    their own. These are the kind of people who, when they are wounded
    themselves, ask to rejoin their comrades in battle. Some of our soldiers
    and marines will never be returning to their families, and these are the
    men and women who our Nation will honor forever.
        The character of our military reflects the character of our country.
    America uses its might in the service of principle. As we defend our
    security, we value the lives and the liberty of the Iraqi people. Having
    rid Iraq of an oppressive regime, we are committed to helping Iraq build
    a future of freedom and dignity and peace.
        By swift and effective military action, we avoided the massive flow
    of refugees that many had expected. By delivering food and water and
    medicine to the Iraqi people, even as coalition units engaged the enemy,
    we have helped to avert a humanitarian crisis. Emergency supplies are
    now moving freely to Iraq from many countries. Now that Iraq is
    liberated, the United Nations should lift economic sanctions on that
    country.
        We're also addressing Iraq's urgent medical problems, problems left
    by a regime that built palaces in a country that needed hospitals. Right
    now, hundreds of Iraqis are being treated at U.S. and British military
    facilities. Governments from Europe and the Middle East are moving field
    hospitals to Iraq. Coalition members and the United Nations and other
    international organizations are sending much-needed medical supplies.
    The Red Cross is working to keep water and electricity flowing to
    hospitals. And very soon our coalition will be making direct emergency
    payments to Iraqi doctors and nurses who will be providing desperately
    needed care to their fellow citizens. With all the hardships of this
    transition, the lives of the Iraqi people will be better than anything
    they have known for generations.
        The journey from a totalitarian, brutal dictatorship to a free
    society is not easy. It will take time to build the institutions of
    democracy and the habits of freedom. Today, civil order is being
    restored in communities throughout Iraq, and Iraqis themselves are
    helping in the effort. Iraqis are

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    leading coalition forces to caches of weapons and volunteering for
    citizen patrols to provide security. In Basra, British forces and Iraqis
    have formed joint patrols to maintain order. Just days after the fall of
    the dictator, just days after the people of
    Iraq realized they were free from the clutches of his terror, the Iraqi
    people are reclaiming their own streets, their own country, and their
    own future.
        Yesterday an historic gathering occurred in the city of An
    Nasiriyah, where Iraqis met openly and freely to discuss the future of
    the country. They even had some protesters outside the meeting, a sure
    sign of freedom. [Laughter] Many more of these meetings will take place
    in the weeks and months to come. In An Nasiriyah, the Iraqi people have
    made a good start. And out of that meeting came this declaration: Iraq
    must be democratic. And the nations of our coalition share that
    commitment. We also share this commitment: We will not impose any form
    of government on Iraq. We will help Iraq to build a government of, by,
    and for the Iraqi people.
        In Iraq, the world is witnessing something dramatic and something
    important. We're seeing the deep and universal desire of men and women
    to live in freedom. As Americans, this shouldn't surprise us. We believe
    that no force, no threat, can make human beings love tyranny. We believe
    that the appeal of liberty will, in time, overcome any coercive power on
    Earth. We believe that people across the Middle East and across the
    world are weary of poverty, weary of oppression, and yearn to be free.
    And all who know that hope, all who will work and sacrifice for freedom,
    have a friend in the United States of America.
        Our country and our good allies are united by a great goal. We're
    working to create the conditions for peace. We're confronting the
    threats to peace from terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. And
    we're aiding the advance of peace by seeking the advance of freedom.
    Free societies do not nurture bitterness or the ideologies of terror and
    murder. Free societies are founded on the belief that every life has
    equal value. Free societies turn the creative gifts of men and women
    toward progress and the betterment of their own lives. American
    interests and American founding beliefs lead in the same direction: We
    stand for human liberty.
        This past month has been a time of testing and uncertainty for our
    country. The American people have responded with resolve and with
    optimism. Whatever challenges may come, we can be confident. Our Nation
    is strong; our purpose is firm; and our cause is just.
        God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:20 p.m. in the F/A-18 E/F aircraft
    assembly facility at Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. In his remarks,
    he referred to former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Philip M.
    Condit, chairman and chief executive officer, and James F. Albaugh,
    executive vice president, The Boeing Company; Rick Smith, president,
    International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers, District
    837; and Missouri Secretary of State Matt Blunt. The Office of the Press
    Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.