    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [September 12, 2003]
    [Pages 1141-1145]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to Military Personnel and Families at Fort Stewart, Georgia
    September 12, 2003

        The President. Thank you all very much. Thanks for the warm welcome.
    It's a fine day here in Georgia. Of course, the Governor told me every day is a fine day in Georgia.
        Audience members. Hooah!
        The President. It's a great day to visit the soldiers and the
    families of the 3d Infantry Division and to visit Fort Stewart. When I
    came here in February of 2001, it was my first--one of my first official
    trips, my first visit to an Army post as Commander in Chief, and my
    first chance as President to say: Hooah!
        Audience members. Hooah!
        The President. Since we last met, soldiers of the 3d Infantry
    Division have fought in Afghanistan and have hunted terrorists in
    Pakistan; you've launched the coalition offensive into Iraq, defeated
    the enemy in Najaf; you took the Saddam Hussein International Airport and seized his palaces; and

    [[Page 1142]]

    you led the fighting into Baghdad the day the statue of the dictator was
    pulled down.
        Audience members. Hooah!
        The President. Following that day of liberation, 3d ID soldiers have
    helped the Iraqi people to recover from years of oppression, to begin
    the work of building a free Iraq. Two months ago, the Sergeant Major of
    the Army, Jack Tilley, spoke to the 3d ID
    troops in Fallujah. He said this--he said, ``Be proud of who you are.
    Stand up straight. You made history.'' As Commander in Chief, I second
    those words. You made history. You've made our Nation proud. And you
    have earned the Presidential Unit Citation.
        After a long deployment, the 3d ID is now home. America is grateful
    for your devoted service in hard conditions. America is grateful to the
    men and women right here on this base who supported your mission.
        And we're especially grateful to our military families. I know it
    has been a tough 9 months for Fort Stewart families. But you've been
    loyal and patient, and you've looked out for one another. I want to
    thank you for the support you've given to your loved ones. Thank you for
    the love of your country. Our Nation is grateful.
        I want to thank General Blount for
    inviting me here today. I told him, I said he's a pretty eloquent
    speaker for a good warrior. [Laughter] I appreciate General
    Ellis, good to see him again today, the
    commander of U.S. Forces Command.
        I'm honored to be traveling with two fine United States Senators,
    Senator Zell Miller and Senator Saxby
    Chambliss of the great State of Georgia,
    strong supporters of the United States military. As well, we traveled
    down with Jack Kingston and Max Burns, two fine Members of the House of Representatives. As
    well, they are strong supporters of the United States military.
        Of course, I already mentioned the Governor
    once. He said, ``Every day is a beautiful day in Georgia.'' I'm proud to
    be with him. He's a good friend, solid American.
        I also am pleased to be here with Brigadier General Joe
    Riojas, assistant division commander; Bob
    Caslen--Colonel Caslen, assistant
    division commander; Colonel Larry Burch;
    Colonel John Kidd; Sergeant Major
    Kellman; and Captain Vern Tubbs. I want to thank you all very much for bringing me here
    today. It's an honor to be here.
        Two-and-a-half years ago--or 2 years ago, this Nation came under
    enemy attack. Two years ago yesterday we were attacked. On a single
    morning, we suffered the highest casualties on our own soil since the
    Civil War. America saw the face of a new adversary, an enemy that plots
    in secret, an enemy that rejects the rules of war, an enemy that
    rejoices in the murder of the innocent. We made a pledge that day, and
    we have kept it: We are bringing the guilty to justice; we are taking
    the fight to the enemy.
        In this new kind of war, America has followed a new strategy. We are
    not waiting for further attacks on our citizens. We are striking our
    enemies before they can strike us again. As all of you know, wars are
    fought on the offensive. The war on terror will be won on the offensive,
    and America and our friends are staying on the offensive. We're rolling
    back the terrorist threat not on the fringes of its influence but at the
    heart of its power.
        In Afghanistan, America and our broad coalition acted against a
    regime that harbored Al Qaida and ruled by terror. We've sent a message
    that is now understood throughout the world: If you harbor a terrorist,
    if you support a terrorist, if you feed a terrorist, you're just as
    guilty as the terrorists. And the Taliban found out what we meant.
    Thanks to our men and women in uniform, Afghanistan is no longer a haven
    for terror, and as a result, the people of America are safer from
    attack.
        We are hunting the Al Qaida terrorists wherever they still hide,
    from Pakistan to

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    the Philippines to the Horn of Africa. And we're making good progress.
    Nearly two-thirds of Al Qaida's known leaders have been captured or
    killed. The rest of them are dangerous, but the rest of them can be
    certain we're on their trail. Our resolve is firm. The resolve of this
    Nation is clear: No matter how long it takes, we will bring justice to
    those who plot against America.
        And we have pursued the war on terror in Iraq. Our coalition
    enforced the demands of the U.N. Security Council in one of the swiftest
    and most humane military campaigns in history. Because of our military,
    catastrophic weapons will no longer be in the hands of a reckless
    dictator. Because of our military, Middle Eastern countries no longer
    fear subversion and attack by Saddam Hussein.
    Because of our military, the torture chambers in Iraq are closed, and
    people who speak their minds need not fear execution. Because of our
    military, the people of Iraq are free.
        Now we're working with the Iraqi people to build a decent and
    democratic society, a country that is an example of peace, not an
    exporter of violence. This undertaking is difficult, and it is costly.
    Yet it is worthy of our country, and it is critical to our security.
    You've seen how Saddam holdouts and foreign
    terrorists are desperately, desperately trying to undermine Iraq's
    progress and to throw that country into chaos. You know, they understand
    that a free Iraq will be free of them, free of assassins and torturers
    and secret police. As democracy and freedom rise in Iraq, their
    ambitions will fall just like the statues of Saddam Hussein.
        The terrorists have a strategic goal. They want America to leave
    Iraq before our work is done. You see, they believe their attacks on our
    people and on innocent people will shake the will of the United States
    and the civilized world. They believe America will run from a challenge.
    They don't know us very well.
        Audience members. Hooah!
        The President. They're mistaken. Iraq is now the central front in
    the war on terror. This Nation will complete our work, and we will win
    this essential victory.
        The people of our military have faced many hardships in Iraq, and
    you faced them with courage. You know the names of some who fought for
    our country and didn't come home, who died in the line of duty. You
    remember them as comrades and friends. This Nation will remember them
    for their unselfish courage, for their sacrifice in a time of danger to
    America. We honor their memory. We pray for God's comfort on their
    family and loved ones.
        All who serve understand what this fight is about. Our military is
    confronting terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan and in other places, so
    that our people will not have to confront terrorist violence in our own
    cities.
        Our strategy in Iraq has three objectives. First, we are destroying
    the terrorists by swift and decisive action. We continue to launch raids
    against these enemies. We're rounding them up. We're seizing their
    weapons. And as for the leaders of the former regime, we're working our
    way through the famous deck of cards. The Iraqi people are helping with
    critical leads, and with each new capture the word gets out.
        In a letter home this summer, an American soldier described the
    following scene in Baghdad after two of those cards were dealt with. He
    wrote: ``The whole city was erupting in gunfire. There were tracer
    rounds flying through the air all over. Everyone was hyped to the max.
    Then we got the call over the radio. It was celebration fire because we
    caught Saddam's sons.'' Altogether, 42 of the 55 most wanted former
    Iraqi leaders have been captured or killed. It's a matter of time for
    the rest of them.
        Our second objective is to bring in other nations to help Iraq build
    a free country; that'll make the world more secure. Already two
    multinational divisions--perhaps you saw brothers and sisters in combat
    when

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    you were in Iraq--divisions led by the Brits and the Poles, they're
    sharing responsibilities with us. And we thank all the nations who have
    contributed.
        It's time for others to join us. Tomorrow Secretary Powell will be in Geneva, consulting with friends and
    allies and the officials of the United Nations. He'll carry a message:
    No free nation can be neutral in the fight between civilization and
    chaos. Terrorists in Iraq have attacked representatives of the civilized
    world, and opposing them and defeating them must be the cause of the
    civilized world.
        Our third goal is to encourage the orderly transfer of sovereignty
    and authority to the Iraqi people. We're helping to train Iraqi civil
    defense forces and police and border guards. In these and other roles,
    some 60,000 Iraqis are now helping to secure their country. Iraq's new
    Governing Council represents the nation's diverse groups. Ninety percent
    of the communities have local councils. In Baghdad, a new city council
    is at work, chosen by all the neighborhoods in the cities. In the months
    ahead, the Iraqis will be drafting a new constitution, and this will
    prepare the way for elections. With our help, and with the great
    strength of its own people, Iraq is getting rid of the days of
    dictatorship and terror and is moving toward a future of stability and
    freedom. And life is returning to normal for a lot of the citizens in
    Iraq.
        The day the regime fell, only 30 percent of the hospitals in Iraq
    were functioning. Now almost every hospital in Iraq is open. America and
    our coalition have provided more than 22 million doses of vaccine to
    over 4 million children and a million pregnant women. We're refurbishing
    more than 1,000 schools in Iraq.
        One school in Baghdad is called the Hiba School. It was founded by a
    woman named Sarahiah, for children with
    Down syndrome. The old regime gave the Hiba School no help. You see,
    Down syndrome children were viewed as hopeless and useless. By now a
    unit of American soldiers has--but now a unit of American soldiers has
    taken the Hiba School under its wing. They've been collecting donations
    from home to pay for supplies and clothing for the children and salaries
    for the teachers. The effort has been led by Lieutenant Colonel
    Bowyer of the 1st Armored Division. He's got
    a special interest. You see, his own son, Samuel, has Down syndrome.
        Sarahiah calls Colonel Bowyer ``our first friend and our best friend.'' And in the
    Hiba School, the Iraqi children have put up a picture of Sam
    Bowyer on the wall to thank him--to thank his
    dad, to thank our country.
        See, the Iraqi people are coming to know the kind of men and women
    we've sent to liberate their country. In your courage and in your
    compassion, the people of our Armed Forces represent the best of
    American character.
        When I addressed the Nation a few nights ago from the White House, I
    read a letter I'd received from an Army captain serving in Baghdad. Some
    of you know him. You gave him a pretty good seat here today--Captain
    Vern Tubbs. He wrote about his pride in serving a
    just cause and about the deep desire for Iraqis for liberty. ``I see
    it,'' he said, ``in the eyes of a hungry people every day here. They're
    starved for freedom and opportunity.'' Captain Tubbs and all of you have
    helped put Iraq on the path to freedom and opportunity. And every man,
    woman, and child in Iraq can be certain of this: The old regime is gone,
    and the regime is never coming back.
        As America carries out its strategy for security and reconstruction,
    we need the resources to do the job in Iraq. Soon I will send Congress a
    request for additional money we need to keep our commitments. In this
    time of challenge of America, as we ask so much of our military, we in
    Government have a solemn responsibility to give you every tool you need
    to achieve victory.
        This base and all of you serving here are critical to the defense of
    the United

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    States. You've shown that, once again, by enduring a long deployment and
    performing brilliantly every day under difficult and dangerous
    circumstances, that you're worthy of the task, and you're worthy of our
    trust. Our whole Nation has been reminded that we can never take our
    military for granted. I will keep our military strong.
        This was the message of another President, John F. Kennedy, when he
    visited Fort Stewart in 1962 and spoke to the troops on Donovan Field.
    President Kennedy said this: ``Regardless of how persistent our
    diplomacy may be in activities stretching all around the globe, in the
    final analysis it rests upon the power of the United States, and that
    power rests upon the will and courage of our citizens and upon you in
    this field.'' Soldiers and families of Fort Stewart, those words are
    still true today. Peace and America's security depends on you.
        In meeting the dangers of a new era, the world looks to America for
    leadership. And America counts on the men and women who have stepped
    forward as volunteers in the cause of freedom.
        I want to thank you all for your good service. Thank you for the
    credit and honor you bring to our country every day. May God bless you.
    May God bless your families, and may God continue to bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:02 a.m. at Trent Field. In his remarks,
    he referred to Gov. Sonny Perdue of Georgia; Gen. Larry R. Ellis, USA,
    commanding general, U.S. Army Forces Command; Gen. Buford C. Blount III,
    USA, commanding general, Brig. Gen. Jose D. Riojas, USA, assistant
    division commander, Col. Robert L. Caslen, Jr., USA, assistant division
    commander, Col. Glenn L. Burch, USA, chief of staff, Col. John M. Kidd,
    USA, garrison commander, and Sgt. Maj. Julian A. Kellman, USA, division
    command sergeant major, 3d Infantry Division, Fort Stewart and Hunter
    Army Airfield; former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; former President
    Hussein's sons, Uday and Qusay, who were killed July 22 by U.S. military
    forces in Mosul, Iraq; and Lt. Col. Richard Bowyer, USA, 1st Armored
    Division.