    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [August 26, 2003]
    [Pages 1059-1064]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the American Legion National Convention in St. Louis,
    Missouri
    August 26, 2003

        The President. Thank you all. Thanks for that warm welcome. It is
    great to be here in St. Louis, Missouri, at the 85th annual convention
    of the American Legion. I wonder if I'm the only member here today from
    Post 77 in Houston, Texas.
        Audience member. No. [Laughter]
        The President. Seems like they'd have given you a better seat.
    [Laughter]
        It is always an honor to be with people who have served America and
    who love America. When the American Legion held

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    its first caucus in this city back in 1919, Legionnaires dedicated this
    organization to the service of God and country. Times change, but those
    are still the right priorities. On behalf of your fellow citizens, I
    thank the American Legion and the Ladies Auxiliary for your idealism and
    for your faithful service to God and country.
        I'm honored to be traveling today with Secretary of Veterans Affairs
    Tony Principi. He served in Vietnam, and
    he serves his comrades in my Cabinet. He's a tireless advocate for our
    Nation's veterans. I want you to understand the facts of this good man's
    leadership. The budget for Veterans Affairs has gone up by $15 billion
    since I took office, a 30-percent increase. And my budget for fiscal
    year 2004 includes the largest discretionary increase for the Department
    of Veterans Affairs ever requested by a President. The Department, under
    Tony's lead, has made major progress in reducing the backlog of
    veterans' disability claims and the number of veterans waiting for
    health care. And we will continue to work to make sure those backlogs
    are eliminated.
        I want to thank Ron Conley, the national
    commander of the American Legion, for his kind introduction and for his
    leadership of this distinguished group of citizens. I appreciate Senator
    Jim Talent and Congressman Todd Akin from the State of Missouri, who are here with us
    today. I thank Elsie Bailey, American Legion's
    lady auxiliary national president. I'm honored to be on the stage with
    Major General Patrick Brady, Medal of Honor
    recipient.
        I know in the audience somewhere is my friend Arlene Howard. There she is. Arlene, thank you. I don't know if you
    remember the speech I gave in front of the Congress right after the
    attacks of September the 11th, but I held up the badge of one of the
    brave who were killed. It was the badge of Arlene's son. I'm honored
    you're here, Arlene. I appreciate you coming. I can't wait to give you a
    hug.
        I want to thank the board of directors for the invitation. And I
    want to thank you all for being such great Americans. The American
    Legion is an effective and respected voice for the veteran, and you
    speak with authority. In the years following the First World War,
    leaders of this organization helped to establish the U.S. Veterans
    Bureau. Following World War II, you helped secure passage of the GI
    bill. You've supported the memorials to those who fought in World War II
    and Korea and Vietnam, so the sacrifices of those wars are always
    remembered.
        For two generations, you have demanded a full accounting of
    Americans whose fate is undetermined. And my administration will not
    rest until that accounting is complete. And having fought under the
    American flag and seen it folded and given to families of your friends,
    you are committed, as am I, to protecting the dignity of the flag in the
    Constitution of the United States.
        In the 20th century, the American flag and the American uniform
    stood for something unique in history. This Nation gained great power,
    and we used that power in the service of human freedom. Americans
    liberated continents and concentration camps. America's Armed Forces
    humbled tyrants and raised up and befriended nations that once fought
    against us. Our Nation led a great alliance against a Communist empire
    until that empire was gone and its captives were free. America's
    veterans have all been a part of this great story of perseverance and
    courage, and people and nations across the world are better off because
    of your service.
        On Memorial Day last year, I visited the military cemetery at
    Normandy and saw the grave of one of the founders of the American
    Legion, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. When Roosevelt landed
    with the first wave of his unit on D-day, he and his men found
    themselves in a different part of Utah Beach from the point they
    expected. Roosevelt quickly sized up

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    the situation and called in a whole division to the new sector. Turning
    a challenge into an advantage, he declared, ``We'll start the war from
    here.''
        Well, a great challenge came to America on September the 11th, 2001.
    Enemies who plotted for years in secret carried out missions of murder
    on our own soil. It was a day of suffering and sorrow. It was also a day
    of decision for our country. As a united and resolute people, America
    declared, ``We'll start the war from here.''
        In this first war of the 21st century, America and all free nations
    are facing a new threat and fighting a new enemy, a global network of
    terror supported by outlaw regimes. We've seen the hand of the terrorist
    enemy in the attacks on our country. We've seen the deadly work of the
    terrorists in Bali, in Mombasa, in Riyadh, in Jakarta, in Casablanca. On
    a single day last week, we saw the true nature of the terrorists once
    again. In Baghdad, they attacked a symbol of the civilized world, the
    United Nations headquarters, and killed men and women who were there to
    bring humanitarian help to the Iraqi people. They killed a respected
    U.N. Special Representative, Sergio Vieira de Mello from Brazil. And on the same day in Jerusalem, a
    terrorist murdered 21 innocent people who were riding a bus, including
    little children and 5 Americans.
        The terrorists' aim is to spread chaos and fear by killing on an
    ever-widening scale. They serve their cause by sacrificing the innocent.
    They celebrate the murder of women and children. They attacked the
    civilized world because they bear a deep hatred for the values of the
    civilized world. They hate freedom and religious tolerance and democracy
    and equality for women. They hate Christians and Jews and every Muslim
    who does not share their narrow and violent vision.
        No nation can be neutral in the struggle between civilization and
    chaos. Every nation that stands on the side of freedom and the value of
    human life must condemn terrorism and act against the few who would
    destroy the hopes of the many.
        Because America stands for freedom and tolerance and the rights of
    all, the terrorists have targeted our country. During the last few
    decades, the terrorists grew bolder, believing if they hit America hard,
    America would retreat and back down. Five years ago, one of the
    terrorists said that an attack could make America run in less than 24
    hours. They're learning something different today. The terrorists have
    not seen America running; they've seen America marching. They've seen
    the armies of liberation. They have seen the armies of liberation
    marching into Kabul and to Baghdad. The terrorists have seen speeding
    tank convoys and roaring jets and Special Forces arriving in midnight
    raids. And sometimes justice has found them before they could see
    anything coming at all.
        We've adopted a new strategy for a new kind of war. We will not wait
    for known enemies to strike us again. We will strike them in their camps
    or caves or wherever they hide before they hit more of our cities and
    kill more of our citizens. We will do everything in our power to deny
    terrorists weapons of mass destruction before they can commit murder on
    an unimaginable scale. The security of this Nation and our friends
    requires decisive action. And with a broad coalition, we're taking that
    action around the globe. We are on the offensive against terror, and we
    will stay on the offensive against terror.
        In Afghanistan, we acted against the Taliban regime that harbored Al
    Qaida and ruled by terror. The Taliban felt pretty strong when they were
    whipping women in the streets and executing them in soccer fields. When
    our coalition moved in, the Taliban ran quickly for the caves. But the
    caves could not hide these killers from justice. We've sent a message
    that is 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

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    terrorists. And the Taliban found out what we meant.
        Afghanistan today is a friend of the United States of America.
    Because we acted, that country is not a haven for terrorists and the
    people of America are safer from attack. That nation still faces
    challenges, and our coalition forces there still face dangers. Yet we're
    working every day to make sure that Afghanistan finds its future as a
    free and stable and peaceful nation.
        America and the new Afghan Army are working together in a major
    operation called Warrior Sweep, which is hunting down terrorists one by
    one. NATO is now taking a leading role in keeping Afghanistan secure.
    New roads are being built, medical clinics are opening, and many young
    girls are going to school for the first time, thanks to our coalition
    and the United States of America.
        The Al Qaida terrorists lost a base in Afghanistan, but they operate
    in many other places. We're on their trail, from Pakistan to the
    Philippines to the Horn of Africa. Earlier this month, we captured a
    major terrorist named Hambali. He's a known killer and was a close associate of
    September the 11th mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Hambali was one of the world's most lethal terrorists
    and is suspected of planning the attack on Bali and other recent acts of
    terror. We're making steady progress. Nearly two-thirds of known senior
    Al Qaida leaders, operational managers, and key facilitators have either
    been captured or killed.
        Now Al Qaida is wounded, yet not destroyed. It remains a grave
    danger to the American people. Terrorist networks are still finding
    recruits and still plotting attacks and still intending to strike our
    country. Yet our resolve is firm, and it is clear: No matter how long it
    takes, we will bring to justice those who plot against America.
        We've also pursued the war on terror in Iraq. America and our
    coalition removed a regime that built, possessed, and used weapons of
    mass destruction, a regime that sponsored terror, and a regime that
    persecuted its people. Our military coalition destroyed the Iraqi regime
    while taking extraordinary measures to spare innocent life. The battle
    of Iraq was conducted with the skill and honor of a great military, the
    United States Armed Forces.
        Because of our military, catastrophic weapons will no longer be in
    the hands of a reckless, unstable dictator. Because of our military,
    Middle Eastern countries no longer fear subversion and attack by Saddam
    Hussein. Because of our military, Iraq will
    no longer be a source of funding for suicide bombers in the Middle East.
    Because of our men and women in uniform, the torture chambers in Iraq
    are closed, the prison cells for children are empty, and the people who
    speak their minds need not fear execution.
        In all the debates over Iraq, we must never forget the brutal nature
    of the regime of Saddam Hussein. Mass grave
    sites, literally thousands of people buried in mass grave sites, were
    recently discovered by our troops. They contain the remains not only of
    executed men and women but of executed children as well. Our people in
    uniform, joined by fine allies, ended this nightmare in Iraq, removed a
    threat to the world, and they have made our Nation proud.
        The work of our coalition in Iraq goes on because that country is
    now a point of testing in the war on terror. The remnants of Saddam's
    regime are still dangerous, and terrorists are gathering in Iraq to
    undermine the advance of freedom. Al Qaida and the other global terror
    networks recognize that the defeat of Saddam Hussein's regime is a
    defeat for them. They know that a democratic Iraq in the heart of the
    Middle East would be a further defeat for their ideology of terror. They
    know that the spread of peace and hope in the Middle East would
    undermine the appeal of bitterness, resentment, and violence. And the
    more progress we make in Iraq, the

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    more desperate the terrorists will become. Freedom is a threat to their
    way of life.
        They have sabotaged water mains and oil pipelines and attacked local
    police. Last week, they killed aid workers bringing food and medicine to
    the country. The terrorists have killed innocent Iraqis and Americans
    and U.N. officials from many nations. They have declared war on the
    entire civilized world, and the civilized world will not be intimidated.
    Retreat in the face of terror would only invite further and bolder
    attacks. There will be no retreat.
        We are on the offensive against the Saddam loyalists, the foreign
    fighters, and the criminal gangs that are attacking Iraqis and coalition
    forces. We're receiving more and more vital intelligence from Iraqi
    citizens, information that we're putting to good use. Our recent
    military operations have included almost 200 raids netting more than
    1,100 detainees. Since the end of major combat operations, we have
    seized more than 8,200 tons of ammunition, thousands of AK-47s, and
    rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons.
        And as we help the Iraqi people establish security, we are working
    through that famous deck of cards. So far, of the 55 most wanted Iraqi
    leaders, 42 have been captured or killed. The brutal, vicious sons of
    the dictator are gone. Recently, we captured the former Vice President
    of Iraq. He was one of Saddam
    Hussein's most feared enforcers. And
    recently, as well, we captured the man known as ``Chemical Ali.'' He earned his nickname by
    ordering chemical weapon attacks on whole Iraqi villages, killing
    thousands of citizens. ``Chemical Ali's'' savage career is over. The
    search goes on for other former leaders of Iraq, and we will find them.
    After decades of smothering fear, the Iraqi people can be certain: The
    regime of Saddam Hussein is gone, and it is never coming back.
        Ultimately, the security of Iraq will be won by the Iraqi people
    themselves. They must reject terror, and they must join in their own
    defense. And they're stepping forward. More than 38,000 Iraqis have been
    hired as police officers. Iraqi police and border guards and security
    forces are increasingly taking on critical duties. Over 1,400 Iraqi
    civil defense corps volunteers are being trained to work closely with
    coalition forces. Twelve thousand Iraqis will be trained in the next
    year for the country's new army.
        At the same time, 31 countries have contributed 21,000 forces to
    build security in Iraq. I will continue to challenge other countries to
    join in this important mission.
        In most of Iraq today, there's steady progress toward reconstruction
    and civil order. Iraq's Governing Council, representing the nation's
    diverse groups, is steadily assuming greater responsibility over the
    country. The coalition provisional authority led by Ambassador Paul
    Bremer is implementing a
    comprehensive plan to ensure a successful, democratic Iraq and a better
    future for the Iraqi people.
        Building a free and peaceful Iraq will require a substantial
    commitment of time and resources, and it will yield a substantially
    safer and more secure America and the world. I'll work with the Congress
    to make sure we provide the resources to do the work of freedom and
    security.
        Iraq's progress toward self-determination and democracy brings hope
    to other oppressed people in the region and throughout the world. It is
    the rise of democracy that tyrants fear and terrorists seek to
    undermine. The people who yearn for liberty and opportunity in countries
    like Iran and throughout the Middle East are watching, and they are
    praying for our success in Iraq.
        More progress will come in Iraq, and it will require hard and
    sustained efforts. As many of you saw firsthand in Germany and Japan
    after World War II, the transition from dictatorship to democracy is a
    massive undertaking. It's not an easy task. In the aftermath of World
    War II, that task took years, not months, to complete. And yet the
    effort was repaid many times

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    over as former enemies became friends and allies and partners in keeping
    the peace.
        Likewise, the work we do today is essential to the peace of the
    world and for the security of our country. America is a nation that
    understands its responsibilities and keeps its word. And we will honor
    our word to the people of Iraq and those in the Middle East who yearn
    for freedom. Murderers will not determine the future of Iraq, and they
    will not determine the future of the Middle East.
        In Jerusalem as in Baghdad, terrorists are trying to undermine the
    hopes of peace with acts of violence. Their desperation also grows as
    the parties move closer to a just settlement. But terrorists do not
    speak for the Palestinian people. They do not serve the Palestinian
    cause. And a Palestinian state will never be built on the foundation of
    violence.
        Now is the time for every true friend of the Palestinian people,
    every leader in the Middle East, and the Palestinian people themselves
    to cut off all money and support for terrorists and actively fight
    terror on all fronts. Only then can Israel be secure and the flag rise
    over an independent Palestine. And to bring that day closer, America
    will be a consistent friend of all who work for peace.
        For nearly 2 years, on many fronts, the United States and our
    friends have conducted a global campaign against terror. We met the
    enemy on desert sands and mountain passes, wherever they choose to
    gather and fight. We've had successes, yet our mission continues. The
    stakes could not be greater for the American people. All of us who have
    taken an oath to defend this Nation will do our duty.
        Our military forces in the war on terror are showing the definition
    of ``duty.'' In hostile conditions and remote parts of the Earth, brave
    Americans are sacrificing for freedom and the security of others. Some
    have been wounded, and some have been killed. The veterans in this hall
    understand the loss and sadness that have come to military families.
    This Nation is grateful to every man and woman who serves, and we honor
    the memory of all who have fallen.
        We also remember what this fight is about. Our military is
    confronting terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan and in other places so
    our people will not have to confront terrorist violence in New York or
    St. Louis or Los Angeles. Our Armed Forces are doing the work they are
    called to do. They're taking the fight to the enemy so that America and
    our friends can live in peace.
        The war on terror is a test of our strength. It is a test of our
    perseverance, our patience, and our will. This Nation has been tested
    before. By the character of men and women like you, we've come through
    every trial. And so it is today. Our course is set. Our purpose is firm.
    No act of terrorists will weaken our resolve or alter their fate. Our
    only goal, our only option, is total victory in the war on terror. And
    this Nation will press on to victory.
        Thank you for having me. May God bless you, and may God continue to
    bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 3 p.m. at the St. Louis Convention Center.
    In his remarks, he referred to Nurjaman Riduan Isamuddin (known as
    Hambali), Al Qaida's chief operational planner in Southeast Asia; Khalid
    Sheikh Mohammed, senior Al Qaida leader responsible for planning the
    September 11, 2001, terrorist attack, who was captured in Pakistan on
    March 1; former President Saddam Hussein and former Vice President Taha
    Yasin Ramadan of Iraq; former Iraqi Ba'ath Party official Ali Hassan al-
    Majid (known as ``Chemical Ali''); and L. Paul Bremer III, Presidential
    Envoy to Iraq. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of these remarks.