[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
[October 19, 2003]
[Pages 1359-1361]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the Royal Thai Army Headquarters in Bangkok
October 19, 2003

    Thank you very much, Mr. Minister. Thank you very much. Thank you 
very much. General Thammarak, 
commanders of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, members of the Royal Thai 
Army, veterans, members of the United States military, distinguished 
guests and citizens of Thailand, Mrs. Bush and I 
appreciate your kind welcome to the Royal Thai Army Headquarters. We are 
honored to be here.
    We're honored to be in the Kingdom of Thailand. Today I'm pleased to 
convey the respect of the American Armed Forces and the good wishes of 
the American people. I'm grateful to His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen 
for inviting us to this ancient and beautiful land.
    Earlier today I met with Prime Minister Thaksin, and I was proud to reaffirm the great friendship 
between our nations. We share a belief in democracy and human rights and 
ethnic and religious tolerance. We also share a willingness to defend 
those values in times of danger. Our alliance of conviction is also an 
alliance of courage.
    The Thai people have proven your commitment to freedom many times. 
With us today are members of the Free Thai Movement, who showed such 
fierce courage during World War II. Other veterans have served in Korea 
and Vietnam, where the Americans and Thais fought and died together, and 
during the cold war, when our partnership was so vital to the stability 
of Asia. All the veterans hold an honored place in a great alliance, and 
I salute your service.
    Today, our nations are challenged once again. We're threatened by 
ruthless enemies unlike others we have faced. Terrorist groups hide in 
many countries. They emerge to kill the innocent. They seek weapons to 
kill on a massive scale. One terrorist camp in the mountains of central 
Asia can bring horror to innocent people living far away, whether 
they're in Bali, in Riyadh, or in New York City. One murderous dictator 
pursuing weapons of mass destruction and cultivating ties to terror 
could threaten the lives of millions.
    We must fight terrorism on many fronts. We must stay on the 
offensive until the terrorist threat is fully and finally defeated. To 
win the war on terror, we must hunt

[[Page 1360]]

a scattered and resourceful enemy in dark corners around the world. We 
must break up their cells, shut off their sources of money. We must 
oppose the propaganda of hatred that feeds their cause. In the nations 
where resentment and terrorism have taken root, we must encourage the 
alternative of progress and tolerance and freedom that leads to peace.
    Nations that choose to fight terror are defending their own safety 
and securing the peace of all mankind. The United States of America has 
made its choice. The Kingdom of Thailand has made its choice. We will 
meet this danger and overcome this evil. Whatever is asked of us, no 
matter how long it takes, we will push on until our work is done.
    Three months after my country was attacked on September the 11th, 
2001, Prime Minister Thaksin came to 
America and offered Thailand's help in the war on terror. Since then, 
Thailand has committed military forces outside Southeast Asia for the 
first time in more than 50 years. Some of you have just returned from 
Afghanistan, where you gave many months of service. Thai engineers 
rebuilt Afghanistan's national airfield and helped restore much of that 
country's infrastructure. And the Afghan people and the American people 
are grateful for your service. The Thai task force is a vital part of 
the multinational division in Karbala, Iraq, once again helping a 
shattered country rebuild after years of oppression.
    Inside your own country, you are pursuing dangerous terrorists and 
finding them, and America thanks you for ending the lethal career of the 
terrorist Hambali, who 
is suspected of planning the attack on Bali and other acts of terror. 
Thailand pledged to fight the war on terror, and that pledge is being 
honored in full.
    Thailand is also a force of good throughout Southeast Asia. When 
East Timor was torn by violence, Thai forces joined with Americans and 
Australians to bring stability, and they helped establish the world's 
newest nation. This important work has brought dignity to the people of 
East Timor and greater security to this region.
    Together, our two nations are fighting the drug trade by sharing 
intelligence that helps Thai law enforcement officials interdict 
shipments and catch drug traffickers. We're fighting the trafficking in 
human beings to abolish a modern form of slavery.
    America supports your country's humane efforts to find, defuse, and 
dispose of landmines. And having cooperated for decades to fight 
hepatitis and malaria, we're now working together to turn the tide 
against AIDS.
    America and Thailand understand that trade and growth are the only 
sure ways to spread prosperity and lift people and nations out of 
poverty. And this morning I'm pleased to announce that the United States 
and Thailand are planning to launch negotiations toward a free trade 
agreement. This region and our world must one day trade in freedom.
    In all our common efforts, we are confident of the outcome. We're 
confident in the power of freedom to overcome hatred and uplift whole 
nations. We're confident in the strength of our alliance, and I have 
acted to designate Thailand a major non-NATO ally of the United States. 
And we're confident in the character of those who defend us. American 
and Thai forces serve together and train together and study at military 
academies in each other's countries. We have come to know and respect 
one another.
    America remembers and honors a young man named Kemaphoom 
Chanawongse, known to his 
family and friends as Ahn. He was born in Bangkok, the grandson of a 
Royal Thai Air Force veteran. He moved to America when he was 9 years 
old, fulfilled his great ambition to become a United States Marine. Ahn 
was part of the force that defeated the army of Saddam Hussein. He was killed in action near An Nasariyah. This son of 
Thailand, this American patriot, was buried among America's

[[Page 1361]]

greatest military heroes at Arlington National Cemetery. This brave 
marine brought honor to the Nation he served and honor to the nation of 
his birth.
    Thailand and the United States lie thousands of miles apart. Yet in 
the ideals we serve, we will always be close. America is grateful for 
your friendship. We respect the skill and valor of the Royal Thai 
military, and we're proud to stand by your side in the cause of peace. 
May God bless you.

Note: The President spoke at 12:40 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to 
Gen. (Ret.) Thammarak Isarangkun an Ayuttha, Thailand's Minister of 
Defense; King Phumiphon Adunyadet, Queen Sirikit, and Prime Minister 
Thaksin Chinnawat of Thailand; Nurjaman Riduan Isamuddin (known as 
Hambali), Al Qaida's chief operational planner in Southeast Asia; and 
former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.