    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [June 16, 2004]
    [Pages 1060-1065]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida
    June 16, 2004

        Thanks for coming. Thanks for the warm welcome. It is great to be
    back in Florida with the fine men and women of MacDill Air Force Base.
    You know, I told my dad I was coming here
    today, and he suggested I drop in by parachute. [Laughter] I told him I
    thought I'd wait for my 80th birthday. [Laughter]
        With us today by satellite are American service men and women in
    Afghanistan and Iraq. You are stationed in faraway lands, but you're
    always in the thoughts of your fellow Americans. You face hard duty.
    You've endured the heat of the Persian Gulf and the harsh winters of
    central Asia. You're serving with honor and pride. You're making our
    country safer, and your country is proud of you. Thank you for your
    service.
        I also know that we're on Armed Forces radio and TV. We're carried
    to the bases

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    and ships around the world. Wherever your duty has taken you, I want you
    to know that you are a part of a great force for good in this world. The
    defense of our country, the security of our friends, and the peace of
    the world depend on you. Thank you for working hard and for bringing
    credit and honor to the United States military.
        I want to thank General Lance Smith and
    his wife, Linda. I want to thank General John
    Abizaid, who is not with us today, and his
    wife, Kathy. I want to thank General Doug
    Brown. I want to thank Colonel Brian
    Kelly and wife, Susan. I want to thank a member of my Cabinet who's traveled
    here, a veteran of the United States military, the Secretary for the
    Department of Veteran Affairs, Secretary Tony Principi.
        Someday you'll be veterans. Our Government will honor our commitment
    to our veterans, past, present, and future.
        I want to thank Mayor Pam Iorio for being
    here today, the mayor of Tampa, Florida, and Mayor Rick Baker, the mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida. Thank you all
    for coming today. I'm honored you're here, and thank you for providing
    such important support for the men and women who wear our Nation's
    uniform.
        I want to thank my friends Darryl Worley
    and Mark Wills for being here today. These boys
    can sing.
        I know we've got people from the Tampa Bay Lightning here. It seems
    like it would be hard to skate on ice in this kind of weather.
    [Laughter] But I know the general manager, Jay Feaster, is with us, and John Tortorella, the coach, is with us. Congratulations on being champs.
        I just had the honor of meeting Master Sergeant Gina
    Carnesecchi on Air Force One. I'll tell you
    why I want to bring up Gina. She is a veteran of--she's been deployed,
    let me put it to you that way. She came back; she helped start Operation
    Lighthouse here at MacDill. It's a program to encourage troops and their
    families. She helps organize care packages and makes sure families are
    able to communicate with a loved one abroad. She's a volunteer. She
    serves our Nation as a master sergeant. In her spare time, she
    volunteers to help make somebody's life better.
        You see, the strength of America is the hearts and souls of the
    American people. The strength of this country is because we've got
    thousands of people from all walks of life who have heard the universal
    call to love a neighbor just like they would like to be loved
    themselves. For those of you who are helping to make somebody's life
    better, I thank you on behalf of a grateful nation.
        MacDill is the home of the U.S. Central Command. The Command was
    activated in the early 1980s. Back then, America needed CENTCOM to help
    protect our allies from aggression and to support the Afghan freedom
    fighters. Now, at the start of a new century, the men and women of
    CENTCOM have liberated two nations and have rescued more than 50 million
    people from tyranny. Today, your Nation is counting on you to ensure the
    defeat of terrorists, to secure America, and to advance freedom
    throughout the Middle East. That's our mission.
        I'm grateful to the fine men and women of the 6th Air Mobility Wing,
    which established the air bridge that got troops and supplies into the
    theaters of operations. Some of you deployed to Iraq with the 447th Air
    Expeditionary Group. Your job was to move cargo and passengers in and
    out of the Baghdad International Airport every day. Last Thanksgiving, I
    was one of those passengers, and I appreciated the on-time arrival.
        MacDill is also the headquarters for our quiet warriors, the United
    States Special Operations Command. It is the nature of Special Ops that
    many of your victories are unseen and must remain secret, but I know
    about them. [Laughter] Our Special Operations force are the worst
    nightmare of America's worst enemies, and you're making us proud.

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        All who wear the uniform can know that America appreciates your
    service and your sacrifice. Our Government owes you more than gratitude.
    I made a commitment to the men and women of our military, a commitment
    to their loved ones: You will have the resources you need to fight and
    win the war on terror.
        Here at CENTCOM, the Coalition Village flies the flags of 65 nations
    that are doing their part in the war on terror. On behalf of our
    country, I thank all our friends and allies for serving with America in
    the cause of freedom.
        I last came to MacDill during the first week of Operation Iraqi
    Freedom. In that battle, we and our allies acted with speed and
    precision to destroy a brutal regime, while sparing innocent Iraqis. Our
    coalition showed the world, when we see a threat to America and our
    friends, we will take decisive action, and when we promise to act, we
    mean exactly what we say.
        Because America and our allies acted, one of the most brutal, evil
    regimes is gone forever. This was a regime that tortured children in
    front of their parents. This was a regime that used chemical weapons
    against whole villages. It gave cash rewards to families of suicide
    bombers. It sheltered terrorist groups. Iraq was a country in which
    millions of people lived in fear and many thousands disappeared into
    mass graves. That was the life in Iraq for more than a generation, until
    the Americans arrived. Because America and our allies acted, an
    aggressive threat to the security of the Middle East and to the peace of
    the world is gone forever. America is safer because Saddam
    Hussein sits in a prison cell.
        When our forces were bringing down the dictator and his regime, I said here at MacDill that our work
    would not end with the liberation of Iraq. I pledged that we would help
    the Iraqi people to find the benefits and assume the duties of self-
    government. We're keeping our commitment.
        All of you understand that freedom in Iraq and freedom in
    Afghanistan have deadly and determined enemies. Our men and women in
    those countries are fighting freedom's enemies with skill and courage.
    You're showing great respect for the holy sites in those countries.
    You're helping to bring opportunity and security to nations that have
    known years of cruel oppression.
        These are difficult tasks, but they are essential tasks. By fighting
    the terrorists in distant lands, you are making sure your fellow
    citizens do not face them here at home. By helping the rise of democracy
    in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and throughout the world, you are giving people
    an alternative to bitterness and hatred, and that is essential to the
    peace of the world.
        Yesterday, President Karzai of Afghanistan
    came to the White House and to the U.S. Capitol and thanked the American
    people for helping to free his country and for being a friend to the
    Afghan people. The President of Iraq came to America last week and
    expressed his gratitude for the sacrifices of the American people and
    our troops. These two Presidents and the nations they serve know the
    character of the American Armed Forces. They're seeing the nature of
    your mission as well. We have come not to conquer but to liberate
    people, and we will stand with them until their freedom is secure.
        We're moving forward with our five-point plan for Iraqi self-
    government. We're handing over authority to a sovereign Iraqi
    government. We're encouraging more international support for Iraq's
    political transition. We're helping Iraqis take responsibility for their
    own security. We're continuing to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure, and
    we're helping Iraq move to free elections. A turning point will come 2
    weeks from today. On June the 30th, governing authority will be
    transferred to a fully sovereign interim government; the Coalition
    Provisional Authority will cease to exist; an American Embassy will open
    in Baghdad.

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        Iraq's new leaders are rising to their responsibilities. Together
    with our coalition and the United Nations, they are working to prepare
    the way for national elections by next January. In July, Iraqis from
    every part of the country will gather for a national conference that
    will choose an interim national council to advise and support Prime
    Minister Allawi and his cabinet. The U.N.
    Security Council has voted unanimously to endorse the Iraqi interim
    government and the plan for Iraq's political transition. The Iraqi
    people are making steady progress, and we will not let thugs and killers
    stand in the way of a free and democratic Iraq.
        As Iraq gains self-government, it is essential that Iraq gain the
    means of self-defense. So we're now leading an international effort to
    help train Iraq's new security forces. There are now more than 200,000
    Iraqis on duty and in training in various branches of the Iraqi security
    forces. We're working to build and strengthen Iraqi chains of command.
    We've learned from our experiences, Iraqi soldiers naturally want to
    take orders from Iraqi officers. So we're helping to prepare a new
    generation of Iraqi military commanders who will lead the security
    forces of a free and sovereign Iraq.
        Those of you in Iraq are seeing results of your work. Iraqi police
    and Civil Defense Corps have recently captured several terrorists,
    including Umar Baziyani, a key lieutenant of
    the terrorist named Zarqawi. Recently,
    in Mosul, the Civil Defense Corps successfully repelled attacks on
    government buildings. The U.S. commander on the ground, Brigadier
    General Carter Ham, said the Iraqi forces
    stood strong. In Najaf, Iraqi police are now patrolling the streets.
    They're being greeted warmly by their fellow citizens.
        You see, these brave Iraqis are stepping up. They're setting an
    example for their fellow citizens. They're staying in the fight, taking
    the battle to the terrorists and Saddam holdouts. They are securing a
    future of liberty and opportunity for their children and their
    grandchildren. And when the history of modern Iraq is written, the
    people of Iraq will know their freedom was finally secured by the
    courage and by the determination of Iraqi patriots.
        There are many challenges yet to come. We can expect more violence
    in the weeks and months ahead, but the future of a free Iraq is now
    coming into view. As the interim government assumes authority and Iraqi
    security forces defend their country, our coalition will play a
    supporting role. And this is an essential part of our strategy for
    success. Terrorists who attack a self-governing Iraq are showing us and
    the Iraqis who they really are. They're not fighting foreign forces.
    They're fighting the Iraqi people. They're not just enemies of America.
    They're enemies of democracy and hope. They're enemies of a peaceful
    future in Iraq. As Prime Minister Allawi of Iraq
    said last week, ``Anyone involved in these attacks is nothing more than
    a traitor to the cause of Iraq's freedom and the freedom of its
    people.'' He went on to say, ``These are not freedom fighters. These are
    terrorists and foreign fighters opposed to our very survival as a free
    state.''
        The Prime Minister and I share the same
    resolve: The traitors will be defeated. Their greatest fear is an Iraqi
    government of, by, and for the Iraqi people. And no matter what the
    terrorists plan, no matter what they attempt, a democratic, free Iraq is
    on the way.
        At the same time, our coalition is helping the Iraqi people to
    rebuild the basic infrastructure of their country. This is work that
    America has done before. I want you to remember this. In 1947, 2 years
    after the Nazi surrender, there was still starvation in Germany.
    Reconstruction seemed to be faltering. The Marshall plan had not yet
    begun. Soon Berlin would be blockaded on the orders of Joseph Stalin.
    Some questioned whether a free and stable Germany could emerge from the
    rubble.

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        Fortunately, America and our allies were optimistic. They stood
    firm. We helped the German people overcome these challenges and resist
    the designs of the Soviet Union. We overcame many obstacles because we
    knew that the only hope for a secure America was a peaceful and
    democratic Europe. And because we persevered, because we had faith in
    our values, because we were strong in the face of adversity, Germany
    became the stable, successful, great nation that it is today.
        Fourteen months have passed since the fall of Baghdad, and today, in
    spite of terrorist insurgency, Iraq's economy is moving forward. Markets
    are beginning to thrive. New businesses have opened. A stable new
    currency is in place. Dozens of political parties are organizing.
    Hundreds of courts of law are opening across the country. Today in Iraq,
    more than 170 newspapers are being published, and I saw the other day
    that they've even got talk radio. I don't know if they've contacted
    Rush yet. [Laughter]
        Life is better in other ways for the people of Iraq. Electric power
    is being restored and is no longer being distributed based on loyalty to
    Saddam Hussein's regime. Our coalition has
    rehabilitated nearly 2,500 schools, and over 1,200 more should be
    completed by the end of the year. All of Iraq's hospitals and most
    medical clinics are open and are serving the people. Since the
    liberation, the vast majority of Iraqi children under 5 years old have
    been vaccinated for polio, measles, tuberculosis, and other diseases. In
    the south of Iraq, our coalition is reflooding the wetlands that Saddam
    Hussein systematically drained to decimate the Marsh Arabs. We're
    bringing back a 5,000-year civilization to life.
        This summer will bring another milestone for our friends the Iraqis.
    Under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein,
    members of the Iraqi national soccer team were imprisoned and tortured
    when they failed to perform. Last month, inspired by love of country
    rather than the fear of a dictator, the Iraqi team won an upset victory
    over Saudi Arabia and earned its first trip ever to compete in the
    Olympic Games. All countries gathered in Greece will be able to cheer
    for the athletes from a free Iraq.
        With each step forward on the path to self-government and self-
    reliance, the terrorists will grow more desperate and more violent. They
    see Iraqis taking their country back. They see freedom taking root. The
    killers know they have no future in a free Iraq. They want America to
    abandon the mission and to break our word. So they're attacking our
    soldiers and free Iraqis. They're doing everything in their power to
    prevent the full transition to democracy. And we can expect more attacks
    in the coming few weeks, more car bombs, more suiciders, more attempts
    on the lives of Iraqi officials.
        But our coalition is standing firm. New Iraq's leaders are not
    intimidated. I will not yield, and neither will the leaders of Iraq. As
    the Iraqi President al-Yawr said
    last week, ``They will try to increase the incidents and the violence
    for a while, but we're committed; we're consistent; we are focused.''
        The terrorists will fail. They will fail because the Iraqi people
    will not accept a return to tyranny. The terrorists will fail because
    the resolve of America and our allies will not be shaken. And the
    terrorists will fail because courageous men and women like you are
    standing in their way.
        All who serve in the United States military--in Iraq, in
    Afghanistan, and at points across America and around the world--can take
    pride in the great work you have accepted. Your fellow citizens know
    that your work is not easy. The days are hot. Your mission is hard. Many
    of you have faced long deployments, sometimes longer than you expected.
    You've missed your families; your families miss you. Some of you have
    lost comrades, good men and women you will never forget, and America
    will never forget them either.

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        You're sacrificing greatly for our country, and our country has
    needed that sacrifice. By standing for the cause of freedom, you're
    making the world more peaceful. By fighting terrorists abroad, you're
    making the American people more secure here at home. And by acting in
    the best traditions of duty and honor, you're making our country and
    your Commander in Chief incredibly proud.
        May God bless you. And may God continue to bless the United States.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:38 a.m. In his remarks, he referred to
    Lt. Gen. Lance L. Smith, USAF, deputy commander, and Gen. John P.
    Abizaid, USA, combatant commander, U.S. Central Command; Gen. Bryan D.
    ``Doug'' Brown, USA, commander, U.S. Special Operations Command; Col.
    Brian T. Kelly, USAF, commander, 6th Operations Group, MacDill Air Force
    Base; country music entertainers Darryl Worley and Mark Wills; President
    Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan; President Ghazi al-Ujayl al-Yawr and Prime
    Minister Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi interim government; senior Al Qaida
    associate Abu Musab Al Zarqawi and his lieutenant Umar Baziyani, who was
    captured in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 30; Brig. Gen. Carter F. Ham, USA,
    commander, Task Force Olympia; and talk radio show host Rush Limbaugh.