[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
[January 22, 2004]
[Pages 103-113]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks in Roswell, New Mexico
January 22, 2004

    The President. Thank you all. Thanks for coming.
    Audience member. We love you, President Bush!
    The President. Thank you. It's nice to be back in New Mexico. I 
understand you had reports this morning of an unfamiliar aircraft. 
[Laughter] No worry, it was just me. [Laughter] It's good to be back 
here. The last time I came to Roswell, I wasn't on Air Force One. I was 
headed to Ruidoso from Midland. [Laughter] Roswell was what we call a 
watering stop. [Laughter] You've got great people in this part of the 
State. I'm proud to be in this wonderful town. Thank you for inviting 
me.
    I appreciate you showing up to hear me talk. If you listened to the 
State of the Union, I appreciate that. And I can assure you, it's not--I 
can assure you, I'm not going to be quite as windy. But I do have some 
things I want to share with you today. This Nation is called to great 
responsibilities, and we're meeting them all. The state of this Union is 
strong, and it is confident.
    I'm proud to be here with the Corps of the New Mexico Military 
Institute, the West Point of the West. I appreciate the values instilled 
at this fine institution, of discipline and service and honor. I know 
many folks who have come to this fine place, some of them from Midland, 
Texas. I happen to have hired one, an alumnus of this school, for my 
Cabinet, Mr. Tony Principi, who is 
representing America's veterans so capably as the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs.
    I want to thank the law enforcement and first-responders who are 
here with us. Thank you for wearing the uniform that says clearly you're 
willing to dedicate your lives to make your community a safer place. 
Thank you for being on the frontline of securing our homeland. I 
appreciate your service.
    I appreciate Lt. Gen. Robert Beckel for 
his greeting me here today. He was from

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the first graduating class of NMMI in 1959. He doesn't look that old. 
[Laughter] But he's had a distinguished service for our country. 
General, I appreciate what you're doing. Thank you for leading this fine 
institution.
    I'm so proud to be up here with Pete Domenici. What a class act he is. He's an honorable man, an 
honorable man who cares deeply about New Mexico and all its citizens. He 
cares deeply about our country. He's a strong leader. He sets the pace 
in the United States Senate. He's taken the lead on a vital piece of 
legislation, the energy bill. This country needs an energy bill. We need 
an energy bill that makes sure our electricity system works well. We 
need an energy bill that encourages technologies that advance 
conservation. We need an energy bill that makes this country less 
dependent on foreign sources of energy. The Senator worked hard on this 
piece of legislation. I thought we had it at the end of last year, and 
then it got stuck. We're going to unstick it for the good of the 
country.
    Pete, I appreciate your friendship. 
Just one piece of advice: Just remember, it's the birds that's supposed 
to suffer, not the hunter. [Laughter]
    I'm honored to be traveling today with your Congressman, Steve 
Pearce. He's what they call a freshman--that's 
first-year--but as a freshman, he's making a huge difference. Let me 
tell you something: You sent somebody up there from this part of the 
world who's effective and strong, who's not going to back down one inch 
from what he believes. And he's plenty capable, and he's making a 
difference. He worked hard on bills that matter to this part of the 
State, like the healthy forests bill--commonsense legislation. He worked 
to help on the defense appropriations bill for an amendment that says, 
``We can defend our country and, at the same time, conserve our 
resources in a wise way.'' No, he's an effective Member of the United 
States Congress, and I'm proud to call him friend.
    I'm proud to be traveling with Congresswoman Heather Wilson as well. She's over there, from Albuquerque. She's 
plenty capable. She's a distinguished Member of the United States 
Congress. She's a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and reminded me 
coming in that General Beckel was one of 
her instructors. General, you did a heck of a job in preparing this good 
woman for public service. I'm proud to be working with my friend Heather 
Wilson. Thank you for coming.
    I'm honored that the mayor came to see me. Mayor Owen, I appreciate you coming. My only advice is, fill the 
potholes. [Laughter]
    I appreciate the business and community leaders who have come. I'm 
honored you all are here. You'll hear me talk about the strengths of our 
country. One of the strengths is that we're prosperous and getting more 
prosperous. That's a strength. One of the strengths is we've got a 
military that is second to none, and we aim to keep it that way. That's 
a strength as well. But that's not the strongest part of our country. 
The strongest part of the country is the people, because of the hearts 
of the people of America. The compassion of America really defines the 
strength of America.
    Today, when I landed at the airport, I met Amy Coppin. She is a senior at NMMI. She came to say hello because 
she is a mentor. She teaches children. She's taking time out of her busy 
life as a senior in college to make a difference in somebody's life. 
She's serving something greater than herself by loving a neighbor just 
like she would like to be loved herself. She is a soldier in the army of 
compassion.
    When you hear me talk about the strength of America being the heart 
and soul of the people, what I'm talking about are the Amy Coppins of 
the world, and people in this crowd who are serving your community and 
your country by helping somebody who hurts.
    One of the most profound initiatives I put out, I think, in order to 
help change

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America is for the Federal Government to welcome faith-based programs in 
delivery of essential services. I believe strongly that our Government 
should not discriminate against religious institutions. Quite the 
contrary: I believe we ought to welcome religious institutions into 
providing much-needed social services, because many of the problems of 
our society are problems of the heart. Many of the problems of society 
require a power greater than Government to help people realize the great 
potential of their lives.
    Where's Amy? Amy didn't get a very good seat. 
Well--[laughter]--trust me; she's here. And I hope the cadets here 
follow her example, and as you go on to life, remember part of service 
to your country is to help somebody in need. And for those of you in 
this community who are a part of the army of compassion, thank you from 
the bottom of my heart. And for those of you who want to figure out how 
to contribute to our society, do so. Do so, and reach out a hand to 
somebody who might be hungry or homeless or lonely or hurt. The power of 
love in America is a power that will change our society, one soul at a 
time.
    I hope you could tell last night and so far today that I'm 
incredibly optimistic about our Nation's future. And I've got reason to 
be. Not only do I know the character of the people, I'm beginning to see 
some results in some important areas that say optimism defines the 
future of this country.
    Let me talk about the economy, for starters. This economy is strong, 
and it is getting stronger. I tell you I'm optimistic not only because 
of the numbers; I'm optimistic because I remember where we have come 
from. In March of 2000, the stock market, which is an indicator of--
sometimes an indicator of economic times to come, started to decline. 
And then we had a recession. In '01, the first quarter of '01 was 
recession, and that's negative growth. And when the economy is not 
growing, it's hard for people to find a job. And then we kind of got 
going, got things going. The Congress passed the stimulus package--I 
want to thank the Senator and the Members of Congress for working on 
that--and things started getting better.
    And then we got hit by the enemy. And make no mistake about it, the 
enemy attack affected America. It affected the way I think about foreign 
policy because we can no longer take gathering threats for granted. If 
we see a threat gathering overseas, the lesson of September the 11th 
says we must pay attention to it. We just can't--and if it gets so bad, 
we've got to do something about it. We cannot assume that oceans protect 
us anymore. It affected our psychology in America. It also affected the 
economy. And things were beginning to get okay, and all of a sudden, the 
attack came, and it hurt us. It hurt us bad. But we recovered because 
America's strong. We recovered because the American people are strong.
    And just as we were beginning to get our feet on the ground again, 
we had a problem with some of our fellow citizens telling the truth. We 
had corporate scandals. We had CEOs that did not understand what it 
meant to be a responsible citizen. If you've got responsibilities, 
you've got obligations. In a society that tries to promote 
responsibilities, there are certain obligations. If you're a mom or a 
dad, you have the obligation to love your child with all your heart. If 
you're a CEO in corporate America, you have the responsibility to tell 
the truth to your shareholders and your employees. And if you don't, 
there has to be a consequence. We passed tough laws, and now people are 
beginning to--you begin to read what it means to have consequences for 
not telling the truth. And that's the way it should be.
    And then we marched to war. I made the tough decision of war, and I 
want to thank the Members of Congress who made the tough vote on war. 
It's not easy, but we acted because of the lessons of September the 
11th. We acted based upon the

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facts. We acted to make the country more secure and the world more free. 
But when you're marching to war, it's tough on the economy. For this 
reason, the message, march to war, is not conducive for optimistic 
investment. Marching to war is negative, not positive. It's hard to be 
optimistic about the future when you look on your TV screen and it says, 
``America is marching to war.'' Now we're marching to peace and freedom.
    So I've seen firsthand, and you've seen firsthand, what this Nation 
and our economy has been through. Those are plenty high hurdles to 
cross, but we're crossing them. One reason we're crossing them is 
because the Congress and this administration acted boldly. We weren't 
afraid to act. We knew what to do. And we passed economic stimulus 
packages, which is a fancy word for giving people their money back. We 
acted on this principle. It was a principled decision. It was based upon 
this principle, that when you have more money in your pocket, you'll 
spend, save, or invest. And when you do so, it drives the whole economy 
forward. The American people are driving the economy forward.
    But I want to warn you, the stimulus package we passed is set to 
expire. Congress, in order to get the bill out, had to expire certain of 
the provisions, one of which was the child credit, which went up from--
went up to $1,000, will decline to $700. If Congress doesn't act, you 
get a tax increase if you have a child.
    The marriage penalty, we wanted the code to say: We want marriage to 
work. If we believe in marriage, we ought to say so in the Tax Code. And 
so we began to phase back the marriage penalty. If Congress doesn't act, 
the marriage penalty goes back up.
    See, we understand that if you're interested in job creation, you've 
got to stimulate small business. Most new jobs are created by small-
business owners in America. If you're a small-business owner, you know 
what I'm talking about. We stimulated small-business investment and, 
therefore, growth. If Congress doesn't act, small businesses will pay 
taxes.
    We decreased the--well, we got rid of the death tax or put it on its 
way to extinction. We listened to New Mexico's farmers and ranchers and 
small-business owners that understand if you work all your life to build 
up an asset, you shouldn't be taxed twice. You shouldn't be taxed once 
as you're building up your asset and twice after you go on.
    And then, in order to stimulate our economy, everybody got tax 
relief. You see, we didn't try to pick and choose who won and who lost. 
We said, ``If there's going to be tax relief, let's be fair about it. If 
you pay taxes, you ought to get relief.'' If the Congress doesn't act, 
those taxes will go up. If the Congress doesn't act, the economy will 
suffer and people will make more taxes. Congress must make the tax 
relief they gave the people permanent.
    Now, things are looking pretty good. Third-quarter growth last year 
was the highest in 20 years. And home construction is high. And 
homeownership levels are high, and that's really important. We want 
people owning things in America, don't we? We want people owning their 
own home. There's nothing like owning your own home or your own business 
to have a vital stake in the future of this country. Productivity is 
high. We've got the best workforce in the world. Manufacturing activity 
is strong. Exports are on the rise. Jobs are increasing. We're doing 
well--we're doing well.
    But we've got a new economy we're dealing with. And one of the 
things I addressed yesterday in Arizona was how do you make sure that as 
technology changes, people's skills change with it so they can find 
work. See, my attitude is, if somebody is looking for a job and can't 
find one, that says, no matter what the numbers look like, we still have 
got an issue in America. We want people working. We want people to be 
able to put food on the table.

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    Before I talk about how to make sure American workers are trained, I 
do want to bring up a subject that I had addressed in the State of the 
Union and before, that I think it's important for me to continue to 
clarify for the American people. We've got people doing jobs in America 
that Americans won't do, and that's helpful to our economy. It's helpful 
that there are some people that are willing to do the work that others 
won't do. And I think we need to be honest about what's taking place in 
America. After all, we're a country of the rule of law, and we've got 
people breaking law. And the question is how best to bring what's 
happening to light in an honest and legal way.
    My attitude is this--my attitude is: So long as there is a willing 
worker and an employer looking to hire somebody, we ought to have a 
system that allows for temporary work in America, in an honest, open 
way, in a way that talks to the values of our country. I oppose amnesty, 
loud and clear, because amnesty will encourage further illegal 
immigration. Amnesty rewards somebody for breaking the law. On the other 
hand, I do want to change a system that has ignored reality and allow 
willing employer to be matched with willing employee in an honest, open 
way.
    We should not say to somebody who's working on a temporary-worker 
basis, ``You get added--you get a special break when it comes to 
citizenship.'' You don't. You don't get a special break. But think about 
a system that has people working in the shadows of America. That's not 
the American way. That's not the way we do business in this country.
    People are working who are trying to put food on the table for a 
family in Mexico. You've got to understand why they're here. They're 
motivated out of the deep love of their children and their wife. They're 
working just as hard as any other mom or dad do, for the same reason: 
They have an obligation and a responsibility. Those people need to be 
treated with respect. They need to be honored for their commitment to 
their families.
    A temporary-worker plan that's honest and open will be good for this 
economy. It will also be good for the security of the country. We've got 
a lot of Border Patrol agents working hard to stop the flow of illegal 
immigration. I believe if we make the system open and honest, it will 
help stop the flow of illegal immigration. It will cut down on those 
``coyotes'' that are putting people in the back of these trailers and 
driving them across incredibly hot desert. It will stop--it will make 
sure that those who are working to secure our borders will focus on the 
true threats to America, the illegal drugs or the contraband or the 
potential terrorists that could be coming across our borders.
    No, this plan makes sense. I call upon the Congress to do what is 
good for our economy, what is good for our security, and what is 
compassionate, and pass the temporary-worker plan.
    I also want to talk about how to make sure American workers don't 
get left behind. By the way, that starts with making sure our public 
schools work. It starts by making sure our public schools teach the 
basics.
    I went up to Washington, and thanks to Pete's help and to Heather's help and 
to Steve's, now, help, we passed--[laughter]--
we passed the No Child Left Behind Act. Let me just tell you the 
principles behind that as plainly as I possibly can. Every one of us 
needs to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations. We need to 
raise that bar. If you believe every child has got the capacity to 
learn, you need to raise the bar. I don't care what the color of skin of 
that child may be; everybody can learn. And that's the principle of No 
Child Left Behind. We raise the standards. We expect everybody to learn.
    We've increased Federal education spending, particularly for poor 
students, dramatically. But now, for the first time, we're asking the 
question, ``Are we meeting

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expectations?'' In return for increased Federal spending, the Federal 
Government is saying to local districts, ``Show us whether or not the 
children are learning to read and write and add and subtract.'' I don't 
think that's too much. I don't think it's too much to increase budgets 
and in return say, ``What are the results?'' If you believe every child 
can learn to read and write and add and subtract, then you're not afraid 
to ask the question: Are they learning to read and write and add and 
subtract?
     This administration trusts local people. We know you can chart the 
path to excellence. Your decision is on how to get there. All we want to 
know is, are you doing what we expect you to do? Are you just meeting 
those obligations? In the bill we passed, there's extra help for 
students who fall behind. Listen, when you find out a third grader is 
not reading at grade level, get him or her extra help. We provide money 
to do that. We don't want any child in America left behind. The bill we 
passed is a great piece of legislation for America's children.
    There's more we need to do. I talked about making sure that some of 
the high school students who are falling behind in reading and math get 
a little extra help. We've got to make sure there's--literacy is the law 
of the land. I talked about making sure that we expand advance placement 
programs in certain low-income schools in order to keep raising that 
bar, Pell grants for students that take rigorous curriculum, in order to 
encourage excellence. We want to make sure our community college system 
is flexible and viable to help people find jobs that exist.
    Yesterday I was in Arizona, and I reminded people that in the old 
days of workforce training, they said, ``Just go train people.'' So we'd 
go out and train 1,000 hairdressers, and there might be 50 slots. But 
you'd have 950 well-trained hairdressers with nothing to do. Now the 
workforce program says, ``Let's match up employers with the community 
college system to train people for jobs that actually exist, for jobs 
that work.'' So we've got $250 million in the budget to go directly to 
community colleges, to invigorate the business communities and the 
community college, invigorate a joint strategy to help people find work.
    Yesterday I sat with some folks on the stage. They were not student 
age, let's put it that way. They had worked for years. One woman worked for 15 years as a graphic designer. She's a 
single mom, by the way, and that's the toughest job in America. She was 
struggling to get ahead. She went back to the community college. She 
gained new skills, and in her first year in her new job, she's making 
more than she did after 15 years as a graphic designer.
    Education--what I'm telling you is as the economy changes, there's 
tremendous opportunities for workers. We've just got to make sure the 
education system matches people with the skills necessary for the 21st 
century. And that's what this administration is going to do.
    No, I'm optimistic about this country, because I understand the 
character of the people. And I'm optimistic because I know we're doing 
the right things when it comes to educating our children and workers. 
I'm optimistic about the economy. I'm also optimistic because we're 
going to win the war on terror. The greatest responsibility of the 
Federal Government, and my first responsibility as your President, is to 
defend and protect America.
    I remember talking to the country after September the 11th and 
reminding people that this would be a different kind of war we faced. 
Sometimes you'd see action, and sometimes you wouldn't; that we'd be on 
a manhunt to find the terrorists who destroyed us. It would require a 
different kind of attitude about chasing these people down. I also knew 
that time would pass and people would take the comfortable position of 
saying the dangers had passed as well. That's just not reality. I wish 
it was reality, but it's not reality. My job as your

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President is to be realistic, be open-eyed, to understand the lessons of 
September the 11th, 2001, to understand there's terrorists who still 
plot against us. By our will, by our steadfast determination, by our 
courage, we will prevail in the war--first war of the 21st century.
    In the United States, where the war begun, we will continue our 
vital work to protecting American people, by protecting our ports and 
borders and safeguarding infrastructure, preparing for the worst. I 
mentioned the first-responders. I can't tell you how pleased I am with 
the coordination now between the Federal Government, the State 
government, and local governments for preparing our homeland. I'm going 
to submit a budget to Congress next month which will include spending of 
$30 billion for homeland security. That's--more than 30 billion--almost 
3 times the amount that we were spending prior to September the 11th, 
2001.
    We understand our obligation in Washington. Our obligation is never 
to forget what happened on September the 11th. And our obligation is to 
support the homeland security people, those on the frontlines, to 
prepare for a potential threat.
    I think it's very important for the country to understand the 
PATRIOT Act. See, that's an important part of fighting the war on 
terror. It's essential that the FBI and the CIA be able to share 
information if you want to whip the terrorists. See, it's a different 
kind of war. We're in a different era. We need to view law differently. 
We'll always protect our Constitution and safeguard individual rights, 
but our law enforcement, those who collect information and share 
information and expected to act on information, must be able to talk 
together.
    Many of the tools in the PATRIOT Act have been used by law 
enforcement to chase down embezzlers and criminals. It is essential that 
those same tools be used in fighting against terrorists. We're in a 
different era. The PATRIOT Act is going to expire. The Congress needs to 
renew it for the sake of fighting the war on terror.
    We'll protect the homeland. The best way to protect America, 
however, is to go on the offensive, stay on the offensive, and bring the 
terrorists to justice. I said in the speech the other night, two-thirds 
of known Al Qaida leaders have been captured or killed. We're making 
progress against them. The rest of them are hiding. They think they are, 
but they cannot escape the justice of America. We've got thousands of 
troops, thousands of brave soldiers. We're chasing them, one by one. 
We're on an international manhunt for those who would do harm to America 
or for anybody else who loves freedom. One by one, we'll bring them to 
justice. There is no hole deep enough to hide from America.
    Not only are we after Al Qaida, we will continue to confront regimes 
that harbor or support terrorists, regimes that could supply them with 
weapons of mass destruction. The United States and our allies refuse to 
live under the shadow of this ultimate danger, refuse to be in a 
position where--to find ourselves in a position where terrorists could 
show up with weapons of mass murder. Our obligation is, defend our 
country. Our obligation is to be clear-eyed about the threats, and our 
obligation is to deal with them.
    I laid down a doctrine early on that said, ``If you harbor a 
terrorist, if you feed a terrorist, if you hide a terrorist, you're just 
as guilty as the terrorist.'' One of the lessons that people can pick up 
in this part of the world is, when you say something, you better mean 
it. That's particularly true in diplomacy. If you say something, you 
better mean it. I meant it, and the Taliban found out what we meant.
    Afghanistan was the primary training base for Al Qaida. That's where 
the killers were learning the skills necessary to destroy innocent life. 
And we gave the Taliban a chance, and then they, of course, rejected--
rejected the ultimatum I laid out. And so they no longer exist, thanks 
to the

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United States military and our friends and allies.
    This barbaric regime is no more, and the people of Afghanistan are 
better off for it. You see, America loves freedom, but we understand 
that freedom is not America's gift to the world. It's the Almighty God's 
gift to each man and woman in this world. We love the fact that people 
in Afghanistan are now free. Remember, prior to our arrival, the Taliban 
wouldn't even let young girls go to school, and today, they do. They 
have written a constitution; the people of Afghanistan have written a 
constitution which is--guarantees free elections, freedom, full 
participation in government by women. Things are changing. Freedom is 
powerful. The people of Afghanistan are opening up health care centers 
and new businesses. Times are changing, because they have been 
liberated. America is safer because the Taliban doesn't exist. America 
is safer because Afghanistan is now free, and we stand strongly with the 
freedom-lovers in Afghanistan.
    I made a tough decision, with the Congress' support, to remove 
Saddam Hussein from power, and we did. And 
the world is safer; America is more secure; and the world is more free 
because we got rid of Saddam Hussein. This brutal dictator attacked his 
neighbors, used weapons of mass destruction against his own people, 
plotted, was devious. He tortured Iraqis. We discovered mass graves of 
thousands of men and women and children. He had torture rooms for 
somebody who spoke out against him.
    Saddam Hussein was found in a hole, 
hiding. Saddam Hussein, the once all-powerful tyrant who used his brutal 
dictatorship to intimidate and destroy lives, will no longer be able to 
do so in Iraq. He sits in a prison cell, and the Iraqi people are free.
    Fifty-five of the top officials, former officials in that regime--of 
the 55, 45 have been captured or killed. The other 10 have got to be 
nervous. [Laughter] They're out there. They're out there trying to shake 
our will. See, these people are murderers. They'll take innocent life to 
try to convince others that freedom isn't worth it. They will kill 
indiscriminately--they don't care who--to try to shake our confidence, 
to try to get in the heads of the American people. They don't understand 
America. America will never be intimated by thugs and assassins.
    We're making progress. It's important for you to know that we're on 
the offensive in Iraq. As I said the other night, we're leading over 
1,600 patrols a day, 180 raids every week. I mean, we're chasing them 
down. We're bringing them and foreign terrorists to justice there so we 
don't have to face them in America. We're bringing them there because we 
understand freedom is vital for our future, freedom in Iraq is vital for 
our future.
    I'm pleased with the progress we're making with the Iraqi citizens 
who are interested in running their own country. I met with the Acting 
President of the Governing Council, Adnan Pachachi. He sat next to Laura during the 
State of the Union. By the way--let me digress--I'm really glad I 
married a west Texas woman. She is a fabulous, fabulous--she's great. 
She's doing well, and she sends her love. [Applause] You Texans, calm 
down. [Laughter] You know the reputation you have here in eastern New 
Mexico. [Laughter]
    Anyway, she was sitting next to Acting 
President Pachachi----
    Audience member. We can't hear you.
    The President. I can hear you. [Laughter]
    And I met with him prior--in the Oval 
Office prior to the State of the Union. I was pleased with his vision, 
his understanding of freedom. The Oval Office is an interesting place to 
meet, particularly, people who are beginning to struggle with democracy 
and freedom because it's a reminder that the institutions, at least in 
this country, are always bigger than the people. Sometime we've got an 
all-right President; sometimes he's not all right. But the Presidency 
itself exists. It's a reminder of the

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power of institutions in a free society, that institutions in a free 
society are always bigger than the people, and he understood that.
    And they're working hard. The Iraqi people are taking the brunt of 
most of these killings that are taking place. They also understand it's 
their responsibility to secure the country, so we've increased in large 
number the number of police and people who are willing to help secure 
the country. More Iraqis are now coming forward. They realize the 
killings that are taking place--sometimes maybe by foreign terrorists, 
obviously sometimes by former Ba'athist officials--will stop the march 
to freedom. They want to be free. You've got to understand, these 
people, like you and I, love freedom. It's in everybody's heart, and 
Pachachi understands that, and so does the Governing Council.
    Freedom is happening in Iraq. And you've got to understand why it's 
important. Freedom in the heart of the Middle East, freedom and 
democracy in the place that has breeded resentment and terror, is in our 
national interests. A free Iraq will help change the world. A free Iraq 
will help change a neighborhood that needs to be changed. A free Iraq 
will make it easier for our children to grow up in a peaceful society.
    People say, ``What are you doing in the long term? We know what 
you're doing in the short term. We can hear you and see you; you're 
sending troops after the killers. What about the long-term plan against 
terrorists?'' Free societies do not breed terrorism. Free societies are 
peaceful nations. What we're doing for the long term, we're promoting 
freedom.
    The world is changing for the better. The world is getting more free 
and peaceful and less dangerous. Recently, Muammar Qadhafi made a wise decision to show and get 
rid of his weapons of mass destruction programs. The British Government 
and the American Government worked for 9 months to convince in 
negotiations with Qadhafi about what to do with his programs. You want 
to remember, I want to contrast that with the 12 years of diplomacy that 
took place at the United Nations when nothing happened. I mean, we had 
resolution after resolution after resolution just totally ignored by 
Saddam Hussein--sometimes not ignored but 
played with, is a better way to describe it. Nine months of intense 
discussions with Qadhafi worked because the word of the country--word of 
this country matters. When you say something, you better believe it. 
People now trust the word of America. People now understand.
    And we're not doing this work alone. I just told you that Great 
Britain was very much involved with the intense discussions with Colonel 
Qadhafi. And I appreciate my 
friend Prime Minister Blair and the people he 
assigned to--people he assigned to the task. We're working together with 
people. And that's positive. We're working together with people who love 
freedom and understand the stakes of the war against terror, people who 
clearly see a future that's peaceful and positive but understand 
sometimes you have to make the tough choice to get there. You have to do 
the hard things to achieve a positive vision of peace and freedom.
    There are 34 nations that have joined us in Iraq. That's too long to 
list. The Senator might fall out on me if I 
start trying to read them all. [Laughter] Thirty-four--[laughter]--34 
nations stand with us in that country. Thirty-seven nations in NATO are 
contributing to joint efforts in Afghanistan. I've worked hard to bring 
people along. I meet with foreign leaders all the time to explain the 
intentions of America, to talk about what we see in the future.
    There is a difference, however, between leading a coalition of 
nations and shutting down efforts because a few object. It's a big 
difference. It's the difference between being willing to gather a group 
of like-minded nations and lead the world towards freedom and peace or 
allowing some to

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object and, therefore, nothing happens. That's not the way this 
administration functions. As I said the other night, we will never seek 
a permission slip to defend the American people.
    This war, this new war of the 21st century, has fallen hardest on 
our military. And I want to thank those of you who have got relatives in 
the United States military. And if you do, please tell them the 
Commander in Chief is really proud of their service.
    We mourn for the fallen. We send our prayers to their loved ones, 
and we thank them for their service. I also want to thank the Guard and 
Reserve members from around the country--but particularly, now that I'm 
in New Mexico, from New Mexico--who have served our country so ably and 
so well.
    We've also got thousands of service men and women who are based in 
this State, at Kirtland and Cannon and Holloman Air Force Bases. The 
people in the military from this State have done and continue to do 
vital work on the war against terror. And like everyone who serves in 
uniform today, you are making this Nation grateful and proud.
    And I appreciate their families. I appreciate the moms and dads, 
husbands and wives who are staying at home as their loved one goes off 
to defend America and to spread freedom. Their loved ones sacrifice, and 
so do the families. America's military families are steadfast and 
strong. Not only should we show them the gratitude, but we need to make 
them this promise: Your loved one will have the resources you need to 
fight and win the war on terror.
    It's an honor to be here in Roswell. I'm optimistic about the 
future. I'm optimistic about the future for a lot of reasons, but the 
main reason is, I'm optimistic about the future because I understand the 
country. I know the values of America. I know the decency of our people. 
I know the willingness of the American citizen to serve a cause greater 
than themself.
    It's the great strength of America. It's an unbelievably great 
country we have, because the people are so strong, so resilient, so 
compassionate, and so decent. We believe values in our heart that we 
just won't change. We believe everybody has dignity, everybody has 
worth. We believe in freedom. We believe people yearn for freedom. We 
have an obligation to unleash freedom in the world, and we're not afraid 
to lead. This country stands strongly on the values that make us great, 
and we're not the least bit afraid of sharing those values in a world 
that needs peace and freedom.
    I'm proud to be here. I'm proud to lead the greatest nation on the 
face of the Earth. I'm proud to be in front of some of the great 
citizens of America. May God bless you all, and may God continue to 
bless our great country.

Note: The President spoke at 10:24 a.m. at the Roswell Convention and 
Civic Center. In his remarks, he referred to Lt. Gen. Robert D. Beckel, 
USAF (Ret.), superintendent, New Mexico Military Institute; Mayor Bill 
B. Owen of Roswell, NM; Col. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi, leader of 
Libya; and Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom. The Office 
of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of 
these remarks.

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