    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
    [August 12, 2004]
    [Pages 1619-1628]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America
    in Las Vegas, Nevada
    August 12, 2004

        The President. Thank you all. Thank you all very much. Thank you all
    very much for coming. Thanks for the warm welcome. It's good to be back
    here in Nevada.
        Audience member. We love you!
        The President. Thank you. I want to thank Doug and the good folks here in this training facility for
    welcoming us. I appreciate your smart work and your hard work and your
    dedication to helping our fellow citizens gain the skills necessary to
    be able to find work.
        And I just want to talk a little bit about the importance of
    education, but the reason I'm so grateful that the Carpenters have been
    so hospitable here is that this is an example of what works. That's what
    we're interested in in life; we're interested in finding things that
    work and heralding them. And I want to thank Doug for your leadership.
        I'm not the only Bush who's recently been in Las Vegas. You might
    remember my wife was back here recently. She went
    on the Leno show the next night. [Laughter] She
    said something along the lines, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
    [Laughter] I was interested in hearing her say that. [Laughter]
        She's doing great, by the way. I was a lucky
    fellow when she said yes. And she's a wonderful First Lady and great
    mom. I'm going to meet up with her here in a little bit to continue our
    journey throughout the West.
        Really what I'm doing is traveling around, letting the people know
    that I'm interested in earning your vote. I really believe that a person
    running for office--I'm also interested in letting people know I've got
    more to do to make this country a better place, a stronger place, and a
    safer place. And I appreciate the chance to come and talk about my
    vision for the future of this country here.
        I want to thank Doug, and I also
    want to thank his brother Mike. I'm not sure
    which one of them is prettier. [Laughter] But they're both smart, and
    they're both good Americans.
        I want to thank Dale Shoemaker for his
    leadership here. I want to thank Doug Banes
    and Andy Siling, Bill Irwin. These are all
    folks who make this facility work well--appreciate your hospitality.
    It's great to meet the workers from all around our country.
        I went to the facility next door where Doug and his folks are training people how to work on these big
    GE engines, and there's people from Fort Smith, Arkansas, and southern
    Indiana, and a fellow from McAllen, Texas. People from all around the
    country are here to gain the skills necessary to be able to work and put
    food on the table. And again, that's why I'm here. This is a program
    that works.
        I want to thank my friend the Governor, Kenny Guinn, for coming out to say hello. I appreciate him being here.
    Congressman Jon Porter--he's a good fellow, a
    really good fellow, and I appreciate him coming out. Congressman
    Jim Gibbons--he's from northern Nevada.
        I know we got members of the Nevada National Guard, First Squadron,
    221st Calvary. I appreciate you being here. Thanks for your service.
        I told you one of the things I'm working on is to make the country a
    better country. See, I know the strength of the country is the hearts
    and souls of the citizens. Right here in Nevada, you've got a lot of
    loving citizens who are willing to help neighbors in need.
        When I landed today, I met a fellow named Mike Peschl. Where are you, Mike?

    [[Page 1620]]

    There he is. Thank you for coming, Mike. Here's what Mike does. Mike has
    now worked on his 34th home for Habitat for Humanity. It is a--he spends
    every Saturday at a Habitat building site. What he is doing is helping
    to transform America one heart and one soul at a time. He knows what I
    know, that there's nothing better at a Habitat site to work with the
    eventual homeowner. And that accomplishes two things. One, it shows
    somebody, somebody cares about them. That's what Mike works--Mike is
    loving a neighbor like he'd like to be loved himself. You know what else
    it does? It encourages an ownership society in America. We want more
    people owning things. We want more people owning their own home in this
    country.
        We'll continue rallying the armies of compassion all across the
    country. See, I understand Government can hand out money, but it cannot
    put hope in a person's heart or sense of purpose in a person's life.
    That's done when people have heard a call and are willing to put an arm
    around somebody who is lonely or hurts or is addicted and says, ``I love
    you, brother or sister. What can I do to help you?'' America will
    change. America will change one soul at a time.
        The stronger America is an America where people can find work. And I
    was obviously concerned about our country after a recession. That means
    people weren't working. It means we were going backwards.
        Of course, we started to recover from that recession, and then we
    got attacked, and that hurt our economy. Make no mistake about it, the
    attacks of September the 11th hurt. We had some corporate scandals. That
    hurt. And we've got people who don't tell the truth, it begins to shake
    the confidence of our economy. We dealt with these situations. I'm going
    to talk a little bit about the war later on, but we passed laws that say
    to our corporate citizens, ``You will be held to account if you do not
    tell the truth to your shareholders and your employees.''
        We've overcome the obstacles. You know why? We've got great workers.
    We've got productive, hard-working people in America. We've overcome
    these obstacles because the entrepreneurial spirit is strong, the small-
    business sector of our economy is alive and well. We have overcome these
    obstacles because our farmers and ranchers are good. We've overcome
    these obstacles because we refuse to be intimidated. The spirit of
    America is strong, and our economy is strong as well.
        I also believe one of the reasons that we have overcome these
    obstacles is because we provided well-timed tax relief to the small
    businesses and the workers of America. If a construction worker has got
    more money in his pocket, he's going to demand an additional good or a
    service. And when they demand that additional good or a service,
    somebody has to produce the good or a service. And when somebody
    produces a good or a service, somebody is more likely to keep a job or
    find work. That's how the economy works. That's why the tax relief was
    important.
        We also helped people with families. If you're working and you've
    got a child, we helped you raise that child by raising the child credit.
    If you're married, we helped you with the marriage penalty. Let me--it's
    a backward Tax Code, isn't it, when you penalize marriage? We ought to
    be encouraging marriage in our country.
        We helped our small businesses--listen, this economy is strong, it's
    getting stronger, there's still work to be done. I mean, think about it,
    the unemployment rate in this State is at 4.2 percent. People are
    working in Nevada. People can make a living in this State. National
    unemployment rate is at 5.5 percent. We're the strongest economy in the
    world amongst industrialized nations.
        But there's more to do. In order to keep jobs here at home, we need
    an energy policy in America to make us less dependent

    [[Page 1621]]

    on foreign sources of energy. In order to keep jobs at home, we ought to
    be confident about our ability to compete in the world.
        There's some economic isolationists that want to wall us off. I
    think that's a mistake. Listen, we've opened up our markets. It's good
    for American consumers when there's more products coming in for people
    to choose from. That's how you get better quality at better price. What
    I'm asking is for other countries to treat us the way we treat them,
    because we can compete with anybody, anyplace, anywhere in the world.
        In order to make sure jobs stay here, we got to have health care
    policies that make it more affordable for people to have health
    insurance. Most small businesses have trouble affording health
    insurance. Large businesses are fine. It's the small-business sector
    that is having trouble providing health insurance for our fellow
    citizens. And therefore, I think small businesses ought to be allowed to
    pool risk across jurisdictional boundaries so they can get the same
    discounts for health insurance that big companies get.
        Listen, we're going to use technology to help change health care to
    make it more efficient, to cut down on mistakes, and to help control
    costs. I mean, the health care industry needs to become modernized. It
    needs to welcome technology so that it can be a more efficient deliverer
    of services. We've got to make sure that the patient and doctor are
    central to the decisionmaking processes in health care, not Federal
    bureaucrats. That's why I'm for health savings accounts, which are
    important.
        We'll make sure the Medicare modernization bill I signed works,
    gives seniors choices and prescription drug coverage. We'll continue to
    provide community health centers for the poorest of our citizens. And to
    make sure that health care is available and affordable, we need medical
    liability reform. You know what I'm talking about in Nevada when it
    comes to medical liability reform. [Laughter] You've seen the costs of
    frivolous lawsuits. Ask your small-business neighbor what it's like to
    try to provide health care when the costs are going up because of these
    frivolous lawsuits. Ask your neighbors what it's like when there's a
    threat of lawsuit. That's why we need tort reform as well. These are
    practical ways to make sure this economy grows.
        And finally, to make sure this economy grows and continues to grow,
    we need to be wise about how we spend your money in Washington and keep
    your taxes low. Just be careful--all I ask you is be careful about all
    this talk about taxing the rich. You know how that goes. The so-called
    rich hire accountants and lawyers to maybe not pay as much and,
    therefore, in order to meet all these promises, guess who gets to end up
    stuck with the bill?
        Audience member. We do.
        The President. The working people. Be careful of this language.
    We've heard it before in American politics.
        Now, one of the reasons I'm here is because I understand the
    importance of education when it comes to making sure our workers are
    able to find jobs. Doug's outfit has
    been really innovative. In other words, what he says is, is that, ``We
    got the skilled workers. We got hard-working people, and now we want to
    match their desire to work and their skills with the jobs which actually
    exist.'' That's why we went and saw the--these big turbine-driven
    engines. People are looking for workers, people who know these engines.
    And so that's what the apprenticeship program was all about and the
    skill training programs are all about. It's the practical use of
    people's time so that people can do what they want to do, which is work.
    And my attitude is, is that we ought to listen carefully to the strategy
    employed by this union and implement it at places like our community
    colleges as well.
        See, there are a lot of people who want to work but the jobs, the
    nature of the jobs are changing. These jobs are changing. And therefore,
    they need help. They need

    [[Page 1622]]

    a little extra education to be able to fill the new jobs. I think, for
    example, of meeting with textile workers. Their jobs left, but there's
    enough Government money to pay for the reeducation. And now they're in
    the health care field, and they're making more money in the new job
    after getting some additional education.
        That's what Doug understands, a
    little added value. If you help somebody with some extra training, they
    become more productive. And more productive workers makes more money.
    And so the Federal Government ought to be wise about how we use
    taxpayers' money, and that includes providing training at community
    colleges for people who want to work and need new skills to fill the
    jobs of the 21st century.
        So I've laid out a plan to double the number of workers that get
    reeducated, find additional skills so they can make more money. They've
    got to have innovative training accounts. They need less bureaucracy. If
    you look at the workforce training programs in the Government, if you
    put an objective look on them, you'll find that a lot of money goes to
    bureaucracy and not enough goes to the workers. And that's what we want
    to focus on. We want to focus on the people who we're trying to help. We
    want to make sure that--I believe we ought to increase our budgets for
    these training programs, and we'll continue to call upon Congress to do
    so, because it's money well-spent. See, I think the role of Government
    is to help people help themselves. And one way to do so is through good
    valid education programs, just like they do here at this site.
        Doug was telling me he went over to
    the Labor Department to tell them what-for, I guess, or at least to give
    them a little nudge in the right direction. But I appreciate that. The
    reason I bring that up is I do think it's very important to work with
    people like Doug and the union here, to help people understand that we
    need a million new jobs to fill the construction jobs over the next
    decade. And that's a challenge all of us have got to work on together.
        We've got to make it clear there are jobs available. That's why
    these job fair hosts need to be notified about the opportunities
    available for our citizens. That's why we need guidance counselors to
    understand. That's why the Governors, like Kenny, must understand that there are great career opportunities
    available for people in the construction field, and that there's also an
    opportunity for these good people to be able to be trained and get the
    skills necessary, like right here at this union hall.
        The other thing we've got to do is make sure our kids learn early,
    before it's too late. Listen, when I got up there, there was--too many
    of the kids were being shuffled from grade to grade without the skills
    necessary to succeed. It's time somebody said, ``Let's stop this
    practice. For the sake of our future, let's make sure we raise the
    standards and hold people accountable in our public schools.'' We did.
    We've increased funding at the Federal level for public schools by some
    49 percent since 2001. But now we're asking some questions like, ``Is
    the money being well-spent? Can you read? Can you write? Can you add and
    subtract?'' Seems like legitimate questions to ask. And if not, here is
    extra help to make sure our children can read, write, add and subtract--
    early, before it is too late.
        There is more work to do to make sure a high school diploma means
    something. There is more work to do for intervention programs in junior
    high, for example. And there is more work to do to spend money to
    encourage our children in math and science, because the truth of the
    matter is, for example, those 1 million construction jobs are going to
    require a higher level skill than ever before. And our schools must lay
    the foundation to help these folks with the jobs of the 21st century.
    That's what we're talking about, and that's the kind of education
    program that makes

    [[Page 1623]]

    sense. That's why I'm at this facility. Education is the best way to
    make sure we keep jobs right here in America.
        I want to talk about a couple more issues before I want to spend a
    little time on how to secure the country and make the world a more
    peaceful place. But I do want to talk about two issues related here to
    Nevada. One, water. I was raised in Midland, Texas. [Applause] There you
    go. [Laughter] Remember what it was like out there? No water. I
    understand how precious water is. People in Nevada understand how
    precious water is. And there is a role for the Federal Government. For
    example, there is a role for the Federal Government to resolve disputes
    like the Colorado River water dispute.
        I instructed Gale Norton, my Secretary of
    the Interior, to work with all parties to develop innovative strategies,
    to develop conservation plans to help meet Nevada's water needs. And
    there is an agreement in place. After years of discussion and adherence
    to the status quo, we've got an agreement. What I'm telling you is, is
    that we see problems, and this administration works to solve them. We
    see problems--[applause].
        Last summer we launched what's called Water 2025 initiative.
    Gale is a Westerner, by the way; she
    understands water needs. She understands the problems in the West. She
    understands there's competing interests for scarce water. This program
    promotes conservation, as I mentioned. It expands the use of voluntary
    water markets. It provides advanced technology, like automated pumping
    and canal controls. It funds research into new technologies to better
    deliver water and conserve resources. In other words, it is a
    comprehensive strategy to deal with a problem that needs to be dealt
    with.
        And we look forward to working with the States and the local
    authorities to better safeguard this precious resource. I know the mayor
    of Henderson is with us today. Mr. Mayor, we
    will listen to you. And I know Kenny will
    listen to you. This is an effort where we've all got to work together to
    bring the stakeholders in place, so the people of this part of the world
    will have water not only today but in future years.
        And we're spending money. My budget for Water 2025 more than doubles
    the $8.4 million that had been spent to date to $21 million. I mean,
    we're beginning an effort to make sure that the people of this part of
    the world understand how precious your resource is and how best to not
    only conserve it and use it but to develop it in a way that will enable
    your quality of life to continue on.
        The other issue, of course, I want to talk about is Yucca Mountain.
    This is a vital question, and we need to keep facts, not politics, at
    the center of the debate. It's an issue that's been developing for a
    while. Since the 1987 congressional vote to focus exclusively on Yucca
    Mountain, Presidents have considered this issue, as did I. And when I
    campaigned here in this State, I said I would make a decision based upon
    science, not politics. I said I would listen to the scientists, those
    involved with determining whether or not this project could move forward
    in a safe manner. And that's exactly what I did. I listened to the
    people who know the facts and know the science, and made a decision.
        Now, I've listened also, as well, to your Governor and Senator Ensign and to the
    Congressmen and to your fine Attorney General. They didn't agree with my decision. I understand that.
    They made themselves very clear. And I said, ``Well, I appreciate your
    opinion, but I will--I'll tell you what I will do. I will allow this
    process to be appealed to the courts and to the Nuclear Regulatory
    Commission, and I will stand by the decision of the courts and the
    Nuclear Regulatory Commission.''
        Now, my opponent is trying to turn Yucca
    Mountain into a political poker chip. [Laughter] He says he's strongly
    against Yucca here in Nevada, but he voted for it several times. And so
    did his

    [[Page 1624]]

    runningmate. My point to you is that, if
    they're going to change, one day they may change again. [Laughter] I
    think we need--I think you need straight talk on this issue. I think you
    need somebody who is going to do what he says he's going to do.
        Let me talk about one other subject. I know it's on your mind--it's
    clearly on my mind--and that's how best to secure our country. We--
    they're--first of all, no President wants to be a war President. That
    was my last choice. And the enemy attacked us, and we got to respond.
        I'm going to share some lessons about September the 11th: first, the
    nature of the people that attacked us. I tell people that you cannot
    negotiate with these folks. You cannot reason with them. Their hearts
    are so filled with hatred, they're willing to take innocent life like
    that. These are people that--they only understand one thing, and that is
    force and justice. And that's what they will get. We will pursue them
    wherever they exist. [Applause] Thank you all.
        See, I understand we must pursue them overseas so we do not have to
    face them here at home. I understand. The second lesson is that this is
    a different kind of war than we were used to, and this is a shadowy
    network of coldblooded killers that can hide in cities around the world
    where they can find safe haven. And therefore, in order to better secure
    America, we not only needed to say to them that we will bring you to
    justice, but we needed to say to their allies and people willing to
    harbor them, or feed them, or hide them that you're just as guilty as
    those who came and killed the people in America.
        And when America speaks, it better mean what it says. And so when I
    said to the Taliban, ``Give them up, or face serious consequences,'' I
    meant exactly what I said. And today the world is safer and America is
    safer because Afghanistan has been liberated from the Taliban. I want
    you--just think about this--in less than 4 years' time, Afghanistan has
    gone from a brutal dictatorship that denied many young girls the right
    to go to school, that was more than willing to drag their moms or women
    into the public square and whip them and, in some cases, kill them, to a
    society in which over 8 million people have registered to vote. They're
    going to have Presidential elections in October. Afghanistan is an ally
    in the war on terror.
        Another lesson of September the 11th is that when we see a threat,
    we must take it seriously before it fully materializes. That is a vital
    lesson. It's a change, obviously, of doctrine because prior to 9/11, we
    used to think, ``Well, gosh, if we saw a threat, we're safe anyway. It
    may affect somebody somewhere else, but it surely can't affect
    America.'' That's what changed on that fateful day. And it's really
    important for our country to understand it. I want you to know I clearly
    understand that.
        And so, therefore, when we looked at--when we looked around the
    world and saw threats, we began to act in a different fashion. Now,
    look, I want--I would like to deal with all threats diplomatically.
    That's the first choice. The use of our military is the last option. And
    so we saw a threat with Saddam Hussein. You
    say, ``Why did you see a threat?'' Of course, we looked at intelligence
    and saw a threat, but we also remembered the nature of the regime of
    Saddam Hussein. He used weapons of mass destruction. He harbored
    terrorist organizations--Abu Nidal's organization. This is the guy that
    killed Leon Klinghoffer. He's a known terrorist, killed an American.
    He's in and out of Iraq. Actually, he received safe harbor in Iraq.
        Now, Zarqawi's network--he's the
    people--he's the guy now--he just beheads people like that to try to
    shake our will and our conscience. Saddam Hussein paid the families of suiciders. You know, paying
    people whose loved one goes and kills somebody is a part of a terrorist
    act. He is a dangerous man. He was shooting at our pilots.

    [[Page 1625]]

        We had been to war with Saddam Hussein
    before. And he was a source of instability. And so I looked at the
    intelligence. Now remember, the United States Congress--I thought it was
    important to bring the Congress--get Congress involved with this very
    important matter. They understood the stakes. They looked at the
    intelligence. They remembered the nature of Saddam Hussein. Members of
    both political parties stood up and said, ``We support the President, if
    he has to use force, in using force''--including my opponent.
        It looked like for a while he was trying to
    squirm out of that vote. [Laughter] The other day, he said that knowing
    what we know today, he still--he agreed that the use of force in Iraq
    was necessary. I welcome that clarification. [Laughter] He's still got
    82 days left in the campaign, though. [Laughter]
        I went to the United Nations. See, I--as I told you, I think
    diplomacy should be tried first. And I went to the United Nations, and
    the U.N. Security Council voted 15 to nothing that said to the tyrant,
    ``Disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences.'' And so the world was
    once again saying to Saddam, ``You're a
    threat.'' Everybody recognized that in the post-9/11 world that a threat
    needed to be dealt with. He defied the world, as he had done for over a
    decade. He systematically deceived the inspectors. Remember, we sent
    inspectors in to try to find the truth, and they were systematically
    deceived. That's the reality. And so, after a period of time, I had a
    choice to make. Tony Blair had a choice to make. Other leaders had
    choices to make. And that is, do we forget the lessons of the modern
    world and hope for the best and hope that Saddam Hussein all of a sudden
    miraculously changes his attitude about America and terrorism and
    weapons, or do we take action necessary to defend ourselves and to
    spread freedom and peace? And given that choice, I will take action
    every time.
        Knowing what we know today--no, I thought we were going to find
    stockpiles; everybody did. But he had the
    capability of making weapons. And if the world had turned away from
    watching Saddam, that capability could have been passed on to terrorist
    enemies. It's a risk we could not afford to take. Knowing what I know
    today, I would have made the same decision, and the world is better off
    for it. The world is better off for it. Because America has led, the
    world is safer.
        We put together a great coalition. Over the next 4 years, I'll
    continue to work with our friends and allies. If you think about
    Afghanistan, there's nearly 40 nations there. If you think about Iraq,
    with allies and friends--Japan, South Korea, Great Britain, the Dutch,
    the Danes, Poles--countries all around the world understand what we
    know, that free societies are peaceful societies. They understand the
    stakes. They know what's really important. But I'll assure you, I'll
    never turn over America's national security decisions to leaders of
    other countries.
        I also want to say to the loved ones who are here, those whose loved
    one wear a uniform, the Government has an obligation to your husbands,
    wives, sons, or daughters to make sure you've got all--your loved one
    has all he or she needs to fulfill the mission. That's an important part
    of this debate. And I would ask you to ask your fellow citizens to
    remember what happened when I submitted a supplemental funding request
    to the United States Congress in September of last year. It was an $87
    billion request for more body armor and fuel and spare parts and
    ammunition, money necessary so that we could complete our missions. And
    it was overwhelmingly approved by the Congress. Members of both parties
    supported it; my opponent didn't. And he gave
    this explanation, he said, ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion,
    before I voted against it.'' [Laughter] I think you need somebody who
    speaks plainly and

    [[Page 1626]]

    honors our commitment--honors the commitment of our Government to those
    who wear our uniform. And that $87 billion was necessary.
        I believe these are historic times. I believe history--historians
    will look back and say this was a really important period. This is a
    time where we need firm resolve and clear vision about the stakes. But
    not only must we stay on the offense to protect our country and not only
    make sure our homeland defenses are wise and the strategies are good and
    the people are well-compensated--and you've just got to know a lot of
    people are working hard to protect us--but we've got to also take on
    another mission, and that is to deal with the conditions that give rise
    to terrorism.
        So there's a long-term strategy, and it's spreading freedom. We, in
    America, understand that liberty can be a transforming power for
    societies. If you've got a loved one in Iraq--does anybody here have a
    loved one in Iraq? You do? Thank you. [Applause] Let me--I appreciate
    that. I want you to know that your loved one is serving the country and
    the world in a powerful way. Not only--as I said, we'll defeat people
    there so we don't have to face them here, but a free Iraq in the midst
    of the Middle East is going to be a transforming event. This is a part
    of the world where people--the people are desperate for freedom. This is
    a part of the world where people--they're frustrated, the deep
    resentments because they're not free. We in America believe everybody
    deserves to be free; we believe it's the Almighty God's gift to every
    man and woman on Earth--freedom.
        And therefore, I want you all to know that the long-term
    consequences of a free Iraq will make our children safer; it will make
    the children in other parts of the world safer as well. It's going to--
    this is--these are transforming times.
        I'll tell you an interesting story--at least I think it is. I was
    having lunch with the Prime Minister of
    Japan--a dinner with him, and he's a friend of mine. And there I was
    sitting down with the head of a country that my dad fought against, and I'm sure some of your dads fought
    against him too. He was an enemy, and he represented a country which was
    an enemy of our country. We lost a lot of lives in World War II because
    we fought each other. And after World War II, my predecessor and others
    understood, however, that a country could be transformed by liberty, by
    the habits of liberty. And they stuck to their guns. They didn't listen
    to the critics and the pessimists. And eventually, Japan became a self-
    governing nation where the people were free.
        And therefore, the discussion had changed over a period of time,
    hadn't it, from one where there was war, and Prime Minister
    Koizumi and I were now discussing peace.
    We were discussing how best we could deal together with Kim Chong-iland his nuclear weapons ambitions. We were talking
    about the peace. This country loves peace. I want there to be a peaceful
    world. But I was able to have that conversation in large part because
    after World War II, there was a strategy to help our enemies become free
    countries. Someday, an American President will be sitting down with an
    elected leader from Iraq, talking about the peace, talking about how to
    make the world a more peaceful place.
        That's what's at stake. And that's why it's really important for us
    to complete the mission. There's a lot of people watching America right
    now. They're wondering whether or not we've got what it takes to
    complete the mission. They hear things like, ``Well, I'm going to
    substantially reduce our troops in 6 months.'' That's a bad signal, as
    far as I'm concerned. It's a signal that says all the enemy has to do is
    wait us out. It means that the Iraqis who are worried about their
    future--after all, what they don't want to do is go back to the day
    where a tyrant could come and summarily execute them if he felt like it;
    therefore, they're afraid to take risks for

    [[Page 1627]]

    peace. So they kind of say, ``Well, I wonder whether or not this country
    really means what it says.'' It's essential that when America speaks, it
    means what it says, and that we should not be sending mixed signals to
    allies and enemy alike.
        We will succeed--we will succeed. You know why we're going to
    succeed? One, we do have what it takes.
        Audience member. [Inaudible]
        The President. We do have what it takes. We've got the vision and
    the courage and the willingness to serve a great cause. The other reason
    we'll succeed is because people want to be free. People from all walks
    of life want to be free. Mothers and dads in Iraq want to raise their
    children in a peaceful environment, just like moms and dads here in
    America do. People long for peace. They want peace. They've got peace in
    their hearts. They long for a world where--that is a decent world. And
    that stands in stark contrast to the enemy. And we've been called----
        Audience member. You rock, Mr. President! [Laughter]
        The President. Thank you, sir. Let me finish by one story that is a
    compelling story. I've told it several times here on this trip and out
    on the road. It's the story about the time seven Iraqi citizens came to
    see me in the Oval Office. The Oval Office is a powerful place. It's--
    you know, people walk in and just get overwhelmed by the majesty of this
    shrine to democracy. I do, on a daily basis. And the only person I know
    that didn't was my mother, who walked in and continued to tell me what
    to do. Anyway--[laughter]--that's a cheap shot, I know.
        Anyway, the seven men come in. They--they're Iraqi citizens. All
    seven had had their right hands cut off by Saddam Hussein because the currency--his currency had devalued and he
    needed to blame somebody. And one fellow explained to me why him, and it
    was because he had sold dinars to buy, I think he said euros or dollars
    to buy gold so he could then manufacture jewelry. He was a small
    merchant. And so he picks these seven guys out and cuts their right
    hands off. And then burns an X in their foreheads and charges them for
    the operation.
        Fortunately, a documentary was made of the plights of these people.
    And a guy in Houston, Texas, saw it. He was a
    successful person who believed that you have a duty in life to help
    others, and flew these seven men over to Houston where they were fitted
    with new hands. And it was shortly thereafter that they came to see me.
    And it was--I'm telling you, it was a powerful moment to see the stark
    contrast between a society that--where somebody could just summarily
    say, ``I don't like you; I'm going to chop your hand off,'' and a
    society full of compassionate people that were willing to heal the hurt
    by helping these people with a new hand. And that's what we're really
    working on.
        I told these men there, I said, ``Come in the Oval Office. I want
    you to be in a place where the office is bigger than the person.''
    That's what free societies that are stable societies do. They have
    institutions that are bigger than the people. ``And some day,'' I said
    to them, ``you will have institutions bigger than your people, so that
    never again can somebody summarily disfigure you.''
        And that's what we're talking about, really, when you think about
    it. We're talking about the difference between good and evil. We're
    talking about the difference between compassion and tyranny. And we're
    talking about a world in which people are able to realize their hopes
    and dreams and aspirations without fear of brutal tyranny. America will
    be safer and the world will be better because of the actions we are
    taking today.
        May God bless you all, and may God bless our country. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:02 a.m at the United Brotherhood of
    Carpenters and

    [[Page 1628]]

    Joiners of America International Training Facility. In his remarks, he
    referred to Douglas J. McCarron, general president, Douglas J. Banes,
    general vice president, and Andris J. Siling, general secretary-
    treasurer, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America; Mike
    McCarron, executive secretary-treasurer, Southwest Regional Council of
    Carpenters; Dale Shoemaker, senior technical coordinator, United
    Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America International Training
    Facility; William K. Irwin, Jr., executive director, Carpenters
    International Training Fund; television talk show host Jay Leno; Gov.
    Kenny C. Guinn of Nevada; Mayor James B. Gibson of Henderson, NV; Nevada
    State Attorney General Brian Sandoval; former President Saddam Hussein
    of Iraq; senior Al Qaida associate Abu Musab Al Zarqawi; Prime Minister
    Tony Blair of the United Kingdom; Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of
    Japan; and Chairman Kim Chong-il of North Korea.