    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [March 8, 2005]
    [Pages 379-385]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the War on Terror
    March 8, 2005

        Thank you all. Please be seated. It is great to be back to this fine
    university. Many great military leaders of the 20th century, from Dwight
    Eisenhower to Colin

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    Powell, studied on this campus. And today,
    the National Defense University is training a new generation of leaders
    who will serve and defend this Nation in a new century. Americans are
    grateful for your devotion to duty, and so is your Commander in Chief.
        I am honored that two influential and important Members of the
    United States Congress have joined us. First, Senator Joe
    Lieberman, strong defender of freedom,
    thank you for coming, Senator. And the chairman of the House Armed
    Services Committee, Congressman Duncan Hunter, proud you're here, Dunc. Thanks for coming. In the midst
    of what we hope will be the final snow blizzard of 2005--[laughter]--I'm
    honored you two men slushed here to this event.
        I appreciate so very much Lieutenant General Michael Dunn and his wife, Pam, for
    greeting me and for serving our Nation. I want to thank all the National
    Defense University students for being here. I appreciate the staff for
    joining us. I want to thank the members of the diplomatic corps who have
    come today. It is an honor to see you all again. I want to thank my
    fellow Americans for caring about the subject of peace, and that's what
    I'm here to discuss.
        We meet at a time of great consequence for the security of our
    Nation, a time when the defense of freedom requires the advance of
    freedom, a time with echoes in our history. Twice in six decades, a
    sudden attack on the United States launched our country into a global
    conflict and began a period of serious reflection on America's place in
    the world.
        The bombing of Pearl Harbor taught America that unopposed tyranny,
    even on faraway continents, could draw our country into a struggle for
    our own survival. And our reflection on that lesson led us to help build
    peaceful democracies in the ruins of tyranny, to unite free nations in
    the NATO Alliance, and to establish a firm commitment to peace in the
    Pacific that continues to this day.
        The attacks of September the 11th, 2001, also revealed the outlines
    of a new world. In one way, that assault was the culmination of decades
    of escalating violence, from the killing of U.S. marines in
    Beirut to the bombing at the World Trade
    Center, to the attacks on American Embassies in Africa, to the attacks
    on the U.S.S. Cole. In another way, September the 11th provided a
    warning of future dangers, of terror networks aided by outlaw regimes
    and ideologies that incite the murder of the innocent and biological and
    chemical and nuclear weapons that multiply destructive power.
        Like an earlier generation, America is answering new dangers with
    firm resolve. No matter how long it takes, no matter how difficult the
    task, we will fight the enemy and lift the shadow of fear and lead free
    nations to victory.
        Like an earlier generation, America is pursuing a clear strategy
    with our allies to achieve victory. Our immediate strategy is to
    eliminate terrorist threats abroad so we do not have to face them here
    at home. The theory here is straightforward: Terrorists are less likely
    to endanger our security if they are worried about their own security.
    When terrorists spend their days struggling to avoid death or capture,
    they are less capable of arming and training to commit new attacks. We
    will keep the terrorists on the run until they have nowhere left to
    hide.
        In 3\1/2\ years, the United States and our allies have waged a
    campaign of global scale, from the mountains of Afghanistan to the
    border regions of Pakistan, to the Horn of Africa, to the islands of the
    Philippines, to the plains of North Central Iraq. The Al Qaida terror
    network that attacked our country still has leaders, but many of its top
    commanders have been removed. There are still governments that sponsor
    and harbor terrorists, but their number has declined. There are still
    regimes seeking weapons of mass destruction but no longer without
    attention and without consequence.

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    Our country is still the target of terrorists who want to kill many and
    intimidate us all. We will stay on the offensive against them until the
    fight is won.
        Members of our military are undertaking difficult missions in some
    of the most dangerous and desolate parts of the world. These volunteers
    know the risk they face, and they know the cause they serve. As one
    marine sergeant put it, ``I never want my children to experience what we
    saw in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania.'' He said, ``If
    we can eliminate whatever threat we can on foreign soil, I would rather
    do it there than have it come home to us.'' In this vital cause, some of
    our men and women in uniform have fallen. Some have returned home with
    terrible injuries. And all who sacrifice will have the permanent
    gratitude of the United States of America.
        In this war on terror, America is not alone. Many governments have
    awakened to the dangers we share and have begun to take serious action.
    Global terror requires a global response, and America is more secure
    today because dozens of other countries have stepped up to the fight.
        We're more secure because Pakistani forces captured more than 100
    extremists across the country last year, including operatives who were
    plotting attacks against the United States. We're more secure because
    Britain arrested an Al Qaida operative who had provided detailed casing
    reports on American targets to senior Al Qaida leaders. We're more
    secure because German authorities arrested extremists who were planning
    attacks against U.S. and coalition targets in Iraq. We're more secure
    because the Philippines' new Anti-Terrorism Task Force has helped
    capture more than a dozen terrorist suspects, including seven members of
    Al Qaida and affiliated networks. We're more secure because Poland is
    leading a 15-nation multinational division in Iraq, and forces from 23
    countries have given their lives in the struggle against terrorists and
    insurgents in Afghanistan and Iraq.
        Our allies in the war on terror are making tough decisions, and
    they're taking risks, and they're losing lives. These countries have
    proven themselves trusted friends and reliable allies. So I urge the
    Congress to pass the Solidarity Initiative I have proposed to stand by
    the countries that are standing by us in the war on terror.
        Our strategy to keep the peace in the longer term is to help change
    the conditions that give rise to extremism and terror, especially in the
    broader Middle East. Parts of that region have been caught for
    generations in a cycle of tyranny and despair and radicalism. When a
    dictatorship controls the political life of a country, responsible
    opposition cannot develop, and dissent is driven underground and toward
    the extreme. And to draw attention away from their social and economic
    failures, dictators place blame on other countries and other races and
    stir the hatred that leads to violence. This status quo of despotism and
    anger cannot be ignored or appeased, kept in a box or bought off,
    because we have witnessed how the violence in that region can reach
    easily across borders and oceans. The entire world has an urgent
    interest in the progress and hope and freedom in the broader Middle
    East.
        The advance of hope in the Middle East requires new thinking in the
    region. By now it should be clear that authoritarian rule is not the
    wave of the future. It is the last gasp of a discredited past. It should
    be clear that free nations escape stagnation and grow stronger with
    time, because they encourage the creativity and enterprise of their
    people. It should be clear that economic progress requires political
    modernization, including honest representative government and the rule
    of law. And it should be clear that no society can advance with only
    half of its talent and energy, and that demands the full participation
    of women.

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        The advance of hope in the Middle East also requires new thinking in
    the capitals of great democracies, including Washington, DC. By now it
    should be clear that decades of excusing and accommodating tyranny in
    the pursuit of stability have only led to injustice and instability and
    tragedy. It should be clear that the advance of democracy leads to
    peace, because governments that respect the rights of their people also
    respect the rights of their neighbors. It should be clear that the best
    antidote to radicalism and terror is the tolerance and hope kindled in
    free societies. And our duty is now clear: For the sake of our long-term
    security, all free nations must stand with the forces of democracy and
    justice that have begun to transform the Middle East.
        Encouraging democracy in that region is a generational commitment.
    It's also a difficult commitment, demanding patience and resolve when
    the headlines are good and when the headlines aren't so good. Freedom
    has determined enemies, who show no mercy for the innocent and no
    respect for the rules of warfare. Many societies in the region struggle
    with poverty and illiteracy. Many rulers in the region have longstanding
    habits of control. Many people in the region have deeply ingrained
    habits of fear.
        For all these reasons, the chances of democratic progress in the
    broader Middle East have seemed frozen in place for decades. Yet at
    last, clearly and suddenly, the thaw has begun. The people of
    Afghanistan have embraced free government after suffering under one of
    the most backward tyrannies on Earth. The voters in Iraq defied threats
    of murder and have set their country on a path to full democracy. The
    people of the Palestinian Territories cast their ballots against
    violence and corruption of the past. And any who doubt the appeal of
    freedom in the Middle East can look to Lebanon, where the Lebanese
    people are demanding a free and independent nation. In the words of one
    Lebanese observer, ``Democracy is knocking at the door of this country,
    and if it's successful in Lebanon, it is going to ring the doors of
    every Arab regime.''
        Across the Middle East, a critical mass of events is taking that
    region in a hopeful new direction. Historic changes have many causes,
    yet these changes have one factor in common. A businessman in Beirut
    recently said, ``We have removed the mask of fear. We're not afraid
    anymore.'' Pervasive fear is the foundation of every dictatorial regime,
    the prop that holds up all power not based on consent. And when the
    regime of fear is broken and the people find their courage and find
    their voice, democracy is their goal and tyrants, themselves, have
    reason to fear.
        History is moving quickly, and leaders in the Middle East have
    important choices to make. The world community, including Russia and
    Germany and France and Saudi Arabia and the United States, has presented
    the Syrian Government with one of those choices, to end its nearly 30-
    year occupation of Lebanon or become even more isolated from the world.
    The Lebanese people have heard the speech by the Syrian President. They've seen these delaying tactics and half
    measures before.
        The time has come for Syria to fully implement Security Council
    Resolution 1559. All Syrian military forces and intelligence personnel
    must withdraw before the Lebanese elections, for those elections to be
    free and fair.
        The elections in Lebanon must be fully and carefully monitored by
    international observers. The Lebanese people have the right to determine
    their future, free from domination by a foreign power. The Lebanese
    people have the right to choose their own parliament this spring, free
    of intimidation. And that new Government will have the help of the
    international community in building sound political, economic, and
    military institutions, so the great nation of Lebanon can move forward
    in security and freedom.

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        Today I have a message for the people of Lebanon: All the world is
    witnessing your great movement of conscience. Lebanon's future belongs
    in your hands, and by your courage, Lebanon's future will be in your
    hands. The American people are on your side. Millions across the Earth
    are on your side. The momentum of freedom is on your side, and freedom
    will prevail in Lebanon.
        America and other nations are also aware that the recent terrorist
    attack in Tel Aviv was conducted by a radical Palestinian group
    headquartered in Damascus. Syria as well as Iran has a long history of
    supporting terrorist groups determined to sow division and chaos in the
    Middle East, and there is every possibility they will try this strategy
    again. The time has come for Syria and Iran to stop using murder as a
    tool of policy and to end all support for terrorism.
        In spite of attacks by extremists, the world is seeing hopeful
    progress in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There is only one outcome
    that will end the tyranny, danger, violence, and hopelessness and meet
    the aspirations of all people in the region: We seek two democratic
    states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security.
        And that goal is within reach, if all the parties meet their
    responsibilities and if terrorism is brought to an end. Arab States must
    end incitement in their own media, cut off public and private funding
    for terrorism, stop their support for extremist education, and establish
    normal relations with Israel. Israel must freeze settlement activity,
    help the Palestinians build a thriving economy, and ensure that a new
    Palestinian state is truly viable, with contiguous territory on the West
    Bank. Palestinian leaders must fight corruption, encourage free
    enterprise, rest true authority with the people, and actively confront
    terrorist groups.
        The bombing in Tel Aviv is a reminder that the fight against
    terrorists is critical to the search for peace and for Palestinian
    statehood. In an interview last week, Palestinian President Abbas strongly condemned the terrorist attack
    in Tel Aviv, declaring, quote, ``Ending violence and security chaos is
    first and foremost a Palestinian interest.'' He went on to say, ``We
    cannot build the foundations of a state without the rule of law and
    public order.''
        President Abbas is correct.
    And so the United States will help the Palestinian Authority build the
    security services that current peace and future statehood require,
    security forces which are effective, responsive to civilian control, and
    dedicated to fighting terror and upholding the rule of law. We will
    coordinate with the Government of Israel, with neighbors such as Egypt
    and Jordan, and with other donors to ensure that Palestinians get the
    training and equipment they need. The United States is determined to
    help the parties remove obstacles to progress and move forward in
    practical ways, so we can seize this moment for peace in the Holy Land.
        In other parts of the Middle East, we're seeing small but welcome
    steps. Saudi Arabia's recent municipal elections were the beginning of
    reform that may allow greater participation in the future. Egypt has now
    the prospect of competitive, multiparty elections for President in
    September. Like all free elections, these require freedom of assembly,
    multiple candidates, free access by those candidates to the media, and
    the right to form political parties. Each country in the Middle East
    will take a different path of reform. And every nation that starts on
    that journey can know that America will walk at its side.
        Progress in the Middle East is threatened by weapons of mass
    destruction and their proliferation. Today, Great Britain, France, and
    Germany are involved in a difficult negotiation with Iran, aimed at
    stopping its nuclear weapons program. We want our allies to succeed,
    because we share the view that Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons
    would be destabilizing and threatening to all of Iran's neighbors. The
    Iranian regime

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    should listen to the concerns of the world and listen to the voice of
    the Iranian people, who long for their liberty and want their country to
    be a respected member of the international community. We look forward to
    the day when Iran joins in the hopeful changes taking place across the
    region. We look forward to the day when the Iranian people are free.
        Iran and other nations have an example in Iraq. The recent elections
    have begun a process of debate and coalition building unique in Iraqi
    history and inspiring to see. Iraq's leaders are forming a Government
    that will oversee the next and critical stage in Iraq's political
    transition, the writing of a permanent constitution. This process must
    take place without external influence. The shape of Iraq's democracy
    must be determined by the Iraqis, themselves.
        Iraq's democracy, in the long run, must also be defended by Iraqis,
    themselves. Our goal is to help Iraqi security forces move toward self-
    reliance, and they are making daily progress. Iraqi forces were the main
    providers of security at about 5,000 polling places in the January
    elections. Our coalition is providing equipment and training to the new
    Iraqi military, yet they bring a spirit all of their own.
        Last month, when soldiers of the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment were on
    combat patrol north of Baghdad, one of their Humvees fell into a canal,
    and Iraqi troops came to their rescue, plunging into the water again and
    again, until the last American was recovered. The Army colonel in charge
    of the unit said, ``When I saw those Iraqis in
    the water, fighting to save their American brothers, I saw a glimpse of
    the future of this country.'' One of the Iraqi soldiers commented, ``These people have come 100--or 10,000
    miles to help my country. They've left their families and their
    children. If we can give them something back, just a little, we can show
    our thanks.'' America is proud to defend freedom in Iraq, and America is
    proud to stand with the brave Iraqis as they defend their own freedom.
        Three-and-a-half years ago, the United States mourned our dead,
    gathered our resolve, and accepted a mission. We made a decision to stop
    threats to the American people before they arrive on our shores, and we
    have acted on that decision. We're also determined to seek and support
    the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and
    culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.
        This objective will not be achieved easily or all at once or
    primarily by force of arms. We know that freedom, by definition, must be
    chosen and that the democratic institutions of other nations will not
    look like our own. Yet we also know that our security increasingly
    depends on the hope and progress of other nations now simmering in
    despair and resentment. And that hope and progress is found only in the
    advance of freedom.
        This advance is a consistent theme of American strategy, from the
    Fourteen Points to the Four Freedoms, to the Marshall plan, to the
    Reagan doctrine. Yet the success of this approach does not depend on
    grand strategy alone. We are confident that the desire for freedom, even
    when repressed for generations, is present in every human heart. And
    that desire can emerge with sudden power to change the course of
    history.
        Americans, of all people, should not be surprised by freedom's
    power. A nation founded on the universal claim of individual rights
    should not be surprised when other people claim those rights. Those who
    place their hope in freedom may be attacked and challenged, but they
    will not ultimately be disappointed, because freedom is the design of
    humanity and freedom is the direction of history.
        In our time, America has been attacked; America has been challenged.
    Yet the uncertainty and sorrow and sacrifice of these years have not
    been in vain. Millions have

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    gained their liberty, and millions more have gained the hope of liberty
    that will not be denied. The trumpet of freedom has been sounded, and
    that trumpet never calls retreat.
        Before history is written in books, it is written in courage, the
    courage of honorable soldiers, the courage of oppressed peoples, the
    courage of free nations in difficult tasks. Our generation is fortunate
    to live in a time of courage, and we are proud to serve in freedom's
    cause.
        May God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:17 a.m. at the National Defense
    University at Fort Lesley J. McNair. In his remarks, he referred to
    former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell; Lt. Gen. Michael M. Dunn,
    USAF, president, National Defense University; President Bashar al-Asad
    of Syria; President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) of the Palestinian
    Authority; and Col. Mark McKnight, USA, commander, 1st Brigade Combat
    Team, 3d Infantry Division. The Office of the Press Secretary also
    released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.