    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
    [August 13, 2005]
    [Pages 1332-1334]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    August 13, 2005

        Good morning. This week I met in Texas with Secretary of State
    Rice, Secretary of Defense
    Rumsfeld, the rest of my senior foreign
    and defense policy advisers. We discussed recent events in Iraq,
    including the political progress that is taking place in that country.
    Despite the acts of violence by the enemies of freedom, Iraq's elected
    leaders are now finishing work on a democratic constitution. Later this
    year, that constitution will be put before the Iraqi people for their
    approval.
        The establishment of a democratic constitution is a critical step on
    the path to Iraqi self-reliance. Iraqis are taking control of their
    country, building a free nation that can govern itself, sustain itself,
    and defend itself. And we're helping Iraqis succeed. We're hunting down
    the terrorists and training the security forces of a free Iraq so Iraqis
    can defend their own country. Our approach can be summed up this way: As
    Iraqis stand up, we will stand down. And when that mission of defeating
    the terrorists in Iraq is complete, our troops will come home to a proud
    and grateful nation.
        The recent violence in Iraq is a grim reminder of the brutal nature
    of the enemy we face in the war on terror. Our mission

    [[Page 1333]]

    in Iraq is tough because the enemy understands the stakes. The
    terrorists know that a free Iraq in the heart of the Middle East will be
    a crippling blow to their hateful ideology. And that is why our work in
    Iraq is a vital part of the war on terror we're waging around the world.
        This war on terror arrived on our shores on September the 11th,
    2001. Since that day, the terrorists have continued to kill in Madrid,
    Istanbul, Jakarta, Casablanca, Riyadh, Bali, Baghdad, London, and
    elsewhere. The enemy remains determined to do more harm. The terrorists
    kill indiscriminately but with a clear purpose. They're trying to shake
    our will. They want to force free nations to retreat so they can topple
    governments across the Middle East, establish Taliban-like regimes in
    their place, and turn the Middle East into a launching pad for attacks
    against free people.
        The terrorists will fail. Because we are fighting their murderous
    ideology with a clear strategy, we're staying on the offensive in Iraq,
    Afghanistan, and other fronts in the war on terror, fighting terrorists
    abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. When terrorists
    spend their days and nights struggling to avoid death or capture,
    they're less capable of arming and training and plotting new attacks on
    America.
        We're also spreading the hope of freedom across the broader Middle
    East, because free societies are peaceful societies. By offering a
    hopeful alternative to the terrorists' ideology of hatred and fear, we
    are laying the foundations of peace for our children and grandchildren.
        In the war on terror, our troops are serving with courage and
    commitment, and their bravery is inspiring others to join them. All of
    our services met or exceeded their active duty recruitment goals last
    month, and the troops closest to the fight continue to reenlist in
    impressive numbers. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines are all on
    track to meet or exceed their reenlistment goals for the year. Our
    troops know the stakes of this war, and Americans can have pride and
    confidence in our All-Volunteer Forces.
        In recent days, we have seen again that the path to victory in the
    war on terror will include difficult moments. Our Nation grieves the
    death of every man and woman we lose in combat, and our hearts go out to
    the loved ones who mourn them. Yet, even in our grief, we can be
    confident in the future, because the darkness of tyranny is no match for
    the shining power of freedom.
        The terrorists cannot defeat us on the battlefield. The only way
    they can win is if we lose our nerve. That will not happen on my watch.
    Withdrawing our troops from Iraq prematurely would betray the Iraqi
    people and would cause others to question America's commitment to
    spreading freedom and winning the war on terror. So we will honor the
    fallen by completing the mission for which they gave their lives, and by
    doing so, we will ensure that freedom and peace prevail.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 8:50 a.m. on August 12 at the Bush
    Ranch in Crawford, TX, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on August 13. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    August 12 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    this address.

    [[Page 1334]]