    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
    [October 13, 2005]
    [Pages 1547-1551]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Teleconference Remarks With United States Troops in Iraq
    October 13, 2005

        The President. Captain Kennedy?
        Capt. Brent Kennedy. Yes, Mr. President.
        The President. Well, it's good to see you. Thanks. Thanks for taking
    time out of your busy schedule to allow me to visit with you a little
    bit. I've got some questions for you here in a minute, but I do want to
    share some thoughts with you.
        First, I want to thank the members of the 42d Infantry Division and
    Task Force Liberty for serving our country with such distinction and
    honor. I want you to know that the mission you are on is vital to
    achieving peace and to protecting America. One of my most solemn duties,
    a duty that you have joined me on, is to protect the American people.
        And we're facing an enemy that is ruthless and coldblooded, an enemy
    that actually has a philosophy, and the philosophy is so opposite of
    ours. It is the exact opposite of what America stands for. We stand for
    religious freedom and freedom to speak and women's rights and capacity
    for people to realize their dreams. They stand for a vision that is--
    doesn't believe in freedom, that if you don't agree with their narrow
    point of view, that you're subject to reprisal.
        And so I want to thank you for being a part of this global war. And
    Iraq is a part of the war, because the enemy understands that a free
    Iraq will be a blow to their vision and their strategy of spreading
    dominance throughout the broader Middle East. And so I want to thank
    you. When you e-mail your families, you tell them how proud the
    Commander in Chief is of their patience and their support as well.

        One of the tactics of the enemy is to shake our will. Part of their
    strategy is to use the killing of innocent people to get the American
    Government to pull you out of there before the mission is complete. I'm
    going to assure you of this, that so long as I'm the President, we're
    never going to back down; we're never going to give in; we'll never
    accept anything less than total victory. It's important for you to know
    that. It's important for the enemy to know that as well.

        We've got a strategy, and it's a clear strategy. On the one hand, we
    will hunt down these killers and terrorists and bring them to justice
    and train the Iraqi forces to join us in that effort. The second part of
    the strategy is a political strategy, based upon the knowledge that you
    defeat a backward, dark philosophy with one that's hopeful. And that
    hopeful philosophy is one

    [[Page 1548]]

    based upon universal freedom. I'm very impressed that the Iraqi
    Government has continued to work to have a constitution that attracts
    Sunnis and Shi'as and Kurds. They've worked hard to get a constitution,
    and now the people of Iraq are going to get to vote once again, on a
    constitution, in this case.
        And I want to thank you for providing the security necessary for
    people to exercise their free will. You're part of an historic mission
    that is laying the foundation for peace. I am convinced that when we
    look back at this time in history, those who follow us, whether it be in
    the armed services or in the political process, will say, ``Thank
    goodness the United States of America didn't lose our nerve or will,
    that we've put in motion something that can't be stopped,'' and that is
    the march of freedom.
        So I want to thank you for giving me a chance to visit with you. You
    just got to know the American people are proud of you. You've got
    tremendous support here at home, and there's nobody more proud of you
    than I am.
        Let me ask you some questions, Captain, if
    you don't mind. One of the, you know, questions I have is about the pre-
    election operations, about what you've been doing, and what are the--
    what's your strategy, and how do you think it's going for--to make sure
    the people have a chance to vote.
        By the way, you're in Tikrit, as I understand it as well. It's kind
    of an interesting place to be. It's Saddam's old stomping grounds.
        Capt. Kennedy. Good morning, Mr.
    President, from Tikrit. I'm Captain Brent Kennedy. To my right is
    Sergeant Major Akeel from the 5th Iraqi Army Division. We're working
    together here with the Iraqis in Task Force Liberty for the upcoming
    referendum. We're surging in an operation, called Operation Saratoga,
    that includes the securing of over 1,250 polling sites. We're working
    right alongside with the Iraqis as they lead the way in securing these
    sites.
        The President. That's good. And so, like--I mean, and so the vote is
    in less than 48 hours--or about 48 hours, I guess. And so how do you--
    how would--are you confident? I mean, how do you feel like the
    operations are going?
        Capt. Kennedy. Mr. President, I'm going to
    field that question to Captain Smith.
        The President. I didn't want to give you--I didn't want to throw you
    a hardball there, Captain.
        Capt. David J. Smith. Morning, Mr.
    President. I'm Captain Dave Smith from Grand Rapids, Michigan. I'm
    representing the 3d Brigade Combat Team here in--headquartered in
    Ba'quba.
        The President. Right.
        Capt. Smith. I work directly with the
    Iraqi army. I am responsible for coordinating all their security
    responses in our area of operations.
        Sir, our Iraqi partners have been conducting battalion and brigade-
    size operations since April. They have been planning and coordinating
    with other Iraqi security forces, such as the Iraqi police and local
    government agencies, preparing for this referendum. Sir, we as coalition
    forces, we have taken a supporting role only as they prepare to execute
    this referendum.
        The President. How are they doing? Give us an assessment. One of the
    things, Captain, that people in America want
    to know is, one, do the Iraqis want to fight, and are they capable of
    fighting? And maybe somebody can give us an appraisal.
        Capt. Kennedy. Mr. President, I'm going to
    field that question to Captain Pratt.
        Capt. Stephen N. Pratt. Good morning,
    Mr. President. My name is Captain Stephen Pratt from Pocatello, Idaho,
    serving with the 116th Brigade Combat Team as the Iraqi army
    coordinator. The Iraqi army and police services, along with coalition
    support, have conducted many and multiple exercises and rehearsals.
    Recently we've conducted a command post exercise in which we brought
    together these Iraqi security forces with emergency service units

    [[Page 1549]]

    and the joint coordination center, in which we all sat around a terrain
    model and discussed what each one would do at their specific location
    and what they would do at the referendum.
        It was impressive to me to see the cooperation and the communication
    that took place among the Iraqi forces. Along with the coalition's
    backing them, we'll have a very successful and effective referendum
    vote.
        The President. Captain, thank you very
    much. Let me ask you something. As you move around, I presume you have a
    chance to interface with the civilians there in that part of the world.
    And a lot of Americans are wondering whether or not people appreciate
    your presence or whether or not the people are anxious to be part of the
    democratic process. Can you give us a sense for the reception of the
    people there in Tikrit toward coalition forces as well as the Iraqi
    units that they encounter?
        Capt. Kennedy. Mr. President, I'm going to
    field this question to Captain Williams.
        Capt. David Williams. Mr. President, I'm
    Captain David Williams. I'm from Los Angeles, California. I'm currently
    with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, attached to the Military Transition
    Team. Sir, in north-central Iraq, voter registration is up 17 percent.
    That's 400,000 new voters in north-central Iraq and 100,000 new voters
    in the al Salah ad Din Province. Sir, I was with my Iraqi counterpart in
    Tikrit, the city Tikrit last week, and he was going around talking to
    the locals. And from what he told me that the locals told him, the Iraqi
    people are ready and eager to vote in this referendum.
        The President. That's good. It's pretty interesting. That's a pretty
    interesting concept for the people of Tikrit, when you really think
    about the fact that that was Saddam Hussein's hometown. They didn't get
    to vote too often when he was the leader there. Let me ask you about the
    progress. Most of you have been there for nearly a year, as I understand
    it.
        And is it possible to give us a sense, kind of a calibration of what
    life was like when you first got there and what it's like today?
        Capt. Kennedy. Mr. President, Master
    Sergeant Lombardo will answer this question.
        M. Sgt. Corine Lombardo. Good morning,
    Mr. President. I'm Master Sergeant Corine Lombardo, with the
    Headquarters 42d Infantry Division and Task Force Liberty, from Scotia,
    New York. First, I'd like to say that this is a pleasure to speak with
    you again. We had the honor of your visit in New York City on November
    11th, in 2001, when you recognized our Rainbow Soldiers for their
    recovery and rescue efforts at Ground Zero.
        The President. Were you there?
        M. Sgt. Lombardo. We began our fight
    against terrorism in the wake of 9/11, and we're proud to continue it
    here in north-central New York--north-central Iraq.
        The President. Let me ask you something. Were you there when I came
    to New York?
        M. Sgt. Lombardo. Yes, I was, Mr.
    President.
        The President. I thought you looked familiar. [Laughter]
        M. Sgt. Lombardo. Well, thank you.
        The President. I probably look familiar to you too. [Laughter]
        M. Sgt. Lombardo. Yes, you do, Mr.
    President. I can tell you over the past 10 months, we've seen a
    tremendous increase in the capabilities and the confidences of our Iraqi
    security force partners. We've been working side by side, training and
    equipping 18 Iraqi army battalions. Since we began our partnership, they
    have improved greatly, and they continue to develop and grow into
    sustainable forces. Over the next month, we anticipate seeing at least
    one-third of those Iraqi forces conducting independent operations.
        The President. That's important. The American people have got to
    know--and I appreciate you bringing that up, Sergeant

    [[Page 1550]]

    Major, about how--what the progress is like. In other words, we've got a
    measurement system----
        M. Sgt. Lombardo. Well, together----
        The President. I'm sorry, go ahead.
        M. Sgt. Lombardo. I'm sorry--just,
    together with our coalition forces, we've captured over 50 terrorists as
    well as detained thousands of others that have ties to the insurgency.
    And I believe it is these accomplishments and the numerous
    accomplishments from our task force that will provide a safe and secure
    environment for the referendum vote.
        The President. Well, I appreciate that. There's no question that we
    need to stay on the offense. And we need to stay on the offense with
    well-trained Iraqi forces, side by side the finest military ever to
    exist, and that's the United States military.
        M. Sgt. Lombardo. That it is, Mr.
    President. Thank you.
        The President. Yes. Sergeant Akeel,
    thanks for joining us. I appreciate--appreciate your service. You've got
    something to say, Akeel?
        Sgt. Maj. Shaker Nassir Akeel. Good
    morning, Mr. President. Thank you for everything. Thank very much for
    everything.
        The President. Yes, you're welcome.
        Sgt. Maj. Akeel. I like you.
    [Laughter]
        The President. Well, I appreciate that.
        1st Lt. Gregg A. Murphy. Good morning,
    Mr. President.
        The President. Go ahead.
        1st Lt. Murphy. I'm First Lieutenant
    Gregg Murphy from the 278th Regimental Combat Team, from the Volunteer
    State of Tennessee. I want to tell you, sir, that we appreciate you
    coming with us today for this interview and hearing us express our
    confidence in the Iraqi security forces' role in the upcoming
    referendum. Sir, we are prepared to do whatever it takes to make this
    thing a success. But the important thing here is that the Iraqi army and
    the Iraqi security forces, they're ready, and they're committed. They're
    going to make this thing happen.
        Back in January, when we were preparing for that election, we had to
    lead the way. We set up the coordination. We made the plan. We're really
    happy to see, during the preparation for this one, sir, they're doing
    everything. They're making the plans. They're calling each other.
    They've got it laid out. So on Saturday, sir, we're going to be beside
    them. We're going to be there to support them through anything. But we
    can't wait to share in their success with them on Sunday.
        Sir, from all of us here at Task Force Liberty here in Tikrit, we
    want to express our gratitude to you for spending a little time with us
    this morning, and thank you, sir, for hearing our assessment of the
    current situation here in Tikrit, Iraq.
        The President. Well, Lieutenant, thanks.
    It's been my honor. And you know, I wish I could be there to see you
    face to face, to thank you personally. It's probably a little early for
    me to go to Tikrit, but one of these days perhaps the situation will be
    such that I'll be able to get back to Iraq to not only thank our troops
    but to thank those brave Iraqis who are standing strong in the face of
    these foreign fighters and these radicals that are trying to stop the
    march of freedom.
        Again, I want to thank you all for being so courageous and for
    stepping up when the United States of America needed you. I repeat what
    I said earlier: Please give your loved ones my deepest respect. And
    you've got to know, the American people are standing strong with you.
    We're proud of you. May God bless you all in your work, and when you get
    back to the States, you know, if I'm hanging around, come by and say
    hello. [Laughter]
        Thank you all.

    Note: The teleconference began at 9:54 a.m. The President spoke from
    Room 350 of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building to troops
    in Tikrit, Iraq. In his remarks, he referred to former President Saddam
    Hussein of Iraq. Participating in the

    [[Page 1551]]

    teleconference were Capt. Brent Kennedy, USA, Capt. David J. Smith, USA,
    Capt. Stephen N. Pratt, USA, Capt. David Williams, USA, M. Sgt. Corine
    Lombardo, USA, 1st Lt. Gregg A. Murphy, USA, S. Sgt. David Smith-Barry,
    USA, Sfc. Jerry R. Munoz, USA, Sgt. Dustin Giesbrecht, USA, and Sgt.
    Ronald E. Long, Jr., USA, 42d Infantry Division; and Sgt. Maj. Akeel
    Shaker Nassir, 4th Iraqi Army Division.