    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
    [August 22, 2005]
    [Pages 1336-1342]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Salt Lake
    City, Utah
    August 22, 2005

        Thank you all. Thank you all very much. Thanks for the warm welcome.
    It's a pleasure to be back here in Salt Lake City, Utah, and I'm proud
    to again stand with the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Thanks for having me.
        I really enjoy coming to these conventions. Members here come from
    all walks of life, and you do vital work across our country. I know
    firsthand the spirit of the VFW. I was raised by one of your members, a
    proud veteran of Post 4344 in Houston, Texas--former President George
    Bush. Where is that mighty Texas
    delegation? [Applause] Behave yourself. [Laughter]
        I'm honored to serve as the Commander in Chief of the United States
    Armed Forces. The men and women who wear the uniform today are
    protecting our Nation and our way of life. And they are upholding a
    tradition of honor and bravery and integrity set by America's veterans.
    All of you defended this country with unselfish courage. You've earned
    the respect of our citizens. And so, on behalf of a grateful nation,
    thank you for your service for the cause of freedom and peace.
        I appreciate John Furgess. I appreciated
    working with him for the past year. He's a good, honorable man, and he's
    represented the VFW with distinction and class. It takes judgment to be
    the president of an organization. And so when I first saw John this
    morning, I realized he was a man of good judgment. He said, ``You've got
    to understand, Mr. President, most of the people are really excited to
    see Laura.'' [Laughter] I'm proud she's traveling
    with me. I'm proud to call her wife, and a lot of folks in this United
    States of America are proud to call her First Lady.
        And I'm pleased that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs is with us
    today, Ranger vet, a man who is doing a fine job on behalf of the
    veterans across the United States, Secretary Jim Nicholson.
        When I landed out there at the airport, I was greeted at the base of
    the stairs by the Governor of this great State, Governor Jon
    Huntsman. And I appreciate you being here,
    Governor, and I want to thank your wife, Mary Kaye, for joining as well. There she is. Hi, Mary Kaye. I know
    the Lieutenant Governor, Gary Herbert, is
    with us,

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    and Jeanette. Appreciate you being here,
    Lieutenant Governor.
        I got on Air Force One down there in Waco, and they told me that we
    had a special guest on our plane. I said, ``Well, who is it?'' They
    said, ``Well, it's Orrin Hatch.'' I said,
    ``Fantastic. Glad to give the fellow a ride.'' [Laughter] And the reason
    why I'm glad to give him a ride--he's a strong ally, and I appreciate a
    strong ally in Orrin Hatch. He does a great job for Utah, and he does a
    great job for the United States of America.
        I appreciate Congressman Chris Cannon joining us today--thank you for being here, Congressman--
    and Congressman Jim Matheson. I'm proud
    you both are here. Thanks for taking time to be here today.
        They must have changed the immigration laws here in Utah, because
    they allowed the Idaho Governor to come across the border. [Laughter]
    I'm proud to be here with my friend Dirk Kempthorne. Thank you for coming, Dirk.
        I want to thank the senior vice commander, Jim Mueller, for his hospitality. I'm looking forward to working
    with him. I want to thank JoAnne Ott, the
    outgoing National VFW Ladies Auxiliary president. And I want to thank
    Sandy Germany, who will be the incoming
    president.
        Most of all, thank you all. As veterans of foreign wars, you stepped
    forward when America needed you. You took an oath to defend the Nation,
    and you kept that oath, overseas and under fire. You triumphed over
    brutal enemies, liberated continents, and answered the prayers of
    millions across the Earth. All of us who have grown up in freedom must
    never forget your service and your sacrifice.
        We also remember the troops who left America's shores but did not
    live to make the journey home. We think of the families who lost a loved
    one and who carry a burden of grief that remains for a lifetime. We
    remember the men and women in uniform whose fate is still undetermined,
    our prisoners of war and those missing in action. America must never
    forget them. We will not stop searching until we have accounted for
    every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine missing in the line of duty.
        VFW's mission is to honor the dead by helping the living, and VFW
    members are making good on that promise every day. Together with your
    superb Ladies Auxiliary, VFW members have adopted military units,
    mentored youth groups, assisted in blood drives, and provided countless
    services to fellow veterans and their families. When you hear the name
    VFW, you know a certain type of work is being done--honorable, decent,
    and faithful to the Nation's highest ideals.
        In war and in peace, America's veterans set an example of
    citizenship, and we honor your devotion to duty and to our country. All
    of America's veterans have placed the Nation's security before their own
    lives. Your sacrifice creates a debt that America can never really fully
    repay.
        Yet there are certain things the Government can do. My
    administration remains firmly committed to serving America's veterans.
    Since I took office, my administration, in working with the United
    States Congress, has increased spending for veterans by $24 billion, an
    increase of 53 percent. In my first 4 years as President, we increased
    spending for veterans more than twice as much as the previous
    administration did in 8 years.
        Health care is a top priority for our veterans, and it's a top
    priority for my administration. The past 4 years, we've increased the
    VA's medical care budget by 51 percent, and we're using those resources
    to make real improvements for our veterans. Over the past 4 years, we've
    increased total outpatient visits from 44 million to 55 million. We've
    increased the number of prescriptions filled from 98 million to 116
    million. Since January 2002, we've reduced the backlog of disability
    claims by 20 percent. Claims are now being processed 68 days faster. By
    the end of this year, we plan

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    to cut another 15 days on the average turnaround time.
        We place a special focus on treating men and women returning from
    combat and veterans with service disabilities and lower incomes and
    special needs. In the last 2 years, we've committed more than $1.5
    billion to modernizing and expanding VA facilities, so more veterans can
    get care closer to their homes. My administration is helping the
    veterans who fought and sacrificed for America get the quality care they
    deserve.
        We're also getting results for veterans beyond the health care
    system. For more than a century, Federal law prohibited disabled
    veterans from receiving both their military retired pay and their VA
    disability compensation. Combat-injured and severely disabled veterans
    deserve better, and I was honored to be the first President in more than
    100 years to sign concurrent receipt legislation.
        We've also expanded grants to help homeless veterans in all 50
    States and the District of Columbia. No veteran who served in the
    blazing heat or bitter cold of foreign lands should have to live without
    shelter in the very country whose freedom they fought for.
        You defended our flag in uniform; you continue to defend the flag
    today. I share the VFW's strong support for a constitutional amendment
    to protect the American flag. In June, the House of Representatives
    voted to ban flag desecration, and I urge the United States Senate to
    pass this important amendment this year.
        At this hour, a new generation of Americans is defending our flag
    and our freedom in the first war of the 21st century. The war came to
    our shores on the morning of September the 11th, 2001. Since then the
    terrorists have continued to strike in Bali, in Riyadh, in Istanbul, and
    Madrid and Baghdad and London and Sharm el-Sheikh and elsewhere. The
    enemy, the terrorists, are ruthless and brutal. They're fighting on
    behalf of a hateful ideology that despises everything America stands
    for.
        Our enemies have no regard for human life. They're trying to hijack
    a great religion to justify a dark vision that rejects freedom and
    tolerance and dissent. They have a strategy, and part of that strategy
    is, they're trying to shake our will. They kill the innocent. They kill
    women and children, knowing that the images of their brutality will
    horrify civilized peoples. Their goal is to drive nations into retreat
    so they can topple governments across the Middle East, establish
    Taliban-like regimes, and turn that region into a launching pad for more
    attacks against our people. In all their objectives, our enemies are
    trying to intimidate America and the free world. And in all their
    objectives, they will fail.
        Like the great struggles of the 20th century, the war on terror
    demands every element of our national power. Yet this is a different
    kind of war. Our enemies are not organized into battalions or commanded
    by governments. They hide in shadowy networks and retreat after they
    strike. After September the 11th, 2001, I made a pledge: America will
    not be--will not wait to be attacked again. We will go on the offense,
    and we will defend our freedom.
        We have a comprehensive strategy to win this war on terror. It
    includes three parts: protecting this homeland, taking the fight to the
    enemy, and advancing freedom. The first part of our strategy is to
    protect America. We're reforming our intelligence services to stay ahead
    of our enemies and to rout out terror cells before they strike. We're
    using our diplomatic and financial tools to cut off the terrorists'
    financing and to drain them of their support. We've more than tripled
    funding for homeland security since September the 11th, 2001. We've
    provided more than $14 billion to train and equip State and local first-
    responders. Many of our police officers and firefighters and first-
    responders are veterans, and America is grateful for their dedication to
    keeping this country safe.

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        One of the most important tools we have to protect America is called
    the USA PATRIOT Act. This good law permits our intelligence and law
    enforcement communities to share information. It gives our law
    enforcement officers many of the same tools to fight terror that they
    already use to fight drugs and street crime. The PATRIOT Act is fully
    consistent with the United States Constitution, and as a result of that
    act, we're getting results. Our law enforcement intelligence officers
    have used the PATRIOT Act to help break up terror cells and support
    networks in California and New York and Ohio and Illinois and Virginia
    and Florida and other States.
        Key provisions of the PATRIOT Act are scheduled to expire at the end
    of this year. Yet the terrorist threat to our country will not expire at
    the end of this year. When the House and Senate return from their
    recess, they need to send me a bill to renew the PATRIOT Act.
        All these steps to protect the homeland have made us safer, but
    we're not yet safe. Terrorists in foreign lands still hope to attack our
    country. They still hope to kill our citizens. The lesson of September
    the 11th, 2001, is that we must confront threats before they fully
    materialize.
        Vast oceans and friendly neighbors are not enough to protect us. A
    policy of retreat and isolation will not bring us safety. The only way
    to defend our citizens where we live is to go after the terrorists where
    they live.
        So the second part of our strategy is to take the fight to the
    terrorists abroad before they can attack us here at home. This is the
    most difficult and dangerous mission in the war on terror. And like
    generations before them, our soldiers and sailors and airmen and marines
    have stepped forward to accept the mission. They've damaged the Al Qaida
    network across the world, and we're going to keep the terrorists on the
    run. From Afghanistan to Iraq to the Horn of Africa, our men and women
    in uniform are bringing our enemies to justice and bringing justice to
    our enemies. Our goal is clear: To secure a more peaceful world for our
    children and grandchildren, we will accept nothing less than total
    victory over the terrorists and their hateful ideology.
        Iraq is a central front in the war on terror. It is a vital part of
    our mission. Terrorists like bin Laden and
    his ally Zarqawi are trying to turn
    Iraq into what Afghanistan was under the Taliban, a place where women
    are beaten, religious and ethnic minorities are executed, and terrorists
    have sanctuary to plot attacks against free people. Terrorists are
    trying to block the rise of democracy in Iraq, because they know a free
    Iraq will deal a decisive blow to their strategy to achieve absolute
    power. The Iraqi people lived for three decades under an absolute
    dictatorship, and they will not allow a new set of would-be tyrants to
    take control of their future.
        The response--the people of Iraq have made a clear choice for all to
    see. In spite of threats and assassinations, more than 8 million
    citizens defied the car bombers and killers and voted in free elections.
    In spite of violence, the Iraqi people are building a nation that
    secures freedom for its citizens and contributes to peace and stability
    in that region.
        Now Iraq's leaders are once again defying the terrorists and
    pessimists by completing work on a democratic constitution. The
    establishment of a democratic constitution will be a landmark event in
    the history of Iraq and the history of the Middle East. All of Iraq's
    main ethnic and religious groups are working together on this vital
    project. All made the courageous choice to join the political process,
    and together they will produce a constitution that reflects the values
    and traditions of the Iraqi people.
        Producing a constitution is a difficult process that involves debate
    and compromise. We know this from our own history. Our Constitutional
    Convention was home to political rivalries and regional disagreements.
    The Constitution our Founders

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    produced has been amended many times over. So Americans understand the
    challenges facing the framers of Iraq's new constitution. We admire
    their thoughtful deliberations. We salute their determination to lay the
    foundation for lasting democracy amid the ruins of a brutal
    dictatorship.
        As Iraqis continue to take control of their own future, we will help
    them take responsibility for their own security. The enemies of a free
    Iraq are determined. They are adapting their tactics so they can take
    more innocent life. American and Iraqi forces are adapting our tactics
    too. We're on the hunt, side by side with Iraqi troops. We're working to
    defeat the terrorists together. As we hunt down our common enemies, we
    will continue to train more Iraqi security forces so they can take on
    more responsibilities in fighting the terrorists. After all, it's their
    own country.
        Our military strategy is straightforward: As Iraqis stand up,
    Americans will stand down. And when Iraqi forces can defend their
    freedom by taking on more and more of the fight to the enemy, our troops
    will come home with the honor they have earned.
        In the long run, victory in the war on terror requires changing the
    conditions that give rise to violence and extremism. So the third part
    of our strategy in the war on terror is to spread the hope of freedom
    across the broader Middle East. Free societies are peaceful societies.
    By standing with those who stand for their liberty, we will lay the
    foundation of peace for our children and our grandchildren.
        As we work to spread freedom in the Middle East, we have cause for
    optimism. The rise of liberty in Iraq is part of a wider movement in the
    region. The tide of freedom ebbs and flows, but it is moving in a clear
    direction, and freedom's tide is rising in the broader Middle East.
        In Afghanistan, men and women have formed a free government after
    suffering one of the most brutal tyrannies on Earth. America is proud to
    call Afghanistan an ally in the war on terror. In Lebanon, people took
    to the streets to demand their sovereignty. They have now gone to the
    polls and voted in free elections. As freedom takes root in these
    countries, it is inspiring democratic reformers in places like Egypt and
    Saudi Arabia. Across the region, a new generation desires to be free,
    and they will have it. And the world will be more peaceful because of
    it.
        In the heart of the Middle East, a hopeful story is unfolding. After
    decades of shattered promises and stolen lives, peace is within reach in
    the Holy Land. The Palestinian people have expressed their desire for
    sovereignty and peace in free and fair elections. President Abbas has rejected violence and taken steps
    toward democratic reform. This past week, Prime Minister Sharon and the Israeli people took a courageous and painful
    step by beginning to remove settlements in Gaza and parts of the
    northern West Bank. The Israeli disengagement is an historic step that
    reflects the bold leadership of Prime Minister Sharon.
        Both Israelis and Palestinians have elected governments committed to
    peace and progress, and the way forward is clear. We're working for a
    return to the roadmap. We're helping the Palestinians to prepare for
    self-government and to defeat terrorists who attack Israel and
    terrorists who oppose the establishment of a peaceful Palestinian state.
    We're providing $50 million in direct assistance to the Palestinians for
    new housing and infrastructure projects in Gaza. We remain fully
    committed to defending the security and well-being of our friend and
    ally Israel, and we demand an end to terrorism and violence in every
    form, because we know that progress toward peace depends on an end to
    terror. We'll continue working for the day when the map of the Middle
    East shows two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by
    side in peace and security.
        As more nations replace tyranny with liberty and replace hatred with
    hope, America

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    will be more secure. Our Nation has accepted a mission, and we're moving
    forward with resolve. Spreading freedom is the work of generations, and
    no one knows it better than you. Freedom has contended with hateful
    ideologies before. We defeated fascism; we defeated communism; and we
    will defeat the hateful ideology of the terrorists who attacked America.
        Each of these struggles for freedom required great sacrifice. From
    the beaches of Normandy to the snows of Korea, courageous Americans gave
    their lives so others could live in freedom. Since the morning of
    September the 11th, we have known that the war on terror would require
    great sacrifice as well. We have lost 1,864 members of our Armed Forces
    in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and 223 in Operation Enduring Freedom. Each
    of these men and women left grieving families and loved ones back home.
    Each of these heroes left a legacy that will allow generations of their
    fellow Americans to enjoy the blessings of liberty. And each of these
    Americans has brought the hope of freedom to millions who have not known
    it. We owe them something. We will finish the task that they gave their
    lives for. We will honor their sacrifice by staying on the offensive
    against the terrorists and building strong allies in Afghanistan and
    Iraq that will help us win and fight--fight and win the war on terror.
        As veterans of foreign wars, you know that the rise of liberty is
    critical to our national security. You understand the power of freedom
    because you've witnessed it with your own eyes. In a single lifetime,
    many of you have seen liberty spread from Germany and Japan to Eastern
    Europe to Latin America to Southeast Asia and Africa and beyond. You've
    seen that democracies do not fight each other and that liberation leads
    to peace. With your courage and commitment to freedom, you have lifted
    lives of millions around the globe, and you made this country and our
    world more secure.
        The generation of men and women who defend our freedom today is
    taking its rightful place among the heroes of our Nation's history. Once
    again, America has found patriots who are selfless and tireless and
    unrelenting in the face of danger. Once again, the American people have
    been steadfast and determined not to lose our nerve. And once again, we
    have confidence in our cause, because we know that freedom is the future
    of every nation and that the side of freedom is the side of victory.
        I want to thank you for the example you have set for all who wear
    our Nation's uniform. I want to thank you for your bravery and your
    decency. May God bless this Nation's veterans, and may God continue to
    bless the United States of America.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:17 a.m. at the Salt Palace Convention
    Center. In his remarks, he referred to John Furgess, commander-in-
    chief, and James R. Mueller, senior vice commander-in-chief, Veterans of
    Foreign Wars; Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr., of Utah and his wife, Mary Kaye
    Huntsman; Lt. Gov. Gary R. Herbert of Utah and his wife, Jeanette
    Herbert; Gov. Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho; Usama bin Laden, leader of the
    Al Qaida terrorist organization; senior Al Qaida associate Abu Musab Al
    Zarqawi; President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) of the Palestinian
    Authority; and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel. The Office of the
    Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these
    remarks.

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