    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
    [November 30, 2005]
    [Pages 1782-1790]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the War on Terror in Annapolis, Maryland
    November 30, 2005

        Thank you. Please be seated. Please be seated. Thanks for the warm
    welcome. It's good to be back at the Naval Academy. I'm pleased to
    provide a convenient excuse for you to miss class.
        This is the first year that every class of Midshipmen at this
    Academy arrived after the attacks of September the 11th, 2001. Each of
    you has volunteered to wear our Nation's uniform in a time of war,
    knowing all the risks and dangers that accompany military service. Our
    citizens are grateful for your devotion of duty, and America is proud of
    the men and women at the U.S. Naval Academy.
        I thank Admiral Rempt for his invitation
    to come and give this speech. I appreciate Admiral Mike Mullen. I'm traveling today with a man who's done a fine
    job as the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld--Navy Aviator Don Rumsfeld. I'm proud that
    the Governor of the great State of Maryland, Bob Ehrlich, and his wife, Kendel, is with us. Thanks for being here, Governor.
        So appreciate that Members of the United States Congress have joined
    us, starting with the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee,
    Senator John Warner of the State of Virginia--
    former Secretary of the United States Navy, I might add. Chairman of the
    House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Congressman Pete
    Hoekstra, from the State of Arizona,
    Congressman John Shadegg, and from the State
    of Indiana, Congressman Mike Pence, I'm honored
    you all came. Thanks for being here.
        Appreciate the mayor of the city of Annapolis, Mayor Ellen
    Moyer, joining us. I want to thank all the
    State and local officials. I want to thank the faculty members here.
    Thank you all for letting me come by.
        Six months ago, I came here to address the graduating class of 2005.
    I spoke to them about the importance of their service in the first war
    of the 21st century, the global war on terror. I told the class of 2005
    that 4 years at this Academy had prepared them morally, mentally, and
    physically for the challenges ahead. And now they're meeting those
    challenges as officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps.
        Some of your former classmates are training with Navy SEAL teams
    that will storm terrorist safe houses in lightning raids. Others are
    preparing to lead Marine rifle platoons that will hunt the enemy in the
    mountains of Afghanistan and the streets of Iraqi cities. Others are
    training as naval aviators who will fly combat missions over the skies
    of Afghanistan and Iraq and elsewhere. Still others are training as
    sailors and submariners who will deliver the combat power of the United
    States to the farthest regions of the world and deliver compassionate
    assistance to those suffering from natural disasters. Whatever their
    chosen mission, every graduate of the class of 2005 is bringing honor to
    the uniform and helping us bring victory in the war on terror.
        In the years ahead, you'll join them in the fight. Your service is
    needed because our Nation is engaged in a war that is being fought on
    many fronts, from the streets of Western cities to the mountains of
    Afghanistan, the islands of Southeast Asia, and the Horn of Africa. This
    war is going to take many turns, and the enemy must be defeated on every
    battlefield. Yet the terrorists have made it clear that Iraq is the
    central front in their war against humanity, and so we must recognize
    Iraq as the central front in the war on terror.
        As we fight the enemy in Iraq, every man and woman who volunteers to
    defend

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    our Nation deserves an unwavering commitment to the mission and a clear
    strategy for victory. A clear strategy begins with a clear understanding
    of the enemy we face. The enemy in Iraq is a combination of
    rejectionists, Saddamists, and terrorists. The rejectionists are by far
    the largest group. These are ordinary Iraqis, mostly Sunni Arabs, who
    miss the privileged status they had under the regime of Saddam
    Hussein, and they reject an Iraq in which
    they're no longer the dominant group.
        Not all Sunnis fall into the rejectionist camp. Of those that do,
    most are not actively fighting us, but some give aid and comfort to the
    enemy. Many Sunnis boycotted the January elections, yet as democracy
    takes hold in Iraq, they are recognizing that opting out of the
    democratic process has hurt their interests. And today, those who
    advocate violent opposition are being increasingly isolated by Sunnis
    who choose peaceful participation in the democratic process. Sunnis
    voted in the recent constitutional referendum in large numbers, and
    Sunni coalitions have formed to compete in next month's elections--or
    this month's elections. We believe that over time, most rejectionists
    will be persuaded to support a democratic Iraq led by a Federal
    Government that is a strong enough Government to protect minority
    rights.
        The second group that makes up the enemy in Iraq is smaller but more
    determined. It contains former regime loyalists who held positions of
    power under Saddam Hussein, people who still
    harbor dreams of returning to power. These hardcore Saddamists are
    trying to foment antidemocratic sentiment amongst the larger Sunni
    community. They lack popular support and therefore cannot stop Iraq's
    democratic progress. And over time, they can be marginalized and
    defeated by the Iraqi people and the security forces of a free Iraq.
        The third group is the smallest but the most lethal, the terrorists
    affiliated with or inspired by Al Qaida. Many are foreigners who are
    coming to fight freedom's progress in Iraq. This group includes
    terrorists from Saudi Arabia and Syria and Iran and Egypt and Sudan and
    Yemen and Libya and other countries. Our commanders believe they're
    responsible for most of the suicide bombings and the beheadings and the
    other atrocities we see on our television.
        They're led by a brutal terrorist named Zarqawi, Al Qaida's chief of operations in Iraq, who has pledged
    his allegiance to Usama bin Laden. Their
    objective is to drive the United States and coalition forces out of
    Iraq, and to use the vacuum that would be created by an American retreat
    to gain control of the country. They would then use Iraq as a base from
    which to launch attacks against America and overthrow moderate
    governments in the Middle East and try to establish a totalitarian
    Islamic empire that reaches from Indonesia to Spain. That's their stated
    objective. That's what their leadership has said.
        These terrorists have nothing to offer the Iraqi people. All they
    have is the capacity and the willingness to kill the innocent and create
    chaos for the cameras. They are trying to shake our will to achieve
    their stated objectives. They will fail. America's will is strong, and
    they will fail because the power--because the will to power is no match
    for the universal desire to live in liberty.
        The terrorists in Iraq share the same ideology as the terrorists who
    struck the United States on September the 11th. Those terrorists share
    the same ideology with those who blew up commuters in London and Madrid,
    murdered tourists in Bali, workers in Riyadh, and guests at a wedding in
    Amman, Jordan. Just last week, they massacred Iraqi children and their
    parents at a toy giveaway outside an Iraqi hospital.
        This is an enemy without conscience, and they cannot be appeased. If
    we're not fighting and destroying this enemy in Iraq, they would not be
    idle. They would be plotting and killing Americans across the world and
    within our own borders. By fighting these terrorists in Iraq, Americans
    in uniform are

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    defeating a direct threat to the American people. Against this
    adversary, there is only one effective response: We will never back
    down; we will never give in; and we will never accept anything less than
    complete victory.
        To achieve victory over such enemies, we are pursuing a
    comprehensive strategy in Iraq. Americans should have a clear
    understanding of this strategy--how we look at the war, how we see the
    enemy, how we define victory, and what we're doing to achieve it. So
    today we're releasing a document called the ``National Strategy for
    Victory in Iraq.'' This is an unclassified version of the strategy we've
    been pursuing in Iraq, and it is posted on the White House web site,
    whitehouse.gov. I urge all Americans to read it.
        Our strategy in Iraq has three elements. On the political side, we
    know that free societies are peaceful societies, so we're helping the
    Iraqis build a free society with inclusive democratic institutions that
    will protect the interests of all Iraqis. We're working with the Iraqis
    to help them engage those who can be persuaded to join the new Iraq and
    to marginalize those who never will. On the security side, coalition and
    Iraqi security forces are on the offensive against the enemy, cleaning
    out areas controlled by the terrorists and Saddam loyalists, leaving
    Iraqi forces to hold territory taken from the enemy, and following up
    with targeted reconstruction to help Iraqis rebuild their lives.
        As we fight the terrorists, we're working to build capable and
    effective Iraqi security forces so they can take the lead in the fight
    and eventually take responsibility for the safety and security of their
    citizens without major foreign assistance.
        And on the economic side, we're helping the Iraqis rebuild their
    infrastructure, reform their economy, and build the prosperity that will
    give all Iraqis a stake in a free and peaceful Iraq. In doing all this,
    we've involved the United Nations, other international organizations,
    our coalition partners, and supportive regional states in helping Iraqis
    build their future.
        In the days ahead, I'll be discussing the various pillars of our
    strategy in Iraq. Today I want to speak in depth about one aspect of
    this strategy that will be critical to the victory in Iraq, and that's
    the training of Iraqi security forces. To defeat the terrorists and
    marginalize the Saddamists and rejectionists, Iraqis need strong
    military and police forces. Iraqi troops bring knowledge and
    capabilities to the fight that coalition forces cannot.
        Iraqis know their people. They know their language, and they know
    their culture, and they know who the terrorists are. Iraqi forces are
    earning the trust of their countrymen, who are willing to help them in
    the fight against the enemy. As the Iraqi forces grow in number, they're
    helping to keep a better hold on the cities taken from the enemy. And as
    the Iraqi forces grow more capable, they are increasingly taking the
    lead in the fight against the terrorists. Our goal is to train enough
    Iraqi forces so they can carry the fight, and this will take time and
    patience. And it's worth the time, and it's worth the effort because
    Iraqis and Americans share a common enemy, and when that enemy is
    defeated in Iraq, Americans will be safer here at home.
        The training of the Iraqi security forces is an enormous task, and
    it always hasn't gone smoothly. We all remember the reports of some
    Iraqi security forces running from the fight more than a year ago. Yet
    in the past year, Iraqi forces have made real progress.
        At this time last year, there were only a handful of Iraqi
    battalions ready for combat. Now there are over 120 Iraqi army and
    police combat battalions in the fight against the terrorists, typically
    comprised of between 350 and 800 Iraqi forces. Of these, about 80 Iraqi
    battalions are fighting side by side with coalition forces, and about 40
    others are taking the lead in the fight. Most of these 40 battalions are
    controlling their

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    own battle space and conducting their own operations against the
    terrorists with some coalition support, and they're helping to turn the
    tide of this struggle in freedom's favor. America and our troops are
    proud to stand side by side with these brave Iraqi fighters.
        The progress of the Iraqi forces is especially clear when the recent
    antiterrorist operations in Tall `Afar are compared with last year's
    assault in Fallujah. In Fallujah, the assault was led by nine coalition
    battalions made up primarily of United States Marines and Army, with six
    Iraqi battalions supporting them. The Iraqis fought and sustained
    casualties. Yet in most situations, the Iraqi role was limited to
    protecting the flanks of coalition forces and securing ground that had
    already been cleared out by our troops. This year in Tall `Afar, it was
    a very different story.
        The assault was primarily led by Iraqi security forces, 11 Iraqi
    battalions, backed by 5 coalition battalions providing support. Many
    Iraqi units conducted their own antiterrorist operations and controlled
    their own battle space, hunting for enemy fighters and securing
    neighborhoods block by block. To consolidate their military success,
    Iraqi units stayed behind to help maintain law and order, and
    reconstruction projects have been started to improve infrastructure and
    create jobs and provide hope.
        One of the Iraqi soldiers who fought in Tall `Afar was a private
    named Tarek Hazem. This brave Iraqi fighter
    says, quote, ``We're not afraid. We're here to protect our country. All
    we feel is motivated to kill the terrorists,'' end quote. Iraqi forces
    not only cleared the city; they held it. And because of the skill and
    courage of the Iraqi forces, the citizens of Tall `Afar were able to
    vote in October's constitutional referendum.
        As Iraqi forces increasingly take the lead in the fight against the
    terrorists, they're also taking control of more and more Iraqi
    territory. At this moment, over 30 Iraqi army battalions have assumed
    primary control of their own areas of responsibility. In Baghdad, Iraqi
    battalions have taken over major sectors of the capital, including some
    of the city's toughest neighborhoods. Last year, the area around
    Baghdad's Haifa Street was so thick with terrorists that it earned the
    nickname ``Purple Heart Boulevard.'' Then Iraqi forces took
    responsibility for this dangerous neighborhood, and attacks are now
    down.
        Our coalition has handed over roughly 90 square miles of Baghdad
    Province to Iraqi security forces. Iraqi battalions have taken over
    responsibility for areas in south-central Iraq, sectors of southeast
    Iraq, sectors of western Iraq, and sectors of north-central Iraq. As
    Iraqi forces take responsibility for more of their own territory,
    coalition forces can concentrate on training Iraqis and hunting down
    high-value targets, like the terrorist Zarqawi and his associates.
        We're also transferring forward operating bases to Iraqi control.
    Over a dozen bases in Iraq have been handed over to the Iraqi
    Government, including Saddam Hussein's former
    palace in Tikrit, which has served as the coalition headquarters in one
    of Iraq's most dangerous regions. From many of these bases, the Iraqi
    security forces are planning and executing operations against the
    terrorists and bringing security and pride to the Iraqi people.
        Progress by the Iraqi security forces has come, in part, because we
    learned from our earlier experiences and made changes in the way we help
    train Iraqi troops. When our coalition first arrived, we began the
    process of creating an Iraqi army to defend the country from external
    threats and an Iraqi civil defense corps to help provide the security
    within Iraq's borders. The civil defense forces did not have sufficient
    firepower or training. They proved to be no match for an enemy armed
    with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, and mortars, so the
    approach was adjusted. Working with Iraq's leaders, we moved the civil
    defense forces into the Iraqi army. We changed the way they're trained
    and

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    equipped, and we focused the army's mission on defeating those fighting
    against a free Iraq, whether internal or external.
        Now, all Iraqi army recruits receive about the same length of basic
    training as new recruits in the U.S. Army, a 5-week core course,
    followed by an additional 3 to 7 weeks of specialized training. With
    coalition help, Iraqis have established schools for the Iraqi military
    services, an Iraqi military academy, a noncommissioned officer academy,
    a military police school, a bomb disposal school, and NATO has
    established an Iraqi Joint Staff College. There's also an increased
    focus on leadership training, with professional development courses for
    Iraqi squad leaders and platoon sergeants and warrant officers and
    sergeants major. A new generation of Iraqi officers is being trained,
    leaders who will lead their forces with skill so they can defeat the
    terrorists and secure their own freedom.
        Similar changes have taken place in the training of the Iraqi
    police. When our coalition first arrived, Iraqi police recruits spent
    too much time of their training in classroom lectures, and they received
    limited training in the use of small arms. This did not adequately
    prepare them for the fight they would face. And so we changed the way
    the Iraqi police are trained. Now, police recruits spend more of their
    time outside the classroom with intensive hands-on training in
    antiterrorism operations and real-world survival skills.
        Iraq has now six basic police academies and one in Jordan that
    together produce over 3,500 new police officers every 10 weeks. The
    Baghdad police academy has simulation models where Iraqis train to stop
    IED attacks and operate roadblocks. And because Iraqi police are not
    just facing common criminals, they are getting live-fire training with
    AK-47s.
        As more and more skilled Iraqi security forces have come on line,
    there's been another important change in the way new Iraqi recruits are
    trained. When the training effort began, nearly all the trainers came
    from coalition countries. Today, the vast majority of Iraqi police and
    army recruits are being taught by Iraqi instructors. By training the
    trainers, we're helping Iraqis create an institutional capability that
    will allow the Iraqi forces to continue to develop and grow, long after
    coalition forces have left Iraq.
        As the training has improved, so has the quality of the recruits
    being trained. Even though the terrorists are targeting Iraqi police and
    army recruits, there is no shortage of Iraqis who are willing to risk
    their lives to secure the future of a free Iraq.
        The efforts to include more Sunnis in the future of Iraq were given
    a significant boost earlier this year. More than 60 influential Sunni
    clerics issued a fatwa calling on young Sunnis to join the Iraqi
    security forces, quote, ``for the sake of preserving the souls,
    property, and honor'' of the Iraqi people. These religious leaders are
    helping to make the Iraqi security forces a truly national institution,
    one that is able to serve, protect, and defend all the Iraqi people.
        Some critics dismiss this progress and point to the fact that only
    one Iraqi battalion has achieved complete independence from the
    coalition. To achieve complete independence, an Iraqi battalion must do
    more than fight the enemy on its own; it must also have the ability to
    provide its own support elements, including logistics, airlift,
    intelligence, and command and control through their ministries.
        Not every Iraqi unit has to meet this level of capability in order
    for the Iraqi security forces to take the lead in the fight against the
    enemy. As a matter of fact, there are some battalions from NATO
    militaries that would not be able to meet this standard. The facts are
    that Iraqi units are growing more independent and more capable. They are
    defending their new democracy with courage and determination. They're in
    the fight today, and they will be in the fight for freedom tomorrow.

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        We're also helping Iraqis build the institutions they need to
    support their own forces. For example, a national depot has been
    established north of Baghdad that is responsible for supplying the
    logistical needs of the ten divisions of the Iraqi army. Regional
    support units and base support units have been created across the
    country with the mission of supplying their own war fighters. Iraqis now
    have a small air force, that recently conducted its first combat airlift
    operations, bringing Iraqi troops to the front in Tall `Afar. The new
    Iraqi navy is now helping to protect the vital ports of Basra and Umm
    Qasr. An Iraqi military intelligence school has been established to
    produce skilled Iraqi intelligence analysts and collectors. By taking
    all these steps, we're helping the Iraqi security forces become self-
    supporting so they can take the fight to the enemy and so they can
    sustain themselves in the fight.
        Over the past 2\1/2\ years, we've faced some setbacks in standing up
    a capable Iraqi security force, and their performance is still uneven in
    some areas. Yet many of those forces have made real gains over the past
    year, and Iraqi soldiers take pride in their progress. An Iraqi first
    lieutenant named Shoqutt describes the
    transformation of his unit this way: ``I really think we've turned the
    corner here. At first, the whole country didn't take us seriously. Now
    things are different. Our guys are hungry to demonstrate their skill and
    to show the world.''
        Our troops in Iraq see the gains that Iraqis are making. Lieutenant
    Colonel Todd Wood of Richmond Hill, Georgia, is
    training Iraqi forces in Saddam Hussein's
    hometown of Tikrit. He says this about Iraqi units he's working with:
    ``They're pretty much ready to go it on their own. What they're doing
    now would have been impossible a year ago. These guys are patriots,
    willing to go out knowing the insurgents would like nothing better than
    to kill them and their families. They're getting better, and they'll
    keep getting better.''
        Our commanders on the ground see the gains the Iraqis are making.
    General Marty Dempsey is the commander of
    the Multinational Security Transition Command. Here's what he says about
    the transformation of the Iraqi security forces: ``It's beyond
    description. They are far better equipped, far better trained'' than
    they once were. The Iraqis, General Dempsey says, are ``increasingly in
    control of their future and their own security--the Iraqi security
    forces are regaining control of the country.''
        As the Iraqi security forces stand up, their confidence is growing,
    and they're taking on tougher and more important missions on their own.
    As the Iraqi security forces stand up, the confidence of the Iraqi
    people is growing, and Iraqis are providing the vital intelligence
    needed to track down the terrorists. And as the Iraqi security forces
    stand up, coalition forces can stand down, and when our mission of
    defeating the terrorists in Iraq is complete, our troops will return
    home to a proud nation.
        This is a goal our Iraqi allies share. An Iraqi army sergeant named
    Abbass Abdul Jabar puts it this way: ``We
    have to help the coalition forces as much as we can to give them a
    chance to go home. These guys have been helping us. Now we have to
    protect our own families.'' America will help the Iraqis so they can
    protect their families and secure their free nation. We will stay as
    long as necessary to complete the mission. If our military leaders tell
    me we need more troops, I will send them.
        For example, we've increased our force levels in Iraq to 160,000, up
    from 137,000, in preparation for the December elections. My commanders
    tell me that as Iraqi forces become more capable, the mission of our
    forces in Iraq will continue to change. We will continue to shift from
    providing security and conducting operations against the enemy
    nationwide to conducting more specialized operations targeted at the
    most dangerous terrorists. We will increasingly move out of Iraqi
    cities, reduce the number

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    of bases from which we operate, and conduct fewer patrols and convoys.
        As the Iraqi forces gain experience and the political process
    advances, we will be able to decrease our troop levels in Iraq without
    losing our capability to defeat the terrorists. These decisions about
    troop levels will be driven by the conditions on the ground in Iraq and
    the good judgment of our commanders, not by artificial timetables set by
    politicians in Washington.
        Some are calling for a deadline for withdrawal. Many advocating an
    artificial timetable for withdrawing our troops are sincere, but I
    believe they're sincerely wrong. Pulling our troops out before they've
    achieved their purpose is not a plan for victory. As Democratic Senator
    Joe Lieberman said recently, setting an
    artificial timetable would ``discourage our troops because it seems to
    be heading for the door. It will encourage the terrorists. It will
    confuse the Iraqi people.''
        Senator Lieberman is right. Setting
    an artificial deadline to withdraw would send a message across the world
    that America is weak and an unreliable ally. Setting an artificial
    deadline to withdraw would send a signal to our enemies that if they
    wait long enough, America will cut and run and abandon its friends. And
    setting an artificial deadline to withdraw would vindicate the
    terrorists' tactics of beheadings and suicide bombings and mass murder
    and invite new attacks on America. To all who wear the uniform, I make
    you this pledge: America will not run in the face of car bombers and
    assassins so long as I am your Commander in Chief.
        As we train Iraqis to take more responsibility in the battle with
    the terrorists, we're also helping them build a democracy that is worthy
    of their sacrifice. And in just over 2\1/2\ years, the Iraqi people have
    made incredible progress on the road to lasting freedom. Iraqis have
    gone from living under the boot of a brutal tyrant to liberation, free
    elections, and a democratic constitution. And in 15 days, they will go
    to the polls to elect a fully constitutional government that will lead
    them for the next 4 years.
        With each ballot cast, the Iraqi people have sent a clear message to
    the terrorists: Iraqis will not be intimidated. The Iraqi people will
    determine the destiny of their country. The future of Iraq belongs to
    freedom. Despite the costs, the pain, and the danger, Iraqis are showing
    courage and are moving forward to build a free society and a lasting
    democracy in the heart of the Middle East, and the United States of
    America will help them succeed.
        Some critics continue to assert that we have no plan in Iraq except
    to, quote, ``stay the course.'' If by ``stay the course,'' they mean we
    will not allow the terrorists to break our will, they're right. If by
    ``stay the course,'' they mean we will not permit Al Qaida to turn Iraq
    into what Afghanistan was under the Taliban, a safe haven for terrorism
    and a launching pad for attacks on America, they're right as well. If by
    ``stay the course'' they mean that we're not learning from our
    experiences or adjusting our tactics to meet the challenges on the
    ground, then they're flat wrong. As our top commander in Iraq, General
    Casey, has said, ``Our commanders on
    the ground are continuously adapting and adjusting, not only to what the
    enemy does but also to try to out-think the enemy and get ahead of
    him.'' Our strategy in Iraq is clear; our tactics are flexible and
    dynamic. We have changed them as conditions required, and they are
    bringing us victory against a brutal enemy.
        Victory in Iraq will demand the continued determination and resolve
    of the American people. It will also demand the strength and personal
    courage of the men and women who wear our Nation's uniform. And as the
    future officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps, you're
    preparing to join this fight. You do so at a time when there is a
    vigorous debate about the war in Iraq. I know that for our men and women
    in uniform, this

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    debate can be unsettling. When you're risking your life to accomplish a
    mission, the last thing you want to hear is that mission being
    questioned in our Nation's Capital. I want you to know that while there
    may be a lot of heated rhetoric in Washington, DC, one thing is not in
    dispute: The American people stand behind you.
        And we should not fear the debate in Washington. It's one of the
    great strengths of our democracy that we can discuss our differences
    openly and honestly, even at times of war. Your service makes that
    freedom possible. And today, because of the men and women in our
    military, people are expressing their opinions freely in the streets of
    Baghdad as well.
        Most Americans want two things in Iraq: They want to see our troops
    win, and they want to see our troops come home as soon as possible. And
    those are my goals as well. I will settle for nothing less than complete
    victory. In World War II, victory came when the Empire of Japan
    surrendered on the deck of the USS Missouri. In Iraq, there will not be
    a signing ceremony on the deck of a battleship. Victory will come when
    the terrorists and Saddamists can no longer threaten Iraq's democracy,
    when the Iraqi security forces can provide for the safety of their own
    citizens, and when Iraq is not a safe haven for terrorists to plot new
    attacks on our Nation.
        As we make progress toward victory, Iraqis will take more
    responsibility for their security, and fewer U.S. forces will be needed
    to complete the mission. America will not abandon Iraq. We will not turn
    that country over to the terrorists and put the American people at risk.
    Iraq will be a free nation and a strong ally in the Middle East, and
    this will add to the security of the American people.
        In the short run, we're going to bring justice to our enemies. In
    the long run, the best way to ensure the security of our own citizens is
    to spread the hope of freedom across the broader Middle East. We've seen
    freedom conquer evil and secure the peace before. In World War II, free
    nations came together to fight the ideology of fascism, and freedom
    prevailed. And today, Germany and Japan are democracies, and they are
    allies in securing the peace. In the cold war, freedom defeated the
    ideology of communism and led to a democratic movement that freed the
    nations of Eastern and Central Europe from Soviet domination, and today,
    these nations are allies in the war on terror.
        Today in the Middle East, freedom is once again contending with an
    ideology that seeks to sow anger and hatred and despair. And like
    fascism and communism before, the hateful ideologies that use terror
    will be defeated by the unstoppable power of freedom. And as democracy
    spreads in the Middle East, these countries will become allies in the
    cause of peace.
        Advancing the cause of freedom and democracy in the Middle East
    begins with ensuring the success of a free Iraq. Freedom's victory in
    that country will inspire democratic reformers from Damascus to Tehran
    and spread hope across a troubled region and lift a terrible threat from
    the lives of our citizens. By strengthening Iraqi democracy, we will
    gain a partner in the cause of peace and moderation in the Muslim world
    and an ally in the worldwide struggle against the terrorists.
        Advancing the ideal of democracy and self-government is the mission
    that created our Nation, and now it is the calling of a new generation
    of Americans. We will meet the challenge of our time. We will answer
    history's call with confidence because we know that freedom is the
    destiny of every man, woman, and child on this Earth.
        Before our mission in Iraq is accomplished, there will be tough days
    ahead. A time of war is a time of sacrifice, and we've lost some very
    fine men and women in this war on terror. Many of you know comrades and
    classmates who left our shores to defend freedom and who did not live to
    make the journey home. We pray

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    for the military families who mourn the loss of loved ones. We hold them
    in our hearts, and we honor their memory of every fallen soldier,
    sailor, airman, coastguardsman, and marine.
        One of those fallen heroes is a marine corporal named Jeff Starr,
    who was killed fighting the terrorists in Ramadi earlier this year.
    After he died, a letter was found on his laptop computer. Here's what he
    wrote, he said, ``If you're reading this, then I've died in Iraq. I
    don't regret going. Everybody dies, but few get to do it for something
    as important as freedom. It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq. It's
    not to me. I'm here helping these people, so they can live the way we
    live, not to have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators. Others
    have died for my freedom, now this is my mark.''
        There is only one way to honor the sacrifice of Corporal Starr and
    his fallen comrades, and that is to take up their mantle, carry on the
    fight, and complete their mission.
        We will take the fight to the terrorists. We will help the Iraqi
    people lay the foundations of a strong democracy that can govern itself,
    sustain itself, and defend itself. And by laying the foundations of
    freedom in Iraq, we will lay the foundation of peace for generations to
    come.
        You all are the ones who will help accomplish all this. Our freedom
    and our way of life are in your hands, and they're in the best of hands.
    I want to thank you for your service to the cause of freedom. I want to
    thank you for wearing the uniform. May God bless you all, and may God
    continue to bless the United States of America.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:45 a.m. in Alumni Hall at the U.S. Naval
    Academy. In his remarks, he referred to Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt, USN,
    superintendent, U.S. Naval Academy; Adm. Michael G. Mullen, USN, Chief
    of Naval Operations; former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; senior Al
    Qaida associate Abu Musab Al Zarqawi; Usama bin Laden, leader of the Al
    Qaida terrorist organization; Lt. Col. Todd Wood, USA, commander, 2d
    Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, Task Force Liberty; and Gen. George W.
    Casey, Jr., USA, commanding general, Multi-National Force--Iraq. The
    Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language
    transcript of these remarks.