[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
[August 24, 2005]
[Pages 1345-1352]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks on the War on Terror in Nampa, Idaho
August 24, 2005
Thank you all. Thank you all very much. Thanks for the warm welcome.
Glad I finally got here. You got a beautiful State full of really decent
people. And Laura and I are thrilled to be here.
I'm particularly thrilled to be with the courageous men and women who
wear our Nation's uniform. I'm honored to stand with the brave men and
women of the Idaho National Guard.
I don't know if you know this or not, but 19 individuals have served
both as guardsmen and as President of the United States, and I'm proud
to have been one. In times of crisis, our Nation depends on the courage
and determination of the Guard. You know that the call to active duty
can come at anytime. You stand ready to put your lives on hold and
answer that call, and you do so because you love your State and your
country. America appreciates your courageous decision to serve, and we
appreciate your families and employers who support you in your vital
work. Together with your comrades in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and
Marine Reserves, you're showing that patriotism and public service are
alive and well in Idaho and throughout the United States of America.
[Applause] Thank you all.
I'm also proud to be here with the Gunfighters of Mountain Home Air
Force Base. After our Nation was attacked on September the 11th, 2001,
air crews from the 366th Wing flew more than 1,000 combat missions over
the skies of Afghanistan. In the war on terror, you're bringing justice
to our enemies and honor to the uniform, and our country is grateful to
your service.
You can see, coming in here, I'm keeping pretty good company.
[Laughter] I'm proud to be traveling today with a great wife, wonderful
mother, Laura Bush. She said, ``When you get in
there, keep your speech short.'' [Laughter] I said, ``I hadn't been to
Idaho yet as President, how can I keep my speech short?'' Anyway, I'm
listening to her. [Laughter]
I'm proud to be here with your Governor, Dirk
Kempthorne, and his wife,
Patricia. He's a really fine man and a
great Governor for Idaho.
Last night we spent the night in Tamarack. I want to thank the good
folks of Tamarack for their wonderful hospitality, and thanks for
putting up with us and the entourage. [Laughter] But we invited the
congressional delegation from your great State to join us for dinner,
and so we were honored to have the likes of Senator Larry Craig and Suzanne join us for
dinner. Senator Mike Crapo, Congressman
Butch Otter, and Congressman Mike
Simpson and his wife, Kathy, are with us today. Thank you, Mike.
I found it particularly interesting that Larry Craig's mom, Dorothy, is with us, and
Butch Otter's mom, Regina, is with us. I guess it's ``mothers bring their boys to
work day.'' [Laughter]
I want to thank all the members of the statehouse who are here. I
appreciate you being here. Thanks for serving your State. I want to
thank Mayor Tom Dale of
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Nampa. I appreciate you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, thanks. He didn't ask for
any advice, but I'll give you some anyway--fill the potholes. [Laughter]
I want to thank Mayor David Bieter of the
city of Boise for joining us. Mr. Mayor, thank you. Thanks for your
hospitality. Appreciate you being here.
I want to thank Generals Blum,
Lafrenz, Sayler for their service to our country. Thanks for greeting me
when I came in today. I'm proud of your service. Colonel Charlie
Shugg, commander of the 366th, is with us.
Colonel, thank you for being here.
But most of all, thank you all for coming. I appreciate you taking
time out of your Wednesday morning to say hello.
Our Nation is engaged in a global war on terror that affects the
safety and security of every American. In Iraq, Afghanistan, and across
the world, we face dangerous enemies who want to harm our people, folks
who want to destroy our way of life. And throughout our Nation's
history, whenever freedom has been threatened, America has turned to the
National Guard. From the War of Independence to today's war on terror,
the Guard has defended this country with courage and determination. I'm
proud to be the Commander in Chief, and I respect and honor all those
who serve in the United States Armed Forces Active Guard and Reserve.
The role of the Guard in our military is unique. You're the only
part of the Armed Forces that serves both your State and your country.
Here in Idaho, there's 4,300 soldiers and airmen of the Guard who are
meeting their State and Federal responsibilities with distinction and
with courage. The Idaho Guard has been called up to provide disaster
relief eight times in the past decade. You've helped your fellow
citizens through fires and floods and snow emergencies. The people of
this State take comfort knowing you're on call. And when tragedy
strikes, they know they can count on the men and women of the Guard. And
as you protect your neighbors from national disasters--natural
disasters, you're also helping to protect all Americans from terrorist
threats.
A special WMD response team in the Idaho Guard is based in Gowen
Field. These good folks are ready to mobilize within hours, in the case
of a terrorist attack. You're not only protecting the American homeland,
you're also taking the fight to the enemy.
Since September the 11th, 2001, more than 243,000 members of the
National Guard have been mobilized for various missions in the war on
terror. Idaho now has a higher percentage of its Guard forces mobilized
than any other State. At this moment, more than 1,700 soldiers of the
Idaho Guard are serving in Iraq. It's the largest Guard mobilization in
the history of Idaho. Laura and I are here to
thank you for your service and your courage in defending the United
States of America.
A time of war is a time of sacrifice, and a heavy burden falls on
our military families. They miss you, and they worry about you. By
standing behind you, you're standing up for America--the families are
standing for America. And America appreciates the service and the
sacrifice of the military families.
There are few things in life more difficult than seeing a loved one
go off to war. And here in Idaho, a mom named Tammy Pruett--[applause]--I think she's here--[laughter]--
knows that feeling six times over. Tammy has
four sons
serving in Iraq right now with the Idaho
National Guard--Eric, Evan, Greg, and Jeff. Last year, her husband,
Leon, and another son, Eren, returned from Iraq, where they helped train Iraqi
firefighters in Mosul. Tammy says this--and I want you to hear this--``I
know that if something happens to one of the boys, they would leave this
world doing what they believe, what they think is right for our country.
And I guess you couldn't ask for a better way of life than giving
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it for something that you believe in.'' America lives in freedom because
of families like the Pruetts.
Our Nation depends on our Guard families, and we depend on the
understanding and support of the employers of our Guard men and women.
Your service would not be possible without the employers--without the
help of the employers. In offices and schools and factories across
Idaho, your colleagues do without your talents so that you can serve our
Nation. Businesses are putting patriotism ahead of profit because they
know that our prosperity and way of life depend on the freedom you
defend. Guard employers are serving this Nation, and they have the
gratitude of all Americans.
In this time of callups and alerts and mobilizations and
deployments, your employers are standing behind you, and so is your
Government. The country owes you something in return for your sacrifice.
We've taken a number of steps to improve the callup process so it's more
respectful of you and your families. In most cases, we're now giving you
at least 30 days' notification before you mobilize so that you and your
families have time to make arrangements.
We're working to give you as much certainty as possible about the
length of your mobilization, so you can know when you're able to resume
civilian life. We're working to minimize the number of extensions and
repeat mobilizations. We're working to ensure that you and your families
are treated with the dignity you deserve.
We're also taking steps to improve the quality of life. We've
expanded health care benefits for Guard and Reserve forces and their
families, giving you access to the military's TRICARE system for up to
90 days before you report and 180 days after deactivation.
We're also expanding access to education for those who serve as
citizen soldiers. Last year, I was proud to sign legislation providing
our Guard and Reserve forces between 40 to 80 percent of the education
benefit available to active duty forces, depending on the length of
their mobilization in the war on terror.
We've also tripled the amount that can be paid for re-enlisting in
the Guard and Reserve. I've asked Congress to authorize a new retention
bonus for guardsmen and reservists with critical skills. What I'm
telling you is this: We understand that as the Guardsmen and Reservists
stand up for America, this administration and the Government of the
United States will stand with the Guard and Reserves people.
Your service is needed in these dangerous times. We remain a nation
at war. The war reached our shores on September the 11th, 2001, when
terrorists murdered nearly 3,000 of our citizens. And since then,
they've continued to kill in Madrid, in Istanbul, in Jakarta,
Casablanca, Riyadh, Bali, Baghdad, London, Sharm el-Sheikh, and
elsewhere. Our enemies murder because they despise our freedom and our
way of life. We believe in human rights and the human dignity of every
man, woman, and child on this Earth. The terrorists believe that all
human life is expendable. They share a hateful ideology that rejects
tolerance and crushes all dissent. They envision a world where women are
beaten, children are indoctrinated, and all who reject our [their]*
ideology of violence and extremism are murdered.
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*White House correction.
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During the last few decades, the terrorists grew to believe that if
they hit America hard, as in Lebanon and Somalia, America would retreat
and back down. Before September the 11th, Usama bin Laden said that an attack could make America run in less than
24 hours. So now they're trying to break our will with acts of violence.
They'll kill women and children, knowing that the images of their
brutality will horrify civilized people. Their goal is to force us to
retreat. See, they have a strategy. They want us to retreat so they can
topple
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governments in the Middle East and turn that region into a safe haven
for terrorism.
We saw the terrible harm the terrorists did when they took effective
control of the failed state of Afghanistan. After all, it was there that
they trained and plotted and planned the attack that killed thousands of
our citizens. We will not allow the terrorists to establish new places
of refuge in failed states from which they can recruit and train and
plan new attacks on our citizens.
On September the 11th, 2001, we saw the future that the terrorists
intend for our country and the lengths they're willing to go to achieve
their aims. We faced a clear choice. We could hunker down, retreating
behind a false sense of security; or we could bring the war to the
terrorists, striking them before they could kill more of our people.
I made a decision: America will not wait to be attacked again. Our
doctrine is clear: We will confront emerging threats before they fully
materialize, and if you harbor a terrorist, you're just as guilty as the
terrorist.
We will stay on the offense. We'll complete our work in Afghanistan
and Iraq. An immediate withdrawal of our troops in Iraq or the broader
Middle East, as some have called for, would only embolden the terrorists
and create a staging ground to launch more attacks against America and
free nations. So long as I'm the President, we will stay; we will fight;
and we will win the war on terror. [Applause] Thank you all.
Since September the 11th, we've followed a clear strategy to defeat
the terrorists and protect our people. First, we are defending the
homeland. We've strengthened our intelligence capabilities. We've
trained more than 800,000 first-responders. We have taken critical steps
to protect our cities and borders and infrastructure. We have taken the
fight to the enemy in our midst. We've disrupted terrorist cells and
financing networks in California and Oregon and Illinois and New Jersey
and Virginia and other States.
This is a different kind of war. Today's enemies do not mass armies
on borders or navies on high seas. They blend in with the civilian
population. They emerge to strike, and then they retreat back into the
shadows. And that's why there are thousands of our fellow citizens
running down every single piece of intelligence we can find, doing
everything we can to disrupt folks that might be here in America trying
to hurt you.
The second part of our strategy is this--and it's based upon this
fact: In an open society like ours--and we will keep it open, and we
will keep it free--it is impossible to protect against every threat.
That's a fact we have to deal with. In a free society, it is impossible
to protect against every possible threat. And so the only way to defend
our citizens where we live is to go after the terrorists where they
live.
When the terrorists spend their days and nights struggling to avoid
death or capture, they are less capable of arming and training and
plotting new attacks on America and the rest of the civilized world. So
we're after the enemy across the globe. And we're determined, and we're
relentless, and we will stay on the hunt until the terrorists have
nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
And the third part of our strategy is this: We're spreading the hope
of freedom across the broader Middle East. In the long run, the only way
to defeat the terrorists is by offering an alternative to their ideology
of hatred and fear. So a key component of our strategy is to spread
freedom. History has proven that free nations are peaceful nations, that
democracies do not fight their neighbors. And so, by advancing the cause
of liberty and freedom in the Middle East, we're bringing hope to
millions and security to our own citizens. By bringing freedom and hope
to parts of the world that have lived in despair, we're laying the
foundation of peace for our children and grandchildren.
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We're using all elements of our national power to achieve our
objectives: military power, diplomatic power, financial, intelligence,
and law enforcement. We're fighting the enemy on many fronts, from the
streets of the Western capitals to the mountains of Afghanistan, to the
tribal regions of Pakistan, to the islands of Southeast Asia and the
Horn of Africa. You see, this new kind of war, the first war of the 21st
century, is a war on a global scale. And to protect our people, we've
got to prevail in every theater. And that's why it's important for us to
call upon allies and friends to join with us, and they are.
One of the most important battlefronts in this war on terror is
Iraq. Terrorists have converged on Iraq. See, they're coming into Iraq
because they fear the march of freedom. Their most prominent leader is a
Jordanian named Zarqawi, who has
declared his allegiance with Usama bin Laden. The ranks of these folks are filled with foreign
fighters who come from places like Saudi Arabia and Syria and Iran and
Egypt and Sudan and Yemen and Libya. They lack popular support so
they're targeting innocent Iraqis with car bombs and suicide attacks.
They know the only way they can prevail is to break our will and the
will of the Iraqi people before democracy takes hold. They are going to
fail.
The stakes in Iraq could not be higher. The brutal violence in Iraq
today is a clear sign of the terrorists' determination to stop democracy
from taking root in the Middle East. They know that the success of a
free Iraq, who can be a key ally in the war on terror and a symbol of
success for others, will be a crushing blow to their strategy to
dominate the region and threaten America and the free world. They know
that when their hateful ideology is defeated in Iraq, the Middle East
will have a clear example of freedom and prosperity and hope. And the
terrorists will begin to lose their sponsors and lose their recruits and
lose the sanctuaries they need to plan new attacks.
And so they're fighting these efforts in Iraq with all the brutality
they can muster. Yet, despite the violence we see every day, we're
achieving our strategic objectives in Iraq. The Iraqi people are
determined to build a free nation, and we have a plan to help them
succeed. America and Iraqi forces are on the hunt, side by side, to
defeat the terrorists. And as we hunt down our common enemies, we will
continue to train more Iraqi security forces.
Like free people everywhere, Iraqis desire to defend their own
country. That's what they want to do. They want to be in a position to
defend their own freedom and their own democracy. And we're helping to
achieve that goal. Our approach can be summed up this way: As Iraqis
stand up, we will stand down. And when the Iraqi forces can defend their
freedom by taking more and more of the fight to the enemy, our troops
will come home with the honor they have earned.
At the same time, we're helping the Iraqi people establish a secure
democracy. The people of Iraq have made a choice. In spite of the
threats and assassinations, 8\1/2\ million Iraqis went to the polls in
January. By casting their ballots in defiance of the terrorists, they
sent a clear and unmistakable message to the world: It doesn't matter
where you're born; it doesn't matter what faith you follow; embedded in
every soul is the deep desire to live in freedom. I understand freedom
is not America's gift to the world; freedom is an Almighty God's gift to
each man and woman in this world. The Iraqi people want to live in
freedom. Part of securing America for our children and grandchildren is
to help them secure their freedom.
Members of the Idaho Guard know the Iraqi people's desire for
liberty because they've seen it up close. Specialist Matt
Salisbury is with us today. He helped provide
security for the election. He described seeing an Iraqi family helping
an elderly man to the polls vote that day. Is it all right if I quote
you? [Laughter] ``The pride
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radiating from his face was unmistakable,'' Matt said. ``With one act,
he recovered his dignity which had been stolen by a tyrant. How can I
possibly describe the return of hope and dignity that I saw in these
people's eyes? It is worth the sacrifice of leaving families, jobs, and
a safe life. I am proud to be a citizen soldier in the 116th Brigade
Combat Team serving in Iraq. And I'm proud to stand on my watch.''
You see, the Iraqi election that Matt witnessed was more than a
momentary victory for the Iraqi people. It was part of a series of
defeats for the terrorists. The terrorists have sworn havoc and
destruction across--sown havoc and destruction across Iraq. Yet the
violence has not stopped the Iraqi people from building a free Iraq. The
terrorists failed to stop the transfer of sovereignty. They failed to
stop Iraqis from running for office and going to the polls. They have
failed to stop a democratic government from taking power in Iraq. The
terrorists can kill the innocent, but they cannot stop the political
process which ultimately will lead to freedom.
And right now, the Iraqi people are achieving another important
victory over the terrorists. Despite threats, intimidation, and the
assassination of some of its members, Iraq's Constitutional Drafting
Committee has submitted a constitution to Iraq's Transitional National
Assembly. Iraqi negotiators are now further debating and revising the
text. The establishment of a democratic constitution will be a landmark
event in the history of Iraq and the history of the Middle East. It will
bring us closer to a day when Iraq is a nation that can govern itself,
sustain itself, and defend itself.
It will send a clear signal to the people across the Middle East who
are desperate for freedom that the future belongs to freedom. See,
producing a constitution is a difficult process. It involves a lot of
debate and compromise. We know that from our own history. Our
Constitutional Convention was the home to political rivalries and
regional disagreements. And the document that our Founders produced in
Philadelphia was not the final word. After all, it has been amended many
times over the century.
Iraqis are now at the beginning of a long process, and like our
Founders, they're grappling with difficult issues, such as the role of
the Federal Government. Idaho people have a pretty good view of the role
of the Federal Government--[laughter]--like, limited. They're arguing
about the proper place of religion in the life of their nation. And like
our Founders, they will come up with a system that respects the
traditions of their country and guarantees the rights of all their
citizens.
They understand that in order to have a free democracy, you must
have minority rights. The will of the majority, coupled with minority
rights and human dignity and rights for women, is important for a free
society. They understand that. But what's important is that the Iraqis
are resolving these issues through debate and discussion, not at the
barrel of a gun. And we admire their thoughtful deliberations. And we
salute the determination of the Iraqi leaders to lay the foundation of a
lasting democracy amid the ruins of a brutal dictatorship.
The battle lines in Iraq are now clearly drawn for the world to see,
and there is no middle ground. Transforming a country that was ruled by
an oppressive dictator who sponsored terror
into a free nation that is an ally in the war on terror will take more
time, more sacrifice, and continued resolve. Terrorists will emerge from
Iraq one of two ways--emboldened or defeated. Every nation--every free
nation--has a stake in the success of the Iraqi people. If the
terrorists were to win in Iraq, the free world would be more vulnerable
to attacks on innocent civilians. And that is why, for the sake of our
children and our grandchildren, the terrorists will be defeated.
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There will be more difficult moments on the path to victory, yet we
can have confidence in the future. We have seen freedom conquer evil and
secure the peace before. In World War II, free nations came together to
fight the ideology of fascism. Freedom prevailed. And today, the enemies
of World War II are allies in the cause of peace. In the cold war,
freedom defeated the ideology of communism and led to a Europe that is
whole, free, and at peace. Now, once again, freedom is confronting the
followers of a murderous ideology, and like the hate-filled ideologies
that came before it, the darkness of terror will be defeated, and the
forces of freedom and moderation will prevail throughout the Muslim
world.
In the end, the terrorists will fail because they have nothing
positive to offer. The terrorist Zarqawi sums up their appeal this way, ``Anyone who stands in the
way of our struggle is our enemy and target of the swords.'' That's the
sum of his grim vision. They're brutal but nothing more. They seek to
exploit a great religion, but in truth, they are animated by nothing but
their own lust for power and their desire for dominion over others. And
while they may sow death and destruction for a time, the history of the
last half-century is clear: The will to power cannot withstand the will
to live in freedom.
We will prevail in this struggle because freedom is the permanent
hope of mankind and because we have on our side the greatest force for
freedom in the history of the world--the brave men and women of the
United States Armed Forces.
Since the founding of our republic, every generation has produced
patriots willing to sacrifice for our freedom. Since the morning of
September the 11th, we have known that the war on terror required great
sacrifice as well. In this war, we have said farewell to some very good
men and women, including 491 heroes of the National Guard and Reserves.
We mourn the loss of every life. We pray for their loved ones. These
brave men and women gave their lives for a cause that is just and
necessary for the security of our country, and now we will honor their
sacrifice by completing their mission.
The men and women of the Idaho Guard are serving freedom's cause
with courage and distinction, and your courage is changing the world.
Specialist Charles Glenn of Boise has been on
the frontlines in Iraq. He has seen the progress firsthand, and he says,
``I know Idaho has made a big difference here. We have been a part of
history.'' The citizen soldiers of Idaho are making history. You're
fighting to ensure that our freedom, like the State of Idaho, may endure
forever. Americans are grateful for your devotion to duty and your
courage under fire. We live in freedom and peace because of your
determination to prevail.
I want to thank you for your service. May God bless the people of
this great State. May God bless our troops, and may God continue to
bless the United States of America.
Note: The President spoke at 11 a.m. in the Idaho Center. In his
remarks, he referred to Suzanne Craig, wife of Senator Larry Craig; Lt.
Gen. H. Steven Blum, USA, chief, National Guard Bureau; Maj. Gen.
Lawrence F. Lafrenz, USA, commanding general, Idaho National Guard;
Brig. Gen. Gary L. Sayler, USAF, deputy commanding general, Idaho Air
National Guard; Col. Charles K. Shugg, USAF, commander, 366th Fighter
Wing; Usama bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaida terrorist organization;
senior Al Qaida associate Abu Musab Al Zarqawi; and former President
Saddam Hussein of Iraq. The Office of the Press Secretary also released
a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.
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