    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
    [January 10, 2006]
    [Pages 30-38]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the Veterans of Foreign Wars
    January 10, 2006

        Thank you all. Please be seated. Thanks for the warm welcome. It is
    an honor to stand with the men and women of the Veterans of Foreign Wars
    again. This is one of America's great organizations. I appreciate the
    proud and patriotic work you do across America. Thanks for your hard
    work in our Nation's Capital to make sure our Government listens to the
    concerns of our veterans.
        Your members include veterans who served in World War II--I just
    happened to spend Christmas with one of your members--[laughter]--the
    Korean war, the Vietnam war, the Persian Gulf war, Panama, Bosnia,
    Kosovo, and many other operations. In the past 4 years, you've welcomed
    into your ranks new veterans who have defended liberty in places like
    Afghanistan and Iraq as a part of the global war on terror. No matter
    where you deployed or which century you wore the uniform, each of you
    stepped forward when America needed you most. And these days, first days
    of the year 2006, a grateful nation says, thank you for your service and
    the great example you set for today's men and women who wear the
    uniform.
        I want to thank the commander in chief of the VFW, Jim
    Mueller. I had the honor of welcoming him
    to the Oval Office the other day, where we discussed issues important to
    our Nation's veterans and issues important to our Nation's security.
    He's a

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    clear thinker. He's a patriot. I appreciate the invitation, Jim.
        I'm also proud to be joined today by the Secretary of State, Condi
    Rice, the Secretary of the Department of
    Veterans Affairs, Jim Nicholson, Mr.
    Secretary.
        Two Members of the United States Congress, one Republican and one
    Democrat, have joined us. [Laughter] Americans' quest for freedom and
    peace is a bipartisan quest, and I'm honored that Senator Pat
    Roberts is with us and Congressman Adam
    Schiff. Thank you both for coming.
        Lieutenant General Bob Shea of the Joint
    Chiefs is with us today. As is my friend Lieutenant General Danny
    James, who was the Texas Adjutant General
    when I had the honor of being the commander in chief of the Texas Guard.
    [Laughter] Good to see you, Danny.
        To all those who wear the uniform who are here, I particularly want
    to pay my respects to those wounded soldiers from Walter Reed. Thanks
    for serving. I'm proud you're here. And I want to report to our fellow
    citizens that we've got a fantastic health care system for those who
    wear the uniform. Any man or woman wounded in combat is removed
    immediately from the battlefield into the best possible care. I want to
    thank those at Walter Reed, those healers and helpers--not only at
    Walter Reed but at Bethesda and Brooke's, where I recently went--for the
    great compassion and great skill that they show in helping those who
    have been wounded on the battlefield. May God bless you all.
        As veterans and soon-to-be veterans, you have placed the Nation's
    security before your own lives. You took an oath to defend our flag and
    our freedom, and you kept that oath underseas and under fire. All of us
    who live in liberty live in your debt, and we must never forget the
    sacrifice and the service of our veterans.
        A new generation of Americans is carrying on your legacy, defending
    our Nation in another great struggle for freedom, the global war on
    terror. This war began with a sudden attack on September the 11th, 2001.
    That morning we saw the destruction our enemies intend for us, and we
    accepted new responsibilities. Like generations before us, we're taking
    the fight to those who attacked us and those who share their murderous
    vision for future attacks. Like generations before us, we have faced
    setbacks on the path to victory, yet we will fight this war with resolve
    and without wavering. And like generations before us, we will prevail.
        Like earlier struggles for freedom, the war on terror is being
    fought on many battlefronts. 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 against the terrorists.
        Our goal in Iraq is victory. And in a series of speeches last
    December, I described the enemy we face in that country, our strategy to
    defeat them, and how we have adapted our tactics to meet changing
    conditions on the ground. Today I've come before you to discuss what the
    American people can expect to see in Iraq in the year ahead. We will see
    more tough fighting, and we will see more sacrifice in 2006 because the
    enemies of freedom in Iraq continue to sow violence and destruction.
    We'll also see more progress toward victory. Victory will come when the
    terrorists and Saddamists can no longer threaten Iraq's democracy.
    Victory will come when the Iraqi security forces can provide for the
    safety of their own citizens. Victory will come when Iraq is not a safe
    haven for terrorists to plot new attacks on our Nation.
        And when victory comes and democracy takes hold in Iraq, it will
    serve as a model for freedom in the broader Middle East. History has
    shown that free nations are peaceful nations. And by helping Iraqis
    build a lasting democracy, we spread the hope of liberty across a
    troubled region. We will gain new allies in the cause of

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    freedom. By spreading democracy and freedom, we're laying the foundation
    of peace for generations to come.
        Our work in Iraq in 2006 will be focused on three critical areas. On
    the political side, we will help Iraqis consolidate the democratic gains
    they made last year and help them build democratic institutions, a
    unified government, and a lasting, free society. On the security side,
    we will stay on the offense against the terrorists and Saddamists. We
    will continue to strengthen the Iraqi security forces, with an emphasis
    on improving the capabilities of the Iraqi police, so that over the next
    12 months, Iraqi forces can take control of more territory from our
    coalition and take the lead in the fight. And on the economic side, we
    will continue reconstruction efforts and help Iraq's new Government
    implement difficult reforms that are necessary to build a modern economy
    and a better life.
        In all three aspects of our strategy--democracy and security and
    reconstruction--we're learning from our experiences, and we're fixing
    what hasn't worked. And in the year ahead, we will continue to make
    changes that will help us complete the mission and achieve the victory
    we all want.
        On the political side, we've witnessed a transformation in Iraq over
    the past 12 months that is virtually without precedent. Think back to a
    year ago. At this time last year, the Iraqi people had an appointed
    government, no elected legislature, no permanent constitution, and no
    recent experience with free national elections. Just one year later,
    they have completed three successful nationwide elections.
        Iraqis voted for a transitional government, drafted the most
    progressive, democratic Constitution in the Arab world, approved that
    Constitution in a national referendum, and elected a new Government
    under their new Constitution. Each successive election has seen less
    violence, bigger turnouts, and broader participation than the one
    before. One Iraqi voter in Tall `Afar described the December elections
    this way: ``We want democracy. This is our answer to the decades of
    slavery we had before.''
        When the final election results come in, Iraqi leaders will begin
    working to form a new Government. And in the weeks ahead, Americans will
    likely see a good deal of political turmoil in Iraq as different
    factions and leaders compete for position and jockey for power. Our top
    commander in the region, General John Abizaid, has said he expects the coming weeks to produce ``some of
    the hardest, bare-knuckle politics ever in the Arab world.'' We should
    welcome this for what it is: freedom in action.
        Dictatorships seem orderly--when one man makes all the decisions,
    there is no need for negotiation or compromise. Democracies are
    sometimes messy and seemingly chaotic, as different parties advance
    competing agendas and seek their share of political power. We've seen
    this throughout our own history. We've seen this in other democracies
    around the world. Yet out of the turmoil in Iraq, a free government will
    emerge that represents the will of the Iraqi people, instead of the will
    of one cruel dictator.
        Iraqis are undertaking this process with just a year's experience in
    democratic politics, and the legacy of three decades under one of the
    world's most brutal tyrannies still hangs over them. Many of the
    institutions and traditions we take for granted in America--from our
    party structures to our centuries' experience with peaceful transitions
    of power--are new to Iraq. So we shouldn't be surprised if Iraqis make
    some mistakes and face setbacks in their effort to build a Government
    that unites the Iraqi people.
        Despite the obstacles they face, Iraqis have shown they can come
    together for the sake of national unity. Think about what happened after
    the January 2005 elections: Shi'a and Kurdish leaders who did well at
    the polls reached out to Sunni Arabs who failed to participate, giving
    them posts in the Government and a role in fashioning the new
    Constitution. Now Iraqis must

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    reach out once again across political and religious and sectarian lines
    and form a Government of national unity that gives voice to all Iraqis.
        Because Sunni Arabs participated in large numbers in the December
    elections, they will now have a bigger role in the new Parliament and
    more influence in Iraq's new Government. It's important that Sunnis who
    abandoned violence to join the political process now see the benefits of
    peaceful participation. Sunnis need to learn how to use their influence
    constructively in a democratic system to benefit their community and the
    country at large. And Shi'a and Kurds need to understand that successful
    free societies protect the rights of a minority against the tyranny of
    the majority.
        The promise of democracy begins with free elections and majority
    rule, but it is fulfilled by minority rights and equal justice and an
    inclusive society in which every person belongs. A country that divides
    into factions and dwells on old grievances cannot move forward and risks
    sliding back into tyranny. Compromise and consensus and power sharing
    are the only path to national unity and lasting democracy. And
    ultimately, the success of Iraqi democracy will come when political
    divisions in Iraq are driven not by sectarian rivalries but by ideas and
    convictions and a common vision for the future.
        When the new Iraqi Government assumes office, Iraq's new leaders
    will face some tough decisions on issues such as security and
    reconstruction and economic reform. Iraqi leaders will also have to
    review and possibly amend the Constitution to ensure that this historic
    document earns the broad support of all Iraqi communities. If the new
    Parliament approves amendments, these changes will be once again taken
    to the Iraqi people for their approval in a referendum before the end of
    the year. By taking these steps, Iraqi leaders will bring their nation
    together behind a strong democracy and help defeat the terrorists and
    the Saddamists.
        America and our coalition partners will stand with the Iraqi people
    during this period of transition. We will continue helping Iraqis build
    an impartial system of justice so they can replace the rule of fear with
    the rule of law. We'll help Iraqi leaders combat corruption by
    strengthening Iraq's Commission on Public Integrity so Iraqis can build
    a transparent, accountable government. And we will help Iraq's new
    leaders earn the confidence of their citizens by helping them build
    effective government ministries.
        It's especially important in the early months after Iraq's new
    Government takes hold, that its leaders demonstrate an ability to
    deliver measurable progress in the lives of the Iraqi people. So we will
    continue helping the new Government to develop their ministries to
    ensure they can lead effectively and produce real results for the Iraqi
    people.
        The foreign terrorists and Saddamists will continue to fight this
    progress by targeting the citizens and institutions and infrastructure
    of a free Iraq. An enemy that sends suicide bombers to kill mourners at
    a funeral procession is an enemy without conscience. These killers will
    stop at nothing to undermine the new Government, divide the Iraqi
    people, and try to break their will. Yet with the recent elections, the
    enemies of a free Iraq have suffered a real defeat. The Saddamists and
    rejectionists are finding themselves increasingly marginalized, as Sunni
    Arabs who once rejected the political process are now participating in
    the democratic life of their country.
        And as democracy takes hold in Iraq, the terrorists like
    Zarqawi and his Al Qaida associates are
    suffering major defeats. Zarqawi tried to stop the elections throughout
    the year 2005, and he failed. He tried to stop the writing and
    ratification of a new Constitution, and he failed. The advance of
    freedom is destroying his and Al

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    Qaida's greatest myth. These terrorists are not fighting on behalf of
    the Iraqi people against a foreign occupation; they are fighting the
    will of the Iraqi people expressed in free elections.
        In the face of these thugs and terrorists and assassins, the Iraqi
    people have sent a clear message to the world: Iraqis will not cower
    before the killers, and the terrorists and regime loyalists are no match
    for the millions of Iraqis determined to live in liberty.
        As we help Iraqis strengthen their new Government, we're also
    helping them to defend their young democracy. We're going to train the
    security forces of a free Iraq. We have been doing so, and we will
    continue to do so in 2006. Last November, I described many of the
    changes we made over the past year to improve the training of the Iraqi
    Army and the police. And we saw the fruits of those changes during the
    December elections. Iraqi forces took the lead in the election security.
    They were in the lead; we were there to help. They protected over 6,000
    polling centers. They disrupted attacks, and they maintained order
    across the country.
        Thanks in large part to their courage and skill, the number of
    attacks during the elections declined dramatically compared with last
    January's vote. One Iraqi general put it this way on election day: ``All
    the time and money you have spent in training the Iraqi Army, you
    harvest it today.''
        The Iraqi security forces are growing in strength and in size, and
    they're earning the trust and confidence of the Iraqi people. And as
    Iraqis see their own countrymen defending them against the terrorists
    and Saddamists, they're beginning to step forward with needed
    intelligence. General Casey reports
    that the number of tips from Iraqis has grown from 400 in the month of
    March 2005 to over 4,700 last month and that some of the new
    intelligence is being passed by Iraqi civilians directly to Iraqi
    soldiers and police. Iraqis are gaining confidence that their security
    forces can defeat the enemy, and that confidence is producing the
    intelligence that is helping to turn the tide in freedom's way.
        There's more work to be done in the year ahead. Our commanders tell
    me that the Iraqi Army and police are increasingly able to take the lead
    in the fight. Yet the Iraqi police still lag behind the army in training
    and capabilities. And so one of our major goals in 2006 is to accelerate
    the training of the Iraqi police. We'll focus our efforts on improving
    the performance of three categories of the Iraqi police. First, we will
    work to improve the Special Police under the Ministry of the Interior,
    who are fighting alongside the Iraqi Army against the terrorists and
    Saddamists. Second, we will expand and strengthen the border police
    charged with securing Iraq's frontiers. And third, we will increase our
    focus on training local station police, so they can protect their
    communities from the criminals and the terrorists.
        The Interior Ministry's Special Police are the most capable of Iraq
    police forces. There are now about 19,000 Iraqi Special Police trained
    and equipped, which is near our goal for a complete force. Many of these
    Special Police forces are professional; they represent all aspects of
    society. But recently, some have been accused of committing abuses
    against Iraqi civilians. That's unacceptable. That's unacceptable to the
    United States Government; it's unacceptable to the Iraqi Government as
    well. And Iraqi leaders are committed to stopping these abuses. We must
    ensure that the police understand that their mission is to serve the
    cause of a free Iraq, not to address old grievances by taking justice
    into their own hands.
        To stop abuses and increase the professionalism of all the Iraqi
    Special Police units, we're making several adjustments in the way these
    forces are trained. We're working with the Iraqi Government to increase
    the training Iraqi Special Police receive in human rights and the rule
    of law. We're establishing a new Police Ethics and

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    Leadership Institute in Baghdad that will help train Iraqi officers in
    the role of the police in a democratic system and establish clear lesson
    plans in professional ethics for all nine Iraqi police academies. To
    improve their capability, we will soon begin implementing a program that
    has been effective with the Iraqi Army, and that is partnering U.S.
    battalions with Iraqi Special Police battalions. These U.S. forces will
    work with and train their Iraqi counterparts, helping them become more
    capable and professional, so they can serve and protect all Iraqi's
    without discrimination.
        Second, we're working to increase the number of border police that
    can defend Iraq's frontiers and stop foreign terrorists from crossing
    into that country. Iraqis now have about 18,000 border police on the
    job, manning land and sea and airports across the country. Our goal is
    to have a total of 28,000 Iraqi border police trained and equipped by
    the end of this year.
        To better train Iraqi police, we've established a new customs
    academy in Basra. We're embedding border police transition teams with
    Iraqi units, made up of coalition soldiers and assisted by experts from
    our Department of Homeland Security. The Iraqi border police are growing
    increasingly capable and are taking on more responsibility. In November,
    these forces took the lead in protecting Iraq's Syrian border, with
    coalition forces playing a supporting role. In other words, they're
    beginning to take the lead and take responsibility for doing their duty
    to protect the new democracy. And as more skilled border police come on
    line, we're going to hand over primary responsibility for all of Iraq's
    borders to Iraqi border police later on this year.
        Finally, we're helping Iraqis build the numbers and capabilities of
    the local station police. These are the Iraqi police forces that need
    the most work. There are now over 80,000 local police officers across
    Iraq, a little more than halfway toward our goal of 135,000. To improve
    the capabilities of these local police, we're taking a concept that
    worked well in the Balkans and applying it to Iraq: partnering local
    Iraqi police stations with teams of U.S. military police and
    international police liaison officers, including retired U.S. police
    officers.
        These officers will work with provincial police chiefs across Iraq
    and focus on improving local police forces in nine key cities that have
    seen intense fighting with the terrorists. By strengthening local police
    in these cities, we can help Iraqis provide security in areas cleared of
    enemy forces and make it harder for these thugs to return. By
    strengthening local police in these cities, we'll help them earn the
    confidence of the local population, which will make it easier for local
    leaders and residents to accelerate reconstruction and rebuild their
    lives.
        The training of the Iraqi police is an enormous task, and frankly,
    it hasn't always gone smoothly. Yet we're making progress, and our
    soldiers see the transformation up close. Army Staff Sergeant Daniel
    MacDonald is a Philadelphia cop who helped
    train Iraqi police officers in Baghdad. He says this of his Iraqi
    comrades: ``From where they were when we got here to where they are now,
    it's like two different groups of people. They're hyped-up; they look
    sharp; they're a lot better with their weapons. I'd take these guys out
    with me back home.'' If he's going to take them back home in
    Philadelphia, they must be improving. [Laughter]
        As we bring more Iraqi police and soldiers on line in the months
    ahead, we will increasingly shift our focus from generating new Iraqi
    forces to preparing Iraqis to take primary responsibility for the
    security of their own country. At this moment, more than 35 Iraqi
    battalions have assumed control of their own areas of responsibility,
    including nearly half of the Baghdad province and sectors of south-
    central Iraq, southeast Iraq, western Iraq, and north-central Iraq. And
    in the year ahead, we will continue handing more territory to Iraqi
    forces, with the goal of having the Iraqis in control of

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    more territory than the coalition by the end of 2006.
        As Iraqi forces take more responsibility, this will free up
    coalition forces to conduct specialized operations against the most
    dangerous terrorists like Zarqawi and
    his associates so we can defeat the terrorists in Iraq, so we do not
    have to face them here at home. We will continue to hand over territory
    to the Iraqis so they can defend their democracy, so they can do the
    hard work, and our troops will be able to come home with the honor they
    have earned.
        I've said that our strategy in Iraq can be summed up this way: As
    the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down. And with more Iraqi forces
    demonstrating the capabilities needed to achieve victory, our commanders
    on the ground have determined that we can decrease our combat forces in
    Iraq from 17 to 15 brigades by the spring of 2006. That's what they've
    decided. And when they decide something, I listen to them. This
    adjustment will result in a net decrease of several thousand troops
    below the preelection baseline of 138,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This
    decrease comes in addition to the reduction of about 20,000 troops who
    were in Iraq largely to assist with the security during the December
    elections.
        Later this year, if Iraqis continue to make progress on the security
    and political sides, we expect to discuss further possible adjustments
    with the leaders of Iraq's new Government. Having said this, all of my
    decisions will be based on conditions on the ground, not artificial
    timetables set by Washington politicians. Our commanders on the ground
    will have the forces they need to complete the mission and achieve
    victory in Iraq.
        As we help Iraqis defend their democracy, we will continue to help
    Iraqis build their infrastructure and economy in the coming year. Iraqis
    face real challenges from the long-term economic damage caused by Saddam
    Hussein's regime. They face challenges
    because of acts of sabotage by the enemies of a free Iraq. Yet despite
    these challenges, our coalition and Iraqi leaders have made progress in
    a number of areas: Iraq now has a stable currency, an independent stock
    exchange, an independent Central Bank. Iraqis have new investment laws
    to welcome foreign capital, tax and commercial laws to encourage private
    sector growth, and low-tariff trade regime that has opened Iraq's
    economy to the world. Under Saddam, private property was not protected.
    Today, Iraq's new Constitution guarantees private property rights that
    are the foundation of any free society.
        Iraqi leaders are also beginning to make the tough choices necessary
    to reform their economy, such as easing gasoline subsidies. Until
    recently, Government subsidies put the price of fuel in Iraq at
    artificially low prices, really low prices. And that created incentives
    for black-market corruption and crime, and changing these subsidies is a
    necessary step on the path for economic reform. So Iraqi leaders have
    begun a series of price increases aimed at dismantling the gas subsidy
    system. That's hard political work. But gasoline subsidies, along with
    other subsidies, consume over half of Iraq's annual budget; it diverts
    critical resources from health care and education and infrastructure and
    security. Addressing these subsidies will allow Iraqi leaders to better
    provide for their people and build a modern economy.
        One of the biggest challenges facing Iraq is restoring the country's
    oil and electric power infrastructure. These sectors were devastated by
    decades of neglect. And since liberation, terrorists have targeted these
    areas for destruction. As a result, oil and power production are below
    prewar levels. To help increase production, we're helping Iraqis better
    maintain their refineries, build their oil supply and transportation
    capabilities, improve their capacity to generate power, and better
    protect their strategic infrastructure.
        The struggles with oil production and the shortage of electricity
    remain sources of

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    frustration for the Iraqi citizens. Yet they're putting these challenges
    in perspective. Today, 7 in 10 Iraqis say their lives are going well.
    Nearly two-thirds expect things to improve even more in the next year.
    The vast majority of Iraqis prefer freedom with intermittent power to
    life in permanent darkness of tyranny and terror. Iraqis are optimistic
    about the future, and their optimism is justified.
        To realize their dreams, the Iraqi people still need help. And in
    the coming year, the international community must step up and do its
    part. So far, other nations and international organizations have pledged
    more than $13 billion in assistance to Iraq. Iraqis are grateful for
    this promised aid, so is the United States. Yet many nations have been
    slow to make good on their commitments.
        I call on all governments that have pledged assistance to follow
    through with their promises as quickly as possible, so the Iraqis can
    rebuild their country and provide a better future for their children.
    Many nations have still not returned all Iraqi assets frozen during the
    regime of Saddam Hussein. I call on all
    nations to return these assets to their rightful owners. The free people
    of Iraq own those assets, not the foreign governments.
        Many of the world's smallest nations have been among the most
    generous. Last month, for example, Slovakia announced its plans to
    forgive 100 percent of Iraq's $145 million debt. This makes Slovakia
    only the third country, along with the United States and Malta, to write
    off Iraqi debt completely. More nations should do the same so the Iraq
    people are not held back by the crushing burden of debt accumulated by
    Saddam Hussein.
        International lending institutions are also stepping forward with
    needed assistance. Last month, the International Monetary Fund approved
    Iraq's request for a $680 million loan to carry out economic reforms.
    The World Bank recently approved its first loan to Iraq in over 30
    years, lending the Iraqi Government $100 million to improve the Iraqi
    school system and making up to $400 million available to fund water,
    electricity, roads, and sanitation projects.
        The international community must meet its responsibilities in Iraq,
    and here in America, we have responsibilities as well. The coming year
    will test the character of our country and the will of our citizens. We
    have a strategy for victory, but to achieve that victory, we must have
    the determination to see this strategy through. The enemy in Iraq knows
    they cannot defeat us on the battlefield, and so they're trying to shake
    our will with acts of violence and force us to retreat. That means that
    our resolve in 2006 must stay strong. We must have the patience as
    Iraqis struggle to build democracy in a volatile region of the world. We
    must not allow the images of destruction to discourage us or obscure the
    real progress that our troops are making in Iraq. And we must continue
    to provide these troops with all the resources they need to defend our
    Nation and prevail in the global war on terror.
        We face an added challenge in the months ahead. The campaign season
    will soon be upon us, and that means our Nation must carry on this war
    in an election year. There is a vigorous debate about the war in Iraq
    today, and we should not fear the debate. It's one of the great
    strengths of our democracy, that we can discuss our differences openly
    and honestly, even in times of war. Yet we must remember there is a
    difference between responsible and irresponsible debate, and it's even
    more important to conduct this debate responsibly when American troops
    are risking their lives overseas.
        The American people know the difference between responsible and
    irresponsible debate when they see it. They know the difference between
    honest critics who question the way the war is being prosecuted and
    partisan critics who claim that we acted in Iraq because of oil or
    because

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    of Israel or because we misled the American people. And they know the
    difference between a loyal opposition that points out what is wrong and
    defeatists who refuse to see that anything is right.
        When our soldiers hear politicians in Washington question the
    mission they are risking their lives to accomplish, it hurts their
    morale. In a time of war, we have a responsibility to show that whatever
    our political differences at home, our Nation is united and determined
    to prevail. And we have a responsibility to our men and women in
    uniform, who deserve to know that once our politicians vote to send them
    into harm's way, our support will be with them in good days and in bad
    days, and we will settle for nothing less than complete victory.
        We also have an opportunity this year to show the Iraqi people what
    responsible debate in democracy looks like. In a free society, there is
    only one check on political speech, and that's the judgment of the
    people. So I ask all Americans to hold their elected leaders to account
    and demand a debate that brings credit to our democracy, not comfort to
    our adversaries.
        Support for the mission in Iraq should not be a partisan matter. VFW
    members come from all across the country and both sides of the political
    aisle, yet your position on the war is clear. In a recent resolution,
    the VFW declared, quote, ``It is critical that the United States succeed
    in Iraq, which will result in stability and security in the region.'' I
    appreciate your support for the mission in Iraq, and so do our troops in
    the fight. Your lives of service, from the first time you put on the
    uniform to this day, are a credit to our country and an inspiration to
    our military. A new generation of soldiers and sailors, airmen, marines,
    and coastguardsmen is now carrying out an urgent and noble mission, and
    they're doing so with the same determination and courage as you who came
    before them.
        Some of our finest men and women have given their lives in freedom's
    cause. Others have returned home with wounds that the best medicine
    cannot heal. We hold all who sacrificed and their families in our
    thoughts and our prayers. And I'm going to make you this pledge: We will
    not waver, we will not weaken, and we will not back down in the cause
    they served. By their sacrifice, we are laying the foundation of freedom
    in a troubled part of the world. And by laying that foundation, we're
    laying the foundation of peace for generations to come.
        Thank you for letting me come by today. God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:17 a.m. at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. In
    his remarks, he referred to Gen. John P. Abizaid, USA, commander, U.S.
    Central Command; former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; 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.