[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.