    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [July 20, 2007]
    [Pages 1001-1002]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Meeting With Members of Military Support
    Organizations
    July 20, 2007

        Good morning. Thank you all for coming. I'm joined by veterans and
    military families who are here to express support for our troops and
    their mission in Iraq, and I want to thank you all for being here today.
        We've just finished a really good meeting. In our discussions, these
    folks had a message that all of us in Washington need to hear: It is
    time to rise above partisanship, stand behind our troops in the field,
    and give them everything they need to succeed.
        In February, I submitted to Congress a Defense Department spending
    bill for the upcoming fiscal year that will provide funds to upgrade our
    equipment for our troops in Iraq and provides a pay raise for our
    military. It's a comprehensive spending request that Congress has failed
    to act on. Instead, the Democratic leaders chose to have a political
    debate on a precipitous withdrawal of our troops from Iraq. The House
    and Senate are now scheduled to leave for their August recess before
    passing a bill to support our troops and their missions. Even Members of
    Congress who no longer support our effort in Iraq should at least be
    able to provide an increase in pay for our troops fighting there.
        When Congress returns after Labor Day, there will be less than 1
    month before the fiscal year ends and current funds for Defense
    Department operations run out. Congress still has an opportunity to do
    right by our men and women in uniform and our national security. So
    today I call on Congress to take action, get this vital piece of
    legislation to me to sign, on budget and on time.
        I also ask Congress to give our troops time to carry out our new
    strategy in Iraq. Like all wars, the fight in Iraq has had frustrating
    setbacks. It's also had important successes. We've seen dramatic
    turnarounds in places such as Anbar Province, which was once thought
    lost to the enemy. Just this week, our military forces announced the
    capture of one of Al Qaida's top Iraqi leaders. He helped to form what
    Al Qaida calls the ``Islamic State in Iraq,'' in an attempt to replicate
    what the Taliban had created in Afghanistan. Today that leader is under
    arrest and his followers are under siege.
        These successes demonstrate the gains our troops are making in Iraq
    and the importance of giving our military the time they need to give
    their new strategy a chance to work.
        Earlier this year, the Senate seemed to share that view. They
    confirmed General David Petraeus as
    commander of our forces without a single dissenting vote. And now,
    barely a month after his strategy became fully operational, many of
    those same Senators are saying that that strategy has failed.
        Our Nation deserves a serious debate about Iraq, because the outcome
    of this conflict will have enormous consequences for our country.
    Failure in Iraq would allow terrorists to operate from a safe haven with
    access to the world's third largest oil reserves. Failure in Iraq would
    increase the probability that at some later date, American troops would
    have to return to Iraq to confront an enemy more dangerous and more
    entrenched. Failure in Iraq would send an unmistakable signal to
    America's enemies that our country can be bullied into retreat.
        America's involvement in Iraq does not have to end this way. A free
    and stable Iraq is still in reach. It has the potential to transform the
    Middle East and bring us closer to the day when radical regimes are
    replaced by peaceful allies, when terrorists have fewer places to train
    and operate, and when moms and dads in the Arab

    [[Page 1002]]

    world see a future of hope for their children.
        One of the folks with us today is an Air Force reservist named Eric
    Egland. Here's what he said: He said, ``We live
    in the world's oldest democracy and have been blessed with the strength
    to protect our freedoms and to help others who seek the same.''
        This has always been America's mission, and today, that mission is
    being carried out by brave men and women who have stepped forward to
    keep our country secure. I thank them and I thank their families for the
    sacrifices they're making. And I thank you all for supporting them.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:42 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Khaled Abdul-Fattah Dawoud Mahmoud
    al-Mashhadani, ranking leader of Al Qaida in Iraq, who was captured in
    Mosul on July 4; and Gen. David H. Petraeus, USA, commanding general,
    Multi-National Force--Iraq.