    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [April 2, 2008]
    [Pages 449-456]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Bucharest, Romania
    April 2, 2008

        Thank you all. Thank you, and good morning. I appreciate former
    Presidents Iliescu and
    Constantinescu for joining us today. I
    want to thank the President of Latvia and
    Mrs. Zatlere for joining us. Secretary
    Rice, ambassadors, Members of the United
    States Congress, the president of the
    National Bank of Savings, members of the German Marshall Fund and the
    Atlantic Council, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: Buna ziua.
        Laura and I are pleased to be back in
    Bucharest. The last time we were here, we

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    stood with the people of this city in Revolution Square for a rally
    celebrating Romania's invitation to join NATO. Tens of thousands came
    out in the rain to rejoice in this achievement and revel in the promise
    that, henceforth, no one would ever take Romania's freedom away. It was
    a moment I will never forget. President Iliescu
    introduced me in the midst of the drizzling rain. And then the clouds
    parted, and a rainbow appeared in the sky, heralding a new day for this
    nation and the Atlantic alliance she was about to join.
        Since then, Romania has made strong contributions to the alliance.
    Romanian soldiers have brought courage to NATO's missions. Romanian
    leaders have brought moral clarity to NATO's deliberations. And today
    the Romanian people have brought their famous hospitality to this NATO
    summit. Laura and I are thrilled to join you for
    this historic occasion. And the American people are honored to call
    Romania a friend, an ally, and a partner in the cause of peace.
        This is my final NATO summit. The coming days will be a time for
    hard work, as allies make important decisions regarding the expansion
    and the missions and the capabilities of NATO. The coming days will also
    be a time of reflection, a chance to look back on how far we have come
    in the past 7 years and what this tells us about the challenges ahead.
        In June 2001, I came to Europe and spoke to students and faculty at
    Warsaw University. I reaffirmed America's commitment to a united Europe,
    bound to the United States by ties of history and trade and friendship.
    I said that Europe must overturn the bitter legacy of Yalta and remove
    the false boundaries that had divided the continent for too long. I
    declared that all of Europe's new democracies, from the Baltic to the
    Black Sea, should have the same chance for security and freedom and the
    same chance to join the institutions of Europe.
        I spoke those words on the soil of a nation on the Baltic. Today a
    nation on the Black Sea is where I have come to say, those words have
    been fulfilled. The NATO alliance that meets here this week now
    stretches from the shores of Klaipeda to the beaches of Neptun. And here
    in Bucharest, we will extend the circle of freedom even further by
    expanding the NATO alliance to include new members from the Balkans.
        A decade--the Balkans was a region wracked by war and fanaticism and
    ethnic cleansing. Today, it is a region growing in liberty and tolerance
    and peace. These changes are the result of determined actions by NATO
    and the courageous choices by new Balkan leaders who have worked to
    overcome the violence and divisions of the past. In recognition of their
    progress, tomorrow NATO will make an historic decision on the admission
    of three Balkan nations: Croatia, Albania, and Macedonia. The United
    States strongly supports inviting these nations to join NATO. These
    countries have walked the difficult path of reform and built thriving
    free societies. They are ready to contribute to NATO, and their citizens
    deserve the security that NATO brings.
        As we welcome new NATO allies, we also affirm that the door to NATO
    membership remains open to other nations that seek it, in the Balkans
    and beyond. So at this summit, we will also decide whether to accept the
    requests of two other Balkan nations, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro,
    to begin an intensified dialogue with NATO. This is a major step on the
    road to NATO membership, and it is a step that America fully supports
    for these two nations. And at our summit tomorrow, we will also make
    clear that the door to closer cooperation with NATO is open to Serbia as
    well.
        This week, our alliance must also decide how to respond to the
    requests by Georgia and Ukraine to participate in NATO's

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    Membership Action Plan. These two nations inspired the world with their
    Rose and Orange Revolutions, and now they're working to consolidate
    their democratic gains and cement their independence. Welcoming them
    into the MATO--into the Membership Action Plan would send a signal to
    their citizens that if they continue on the path to democracy and
    reform, they will be welcomed into the institutions of Europe. It would
    send a signal throughout the region that these two nations are and will
    remain sovereign and independent states.
        Here in Bucharest, we must make clear that NATO welcomes the
    aspirations of Georgia and Ukraine for their membership in NATO and
    offers them a clear path forward to meet that goal. So my country's
    position is clear: NATO should welcome Georgia and Ukraine into the
    Membership Action Plan. And NATO membership must remain open to all of
    Europe's democracies that seek it and are ready to share in the
    responsibilities of NATO membership.
        The most important responsibility of NATO is the collective security
    of our citizens. On my 2001 visit to Warsaw, I said that the United
    States and Europe share more than an alliance; we share a civilization.
    Less than 3 months later, that shared civilization came under a
    monstrous attack. Even now, with the distance of time, it's still
    difficult to fathom the enormity of what happened on September the 11th,
    2001. Thousands of men and women woke up that morning, had breakfast
    with their families, and left for work, never to return home. Tens of
    thousands more, including citizens of many NATO nations, still mourn the
    loss of moms and dads, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, friends
    and loved ones who were taken from them in a horrific moment of violence
    and death.
        NATO nations recognize that the attacks were part of a broader
    ideological struggle. The terrorists who struck America that day murder
    the innocent in pursuit of a violent political vision. They despise the
    principles of decency and humanity that are the very foundation of our
    alliance. They want to impose their brutal rule on millions across the
    world. They attack our countries and target our people because we stand
    for freedom and because we hold the power to stop them from achieving
    their murderous ambitions.
        NATO nations recognized that this unprecedented attack required
    unprecedented action. For the first time in the history of the alliance,
    Article 5 of the NATO Treaty was invoked. NATO aircraft were soon flying
    over the United States to provide early warning in case of a follow-on
    attack. Many NATO nations, including the United Kingdom and France,
    Canada, Denmark, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Italy, and Turkey,
    deployed forces to fight the terrorists in Afghanistan and to drive the
    Taliban from power.
        Since then, NATO's role in Afghanistan has expanded significantly.
    In 2003, NATO took over the International Security Assistance Force. And
    over time, this NATO mission has grown from a small force operating only
    in Kabul to a force of 47,000 that is now leading operations across all
    of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is the most daring and ambition mission in
    the history of NATO. An alliance that never fired a shot in the cold war
    is now leading the fight on a key battleground of the first war in the
    21st century. In Afghanistan, forces from NATO and many partner nations
    are bringing honor to their uniforms and pride to their countries.
        As NATO forces fight the terrorists in Afghanistan, they're helping
    Afghans take increasing responsibility for their own security. With
    NATO's help, the ranks of trained Afghan soldiers have grown from 33,000
    last year to 55,000 today. And these brave Afghan forces are leading
    many important combat operations. Thanks to their courage and the skill
    of NATO personnel, a nation that was once a safe haven for Al Qaida is
    now a democracy where boys and girls are going to school, new roads

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    and hospitals are being built, and people are looking to the future with
    new hope.
        Afghanistan still faces many challenges. The enemy has been driven
    from its strongholds and no longer controls a single Afghan city. But as
    this enemy has been defeated on the battlefield, they have turned
    increasingly to terrorist tactics such as suicide attacks and roadside
    bombs. And if we were to let up the pressure, the extremists would
    reestablish safe havens across the country and use them to terrorize the
    people of Afghanistan and threaten our own. And that is why we'll stay
    on the offense, and that is why we'll keep the pressures on these
    radicals and extremists, and that is why we'll succeed.
        Terrorists used safe havens in Afghanistan to launch the 9/11
    attacks. Since
    9/11, Al Qaida terrorists around the world have succeeded in launching
    devastating attacks on allied cities such as Madrid and London and
    Istanbul. They planned more attacks on targets in Europe that never came
    to pass because of the vigilance of intelligence and law enforcement
    personnel from many of our nations. For example, in 2006, we stopped an
    Al Qaida plot to blow up passenger jets departing Europe for the United
    States. Earlier this year, Turkish authorities broke up an Al Qaida cell
    that was plotting a series of terrorist attacks on Turkey. This enemy
    remains dangerous, and that's why our alliance is so important to
    protecting innocent people.
        Two weeks ago, Usama bin Laden issued an
    audio recording in which he threatened Europe with new attacks. We need
    to take the words of the enemy seriously. The terrorist threat is real;
    it is deadly. And defeating this enemy is the top priority of NATO.
        Our alliance must maintain its resolve and finish the fight in NATO.
    As President Sarkozy put it in London last
    week: ``We cannot afford to lose Afghanistan. Whatever the cost, however
    difficult the victory, we cannot afford it. We must win.'' I agree
    completely. To ensure that we do win, France is sending additional
    forces to Afghanistan. The United States is deploying an additional
    3,500 marines. Romania is adding forces, as are several other allies. We
    ask other NATO nations to step forward with additional forces as well.
    If we do not defeat the terrorists in Afghanistan, we will face them on
    our own soil. Innocent civilians in Europe and North America would then
    pay the price.
        The struggle in Afghanistan cannot be won by force of arms alone. We
    must also help the Afghan Government strengthen democratic institutions,
    provide essential services, create jobs and opportunity, and show its
    people that freedom can lead to a better life. But for this to happen,
    Afghanistan needs security, and that is what NATO is helping to provide.
        Many NATO allies are also helping to bring security and stability to
    the other major front in this war against extremists and radicals: Iraq.
    At this moment, 10 NATO nations have forces supporting Operation Iraqi
    Freedom, including the Black Wolves of Romania's 151st Infantry. The
    battalion has given their base in Iraq a fearsome name: Camp Dracula.
    Romanian troops are operating unmanned aerial vehicles, protecting
    critical infrastructure, conducting human intelligence missions,
    providing medical care, and carrying out combat operations in Iraq.
        One Romanian soldier put it this way: ``I've been here before and
    will come back for as many times as needed. I know that what we do is
    important.'' Our Romanian allies are serving the cause of freedom in
    Iraq with skill and honor, and they have earned the respect of my
    countrymen.
        Forces from 14 NATO nations plus Ukraine are also serving in Iraq as
    part of a NATO training mission. NATO has trained more than 7,000 Iraqi
    officers so far. The Iraqis have asked us to expand this mission, and we
    should do so. At our summit this week, we will also expand the NATO-Iraq
    partnership, so we can allow more Iraqi officers to attend NATO schools
    and seminars. The purpose is to prepare

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    Iraqi officers to lead their own troops in battle, so we can help them
    defend their democracy against the terrorists and extremists who murder
    their people.
        Iraqi forces are fighting bravely in this struggle, and they're
    risking and giving their lives in the fight against our common enemies.
    To help them prevail, last year, the United States launched the surge in
    Iraq. We deployed 30,000 additional soldiers and marines, with a clear
    mission: help Iraqi forces protect the people; pursue the enemy in its
    strongholds; and deny the terrorists sanctuary. The Government in
    Baghdad has stepped forward with a surge of its own, adding more than
    100,000 new Iraqi soldiers and police during the past year. And to
    ensure that military progress in Iraq is quickly followed up with real
    improvements in daily life, we doubled the number of Provincial
    Reconstruction Teams in Iraq. These teams are helping to build up local
    economies, strengthen responsible leaders, and help bring Iraqis
    together so that reconciliation can happen from the ground up.
        The surge has produced results across Iraq. Compared to a year ago,
    violence is significantly down, civilian deaths are down, sectarian
    killings are down, and attacks on coalition forces are down. We've
    captured or killed thousands of extremists in Iraq, including hundreds
    of key Al Qaida leaders and operatives. With security improving, local
    citizens have restarted the political process in their neighborhoods and
    their cities and Provinces. And leaders in Baghdad are beginning to make
    the tough compromises necessary to get important pieces of legislation
    passed.
        As they do, we will stay on the offense against the enemy. In the
    north, Iraqi forces backed by American troops are pursuing Al Qaida
    terrorists who are operating in and around Mosul. In the south, Prime
    Minister Maliki sent the Iraqi security
    forces to begin to root out extremists and criminals in Basra, many of
    whom have received arms and training and funding from Iran. In
    retaliation, some of these extremist elements fired rockets into the
    center of Baghdad hoping to shake Prime Minister Maliki's will. They're
    not going to succeed. There's tough fighting ahead, but the gains from
    the surge we have seen are real. And working together with Iraqi forces,
    our coalition will continue to pursue our enemies and seal their defeat.
        The surge has done more than turn the situation around in Iraq, it
    has opened the door to a major strategic victory in the broader war
    against extremists. In Iraq, we're witnessing the first large-scale Arab
    uprising against Usama bin Laden and his
    grim ideology and his terrorist network. Tens of thousands of ordinary
    citizens have stepped forward to join the fight against Al Qaida. And
    when Iraqi and coalition forces defeat this enemy, the effects will
    reverberate beyond Iraq's borders.
        By defeating the enemy in Iraq, we will show people across the
    Middle East that millions share their revulsion of terrorists' hateful
    ideology. We will show that free men and women can stand up to the
    terrorists and prevail against them. We will show that America will not
    abandon our friends in the fight against terror and extremism. We will
    show that a hopeful vision of liberty can take root in a troubled region
    and yield the peace that we all desire. And we will show that the future
    of the Middle East does not belong to terror, the future of the Middle
    East belongs to freedom.
        As NATO allies fight terror and promote progress in Iraq and
    Afghanistan, our alliance is taking on other important missions across
    the world. In the Mediterranean, NATO forces are patrolling the high
    seas to combat terrorism as part of Operation Active Endeavor. In
    Kosovo, NATO forces are providing security and helping a new democracy
    take root in the Balkans. In Darfur, NATO has airlifted African Union
    peacekeepers and provided them with training to protect the people of
    that troubled region. The alliance stands ready to

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    provide further assistance to the AU--African Union force.
        Each of these missions underscores the changing nature of the NATO
    alliance. See, NATO is no longer a static alliance focused on defending
    Europe from a Soviet tank invasion. It is now an expeditionary alliance
    that is sending its forces across the world to help secure a future of
    freedom and peace for millions.
        To meet the missions of the 21st century, NATO needs 21st-century
    capabilities. So over the past 7 years, we've taken decisive action to
    transform the capabilities of this alliance. We created a new NATO
    transformation command to ensure that NATO is preparing for the threats
    of the future. We created a new NATO Response Force to ensure that our
    alliance can deploy rapidly and effectively anywhere in the world. We
    launched a new Strategic Airlift Initiative to ensure that NATO members
    have a dedicated fleet of aircraft their forces need to deploy and
    sustain themselves over great distances. We've created a new NATO
    special operations coordinator--coordination center in Belgium to
    increase the interoperability and effectiveness of our special forces.
        One of the most important steps we can take is--to protect our
    citizens is the deployment of new capabilities to defend against a
    ballistic missile attack. On 9/11, we saw the damage our enemies could
    do by hijacking planes loaded with jet fuel, turning them into missiles,
    and using them to strike innocent people. Today, dangerous regimes are
    pursuing far more powerful capabilities and building ballistic missiles
    that could allow them to deliver the world's most dangerous weapons to
    capitals of free nations.
        To defend against this emerging threat, the United States has
    deployed missile defenses in the Pacific that can protect against
    threats emanating from Northeast Asia. And we're now deploying elements
    of this system to Europe, so we can defend against possible attacks
    emanating from the Middle East.
        The need for missile defense in Europe is real, and in my opinion,
    it is urgent. Iran is pursuing technology that could be used to produce
    nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles of increasing range that could
    deliver them. In 2006, Iran conducted military exercises in which it
    launched ballistic missiles capable of striking Israel and Turkey.
    Iranian officials have declared that they are developing missiles with a
    range of 1,200 miles, which would give them the capability to reach us
    right here in Romania. Our intelligence community assesses that, with
    continued foreign assistance, Iran could test an intercontinental
    ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States and all of
    Europe if it should choose to do so.
        Today, we have no way to defend Europe against such an emerging
    threat, so we must deploy ballistic missile defenses that can help
    protect. The United States is working with Poland and the Czech Republic
    to deploy a system that could defend countries in Europe from a limited,
    long-range attack from the Middle East. We're working with NATO on
    developing allied capabilities to defend against short- and medium-range
    attacks from the Middle East. And as we do so, we're inviting Russia to
    join us in this cooperative effort, so as to be able to defend Russia,
    Europe, and the United States against an emerging threat that could
    affect us all.
        President Putin has raised the
    possibility of using radar facilities in Azerbaijan and southern Russia.
    We believe these sites could be included as part of a wider threat-
    monitoring system that could lead to an unprecedented level of strategic
    cooperation between Russia and the NATO alliance. We can only imagine
    the devastation that would be caused by a ballistic missile attack on
    one of our cities. So I believe strongly we have a responsibility to
    work together to ensure that such attack never comes to pass.

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        This week, President Putin is planning
    to attend his first NATO summit, and later this week, I plan to travel
    to Sochi, Russia, for further talks on this and other matters. In our
    discussions, I will reiterate that the missile defense capabilities we
    are developing are not designed to defend against Russia, just as the
    new NATO we are building is not designed to defend against Russia. The
    cold war is over. Russia is not our enemy. We're working toward a new
    security relationship with Russia, whose foundation does not rest on the
    prospect of mutual annihilation.
        In Warsaw 7 years ago, I said that the Europe we envision must be
    open to Russia. During my Presidency, we've acted to make that vision a
    reality. With our allies, we created the NATO-Russia Council to
    facilitate greater cooperation between Russia and the Atlantic alliance.
    The United States and Russia signed the Moscow Treaty, which commits our
    two nations to historic reductions in our operationally deployed
    strategic nuclear warheads. And as we look to the future, I believe we
    can build strong relations with Russia and a strong NATO alliance at the
    same time.
        Building a strong NATO alliance also requires a strong European
    defense capability. So at this summit, I will encourage our European
    partners to increase their defense investments to support both NATO and
    EU operations. America believes if Europeans invest in their own
    defense, they will also be stronger and more capable when we deploy
    together.
        I have confidence that NATO is ready for the challenges of the 21st
    century because I have confidence in the courage of allies like Romania.
    The Romanian people have seen evil in their midst, and they've seen evil
    defeated. They value freedom because they've lived without it. And this
    hard experience has inspired them to fight and sacrifice for the liberty
    of others.
        This is precisely what Romanian forces are doing on behalf of this
    alliance. We see their courage in soldiers like Second Lieutenant Aurel
    Marcu of Romania's 33d Mountain Battalion. Last fall, Aurel's unit was
    in Afghanistan when it got word that an American soldiers--American
    soldiers from the Arizona National Guard had been struck by a roadside
    bomb. Several were injured, one of them fatally. Aurel and his comrades
    swung into action and responded to the call for assistance. As his unit
    sped to the scene of the attack, Aurel's vehicle was struck by a second
    roadside bomb, killing him instantly. Aurel gave his life rushing to the
    aid of wounded American soldiers. His example and his valor are an
    inspiration to all of us. I very much appreciate his wife joining us today, and I want her to know that she and
    her family have the gratitude and the respect and the prayers of the
    American people.
        Our troops are proud to fight alongside allies like this. We
    appreciate courage. We appreciate people who love freedom. We appreciate
    people who understand freedom will yield the peace that we all want. We
    value our friendship with Romania, and we value the Atlantic alliance
    that we share. America is united with our European allies by ties of
    blood that our soldiers have shed together. We're united by ties of
    conviction, a shared belief that every human life is precious and
    endowed by our Creator with dignity and worth. We're united by ties of
    liberty and by an abiding faith in the power of freedom to change the
    course of history. Strengthened by these convictions, tested in battle,
    and confident in our future, this great alliance for freedom is ready
    for all that will come.
        Thank you for your time. God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 8:45 a.m. at the Casa de Economii si
    Consemnatiuni. In his remarks, he referred to former Presidents Ion
    Iliescu and Emil Constantinescu of
    Romania; President Valdis Zatlers of Latvia and his wife Lilita Zatlere;
    Radu Gratian Ghetea, president, Casa de Economii si Consemnatiuni; Usama
    bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaida terrorist organization; President

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    Nicolas Sarkozy of France; Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of Iraq;
    President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia; and Aurelia Marcu, wife of
    Romanian Army 2d Lt. Aurel Marcu, who was killed in Afghanistan on
    September 6, 2007.