    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [December 14, 2008]
    [Pages 1449-1452]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to Military Personnel at Camp Victory in Baghdad
    December 14, 2008

        Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
        The President. There you go. Thank you for coming out to say hello.
    General, thank you for the introduction;
    I am honored to be at Camp Victory.
        Audience members. Hooah!
        The President. Laura and I have been having a
    lot of Christmas parties at the White House, so I thought it would be
    kind of neat to change the scenery.
        I would rather be with the men and women of the United States
    military than with anybody else.

    [[Page 1450]]

        So, as you can see, I decided to fly over, and in the spirit of the
    season we renamed Air Force One to ``Rudolph One.''
        Thanks for coming. I bring greetings from a proud and grateful
    nation. Merry Christmas to you, happy holidays. Congratulations on your
    inspiring accomplishments here in Iraq. And above all, thank you very
    much for volunteering to defend our country in a time of danger.
        This is a time of year to give thanks for our many blessings. And
    the greatest blessing we have is freedom and the fact that we've got a
    United States military to defend that freedom.
        So, General, thank you very much for
    your leadership. I'm proud to be with you again. I appreciate the
    leadership of General Austin as well.
    Ambassador Crocker and Christine are with us today. I had the pleasure of meeting
    Sergeant--Command Sergeant Major Lawrence Wilson, Command Sergeant Major Joe Allen, Major General Hammond----
        Audience members. Hooah!
        The President. Put it together for Hammond. [Laughter]
        Audience members. Hooah!
        The President. Command Sergeant Major
    Gioia----
        Audience members. Hooah!
        The President. There you go. Major General Oates. Have you ever heard of--how about, have you ever
    heard of a guy named Redmore?
        Audience members. Hooah!
        The President. There you go. Thanks for coming out. I am thrilled to
    be here with the diplomats and Embassy personnel that are so critical to
    our success.
        I want to thank the Iraqi citizens who are here with us today. I
    appreciate your courage. I know there are members of the coalition who
    are here with us. There have been a lot of troops from around the world
    who have come to help this young democracy survive and thrive. And so I
    want to thank the citizens of those country and the troops who have
    served here before us.
        This is my fourth trip to Iraq, and you've probably heard I'm
    heading into retirement--[laughter]--so it's going to be my last trip as
    the President. But thanks to you, the Iraq we stand in tonight is
    dramatically freer, dramatically safer, and dramatically better than the
    Iraq we found 8 years ago.
        And as a result of the sacrifices of our troops, America is safer,
    and America is more secure.
        I want to take you back to what life was like 8 years ago here in
    Iraq. Iraq had a record of supporting terror, a record of developing and
    using weapons of mass destruction, was routinely firing at American
    military personnel, systematically violating United Nations resolutions.
    Life for the Iraqi people was a nightmare, with Saddam Hussein torturing
    and murdering anyone who did not support his repressive rule. Iraq was a
    sworn enemy of the United States at the heart of the Middle East; the
    region was a serious threat to us.
        After the attacks of September the 11th, 2001, America concluded we
    could not tolerate a regime like this in a pivotal region of the world.
    I gave Saddam Hussein a chance to peacefully resolve the question as to
    whether or not he had weapons of mass destruction. You might remember, I
    went to the United Nations, where the--that body said, ``Disarm,
    disclose, or face serious consequence.'' It was his choice to make, and
    he made the wrong choice. And so the United States military, with a vast
    coalition, removed this man from power, and the world is better off for
    it.
        Audience members. Hooah! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
        The President. I doubt in his worst nightmares, he ever would have
    dreamt that we'd be standing in one of his palaces.
        Thanks to you, 25 million Iraqis are free. Thanks to you, Iraq is no
    longer sponsoring terror, it is fighting terror. It's making American
    people safer as a result.
        The enemies of freedom in Iraq are determined, and this fight has
    been tough.

    [[Page 1451]]

    Two years ago, the situation had grown dire, the political process was
    frozen, and sectarian violence was spiraling out of control. Some of you
    were here then. Many said the mission was hopeless; many called for
    retreat. Retreat would have meant failure, and failure is never an
    option.
        So instead of pulling troops out, we sent more troops in, called the
    surge. And because of you and because of your courage, the surge is one
    of the greatest successes in the history of the United States military.
        Terrorists who once held safe havens across the country are being
    driven out of their strongholds. The political process that was once
    stalled is moving forward. Iraqi citizens once afraid to leave their
    homes are going back to school and shopping in markets and leading a
    more normal life. And American troops are returning home because of
    success.
        The dramatic turnaround you led in Iraq culminated in two agreements
    completed last month, which the Prime Minister and I affirmed in a ceremony earlier today.
        These agreements formalize the ties between our two democracies in
    areas ranging from security and diplomacy to culture and trade. These
    agreements show the way forward toward a historic day, when American
    forces withdraw from a democratic and successful Iraq and the war in
    this land is won.
        There's more hard work to do before we reach that day. But if there
    is any--but if there is no doubt--but there is no doubt in my mind,
    there's just no doubt that we're going to reach that day. I am confident
    because our cause is just and freedom is universal. I'm confident
    because the Iraqi people are showing unshakable determination and
    courage.
        And above all, I am confident because I know the character and the
    strength of those who wear the uniform of the United States military.
        Over the past 5 years, you have shown the world some unmistakable
    truths. You have shown that when America is tested, we rise to meet the
    test. You have shown that the desire for freedom is more powerful than
    the intimidation of terrorists. You have shown that there is no task too
    difficult for the United States military.
        And so I have a message for you and all who serve our country: I
    want to thank you for making the noble choice to serve and to protect
    your fellow Americans. Sometimes it can be hard to tell when history is
    being made, particularly if you're in the middle of the action. What
    you're doing in Iraq is as important and courageous and selfless as what
    American troops did in places like Normandy and Iwo Jima and Korea. Your
    generation is every bit as great as any that came before it. And the
    work you do every day will shape history for generations to come.
        I guess what I'm telling you is, your grandchildren some day are
    going to say, ``Thank God you showed up and served.''
        America now has a strong friend and a partner in the fight against
    extremism in the heart of the Middle East, and that is historic.
        People across this troubled region of the world now have an example
    for a more hopeful path, a model of liberty that can prevail over
    tyranny and terror. Killers who wanted to take the lives of Americans
    back home have been brought to justice before they reached our shores.
        Because of you all who worked to protect this Nation--and all who
    work to protect the Nation--America has done something many said was
    impossible: We have gone 7 years without a terrorist attack.
        We think of those who have laid down their lives for freedom here in
    Iraq. Their children are growing up without a mom or a dad. But all
    the--of our children are growing up with something else: the promise of
    a safer America and a better world. And that is the lasting memorial of
    all who have sacrificed here in Iraq. And thanks to you, that memorial
    will be achieved, and their sacrifice will not be in vain.

    [[Page 1452]]

        We think of your comrades who have been wounded. And this Nation
    pledges that we will give them all the care and all the support they
    need to recover.
        We think of all your families back home. I know many of you have a
    sweetheart who misses you, or a daughter who longs for her dad, or a mom
    who worries about you day and night. For many of you, it won't be your
    first holiday away, and that certainly doesn't make it easier. So I'm
    going to give you an order: When you get out of here, call home or e-
    mail home, you tell your families you love them, and you tell the
    Commander in Chief came by to thank them for their sacrifice along with
    yours.
        Audience members. Hooah!
        The President. Thanks for coming by to let me say hello. Thanks for
    serving the United States of America. They ask me what I'm going to miss
    as the President. I'll tell you what I'm going to miss: being the
    Commander in Chief of such a fabulous group of folks. May God bless you,
    and God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:10 p.m. at Al Faw Palace. In his
    remarks, he referred to Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, USA, commanding
    general, Multi-National Force--Iraq, who introduced the President; Lt.
    Gen. Lloyd Austin, USA, commander, Multi-National Corps--Iraq; Christine
    Barnes, wife of U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker; Command Sgt.
    Maj. Lawrence Wilson, USA, Multi-National Force--Iraq; Command Sgt. Maj.
    Joseph R. Allen, USA, Multi-National Corps--Iraq; Maj. Gen. Jeffery
    Hammond, USA, commander, Multi-National Division--Baghdad and 4th
    Infantry Division; Command Sgt. Maj. John S. Gioia, USA, Multi-National
    Division--Baghdad and 4th Infantry Division; Command Sgt. Maj. James W.
    Redmore, USA, Multi-National Division--Center; Maj. Gen. Michael Oates,
    USA, commander, Multi-National Division--Center; and Prime Minister Nuri
    al-Maliki of Iraq.