[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 17 (Monday, April 28, 2003)]
[Pages 468-472]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to Employees at the Army Tank Plant in Lima, Ohio

April 24, 2003

    Thank you for the warm welcome. It's great to be in Lima. It is 
great to be with the hardworking people, the incredibly skilled workers 
of the Lima Army Tank Plant.
    I want to thank you for greeting me. I want to thank you for giving 
me a chance to come and talk to you about two things that are on my 
mind. The first thing I want to talk about is making sure that people in 
this country who want to work can find a job.
    We've been through some tough times here in America. We've had a 
recession, and then we had an enemy attack us. Then we attacked back. 
There's been the uncertainty, uncertainty of war hanging over our heads. 
Then we had some of our corporate citizens forget what it means to be a 
responsible citizen, and they didn't tell the truth to employees and 
shareholders. And we had to deal with the corporate scandals that rocked 
the confidence of America.
    But in spite of that, our economy is growing. In spite of that, 
we're the best economy in the industrialized world. But we're not 
growing fast enough. I don't like it when I hear stories about our 
fellow Americans looking for work and can't find a job. And therefore, I 
sent the Congress a package that will encourage economic vitality and 
job growth, a package that starts with this concept, that we need more 
demand for goods and services so our people can find work. And the best 
way to encourage demand for goods and

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services is, let the people keep their hard-earned money in the first 
place.
    I put out a plan that says that a family of four making $40,000 a 
year will have their taxes reduced from about $1,100 to $50. That's 
1,000 more dollars in their pocket every year, so they can spend; they 
can save; they can invest the way they see fit.
    I start with understanding whose money we're talking about. We're 
not talking about the Government's money in Washington, DC, we're 
talking about your money. And the best way to get this economy started, 
the best way to make sure people can find work is have an economic 
stimulus package that focuses on jobs. And that's what I've sent to 
Congress. And for the sake of the American workers, Congress, when they 
get back from that Easter break, needs to pass a robust jobs-creation 
program.
    But I've also come here to talk about peace and security and 
freedom. And this is a good place to talk about it. This is a fine 
place, right here in Ohio, to talk about peace and security, because 
after all, it is in this facility that has provided the American 
military with the most effective armored vehicle in the history of 
warfare, the mighty Abrams tank.
    I'm here to thank you all for your service to our country and thank 
you for the vital contribution you have made to peace and freedom. You 
see, we're determined in this country to overcome the threat to our 
country, wherever they may gather. And each of you have had a part in 
this mission. Each of you are a part to making sure this country is 
strong enough to keep the peace.
    In the liberation of Iraq, we've applied powerful weapons, like the 
tank you build here, to strike our enemy with speed and precision. In 
the use of the Abrams tank, we have got a vehicle that is the most safe 
vehicle for our fighting personnel, precise enough to protect innocent 
life.
    Work is not done. There's still dangers and challenges to remain. 
But one thing is certain: Saddam Hussein is no longer in power. And 
thanks to the courage and might of our military, America is more secure 
today. And thanks to the courage and might of our military, the Iraqi 
people are free.
    I appreciate Lieutenant Colonel Walsh for letting me come. 
[Laughter] He didn't have any choice. [Laughter] I want to thank General 
Thompson. I want to thank your plant manager, Gary King. I want to thank 
the UAW local president, Jeff Monroe. I want to thank all the workers 
who are here.
    I want to thank you for bringing your families. I thank you for 
showing your families what you have done to help make history, to help 
make the world more peaceful. You tell your children, when they see the 
images of war on their TV sets, that we take the action we take and you 
build the products you build because we believe in peace in America. We 
understand we have an obligation to keep our nation secure. You build 
the weapons you build here because we love freedom in this country.
    I want to thank some elected officials who have come, your Governor 
and your Senator DeWine and Congressman Oxley. Remember I talked about 
how we had some citizens who forgot to be responsible citizens when it 
came to whether or not they told the truth on the books. We passed a 
bill called Sarbanes-Oxley that said, if you cook the books, you're 
going to be held to account. The Oxley of Sarbanes-Oxley is with us 
today. And I want to thank Mike Oxley for his good work on behalf of 
honest government.
    And Congressman Turner is with us and Congressman Gillmor and your 
mayor--your mayor, as well as local officials. Thank you all for coming. 
I'm honored to be here.
    You see, it's a chance for me to remind the people of this country 
that we're witnessing historic days in the cause of freedom. This is an 
historic moment. Just over a month ago, not all that long ago, a cruel 
dictator ruled a country, ruled Iraq by torture and fear. His regime was 
allied with terrorists, and the regime was armed with weapons of mass 
destruction. Today, that regime is no more.
    We have applied our might in the name of peace and in the name of 
freedom. That's why we applied our might. We gave our word that the 
threat from Iraq would be ended. And with the support of allies and 
because of the bravery of our Armed Forces, we have kept our word.
    Last year, one of the first preparations for possible war, one of 
the first parts of our planning for war, came when General

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Tommy Franks--from Midland, Texas, I want you to know--went to the same 
high school as First Lady Laura Bush did--who, by the way, sends her 
love and her best. Tommy Franks asked--one of the first requests in 
preparation for possible war was that we send 1,200 Abrams tanks to the 
theater. That was one of the first decisions that Tommy made. And when 
the war came, in the initial stages of that war, units equipped with 
Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles led the charge, were first in 
as we crossed into Iraq to free the people of that country.
    When our coalition met fierce resistance in An Nasiriyah and on the 
way up, south to north, our armored forces answered decisively. The 
tanks built right here in Lima, Ohio, charged through elements of the 
dictator's Republican Guards, led the forces of a liberation into the 
heart of Iraq, and rolled all the way into downtown Baghdad. Throughout 
the campaign, our enemy learned that when Abrams tanks are on the 
battlefield, America means business.
    Our edge in warfare comes, in part, from the American spirit of 
enterprise--no question about that--from great companies and great 
workers like you all. During the fighting in Iraq, tank commanders sent 
word that they needed better ways to protect the Abrams exhaust systems 
from enemy fire. During the battle, word came back from Iraq, right here 
to Lima. And so engineers and machinists, pipefitters and welders and 
packers and transportation specialists of this plant went straight to 
work. Within a week, you had a new part designed and manufactured, and 
the first kits to deal with that problem shipped to Iraq. When our 
soldiers and marines needed you most, when the pressure was on, you came 
through, and America is grateful.
    I understand that one welder here, Mark Springer, had a especially 
strong interest in completing the project, to making sure the Abrams 
were able to fulfill their mission. You see, his son Joshua is serving 
in Iraq as an Abrams tank commander. I thank Mark for his service. And 
the next time, Mark, you communicate with Josh, you tell him the 
Commander in Chief came to Lima to say how proud I am of his service and 
the others' service to our country.
    I've seen buttons with pictures of troops on the shirts of moms and 
dads and loved ones. I want to thank you all for your prayers for the 
safety of our troops. I want to thank you for your love of your 
children. They need to know, over there in combat, that people here at 
home love them. I want to thank you for your patience and just let you 
know they'll be home when the mission is complete.
    The mission is not complete. Our forces still face danger in Iraq. 
Our enemy is scattered, but they're still capable of doing harm. But 
we're not going to lose our focus. We're going to press on until the 
mission is complete.
    In any conflict, America's greatest single asset is the character of 
the men and women who wear our uniform. In Iraq, they have shown us once 
again that powerful weapons are a great advantage in modern warfare, but 
courage is still decisive. Some of the bravest have been lost to us and 
to their families. Some of the best have not returned home, and we will 
never forget their sacrifice.
    In Iraq, we are defending this Nation's security. After the attacks 
of September the 11th, 2001, we will not allow grave threats to go 
unopposed. We are now working to locate and destroy Iraq's weapons of 
mass destruction.
    Iraqis with firsthand knowledge of these programs, including several 
top officials who have come forward recently, some voluntarily--
[laughter]--others not--[laughter]--are beginning to cooperate, are 
beginning to let us know what the facts were on the ground. And that's 
important because the regime of Saddam Hussein spent years hiding and 
disguising his weapons. He tried to fool the United Nations, and did for 
12 years, by hiding these weapons. And so it's going to take time to 
find them. But we know he had them. And whether he destroyed them, moved 
them, or hid them, we're going to find out the truth. And one thing is 
for certain: Saddam Hussein no longer threatens America with weapons of 
mass destruction.
    We're not only in Iraq to protect our security; we're also showing 
that we value the lives and the liberty of the Iraqi people. We're 
pressing forward with the critical work

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of relief and reconstruction in that country. And the work will be 
difficult. You see, Iraq is recovering not just from weeks of conflict 
but from decades of totalitarian rule. The dictator built palaces in a 
country that needed hospitals. He spent money on illegal weapons, not on 
the education of the Iraqi children or food for the Iraqi people. 
Statues of the man have been pulled down, but the fear and suspicion he 
instilled in the people will take longer to pass away.
    Yet I have faith in the Iraqi people. They have the resources, the 
talent, and the desire to live in peace and freedom. And in the hard 
work of building a free Iraq, they will have a consistent friend in the 
United States of America.
    We have sent teams of people over to Iraq to make sure that they 
have adequate food. We're restoring electricity. We're making sure the 
hospitals are full of medicine and staffed with people to help the 
people of that country.
    I've sent a good man to help the Iraqi people, retired General Jay 
Garner--sent him to Iraq, and he arrived in Baghdad just this week. You 
see, it wasn't all that long ago that our tanks were in Baghdad. It may 
seem like a lot of time--there's a lot on our TV screens--but it wasn't 
all that long ago that the people got the first whiff of freedom. And 
now we've followed up with a team of people, headed by this man Garner 
who's got one overriding goal, to leave a free nation in the hands of a 
free people. That is our goal in Iraq.
    Our mission--besides removing the regime that threatened us, besides 
ending a place where the terrorists could find a friend, besides getting 
rid of weapons of mass destruction--our mission has been to bring a 
humanitarian aid and restore basic services and put this country Iraq on 
the road to self-government. And we'll stay as long as it takes to 
complete our mission. And then all our forces are going to leave Iraq 
and come home.
    And we're making progress. There's tangible, visible progress on the 
ground there in Iraq. Step by step, the citizens of that country are 
reclaiming their own country. They're identifying former officials who 
are guilty of crimes. That deck of cards seems to be getting complete 
over time. [Laughter] They're volunteering for citizens patrols to 
provide security in the cities. They're beginning to understand that 
they need to step up and be responsible citizens if they want to live in 
peace and a free society.
    Many Iraqis are now reviving religious rituals which were forbidden 
by the old regime. See, a free society honors religion. A free society 
is a society which believes in the freedom of religion. And many Iraqis 
are now speaking their mind in public. That's a good sign. [Laughter] 
That means a new day has come in Iraq. When Saddam was the dictator and 
you spoke your mind, he would cut out your tongue and leave you to bleed 
to death in a town square. No fooling. That's how he dealt with 
dissidents.
    Today in Iraq, there's discussion, debate, protest, all the 
hallmarks of liberty. [Laughter] The path to freedom may not always be 
neat and orderly, but it is the right of every person and every nation. 
This country believes that freedom is God's gift to every individual on 
the face of the Earth.
    Last week there was an historic gathering that occurred in the city 
of Al Nasiriyah, where Iraqis met openly and freely to discuss the 
future of their country. And out of that meeting came this declaration 
by the Iraqis that were there: Iraq must be democratic. And that's the 
goal, the commitment of the United States and our coalition partners: 
Iraq must be democratic. And as new Iraqi leaders begin to emerge, we'll 
work with them. One thing is certain: We will not impose a government on 
Iraq. We will help that nation build a government of, by, and for the 
Iraqi people.
    Our country and our good allies are working to create the conditions 
for lasting peace. We're aiding the advance of peace by seeking the 
advance of freedom. Free societies do not nurture bitterness or the 
ideologies of terror and murder. Free societies are founded on the 
belief that every life has equal value. Free societies--free societies 
turn creative gifts of men and women toward progress and the betterment 
of their own lives. American interests and American founding beliefs 
lead in the same direction. We stand for human liberty.

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    This past month has been a time of testing for our country. And the 
American people have responded with resolve and strength and optimism. 
Whatever challenges may come, we can be confident our Nation is strong; 
our purpose is firm; and our cause is just.
    Thank you for coming. May God bless you, and may God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 2:13 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to 
former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Lt. Col. Damon T. Walsh, USA, 
Army plant commander, and Gary King, plant manager, Lima Army Tank 
Plant; Maj. Gen. N. Ross Thompson III, USA, commander, U.S. Army Tank-
Automotive and Armaments Command; Jeff Monroe, president, UAW local 
2075; Gov. Bob Taft of Ohio; Mayor David J. Berger of Lima; Gen. Tommy 
R. Franks, USA, combatant commander, U.S. Central Command; and Lt. Gen. 
Jay Garner, USA (Ret.), Director, Office of Reconstruction and 
Humanitarian Assistance for Post-war Iraq, Department of Defense.