[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 21 (Monday, May 26, 2003)]
[Pages 622-623]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

May 17, 2003

    Good morning. May 17th is Armed Forces Day, when America honors the 
men and women who serve in every branch of the service. Here in the Oval 
Office, I'm joined by some distinguished Americans, eight members of the 
military who fought bravely during the battle of Iraq. All of them were 
wounded in battle and are recovering from their injuries. All of them 
have earned the respect and the gratitude of our Nation.
    Americans are proud of every man and woman who has faced the risks 
of war in the cause of freedom. Many still face dangerous duty in Iraq 
and Afghanistan as they provide order and stability in liberated 
countries. Many are fighting on other fronts in the war against terror, 
and some brave Americans have given their lives to protect our country 
and to keep the peace. Our whole Nation honors their memory, and our 
thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones they left behind.
    The world has seen the tremendous capabilities of the United States 
military. With fine allies at their side, American soldiers and sailors, 
airmen, and marines used advanced technology to gain historic victories 
in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unmanned Predator aircraft carried out bombing 
missions deep behind enemy lines, keeping more of our pilots out of 
harm's way. Satellites high above the Earth, at any time of day or 
night, provided detailed images of individual targets and whole 
battlefields. At least two-thirds of the bombs used by coalition forces 
in Iraq were precision-guided by lasers or global positioning 
satellites, compared with just 13 percent of the bombs we used in the 
1991 Gulf war.
    For all the contributions of technology, however, the battles of 
Iraq and Afghanistan were won by the skill and courage of well-trained, 
highly motivated men and women. In the recent fighting, marines and 
soldiers charged to Baghdad across 350 miles of hostile ground in one of 
the swiftest advances of heavy arms in history. Pilots flew through 
blinding sandstorms; soldiers and marines ran into the face of gunfire, 
at times ignoring their own injuries to save wounded comrades. Special 
Operations forces conducted daring raids to seize airfields and missile 
launch sites. Every branch of the service worked in united purpose and 
displayed the highest standards of professionalism and honor.
    With the liberation of Iraq and Afghanistan, we have removed allies 
of Al Qaida, cut off sources of terrorist funding, and made certain that 
no terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from Saddam 
Hussein's regime.
    These two battles were important victories in the larger war on 
terror. Yet the terrorist attacks this week in Saudi Arabia, which 
killed innocent civilians from more than half a dozen countries, 
including our own, provide a stark reminder that the war on terror 
continues.

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    The enemies of freedom are not idle, and neither are we. Our 
Government is taking unprecedented measures to defend the homeland. And 
from Pakistan to the Philippines to the Horn of Africa, we are hunting 
down Al Qaida killers. So far, nearly one-half of Al Qaida's senior 
operatives have been captured or killed. And we will remain on the hunt 
until they are all brought to justice.
    This Nation accepts the responsibilities of keeping the peace. And 
the best way to keep the peace is to make sure that our military remains 
second to none. On this Armed Forces Day, we are grateful to all who 
serve and sacrifice as members of the United States Army, Navy, Coast 
Guard, Air Force, and Marines.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 1:55 p.m. on May 16 in the Cabinet 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on May 17. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
May 16 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. In his 
remarks, the President referred to former President Saddam Hussein of 
Iraq. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language 
transcript of this address.