[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 8 (Monday, February 23, 2004)]
[Pages 244-247]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to Military Personnel at Fort Polk, Louisiana

February 17, 2004

    Thank you all. What a week, first NASCAR and today Fort Polk, 
Louisiana. Thank you for the warm welcome. It is an honor to be here 
with the soldiers and families of Fort Polk. This post is home to some 
of the Army's oldest and finest units. All of you are living up to the 
motto of our 2d Armored Calvary Regiment, ``Always ready.''
    The 2d Calvary is now deployed in Iraq. So is the mighty Warrior 
Brigade from Fort Polk. This post has long been vital to the defense of 
America, and today, the men and women of Fort Polk are serving with 
skill and bravery in the war on terror. Since our Nation was attacked on 
September the 11th, 2001, this post has trained and deployed more than 
10,000 troops to fight the terrorist enemy. The JRTC Operations Group is 
providing superb training for America's soldiers. And with people like 
you in the fight against terror, there is no doubt that the enemy will 
be defeated and freedom will prevail.
    In the war, America depends on our military to meet the dangers 
abroad and to keep our country safe. The American people appreciate this 
sacrifice, and our Government owes you more than gratitude. We must 
always make sure that America's soldiers are well-equipped and well-
trained to fight this war on terror.
    Every person in uniform also depends on the faithful support of 
their family. Military families have faced many hardships in this time 
of testing, and you have faced them together. Every military 
installation is a strong and caring community. You look out for each 
other. You accept the sacrifices of service to America. And I want you 
to know, our whole Nation is grateful to our military families.
    I appreciate General Kamiya for his introduction. When I was walking 
here from Marine One, somebody told me he just got promoted. 
Congratulations, General. Les Brownlee, the Acting Secretary of the 
Army, is with us. General Pete Schoomaker, who is the Army Chief of 
Staff, is with us today. General, thank you for coming. General Ellis, I 
appreciate you being here. Colonel Woolfrey, Command Sergeant Major 
Christian; Command Sergeant Major Savusa is with us, as well. I'm 
honored that you men are here.
    Today I had the privilege of traveling with Senator Mary Landrieu 
from the State of Louisiana, Congressman David Vitter, and Congressman 
Rodney Alexander. I want to thank all the State and local officials who 
are with us today. I appreciate so very much Kevin Sharp and John Berry 
for taking time out to provide the entertainment for the troops and 
families today.
    I just met Margie Nobles. Margie volunteered more than 1,400 hours 
helping families of soldiers during their transition to Fort Polk and 
during times of deployment. People often talk about the strength of 
America being our military, and it is strong, and I intend to keep it 
that way. But the real strength of the country lies in the hearts and 
souls of our citizens, people like Margie who are willing to help 
somebody who hurts, people who are willing to take time out of their 
busy lives to love a neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourself. 
For those of you who are soldiers in the army of compassion, I want to 
thank you for your service to your community and to your country.
    The Fort Polk community is also home to thousands of veterans and 
retired military. Our veterans defended our Nation and

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served the cause of freedom in the great struggles of the 20th century. 
Many veterans from the area are with us today, and we honor your 
faithful service to America.
    Our service men and women today follow in a great tradition of 
achievement and courage. You're living up to that tradition in hard 
missions and decisive victories. This generation of our military has 
been called to duty to fight and to win the first war of the 21st 
century.
    The struggle began on a September morning, when terrorists murdered 
thousands of our fellow citizens. We saw the violence and grief that 
terrorists can inflict. We had a glimpse of a far worse harm that the 
terrorists intend for us. And on behalf of this Nation, I made a pledge: 
Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to our enemies, 
justice will be done.
    Life in America in many ways has returned to normal, and that's a 
good thing. And I want every American to know that I understand my job 
as your President. I have a duty to protect the American people, and my 
resolve is the same today as it was on the morning of September the 
12th, 2001. My resolve is the same as it was on the day when I walked in 
the rubble of the Twin Towers. I will not relent until this threat to 
America is removed, and neither will you.
    In the past 29 months, many terrorists have learned the meaning of 
justice. Nearly two-thirds of Al Qaida's known leaders have been 
captured or otherwise dealt with. The terrorists are on the run, with 
good reason to fear what the night might bring. Thousands of very 
skilled and determined military personnel are on an international 
manhunt, going after the remaining killers who hide in caves and in 
cities. When they attacked our country, the terrorists chose their own 
fate, and they are meeting that fate, one by one.
    Success in the war on terror also requires that we confront regimes 
that might arm terrorists with the ultimate weapon. There's no greater 
danger before this Nation and humanity than the possibility of secret 
and sudden attack with a nuclear or chemical or biological weapon. We 
must confront this danger with open eyes and unbending purpose. I've 
made clear the policy of this country: America will not permit 
terrorists and dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most 
deadly weapons.
    With good allies at our side, we have shown this resolve in decisive 
action to liberate two nations once ruled by terror regimes. The first 
to see our determination were the Taliban, who made Afghanistan the 
primary base of Al Qaida. That was where the training camps operated. 
That is where the attacks of September the 11th were conceived. And 
that's where we first took the fight to the enemy.
    Two years after we liberated Afghanistan, our troops continue to 
face danger. Our coalition is leading aggressive raids to rout out 
surviving members of the Taliban and Al Qaida. The new Afghan army is 
adding to the stability of that country. Afghanistan still has 
challenges, but that nation is a world away from the nightmare of the 
Taliban.
    As of last month, Afghanistan has a new constitution, guaranteeing 
free elections and full participation by women. Businesses are opening, 
health care centers are being established, and the children of 
Afghanistan are back in school--boys and girls. The people of 
Afghanistan are building a nation that is free, that is proud, and that 
is fighting terror. And America is honored to be their friend.
    The former regime in Iraq also witnessed America's resolve to 
confront dangers before they fully materialize. My administration looked 
at the intelligence information, and we saw a danger. Members of 
Congress looked at the same intelligence, and they saw a danger. The 
United Nations Security Council looked at the intelligence, and it saw a 
danger. We reached a reasonable conclusion that Saddam Hussein was a 
danger. We remembered his history. He waged aggressive wars against 
neighboring countries and aspired to dominate the Middle East. He 
cultivated ties to terrorists. He built weapons of mass destruction. He 
used weapons of mass destruction against his own people. He hid those 
weapons.
    In 1998, the President and the Congress made it the policy of the 
United States to change the regime in Iraq. In September of 2001, 
America made a decision: We will not live in the shadow of gathering 
threats. In 2003, after 12 years of deception by Saddam

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Hussein, he was given one final chance. The U.N. Security Council 
demanded a full accounting of his weapons programs or face serious 
consequences. Saddam Hussein chose defiance. And we had a choice of our 
own: Either take the word of a madman, or take action to defend America 
and the world. Faced with that choice, I will defend America every time.
    Having broken the Ba'athist regime in Iraq, we face a remnant of 
violent Saddam supporters. Men who ran away from our troops in battle 
are now dispersed and attack from the shadows. These killers are joined 
by foreign terrorists. Recently in Iraq, we intercepted a letter sent by 
a terrorist named Zarqawi, a man well-known to our intelligence 
services. Zarqawi operated in and out of Saddam Hussein's Iraq. He 
ordered the murder of an American diplomat in Jordan. He fought against 
our troops in Afghanistan. And now, in a letter we intercepted, Zarqawi 
is urging Al Qaida members to wage terrorist war on our coalition in 
Iraq.
    In the document, Zarqawi describes the terrorists' strategy. He lays 
it all out: To tear the country apart with ethnic violence; to undermine 
Iraqi security forces; to demoralize our coalition; to prevent the rise 
of a sovereign democratic government. This terrorist outlines his 
efforts to recruit and train suicide bombers. He boasts of 25 attacks on 
innocent Iraqis and coalition personnel.
    Zarqawi and men like him have made Iraq the central front in our war 
on terror. The terrorists know that the emergence of a free Iraq will be 
a major blow against the worldwide terrorist movement. And in this, they 
are correct. But we've seen this enemy before, and we know how to deal 
with them. Fighting alongside the people of Afghanistan, we are 
defeating the terrorists in that country. And fighting alongside the 
people of Iraq, we will defeat the terrorists there as well. Iraq, like 
Afghanistan, will be free.
    We're making good progress against these enemies, by staying on the 
offensive, with hundreds of patrols and swift and precision raids every 
single day. Thanks to our military, thanks to our brave soldiers, Iraq's 
citizens do not have to fear the dictator's secret police or ending up 
in a mass grave. The torture chambers are closed. Of the top 55 
officials of the former regime, we have captured or killed 46. And as 
for the once all-powerful ruler of Iraq, we found him hiding in a hole.
    At the same time, we're helping Iraqis make daily progress toward 
democracy. A year ago, Iraq's only law was the whim of one brutal man. 
Today, our coalition is working with the Iraqi Governing Council to 
draft a basic law with a bill of rights. But we're now working with 
Iraqis and the United Nations to prepare for a transition to full Iraqi 
sovereignty. As democracy takes hold in Iraq, the enemies of freedom 
will do all in their power to spread violence and fear. They're trying 
to shake the will of our country and our friends. But they don't 
understand America. They don't understand the nature of our troops. This 
country and our military will never be intimidated by a bunch of thugs 
and assassins.
    It is the nature of terrorism that a few evil people can bring grief 
to many. Here in the Fort Polk community, you have sent brave men and 
women to confront this evil, and you have said farewell to some of your 
best. One of them was Private First Class Rey David Cuervo, who was 
killed in Baghdad. Private Cuervo was born in Mexico and is one of 
several noncitizens in the military who have given their lives in the 
defense of America. At my direction, each of them has been posthumously 
granted a title to which they have brought great honor: Citizen of the 
United States.
    Last month, PFC Cuervo was laid to rest under a marker with these 
words: ``All gave some, and some gave all.'' We do not take freedom for 
granted in America, and we do not take for granted the courage of those 
who face the danger and do the fighting. May God comfort the families of 
the lost. May He keep this Nation always grateful for their sacrifice.
    All the men and women we have sent to Iraq and Afghanistan have 
given vital service in the war on terror. By liberating these countries, 
we and our coalition have delivered more than 50 million people from 
cruel oppression. We've removed sources of violence and instability from 
the greater Middle East. We've removed from power enemies of this 
country. We have made America more secure.

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    We face a clear choice in the greater Middle East: Either freedom 
will advance, or that region will continue to export violence to the 
world. The work of building democracies in nations that have endured 
decades of tyranny is hard. It's hard work. It will require the kind of 
sustained commitment that won the cold war. We accept that duty. We 
accept that duty in our time because our cause is right.
    Even governments that did not join in the removal of Saddam's regime 
now understand that democracy in Iraq must succeed. And that work will 
succeed, because the appeal of freedom is universal. Freedom is not 
America's gift to the world. Freedom is the Almighty God's gift to every 
man and woman in this world.
    The will of this country is strong. The will of our coalition is 
strong. And what we have begun, we will finish.
    For all Americans, the last 3 years have brought tests we didn't ask 
for and for achievements shared by all. And by our actions, we have 
shown what kind of nation we are. We're a nation with a mission, and 
that mission comes from our most basic beliefs. We believe that freedom 
is the right of every single person in the world. By the unselfish 
dedication of Americans in uniform, people in our own country and in 
lands far away, people can live in freedom and know the peace that 
freedom brings.
    America has been given great responsibilities, and they have come to 
the right country. We don't shirk from any challenge. We're rising to 
the call of history. Now and in the future, this great Republic will 
lead the cause of freedom and peace.
    May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless our country. 
Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 12:37 p.m. at Fort Polk Army Airfield. In 
his remarks, he referred to Brig. Gen. Jason K. Kamiya, USA, commanding 
general, Col. Arthur ``Wade'' Woolfrey, Jr., USA, deputy commander, and 
Command Sgt. Maj. Iuniasolua T. Savusa, USA, Joint Readiness Training 
Center and Fort Polk; Gen. Larry R. Ellis, USA, commanding general, and 
Command Sgt. Maj. Carl E. Christian, USA, U.S. Army Forces Command; 
country music entertainers Kevin Sharp and John Berry; former President 
Saddam Hussein of Iraq; senior Al Qaida associate Abu Musab Al Zarqawi; 
and USAID officer Laurence Foley, who was killed in Amman, Jordan, on 
October 28, 2002. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a 
Spanish language transcript of these remarks.