[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 20 (Monday, May 17, 2004)]
[Pages 849-851]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With the National Security Team and Military 
Leaders in Arlington, Virginia

May 10, 2004

    Mr. Secretary, thank you for your hospitality, and thank you for 
your leadership. You are courageously leading our Nation in the war 
against terror. You're doing a superb job. You are a strong Secretary of 
Defense, and our Nation owes you a debt of gratitude.
    I've just completed a meeting here at the Pentagon with members of 
my national security team as well as a meeting with generals on the 
ground in Iraq. We discussed the needs of our military personnel, the 
status of current operations in Iraq, and the progress of that nation 
towards security and sovereignty.
    The United States has a vital national interest in the success of 
free institutions in Iraq as the alternative to tyranny and terrorist 
violence in the Middle East. As we carry out this mission, we are 
confronting problems squarely, and we are making changes as needed.
    Our priorities, however, remain the same, the protection of our 
country, the security of our troops, and the spread of freedom 
throughout the world. Like other generations of Americans, we have 
accepted a difficult and historic task.
    We have made clear commitments before the world, and America will 
keep those commitments. First, we will take every necessary measure to 
assure the safety of American and coalition personnel and the security 
of Iraqi citizens. We're on the offensive against the killers and 
terrorists in that country, and we will stay on the offensive. In and 
around Fallujah, U.S. marines are maintaining pressure on Saddam 
loyalists and foreign fighters and other militants. We're keeping that 
pressure on to ensure that Fallujah ceases to be an enemy sanctuary. In 
northern sectors of the city, elements of the 1st Marine Expeditionary 
Force are prepared to strike at terrorist fighters and prevent a 
resurgence of violence and chaos. South of the city, the marines are 
disrupting enemy attacks on our supply routes and routing out 
anticoalition fighters.
    In the towns of Ramadi and Husabayah and Karmah, marines are on the 
offensive, conducting hundreds of patrols and raids every day. The enemy 
in Fallujah is hiding behind an innocent civilian population and 
calculating that our coalition's use of force will alienate ordinary 
Iraqis. Yet, every day our troops are responding with precision and 
discipline and restraint. We're taking every precaution to avoid hurting 
the innocent as we deliver justice to the guilty.
    We're helping to build Iraqi forces that can take responsibility for 
security, and our forces are also helping to ensure the delivery of 
humanitarian supplies to families that suffer as a result of the chaos 
in certain communities created by the terrorists and those who want to 
halt the advance of freedom. In Najaf, a major Shi'a population center 
and a holy site, our military is systematically dismantling an illegal 
militia that has attempted to incite violence and seize control. 
Soldiers from the 2nd Light Cavalry Regiment are conducting 
reconnaissance to learn the precise strength and location of enemy 
forces. The 1st Armored Division is steadily defeating these enemy 
forces while seeking to protect the people and holy sites of that city.
    Elements of this militia have been ejected from the Najaf Governor's 
office, and a legitimate Governor has been appointed. The people of 
Najaf and Shi'a leaders oppose the

[[Page 850]]

occupation by this illegal militia and are putting pressure on the 
militia to withdraw. We're encouraged to see more Iraqis take 
responsibility for resolving the standoff in Najaf.
    In all these ongoing operations, our troops continue to face serious 
danger, and this Government is giving them every means of protecting 
themselves and every means necessary to gain victory. We're fielding the 
most technologically advanced military forces ever assembled, forces 
that are agile and flexible, able to strike in darkness and in light.
    Supplying and protecting our forces in Iraq is a long-term 
responsibility, so I've asked Congress to provide an additional $25 
billion for a contingency reserve fund that can be used for ongoing 
operations in Iraq. I have pledged, as has the Secretary of Defense, to 
give our troops everything that is necessary to complete their mission 
with the utmost safety, and I urge Congress to join me in fulfilling 
this important commitment.
    Our military, from this building to the streets of Fallujah, is 
performing with exceptional skill and courage. They and their families 
are making tremendous sacrifices for the security of our Nation and for 
the freedom of others. And all the hardships and sacrifices are not 
behind us. Our Nation is caring for the wounded and grieving for the 
lost, praying for families who live in sorrow. We will always remember 
the ones who have died, and we will honor their sacrifice by completing 
the mission.
    Our second great commitment in Iraq is to transfer sovereignty to an 
Iraqi Government as quickly as possible. Decades of oppression destroyed 
every free institution in Iraq but not the desire to live in freedom. 
Like any proud country, the Iraqi people want their independence. The 
Iraqi people need to know that our coalition is fully committed to their 
independence, and we're fully committed to their national dignity. This 
is a reason the June 30th transfer of sovereignty is vital. The Iraqi 
people and men and women across the Middle East are watching closely, 
and they will see America keep its word.
    The United Nations special envoy, Mr. Brahimi, is now back in Iraq, 
consulting with diverse groups of Iraqis. In the next few weeks, 
important decisions will be made on the makeup of the interim 
government. As of June 30th, Iraq's interim government will assume 
duties now performed by the coalition such as providing water and 
electricity and health care and education. A key strategic goal of our 
coalition is to help build a new Iraqi army and civil defense corps and 
police force and facilities protection service and a border guard 
capable of defending and securing the country.
    Major General Dave Petraeus, who commanded the 101st Airborne in 
Iraq, has returned to oversee the training and equipping of these all-
Iraqi forces. Once constituted, they will protect a free Iraq from 
external aggression and internal subversion. Yet, the vital mission of 
our military in helping to provide security will continue on July 1st 
and beyond. Having brought freedom to Iraq, America will make sure that 
freedom succeeds in Iraq, a nation we will be proud to call a friend and 
partner in the pursuit of peace.
    Third, because America is committed to the equality and dignity of 
all people, there will be a full accounting for the cruel and 
disgraceful abuse of Iraqi detainees. The conduct that has come to light 
is an insult to the Iraqi people and an affront to the most basic 
standards of morality and decency. One basic difference between 
democracies and dictatorships is that free countries confront such 
abuses openly and directly.
    In January, shortly after reports of abuse became known to our 
military, an investigation was launched. Today, several formal 
investigations led by senior military officials are underway. Secretary 
Rumsfeld has appointed several former senior officials to review the 
investigations of these abuses. Some soldiers have already been charged, 
and those involved will answer for their conduct in an orderly and 
transparent process. We will honor rule of law. All prison operations in 
Iraq will be thoroughly reviewed to make certain that such offenses are 
not repeated.
    Those responsible for these abuses have caused harm that goes well 
beyond the walls of a prison. It has given some an excuse to question 
our cause and to cast doubt on our

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motives. Yet, who can doubt that Iraq is better for being free from one 
of the most bloodiest tyrants the world has ever known? Millions of 
Iraqis are grateful for the chance they have been given to live in 
freedom, a chance made possible by the courage and sacrifice of the 
United States military.
    We have great respect for the people of Iraq and for all Arab 
peoples, respect for their culture and for their history and for the 
contribution they can make to the world. We believe that democracy will 
allow these gifts to flourish, that freedom is the answer to 
hopelessness and terror, that a free Iraq will lead the way to a new and 
better Middle East, and that a free Iraq will make our country more 
secure.
    I understand the difficulty of the mission of our men and women in 
uniform. They're facing an enemy in sand and heat and blasting winds, 
often unable to tell friend from foe. I know how painful it is to see a 
small number dishonor the honorable cause in which so many are 
sacrificing. What took place in the Iraqi prison does not reflect the 
character of the more than 200,000 military personnel who have served in 
Iraq since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
    All Americans know the goodness and the character of the United 
States Armed Forces. No military in the history of the world has fought 
so hard and so often for the freedom of others. Today, our soldiers and 
sailors and airmen and marines are keeping terrorists across the world 
on the run. They're helping the people of Afghanistan and Iraq build 
democratic societies. They're defending America with unselfish courage. 
And these achievements have brought pride and credit to this Nation.
    I want our men and women in uniform to know that America is proud of 
you and that I'm honored to be your Commander in Chief.
    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 11:55 a.m. at the Pentagon. In his remarks, 
he referred to former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Adnan al-Zurufi, 
Governor of the Najaf province in Iraq; and Lakhdar Brahimi, Special 
Adviser to the U.N. Secretary-General.