    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 25 (Monday, June 21, 2004)]
    [Pages 1084-1088]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida

    June 16, 2004

        Thanks for coming. Thanks for the warm welcome. It is great to be
    back in Florida with the fine men and women of MacDill Air Force Base.
    You know, I told my dad I was coming here today, and he suggested I drop
    in by parachute. [Laughter] I told him I thought I'd wait for my 80th
    birthday. [Laughter]
        With us today by satellite are American service men and women in
    Afghanistan and Iraq. You are stationed in faraway lands, but you're
    always in the thoughts of your fellow Americans. You face hard duty.
    You've endured the heat of the Persian Gulf and the harsh winters of
    Central Asia. You're serving with honor and pride. You're making our
    country safer, and your country is proud of you. Thank you for your
    service.
        I also know that we're on Armed Forces radio and TV. We're carried
    to the bases and ships around the world. Wherever your duty has taken
    you, I want you to know that you are a part of a great force for good in
    this world. The defense of our country, the security of our friends, and
    the peace of the world depend on you. Thank you for working hard and for
    bringing credit and honor to the United States military.
        I want to thank General Lance Smith and his wife, Linda. I want to
    thank General John Abizaid, who is not with us today, and his wife,
    Kathy. I want to thank General Doug Brown. I want to thank Colonel Brian
    Kelly and wife, Susan. I want to thank a member of my Cabinet who's
    traveled here, a veteran of the United States military, the Secretary
    for the Department of Veteran Affairs, Secretary Tony Principi.

    [[Page 1085]]

        Someday you'll be veterans. Our Government will honor our commitment
    to our veterans, past, present, and future.
        I want to thank Mayor Pam Iorio for being here today, the mayor of
    Tampa, Florida, and Mayor Rick Baker, the mayor of St. Petersburg,
    Florida. Thank you all for coming today. I'm honored you're here, and
    thank you for providing such important support for the men and women who
    wear our Nation's uniform.
        I want to thank my friends Darryl Worley and Mark Wills for being
    here today. These boys can sing.
        I know we've got people from the Tampa Bay Lightning here. It seems
    like it would be hard to skate on ice in this kind of weather.
    [Laughter] But I know the general manager, Jay Feaster, is with us, and
    John Tortorella, the coach, is with us. Congratulations on being champs.
        I just had the honor of meeting Master Sergeant Gina Carnesecchi on
    Air Force One. I'll tell you why I want to bring up Gina. She is a
    veteran of--she's been deployed, let me put it to you that way. She came
    back; she helped start Operation Lighthouse here at MacDill. It's a
    program to encourage troops and their families. She helps organize care
    packages and makes sure families are able to communicate with a loved
    one abroad. She's a volunteer. She serves our Nation as a master
    sergeant. In her spare time, she volunteers to help make somebody's life
    better.
        You see, the strength of America is the hearts and souls of the
    American people. The strength of this country is because we've got
    thousands of people from all walks of life who have heard the universal
    call to love a neighbor just like they would like to be loved
    themselves. For those of you who are helping to make somebody's life
    better, I thank you on behalf of a grateful nation.
        MacDill is the home of the U.S. Central Command. The Command was
    activated in the early 1980s. Back then, America needed CENTCOM to help
    protect our allies from aggression and to support the Afghan freedom
    fighters. Now, at the start of a new century, the men and women of
    CENTCOM have liberated two nations and have rescued more than 50 million
    people from tyranny. Today, your Nation is counting on you to ensure the
    defeat of terrorists, to secure America, and to advance freedom
    throughout the Middle East. That's our mission.
        I'm grateful to the fine men and women of the 6th Air Mobility Wing,
    which established the air bridge that got troops and supplies into the
    theaters of operations. Some of you deployed to Iraq with the 447th Air
    Expeditionary Group. Your job was to move cargo and passengers in and
    out of the Baghdad International Airport every day. Last Thanksgiving, I
    was one of those passengers, and I appreciated the on-time arrival.
        MacDill is also the headquarters for our quiet warriors, the United
    States Special Operations Command. It is the nature of Special Ops that
    many of your victories are unseen and must remain secret, but I know
    about them. [Laughter] Our Special Operations force are the worst
    nightmare of America's worst enemies, and you're making us proud.
        All who wear the uniform can know that America appreciates your
    service and your sacrifice. Our Government owes you more than gratitude.
    I made a commitment to the men and women of our military, a commitment
    to their loved ones: You will have the resources you need to fight and
    win the war on terror.
        Here at CENTCOM, the Coalition Village flies the flags of 65 nations
    that are doing their part in the war on terror. On behalf of our
    country, I thank all our friends and allies for serving with America in
    the cause of freedom.
        I last came to MacDill during the first week of Operation Iraqi
    Freedom. In that battle, we and our allies acted with speed and
    precision to destroy a brutal regime, while sparing innocent Iraqis. Our
    coalition showed the world, when we see a threat to America and our
    friends, we will take decisive action, and when we promise to act, we
    mean exactly what we say.
        Because America and our allies acted, one of the most brutal, evil
    regimes is gone forever. This was a regime that tortured children in
    front of their parents. This was a regime that used chemical weapons
    against whole villages. It gave cash rewards to families of suicide
    bombers. It sheltered terrorist groups. Iraq was a country in which
    millions

    [[Page 1086]]

    of people lived in fear and many thousands disappeared into mass graves.
    That was the life in Iraq for more than a generation, until the
    Americans arrived. Because America and our allies acted, an aggressive
    threat to the security of the Middle East and to the peace of the world
    is gone forever. America is safer because Saddam Hussein sits in a
    prison cell.
        When our forces were bringing down the dictator and his regime, I
    said here at MacDill that our work would not end with the liberation of
    Iraq. I pledged that we would help the Iraqi people to find the benefits
    and assume the duties of self-government. We're keeping our commitment.
        All of you understand that freedom in Iraq and freedom in
    Afghanistan have deadly and determined enemies. Our men and women in
    those countries are fighting freedom's enemies with skill and courage.
    You're showing great respect for the holy sites in those countries.
    You're helping to bring opportunity and security to nations that have
    known years of cruel oppression.
        These are difficult tasks, but they are essential tasks. By fighting
    the terrorists in distant lands, you are making sure your fellow
    citizens do not face them here at home. By helping the rise of democracy
    in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and throughout the world, you are giving people
    an alternative to bitterness and hatred, and that is essential to the
    peace of the world.
        Yesterday, President Karzai of Afghanistan came to the White House
    and to the U.S. Capitol and thanked the American people for helping to
    free his country and for being a friend to the Afghan people. The
    President of Iraq came to America last week and expressed his gratitude
    for the sacrifices of the American people and our troops. These two
    Presidents and the nations they serve know the character of the American
    Armed Forces. They're seeing the nature of your mission as well. We have
    come not to conquer but to liberate people, and we will stand with them
    until their freedom is secure.
        We're moving forward with our five-point plan for Iraqi self-
    government. We're handing over authority to a sovereign Iraqi
    government. We're encouraging more international support for Iraq's
    political transition. We're helping Iraqis take responsibility for their
    own security. We're continuing to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure, and
    we're helping Iraq move to free elections. A turning point will come 2
    weeks from today. On June the 30th, governing authority will be
    transferred to a fully sovereign interim government, the Coalition
    Provisional Authority will cease to exist, an American Embassy will open
    in Baghdad.

        Iraq's new leaders are rising to their responsibilities. Together
    with our coalition and the United Nations, they are working to prepare
    the way for national elections by next January. In July, Iraqis from
    every part of the country will gather for a national conference that
    will choose an interim national council to advise and support Prime
    Minister Alawi and his cabinet. The U.N. Security Council has voted
    unanimously to endorse the Iraqi interim government and the plan for
    Iraq's political transition. The Iraqi people are making steady
    progress, and we will not let thugs and killers stand in the way of a
    free and democratic Iraq.

        As Iraq gains self-government, it is essential that Iraq gain the
    means of self-defense. So we're now leading an international effort to
    help train Iraq's new security forces. There are now more than 200,000
    Iraqis on duty and in training in various branches of the Iraqi security
    forces. We're working to build and strengthen Iraqi chains of command.
    We've learned from our experiences, Iraqi soldiers naturally want to
    take orders from Iraqi officers. So we're helping to prepare a new
    generation of Iraqi military commanders who will lead the security
    forces of a free and sovereign Iraq.

        Those of you in Iraq are seeing results of your work. Iraqi police
    and Civil Defense Corps have recently captured several terrorists,
    including Umar Baziyani, a key lieutenant of the terrorist named
    Zarqawi. Recently, in Mosul, the Civil Defense Corps successfully
    repelled attacks on government buildings. The U.S. commander on the
    ground, Brigadier General Carter Ham, said the Iraqi forces stood
    strong. In Najaf, Iraqi police are now patrolling the streets. They're
    being greeted warmly by their fellow citizens.

    [[Page 1087]]

        You see, these brave Iraqis are stepping up. They're setting an
    example for their fellow citizens. They're staying in the fight, taking
    the battle to the terrorists and Saddam holdouts. They are securing a
    future of liberty and opportunity for their children and their
    grandchildren. And when the history of modern Iraq is written, the
    people of Iraq will know their freedom was finally secured by the
    courage and by the determination of Iraqi patriots.
        There are many challenges yet to come. We can expect more violence
    in the weeks and months ahead, but the future of a free Iraq is now
    coming into view. As the interim government assumes authority and Iraqi
    security forces defend their country, our coalition will play a
    supporting role. And this is an essential part of our strategy for
    success. Terrorists who attack a self-governing Iraq are showing us and
    the Iraqis who they really are. They're not fighting foreign forces.
    They're fighting the Iraqi people. They're not just enemies of America.
    They're enemies of democracy and hope. They're enemies of a peaceful
    future in Iraq. As Prime Minister Alawi of Iraq said last week, ``Anyone
    involved in these attacks is nothing more than a traitor to the cause of
    Iraq's freedom and the freedom of its people.'' He went on to say,
    ``These are not freedom fighters. These are terrorists and foreign
    fighters opposed to our very survival as a free state.''
        The Prime Minister and I share the same resolve: The traitors will
    be defeated. Their greatest fear is an Iraqi government of, by, and for
    the Iraqi people. And no matter what the terrorists plan, no matter what
    they attempt, a democratic, free Iraq is on the way.
        At the same time, our coalition is helping the Iraqi people to
    rebuild the basic infrastructure of their country. This is work that
    America has done before. I want you to remember this. In 1947, 2 years
    after the Nazi surrender, there was still starvation in Germany.
    Reconstruction seemed to be faltering. The Marshall plan had not yet
    begun. Soon Berlin would be blockaded on the orders of Joseph Stalin.
    Some questioned whether a free and stable Germany could emerge from the
    rubble.
        Fortunately, America and our allies were optimistic. They stood
    firm. We helped the German people overcome these challenges and resist
    the designs of the Soviet Union. We overcame many obstacles because we
    knew that the only hope for a secure America was a peaceful and
    democratic Europe. And because we persevered, because we had faith in
    our values, because we were strong in the face of adversity, Germany
    became the stable, successful, great nation that it is today.
        Fourteen months have passed since the fall of Baghdad, and today, in
    spite of terrorist insurgency, Iraq's economy is moving forward. Markets
    are beginning to thrive. New businesses have opened. A stable new
    currency is in place. Dozens of political parties are organizing.
    Hundreds of courts of law are opening across the country. Today in Iraq,
    more than 170 newspapers are being published, and I saw the other day
    that they've even got talk radio. I don't know if they've contacted Rush
    yet. [Laughter]
        Life is better in other ways for the people of Iraq. Electric power
    is being restored and is no longer being distributed based on loyalty to
    Saddam Hussein's regime. Our coalition has rehabilitated nearly 2,500
    schools, and over 1,200 more should be completed by the end of the year.
    All of Iraq's hospitals and most medical clinics are open and are
    serving the people. Since the liberation, the vast majority of Iraqi
    children under 5 years old have been vaccinated for polio, measles,
    tuberculosis, and other diseases. In the south of Iraq, our coalition is
    reflooding the wetlands that Saddam Hussein systematically drained to
    decimate the Marsh Arabs. We're bringing back a 5,000-year civilization
    to life.
        This summer will bring another milestone for our friends the Iraqis.
    Under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, members of the Iraqi national
    soccer team were imprisoned and tortured when they failed to perform.
    Last month, inspired by love of country rather than the fear of a
    dictator, the Iraqi team won an upset victory over Saudi Arabia and
    earned its first trip ever to compete in the Olympic Games. All
    countries gathered in Greece will be able to cheer for the athletes from
    a free Iraq.
        With each step forward on the path to self-government and self-
    reliance, the terrorists will grow more desperate and more violent. They
    see Iraqis taking their country back.

    [[Page 1088]]

    They see freedom taking root. The killers know they have no future in a
    free Iraq. They want America to abandon the mission and to break our
    word. So they're attacking our soldiers and free Iraqis. They're doing
    everything in their power to prevent the full transition to democracy.
    And we can expect more attacks in the coming few weeks, more car bombs,
    more suiciders, more attempts on the lives of Iraqi officials.
        But our coalition is standing firm. New Iraq's leaders are not
    intimidated. I will not yield, and neither will the leaders of Iraq. As
    the Iraqi President al-Yawr said last week, ``They will try to increase
    the incidents and the violence for a while, but we're committed; we're
    consistent; we are focused.''
        The terrorists will fail. They will fail because the Iraqi people
    will not accept a return to tyranny. The terrorists will fail because
    the resolve of America and our allies will not be shaken. And the
    terrorists will fail because courageous men and women like you are
    standing in their way.
        All who serve in the United States military--in Iraq, in
    Afghanistan, and at points across America and around the world--can take
    pride in the great work you have accepted. Your fellow citizens know
    that your work is not easy. The days are hot. Your mission is hard. Many
    of you have faced long deployments, sometimes longer than you expected.
    You've missed your families; your families miss you. Some of you have
    lost comrades, good men and women you will never forget, and America
    will never forget them either.
        You're sacrificing greatly for our country, and our country has
    needed that sacrifice. By standing for the cause of freedom, you're
    making the world more peaceful. By fighting terrorists abroad, you're
    making the American people more secure here at home. And by acting in
    the best traditions of duty and honor, you're making our country and
    your Commander in Chief incredibly proud.
        May God bless you. And may God continue to bless the United States.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:38 a.m. In his remarks, he referred to
    Gen. John P. Abizaid, USA, combatant commander, and Lt. Gen. Lance L.
    Smith, USAF, deputy commander, U.S. Central Command; Gen. Bryan D.
    ``Doug'' Brown, USA, commander, U.S. Special Operations Command; Col.
    Brian T. Kelly, USAF, commander, 6th Operations Group, MacDill Air Force
    Base; country music entertainers Darryl Worley and Mark Wills; President
    Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan; President Ghazi al-Ujayl al-Yawr and Prime
    Minister Ayad al-Alawi of the Iraqi interim government; senior Al Qaida
    associate Abu Musab Al Zarqawi and his lieutenant Umar Baziyani, who was
    captured in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 30; Brig. Gen. Carter F. Ham, USA,
    commander, Task Force Olympia; and talk radio show host Rush Limbaugh.