[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 2 (Monday, January 16, 2006)]
[Pages 31-38]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to the Veterans of Foreign Wars

January 10, 2006

    Thank you all. Please be seated. Thanks for the warm welcome. It is 
an honor to stand with the men and women of the Veterans of Foreign 
Wars--again. This is one of America's great organizations. I appreciate 
the proud and patriotic work you do across America. Thanks for your hard 
work in our Nation's Capital to make sure our Government listens to the 
concerns of our veterans.
    Your members include veterans who served in World War II--I just 
happened to spend Christmas with one of your members--[laughter]--the 
Korean war, the Vietnam war, the Persian Gulf war, Panama, Bosnia, 
Kosovo, and many other operations. In the past 4 years, you've welcomed 
into your ranks new veterans who have defended liberty in places like 
Afghanistan and Iraq as a part of the global war on terror. No matter 
where you deployed or which century you wore the uniform, each of you 
stepped forward when America needed you most. And these days, first days 
of the year 2006, a grateful nation says, thank you for your service and 
the great example you set for today's men and women who wear the 
uniform.
    I want to thank the commander in chief of the VFW, Jim Mueller. I 
had the honor of welcoming him to the Oval Office the other day, where 
we discussed issues important to our Nation's veterans and issues 
important to our Nation's security. He's a clear thinker. He's a 
patriot. I appreciate the invitation, Jim.
    I'm also proud to be joined today by the Secretary of State, Condi 
Rice, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Jim 
Nicholson, Mr. Secretary.
    Two Members of the United States Congress, one Republican and one 
Democrat, have joined us. [Laughter] Americans' quest for freedom and 
peace is a bipartisan quest, and I'm honored that Senator Pat Roberts is 
with us and Congressman Adam Schiff. Thank you both for coming.
    Lieutenant General Bob Shea of the Joint Chiefs is with us today. As 
is my friend Lieutenant General Danny James, who was the Texas Adjutant 
General when I had the honor of being the commander in chief of the 
Texas Guard. [Laughter] Good to see you, Danny.
    To all those who wear the uniform who are here, I particularly want 
to pay my respects to those wounded soldiers from Walter Reed. Thanks 
for serving. I'm proud you're here. And I want to report to our fellow 
citizens that we've got a fantastic health care system for those who 
wear the uniform. Any man or woman wounded in combat is removed 
immediately from the battlefield into the best possible care. I want to 
thank those at Walter Reed, those healers and helpers--not only at 
Walter Reed but at Bethesda and Brooks, where I recently went--for the 
great compassion and great skill that they show in helping those who 
have been wounded on the battlefield. May God bless you all.
    As veterans and soon to be veterans, you have placed the Nation's 
security before your own lives. You took an oath to defend our flag and 
our freedom, and you kept that oath underseas and under fire. All of us 
who live in liberty live in your debt, and we must never forget the 
sacrifice and the service of our veterans.
    A new generation of Americans is carrying on your legacy, defending 
our Nation in another great struggle for freedom, the global war on 
terror. This war began with a sudden attack on September the 11th, 2001. 
That morning we saw the destruction our enemies intend for us, and we 
accepted new responsibilities. Like generations before us, we're

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taking the fight to those who attacked us and those who share their 
murderous vision for future attacks. Like generations before us, we have 
faced setbacks on the path to victory, yet we will fight this war with 
resolve and without wavering. And like generations before us, we will 
prevail.
    Like earlier struggles for freedom, the war on terror is being 
fought on many battlefronts. Yet the terrorists have made it clear that 
Iraq is the central front in their war against humanity. And so we must 
recognize Iraq as the central front in the war against the terrorists.
    Our goal in Iraq is victory. And in a series of speeches last 
December, I described the enemy we face in that country, our strategy to 
defeat them, and how we have adapted our tactics to meet changing 
conditions on the ground. Today I've come before you to discuss what the 
American people can expect to see in Iraq in the year ahead. We will see 
more tough fighting, and we will see more sacrifice in 2006 because the 
enemies of freedom in Iraq continue to sow violence and destruction. 
We'll also see more progress toward victory. Victory will come when the 
terrorists and Saddamists can no longer threaten Iraq's democracy. 
Victory will come when the Iraqi security forces can provide for the 
safety of their own citizens. Victory will come when Iraq is not a safe 
haven for terrorists to plot new attacks on our Nation.
    And when victory comes and democracy takes hold in Iraq, it will 
serve as a model for freedom in the broader Middle East. History has 
shown that free nations are peaceful nations. And by helping Iraqis 
build a lasting democracy, we spread the hope of liberty across a 
troubled region. We will gain new allies in the cause of freedom. By 
spreading democracy and freedom, we're laying the foundation of peace 
for generations to come.
    Our work in Iraq in 2006 will be focused on three critical areas. On 
the political side, we will help Iraqis consolidate the democratic gains 
they made last year and help them build democratic institutions, a 
unified government, and a lasting, free society. On the security side, 
we will stay on the offense against the terrorists and Saddamists. We 
will continue to strengthen the Iraqi security forces, with an emphasis 
on improving the capabilities of the Iraqi police, so that over the next 
12 months, Iraqi forces can take control of more territory from our 
coalition and take the lead in the fight. And on the economic side, we 
will continue reconstruction efforts and help Iraq's new Government 
implement difficult reforms that are necessary to build a modern economy 
and a better life.
    In all three aspects of our strategy--democracy and security and 
reconstruction--we're learning from our experiences, and we're fixing 
what hasn't worked. And in the year ahead, we will continue to make 
changes that will help us complete the mission and achieve the victory 
we all want.
    On the political side, we've witnessed a transformation in Iraq over 
the past 12 months that is virtually without precedent. Think back to a 
year ago. At this time last year, the Iraqi people had an appointed 
government, no elected legislature, no permanent constitution, and no 
recent experience with free national elections. Just one year later, 
they have completed three successful nationwide elections.
    Iraqis voted for a transitional government, drafted the most 
progressive, democratic Constitution in the Arab world, approved that 
Constitution in a national referendum, and elected a new Government 
under their new Constitution. Each successive election has seen less 
violence, bigger turnouts, and broader participation than the one 
before. One Iraqi voter in Tall `Afar described the December elections 
this way: ``We want democracy. This is our answer to the decades of 
slavery we had before.''
    When the final election results come in, Iraqi leaders will begin 
working to form a new Government. And in the weeks ahead, Americans will 
likely see a good deal of political turmoil in Iraq as different 
factions and leaders compete for position and jockey for power. Our top 
commander in the region, General John Abizaid, has said he expects the 
coming weeks to produce ``some of the hardest, bare-knuckle politics 
ever in the Arab world.'' We should welcome this for what it is--freedom 
in action.
    Dictatorships seem orderly--when one man makes all the decisions, 
there is no need for negotiation or compromise. Democracies are 
sometimes messy and seemingly chaotic,

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as different parties advance competing agendas and seek their share of 
political power. We've seen this throughout our own history. We've seen 
this in other democracies around the world. Yet out of the turmoil in 
Iraq, a free government will emerge that represents the will of the 
Iraqi people, instead of the will of one cruel dictator.
    Iraqis are undertaking this process with just a year's experience in 
democratic politics, and the legacy of three decades under one of the 
world's most brutal tyrannies still hangs over them. Many of the 
institutions and traditions we take for granted in America--from our 
party structures to our centuries' experience with peaceful transitions 
of power--are new to Iraq. So we shouldn't be surprised if Iraqis make 
some mistakes and face setbacks in their effort to build a Government 
that unites the Iraqi people.
    Despite the obstacles they face, Iraqis have shown they can come 
together for the sake of national unity. Think about what happened after 
the January 2005 elections, Shi'a and Kurdish leaders who did well at 
the polls reached out to Sunni Arabs who failed to participate, giving 
them posts in the Government and a role in fashioning the new 
Constitution. Now Iraqis must reach out once again across political and 
religious and sectarian lines and form a Government of national unity 
that gives voice to all Iraqis.
    Because Sunni Arabs participated in large numbers in the December 
elections, they will now have a bigger role in the new Parliament and 
more influence in Iraq's new Government. It's important that Sunnis who 
abandoned violence to join the political process now see the benefits of 
peaceful participation. Sunnis need to learn how to use their influence 
constructively in a democratic system to benefit their community and the 
country at large. And Shi'a and Kurds need to understand that successful 
free societies protect the rights of a minority against the tyranny of 
the majority.
    The promise of democracy begins with free elections and majority 
rule, but it is fulfilled by minority rights and equal justice and an 
inclusive society in which every person belongs. A country that divides 
into factions and dwells on old grievances cannot move forward and risks 
sliding back into tyranny. Compromise and consensus and power sharing 
are the only path to national unity and lasting democracy. And 
ultimately, the success of Iraqi democracy will come when political 
divisions in Iraq are driven not by sectarian rivalries but by ideas and 
convictions and a common vision for the future.
    When the new Iraqi Government assumes office, Iraq's new leaders 
will face some tough decisions on issues such as security and 
reconstruction and economic reform. Iraqi leaders will also have to 
review and possibly amend the Constitution to ensure that this historic 
document earns the broad support of all Iraqi communities. If the new 
Parliament approves amendments, these changes will be once again taken 
to the Iraqi people for their approval in a referendum before the end of 
the year. By taking these steps, Iraqi leaders will bring their nation 
together behind a strong democracy and help defeat the terrorists and 
the Saddamists.
    America and our coalition partners will stand with the Iraqi people 
during this period of transition. We will continue helping Iraqis build 
an impartial system of justice so they can replace the rule of fear with 
the rule of law. We'll help Iraqi leaders combat corruption by 
strengthening Iraq's Commission on Public Integrity so Iraqis can build 
a transparent, accountable government. And we will help Iraq's new 
leaders earn the confidence of their citizens by helping them build 
effective government ministries.
    It's especially important in the early months after Iraq's new 
Government takes hold, that its leaders demonstrate an ability to 
deliver measurable progress in the lives of the Iraqi people. So we will 
continue helping the new Government to develop their ministries to 
ensure they can lead effectively and produce real results for the Iraqi 
people.
    The foreign terrorists and Saddamists will continue to fight this 
progress by targeting the citizens and institutions and infrastructure 
of a free Iraq. An enemy that sends suicide bombers to kill mourners at 
a funeral procession is an enemy without conscience. These killers will 
stop at nothing to undermine the new Government, divide the Iraqi 
people, and try to break their will. Yet with the recent elections, the 
enemies of a free Iraq have suffered a real defeat. The

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Saddamists and rejectionists are finding themselves increasingly 
marginalized, as Sunni Arabs who once rejected the political process are 
now participating in the democratic life of their country.
    And as democracy takes hold in Iraq, the terrorists like Zarqawi and 
his Al Qaida associates are suffering major defeats. Zarqawi tried to 
stop the elections throughout the year 2005, and he failed. He tried to 
stop the writing and ratification of a new Constitution, and he failed. 
The advance of freedom is destroying his and Al Qaida's greatest myth: 
These terrorists are not fighting on behalf of the Iraqi people against 
a foreign occupation; they are fighting the will of the Iraqi people 
expressed in free elections.
    In the face of these thugs and terrorists and assassins, the Iraqi 
people have sent a clear message to the world: Iraqis will not cower 
before the killers, and the terrorists and regime loyalists are no match 
for the millions of Iraqis determined to live in liberty.
    As we help Iraqis strengthen their new Government, we're also 
helping them to defend their young democracy. We're going to train the 
security forces of a free Iraq. We have been doing so, and we will 
continue to do so in 2006. Last November, I described many of the 
changes we made over the past year to improve the training of the Iraqi 
Army and the police. And we saw the fruits of those changes during the 
December elections. Iraqi forces took the lead in the election security. 
They were in the lead; we were there to help. They protected over 6,000 
polling centers. They disrupted attacks, and they maintained order 
across the country.
    Thanks in large part to their courage and skill, the number of 
attacks during the elections declined dramatically compared with last 
January's vote. One Iraqi general put it this way on election day: ``All 
the time and money you have spent in training the Iraqi Army, you 
harvest it today.''
    The Iraqi security forces are growing in strength and in size, and 
they're earning the trust and confidence of the Iraqi people. And as 
Iraqis see their own countrymen defending them against the terrorists 
and Saddamists, they're beginning to step forward with needed 
intelligence. General Casey reports that the number of tips from Iraqis 
has grown from 400 in the month of March 2005 to over 4,700 last month 
and that some of the new intelligence is being passed by Iraqi civilians 
directly to Iraqi soldiers and police. Iraqis are gaining confidence 
that their security forces can defeat the enemy, and that confidence is 
producing the intelligence that is helping to turn the tide in freedom's 
way.
    There's more work to be done in the year ahead. Our commanders tell 
me that the Iraqi Army and police are increasingly able to take the lead 
in the fight. Yet the Iraqi police still lag behind the army in training 
and capabilities. And so one of our major goals in 2006 is to accelerate 
the training of the Iraqi police. We'll focus our efforts on improving 
the performance of three categories of the Iraqi police. First, we will 
work to improve the Special Police under the Ministry of the Interior, 
who are fighting alongside the Iraqi Army against the terrorists and 
Saddamists. Second, we will expand and strengthen the border police 
charged with securing Iraq's frontiers. And third, we will increase our 
focus on training local station police, so they can protect their 
communities from the criminals and the terrorists.
    The Interior Ministry's Special Police are the most capable of Iraq 
police forces. There are now about 19,000 Iraqi Special Police trained 
and equipped--which is near our goal for a complete force. Many of these 
Special Police forces are professional; they represent all aspects of 
society. But recently, some have been accused of committing abuses 
against Iraqi civilians. That's unacceptable. That's unacceptable to the 
United States Government; it's unacceptable to the Iraqi Government as 
well. And Iraqi leaders are committed to stopping these abuses. We must 
ensure that the police understand that their mission is to serve the 
cause of a free Iraq, not to address old grievances by taking justice 
into their own hands.
    To stop abuses and increase the professionalism of all the Iraqi 
Special Police units, we're making several adjustments in the way these 
forces are trained. We're working with the Iraqi Government to increase 
the training Iraqi Special Police receive in human rights and the rule 
of law. We're establishing a new Police Ethics and Leadership Institute

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in Baghdad that will help train Iraqi officers in the role of the police 
in a democratic system and establish clear lesson plans in professional 
ethics for all nine Iraqi police academies. To improve their capability, 
we will soon begin implementing a program that has been effective with 
the Iraqi Army, and that is partnering U.S. battalions with Iraqi 
Special Police battalions. These U.S. forces will work with and train 
their Iraqi counterparts, helping them become more capable and 
professional, so they can serve and protect all Iraqi's without 
discrimination.
    Second, we're working to increase the number of border police that 
can defend Iraq's frontiers and stop foreign terrorists from crossing 
into that country. Iraqis now have about 18,000 border police on the 
job, manning land and sea and airports across the country. Our goal is 
to have a total of 28,000 Iraqi border police trained and equipped by 
the end of this year.
    To better train Iraqi police, we've established a new customs 
academy in Basra. We're embedding border police transition teams with 
Iraqi units, made up of coalition soldiers and assisted by experts from 
our Department of Homeland Security. The Iraqi border police are growing 
increasingly capable and are taking on more responsibility. In November, 
these forces took the lead in protecting Iraq's Syrian border, with 
coalition forces playing a supporting role. In other words, they're 
beginning to take the lead and take responsibility for doing their duty 
to protect the new democracy. And as more skilled border police come on 
line, we're going to hand over primary responsibility for all of Iraq's 
borders to Iraqi border police later on this year.
    Finally, we're helping Iraqis build the numbers and capabilities of 
the local station police. These are the Iraqi police forces that need 
the most work. There are now over 80,000 local police officers across 
Iraq--a little more than halfway toward our goal of 135,000. To improve 
the capabilities of these local police, we're taking a concept that 
worked well in the Balkans and applying it to Iraq--partnering local 
Iraqi police stations with teams of U.S. military police and 
international police liaison officers, including retired U.S. police 
officers.
    These officers will work with provincial police chiefs across Iraq 
and focus on improving local police forces in nine key cities that have 
seen intense fighting with the terrorists. By strengthening local police 
in these cities, we can help Iraqis provide security in areas cleared of 
enemy forces and make it harder for these thugs to return. By 
strengthening local police in these cities, we'll help them earn the 
confidence of the local population, which will make it easier for local 
leaders and residents to accelerate reconstruction and rebuild their 
lives.
    The training of the Iraqi police is an enormous task, and frankly, 
it hasn't always gone smoothly. Yet we're making progress, and our 
soldiers see the transformation up close. Army Staff Sergeant Daniel 
MacDonald is a Philadelphia cop who helped train Iraqi police officers 
in Baghdad. He says this of his Iraqi comrades: ``From where they were 
when we got here to where they are now, it's like two different groups 
of people. They're hyped-up; they look sharp; they're a lot better with 
their weapons. I'd take these guys out with me back home.'' If he's 
going to take them back home in Philadelphia, they must be improving. 
[Laughter]
    As we bring more Iraqi police and soldiers on line in the months 
ahead, we will increasingly shift our focus from generating new Iraqi 
forces to preparing Iraqis to take primary responsibility for the 
security of their own country. At this moment, more than 35 Iraqi 
battalions have assumed control of their own areas of responsibility, 
including nearly half of the Baghdad province and sectors of south-
central Iraq, southeast Iraq, western Iraq, and north-central Iraq. And 
in the year ahead, we will continue handing more territory to Iraqi 
forces, with the goal of having the Iraqis in control of more territory 
than the coalition by the end of 2006.
    As Iraqi forces take more responsibility, this will free up 
coalition forces to conduct specialized operations against the most 
dangerous terrorists like Zarqawi and his associates so we can defeat 
the terrorists in Iraq, so we do not have to face them here at home. We 
will continue to hand over territory to the Iraqis so they can defend 
their democracy, so they can do the hard work, and our

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troops will be able to come home with the honor they have earned.
    I've said that our strategy in Iraq can be summed up this way: As 
the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down. And with more Iraqi forces 
demonstrating the capabilities needed to achieve victory, our commanders 
on the ground have determined that we can decrease our combat forces in 
Iraq from 17 to 15 brigades by the spring of 2006. That's what they've 
decided. And when they decide something, I listen to them. This 
adjustment will result in a net decrease of several thousand troops 
below the pre-election baseline of 138,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. This 
decrease comes in addition to the reduction of about 20,000 troops who 
were in Iraq largely to assist with the security during the December 
elections.
    Later this year, if Iraqis continue to make progress on the security 
and political sides, we expect to discuss further possible adjustments 
with the leaders of Iraq's new Government. Having said this, all of my 
decisions will be based on conditions on the ground, not artificial 
timetables set by Washington politicians. Our commanders on the ground 
will have the forces they need to complete the mission and achieve 
victory in Iraq.
    As we help Iraqis defend their democracy, we will continue to help 
Iraqis build their infrastructure and economy in the coming year. Iraqis 
face real challenges from the long-term economic damage caused by Saddam 
Hussein's regime. They face challenges because of acts of sabotage by 
the enemies of a free Iraq. Yet despite these challenges, our coalition 
and Iraqi leaders have made progress in a number of areas: Iraq now has 
a stable currency, an independent stock exchange, an independent Central 
Bank. Iraqis have new investment laws to welcome foreign capital, tax 
and commercial laws to encourage private sector growth, and low-tariff 
trade regime that has opened Iraq's economy to the world. Under Saddam, 
private property was not protected. Today, Iraq's new Constitution 
guarantees private property rights that are the foundation of any free 
society.
    Iraqi leaders are also beginning to make the tough choices necessary 
to reform their economy, such as easing gasoline subsidies. Until 
recently, Government subsidies put the price of fuel in Iraq at 
artificially low prices, really low prices. And that created incentives 
for black-market corruption and crime, and changing these subsidies is a 
necessary step on the path for economic reform. So Iraqi leaders have 
begun a series of price increases aimed at dismantling the gas subsidy 
system. That's hard political work. But gasoline subsidies, along with 
other subsidies, consume over half of Iraq's annual budget; it diverts 
critical resources from health care and education and infrastructure and 
security. Addressing these subsidies will allow Iraqi leaders to better 
provide for their people and build a modern economy.
    One of the biggest challenges facing Iraq is restoring the country's 
oil and electric power infrastructure. These sectors were devastated by 
decades of neglect. And since liberation, terrorists have targeted these 
areas for destruction. As a result, oil and power production are below 
prewar levels. To help increase production, we're helping Iraqis better 
maintain their refineries, build their oil supply and transportation 
capabilities, improve their capacity to generate power, and better 
protect their strategic infrastructure.
    The struggles with oil production and the shortage of electricity 
remain sources of frustration for the Iraqi citizens. Yet they're 
putting these challenges in perspective. Today, 7 in 10 Iraqis say their 
lives are going well. Nearly two-thirds expect things to improve even 
more in the next year. The vast majority of Iraqis prefer freedom with 
intermittent power to life in permanent darkness of tyranny and terror. 
Iraqis are optimistic about the future, and their optimism is justified.
    To realize their dreams, the Iraqi people still need help. And in 
the coming year, the international community must step up and do its 
part. So far, other nations and international organizations have pledged 
more than $13 billion in assistance to Iraq. Iraqis are grateful for 
this promised aid, so is the United States. Yet many nations have been 
slow to make good on their commitments.
    I call on all governments that have pledged assistance to follow 
through with their promises as quickly as possible, so the Iraqis can 
rebuild their country and provide a better

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future for their children. Many nations have still not returned all 
Iraqi assets frozen during the regime of Saddam Hussein. I call on all 
nations to return these assets to their rightful owners. The free people 
of Iraq own those assets, not the foreign governments.
    Many of the world's smallest nations have been among the most 
generous. Last month, for example, Slovakia announced its plans to 
forgive 100 percent of Iraq's $145 million debt. This makes Slovakia 
only the third country, along with the United States and Malta, to write 
off Iraqi debt completely. More nations should do the same so the Iraq 
people are not held back by the crushing burden of debt accumulated by 
Saddam Hussein.
    International lending institutions are also stepping forward with 
needed assistance. Last month, the International Monetary Fund approved 
Iraq's request for a $680 million loan to carry out economic reforms. 
The World Bank recently approved its first loan to Iraq in over 30 
years, lending the Iraqi Government $100 million to improve the Iraqi 
school system and making up to $400 million available to fund water, 
electricity, roads, and sanitation projects.
    The international community must meet its responsibilities in Iraq, 
and here in America, we have responsibilities as well. The coming year 
will test the character of our country and the will of our citizens. We 
have a strategy for victory, but to achieve that victory, we must have 
the determination to see this strategy through. The enemy in Iraq knows 
they cannot defeat us on the battlefield, and so they're trying to shake 
our will with acts of violence and force us to retreat. That means that 
our resolve in 2006 must stay strong. We must have the patience as 
Iraqis struggle to build democracy in a volatile region of the world. We 
must not allow the images of destruction to discourage us or obscure the 
real progress that our troops are making in Iraq. And we must continue 
to provide these troops with all the resources they need to defend our 
Nation and prevail in the global war on terror.
    We face an added challenge in the months ahead. The campaign season 
will soon be upon us, and that means our Nation must carry on this war 
in an election year. There is a vigorous debate about the war in Iraq 
today, and we should not fear the debate. It's one of the great 
strengths of our democracy, that we can discuss our differences openly 
and honestly, even in times of war. Yet we must remember there is a 
difference between responsible and irresponsible debate, and it's even 
more important to conduct this debate responsibly when American troops 
are risking their lives overseas.
    The American people know the difference between responsible and 
irresponsible debate when they see it. They know the difference between 
honest critics who question the way the war is being prosecuted and 
partisan critics who claim that we acted in Iraq because of oil or 
because of Israel or because we misled the American people. And they 
know the difference between a loyal opposition that points out what is 
wrong and defeatists who refuse to see that anything is right.
    When our soldiers hear politicians in Washington question the 
mission they are risking their lives to accomplish, it hurts their 
morale. In a time of war, we have a responsibility to show that whatever 
our political differences at home, our Nation is united and determined 
to prevail. And we have a responsibility to our men and women in 
uniform, who deserve to know that once our politicians vote to send them 
into harm's way, our support will be with them in good days and in bad 
days, and we will settle for nothing less than complete victory.
    We also have an opportunity this year to show the Iraqi people what 
responsible debate in democracy looks like. In a free society, there is 
only one check on political speech, and that's the judgment of the 
people. So I ask all Americans to hold their elected leaders to account 
and demand a debate that brings credit to our democracy, not comfort to 
our adversaries.
    Support for the mission in Iraq should not be a partisan matter. VFW 
members come from all across the country and both sides of the political 
aisle, yet your position on the war is clear. In a recent resolution, 
the VFW declared, quote, ``It is critical that the United States succeed 
in Iraq, which will result in stability and security in the region.'' I 
appreciate your support for the mission in Iraq, and so do our troops in 
the fight. Your lives

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of service, from the first time you put on the uniform to this day, are 
a credit to our country and an inspiration to our military. A new 
generation of soldiers and sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guardsmen 
is now carrying out an urgent and noble mission, and they're doing so 
with the same determination and courage as you who came before them.
    Some of our finest men and women have given their lives in freedom's 
cause. Others have returned home with wounds that the best medicine 
cannot heal. We hold all who sacrificed and their families in our 
thoughts and our prayers. And I'm going to make you this pledge: We will 
not waver; we will not weaken; and we will not back down in the cause 
they served. By their sacrifice, we are laying the foundation of freedom 
in a troubled part of the world. And by laying that foundation, we're 
laying the foundation of peace for generations to come.
    Thank you for letting me come by today. God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 10:17 a.m. at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. In 
his remarks, he referred to Gen. John P. Abizaid, USA, combatant 
commander, U.S. Central Command; former President Saddam Hussein of 
Iraq; and Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., USA, commanding general, Multi-
National Force--Iraq. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a 
Spanish language transcript of these remarks.