[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 16 (Monday, April 24, 2006)]
[Page 733]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Meeting With Governors Who Traveled to Kuwait, Iraq, 
and Afghanistan

April 19, 2006

    The President. I just had breakfast with four Governors who have 
returned from Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. I invited Secretary Rice 
and Secretary Rumsfeld, as well as Steve Hadley and Josh Bolten, to 
breakfast so that we could hear from these Governors.
    First of all, I want to thank the four of them for traveling 
overseas. I particularly want to thank them for going to see our men and 
women who are helping secure freedom and peace. I thank them for sending 
a message from home that we care about them--that we care about our 
troops; that we'll support our troops; that we appreciate the fact that 
people are willing to make sacrifices.
    I assured them that our goal in Afghanistan and Iraq is victory. And 
victory will be achieved when there is a democracy in both countries 
that are able to sustain itself and defend itself.
    Secretary Rice brought the Governors up to date about a conversation 
she had with Ambassador Khalilzad. We fully recognize that the Iraqis 
must step up and form a unity government so that those who went to the 
polls to vote recognize that a Government will be in place to respond to 
their needs. In other words, we also recognize that vacuums in the 
political process create opportunity for malfeasance and harm. And so we 
assured these Governors that we understand full well that the political 
process in Iraq must occur soon, and we're working toward that end.
    I again want to thank the Governors for coming. I thought--I asked 
them if they wouldn't mind saying a few words. We--I don't expect 
everybody to agree with my decision to go into Iraq, but I do want the 
people to understand--the American people to understand that failure in 
Iraq is not an option, that failure in Iraq would make the security 
situation for our country worse, and that success in Iraq will begin to 
lay the foundation of peace for generations to come.
    Governor Daniels.

[At this point, Gov. Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr., of Indiana, Gov. Joe 
Manchin III of West Virginia, Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa, and Gov. Jeb 
Bush of Florida made brief remarks.]

    The President. Yes. Again, I want to thank the four Governors for 
coming. Thank you for your eloquent statements. I appreciate your 
service to our Nation. I assured the Governors that the United States 
will complete the mission; that we will honor those who've paid the 
ultimate price, by completing the mission; that we will help those who 
desire to live in freedom, and in so doing, we will lay the foundations 
of peace for a generation to come.
    I appreciate you all coming.

Note: The President spoke at 9:05 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White 
House. The transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also 
included the remarks of Governors Daniels, Manchin, Vilsack, and Bush.