[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 13 (Monday, April 7, 2008)]
[Pages 461-467]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in Bucharest, Romania

April 2, 2008

    Thank you all. Thank you, and good morning. I appreciate former 
Presidents Iliescu and Constantinescu for joining us today. I want to 
thank the President of Latvia and Mrs. Zatlere for joining us. Secretary 
Rice, ambassadors, Members of the United States Congress, the president 
of the National Bank of Savings, members of the German Marshall Fund and 
the Atlantic Council, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: Buna 
ziua.
    Laura and I are pleased to be back in Bucharest. The last time we 
were here, we stood with the people of this city in Revolution Square 
for a rally celebrating Romania's invitation to join NATO. Tens of 
thousands came out in the rain to rejoice in this achievement and revel 
in the promise that, henceforth,

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no one would ever take Romania's freedom away. It was a moment I will 
never forget. President Iliescu introduced me in the midst of the 
drizzling rain. And then the clouds parted, and a rainbow appeared in 
the sky, heralding a new day for this nation and the Atlantic alliance 
she was about to join.
    Since then, Romania has made strong contributions to the alliance. 
Romanian soldiers have brought courage to NATO's missions. Romanian 
leaders have brought moral clarity to NATO's deliberations. And today 
the Romanian people have brought their famous hospitality to this NATO 
summit. Laura and I are thrilled to join you for this historic occasion. 
And the American people are honored to call Romania a friend, an ally, 
and a partner in the cause of peace.
    This is my final NATO summit. The coming days will be a time for 
hard work, as allies make important decisions regarding the expansion 
and the missions and the capabilities of NATO. The coming days will also 
be a time of reflection, a chance to look back on how far we have come 
in the past 7 years and what this tells us about the challenges ahead.
    In June 2001, I came to Europe and spoke to students and faculty at 
Warsaw University. I reaffirmed America's commitment to a united Europe, 
bound to the United States by ties of history and trade and friendship. 
I said that Europe must overturn the bitter legacy of Yalta and remove 
the false boundaries that had divided the continent for too long. I 
declared that all of Europe's new democracies, from the Baltic to the 
Black Sea, should have the same chance for security and freedom and the 
same chance to join the institutions of Europe.
    I spoke those words on the soil of a nation on the Baltic. Today a 
nation on the Black Sea is where I have come to say, those words have 
been fulfilled. The NATO alliance that meets here this week now 
stretches from the shores of Klaipeda to the beaches of Neptun. And here 
in Bucharest, we will extend the circle of freedom even further by 
expanding the NATO alliance to include new members from the Balkans.
    A decade--the Balkans was a region wracked by war and fanaticism and 
ethnic cleansing. Today, it is a region growing in liberty and tolerance 
and peace. These changes are the result of determined actions by NATO 
and the courageous choices by new Balkan leaders who have worked to 
overcome the violence and divisions of the past. In recognition of their 
progress, tomorrow NATO will make an historic decision on the admission 
of three Balkan nations: Croatia, Albania, and Macedonia. The United 
States strongly supports inviting these nations to join NATO. These 
countries have walked the difficult path of reform and built thriving 
free societies. They are ready to contribute to NATO, and their citizens 
deserve the security that NATO brings.
    As we welcome new NATO allies, we also affirm that the door to NATO 
membership remains open to other nations that seek it, in the Balkans 
and beyond. So at this summit, we will also decide whether to accept the 
requests of two other Balkan nations, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro, 
to begin an intensified dialog with NATO. This is a major step on the 
road to NATO membership, and it is a step that America fully supports 
for these two nations. And at our summit tomorrow, we will also make 
clear that the door to closer cooperation with NATO is open to Serbia as 
well.
    This week, our alliance must also decide how to respond to the 
requests by Georgia and Ukraine to participate in NATO's Membership 
Action Plan. These two nations inspired the world with their Rose and 
Orange Revolutions, and now they're working to consolidate their 
democratic gains and cement their independence. Welcoming them into the 
MATO--into the Membership Action Plan would send a signal to their 
citizens that if they continue on the path to democracy and reform, they 
will be welcomed into the institutions of Europe. It would send a signal 
throughout the region that these two nations are and will remain 
sovereign and independent states.
    Here in Bucharest, we must make clear that NATO welcomes the 
aspirations of Georgia and Ukraine for their membership in NATO and 
offers them a clear path forward to meet that goal. So my country's 
position is clear: NATO should welcome Georgia and Ukraine into the 
Membership Action Plan. And NATO membership must remain

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open to all of Europe's democracies that seek it and are ready to share 
in the responsibilities of NATO membership.
    The most important responsibility of NATO is the collective security 
of our citizens. On my 2001 visit to Warsaw, I said that the United 
States and Europe share more than an alliance; we share a civilization. 
Less than 3 months later, that shared civilization came under a 
monstrous attack. Even now, with the distance of time, it's still 
difficult to fathom the enormity of what happened on September the 11th, 
2001. Thousands of men and women woke up that morning, had breakfast 
with their families, and left for work, never to return home. Tens of 
thousands more, including citizens of many NATO nations, still mourn the 
loss of moms and dads, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, friends 
and loved ones who were taken from them in a horrific moment of violence 
and death.
    NATO nations recognize that the attacks were part of a broader 
ideological struggle. The terrorists who struck America that day murder 
the innocent in pursuit of a violent political vision. They despise the 
principles of decency and humanity that are the very foundation of our 
alliance. They want to impose their brutal rule on millions across the 
world. They attack our countries and target our people because we stand 
for freedom and because we hold the power to stop them from achieving 
their murderous ambitions.
    NATO nations recognized that this unprecedented attack required 
unprecedented action. For the first time in the history of the alliance, 
Article 5 of the NATO Treaty was invoked. NATO aircraft were soon flying 
over the United States to provide early warning in case of a follow-on 
attack. Many NATO nations, including the United Kingdom and France, 
Canada, Denmark, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Italy, and Turkey, 
deployed forces to fight the terrorists in Afghanistan and to drive the 
Taliban from power.
    Since then, NATO's role in Afghanistan has expanded significantly. 
In 2003, NATO took over the International Security Assistance Force. And 
over time, this NATO mission has grown from a small force operating only 
in Kabul to a force of 47,000 that is now leading operations across all 
of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is the most daring and ambition mission in 
the history of NATO. An alliance that never fired a shot in the cold war 
is now leading the fight on a key battleground of the first war in the 
21st century. In Afghanistan, forces from NATO and many partner nations 
are bringing honor to their uniforms and pride to their countries.
    As NATO forces fight the terrorists in Afghanistan, they're helping 
Afghans take increasing responsibility for their own security. With 
NATO's help, the ranks of trained Afghan soldiers have grown from 33,000 
last year to 55,000 today. And these brave Afghan forces are leading 
many important combat operations. Thanks to their courage and the skill 
of NATO personnel, a nation that was once a safe haven for Al Qaida is 
now a democracy where boys and girls are going to school, new roads and 
hospitals are being built, and people are looking to the future with new 
hope.
    Afghanistan still faces many challenges. The enemy has been driven 
from its strongholds and no longer controls a single Afghan city. But as 
this enemy has been defeated on the battlefield, they have turned 
increasingly to terrorist tactics such as suicide attacks and roadside 
bombs. And if we were to let up the pressure, the extremists would 
reestablish safe havens across the country and use them to terrorize the 
people of Afghanistan and threaten our own. And that is why we'll stay 
on the offense, and that is why we'll keep the pressures on these 
radicals and extremists, and that is why we'll succeed.
    Terrorists used safe havens in Afghanistan to launch the 9/11 
attacks. Since 9/11, Al Qaida terrorists around the world have succeeded 
in launching devastating attacks on allied cities such as Madrid and 
London and Istanbul. They planned more attacks on targets in Europe that 
never came to pass because of the vigilance of intelligence and law 
enforcement personnel from many of our nations. For example, in 2006, we 
stopped an Al Qaida plot to blow up passenger jets departing Europe for 
the United States. Earlier this year, Turkish authorities broke up an Al 
Qaida cell that was plotting a series of terrorist attacks on Turkey. 
This enemy remains

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dangerous, and that's why our alliance is so important to protecting 
innocent people.
    Two weeks ago, Usama bin Laden issued an audio recording in which he 
threatened Europe with new attacks. We need to take the words of the 
enemy seriously. The terrorist threat is real; it is deadly. And 
defeating this enemy is the top priority of NATO.
    Our alliance must maintain its resolve and finish the fight in NATO. 
As President Sarkozy put it in London last week: ``We cannot afford to 
lose Afghanistan. Whatever the cost, however difficult the victory, we 
cannot afford it. We must win.'' I agree completely. To ensure that we 
do win, France is sending additional forces to Afghanistan. The United 
States is deploying an additional 3,500 marines. Romania is adding 
forces, as are several other allies. We ask other NATO nations to step 
forward with additional forces as well. If we do not defeat the 
terrorists in Afghanistan, we will face them on our own soil. Innocent 
civilians in Europe and North America would then pay the price.
    The struggle in Afghanistan cannot be won by force of arms alone. We 
must also help the Afghan Government strengthen democratic institutions, 
provide essential services, create jobs and opportunity, and show its 
people that freedom can lead to a better life. But for this to happen, 
Afghanistan needs security, and that is what NATO is helping to provide.
    Many NATO allies are also helping to bring security and stability to 
the other major front in this war against extremists and radicals: Iraq. 
At this moment, 10 NATO nations have forces supporting Operation Iraqi 
Freedom, including the Black Wolves of Romania's 151st Infantry. The 
battalion has given their base in Iraq a fearsome name: Camp Dracula. 
Romanian troops are operating unmanned aerial vehicles, protecting 
critical infrastructure, conducting human intelligence missions, 
providing medical care, and carrying out combat operations in Iraq.
    One Romanian soldier put it this way: ``I've been here before and 
will come back for as many times as needed. I know that what we do is 
important.'' Our Romanian allies are serving the cause of freedom in 
Iraq with skill and honor, and they have earned the respect of my 
countrymen.
    Forces from 14 NATO nations plus Ukraine are also serving in Iraq as 
part of a NATO training mission. NATO has trained more than 7,000 Iraqi 
officers so far. The Iraqis have asked us to expand this mission, and we 
should do so. At our summit this week, we will also expand the NATO-Iraq 
partnership, so we can allow more Iraqi officers to attend NATO schools 
and seminars. The purpose is to prepare Iraqi officers to lead their own 
troops in battle, so we can help them defend their democracy against the 
terrorists and extremists who murder their people.
    Iraqi forces are fighting bravely in this struggle, and they're 
risking and giving their lives in the fight against our common enemies. 
To help them prevail, last year, the United States launched the surge in 
Iraq. We deployed 30,000 additional soldiers and marines, with a clear 
mission: Help Iraqi forces protect the people; pursue the enemy in its 
strongholds; and deny the terrorists sanctuary. The Government in 
Baghdad has stepped forward with a surge of its own, adding more than 
100,000 new Iraqi soldiers and police during the past year. And to 
ensure that military progress in Iraq is quickly followed up with real 
improvements in daily life, we doubled the number of Provincial 
Reconstruction Teams in Iraq. These teams are helping to build up local 
economies and strengthen responsible leaders and help bring Iraqis 
together, so that reconciliation can happen from the ground up.
    The surge has produced results across Iraq. Compared to a year ago, 
violence is significantly down, civilian deaths are down, sectarian 
killings are down, and attacks on coalition forces are down. We've 
captured or killed thousands of extremists in Iraq, including hundreds 
of key Al Qaida leaders and operatives. With security improving, local 
citizens have restarted the political process in their neighborhoods and 
their cities and Provinces. And leaders in Baghdad are beginning to make 
the tough compromises necessary to get important pieces of legislation 
passed.
    As they do, we will stay on the offense against the enemy. In the 
north, Iraqi forces backed by American troops are pursuing Al Qaida 
terrorists who are operating in and

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around Mosul. In the south, Prime Minister Maliki sent the Iraqi 
security forces to begin to root out extremists and criminals in Basra, 
many of whom have received arms and training and funding from Iran. In 
retaliation, some of these extremist elements fired rockets into the 
center of Baghdad hoping to shake Prime Minister Maliki's will. They're 
not going to succeed. There's tough fighting ahead, but the gains from 
the surge we have seen are real. And working together with Iraqi forces, 
our coalition will continue to pursue our enemies and seal their defeat.
    The surge has done more than turn the situation around in Iraq; it 
has opened the door to a major strategic victory in the broader war 
against extremists. In Iraq, we're witnessing the first large-scale Arab 
uprising against Usama bin Laden and his grim ideology and his terrorist 
network. Tens of thousands of ordinary citizens have stepped forward to 
join the fight against Al Qaida. And when Iraqi and coalition forces 
defeat this enemy, the effects will reverberate beyond Iraq's borders.
    By defeating the enemy in Iraq, we will show people across the 
Middle East that millions share their revulsion of terrorists' hateful 
ideology. We will show that free men and women can stand up to the 
terrorists and prevail against them. We will show that America will not 
abandon our friends in the fight against terror and extremism. We will 
show that a hopeful vision of liberty can take root in a troubled region 
and yield the peace that we all desire. And we will show that the future 
of the Middle East does not belong to terror; the future of the Middle 
East belongs to freedom.
    As NATO allies fight terror and promote progress in Iraq and 
Afghanistan, our alliance is taking on other important missions across 
the world. In the Mediterranean, NATO forces are patrolling the high 
seas to combat terrorism as part of Operation Active Endeavor. In 
Kosovo, NATO forces are providing security and helping a new democracy 
take root in the Balkans. In Darfur, NATO has airlifted African Union 
peacekeepers and provided them with training to protect the people of 
that troubled region. The alliance stands ready to provide further 
assistance to the AU--African Union force.
    Each of these missions underscores the changing nature of the NATO 
alliance. See, NATO is no longer a static alliance focused on defending 
Europe from a Soviet tank invasion. It is now an expeditionary alliance 
that is sending its forces across the world to help secure a future of 
freedom and peace for millions.
    To meet the missions of the 21st century, NATO needs 21st century 
capabilities. So over the past 7 years, we've taken decisive action to 
transform the capabilities of this alliance. We created a new NATO 
transformation command to ensure that NATO is preparing for the threats 
of the future. We created a new NATO Response Force to ensure that our 
alliance can deploy rapidly and effectively anywhere in the world. We 
launched a new Strategic Airlift Initiative to ensure that NATO members 
have a dedicated fleet of aircraft their forces need to deploy and 
sustain themselves over great distances. We've created a new NATO 
special operations coordinator--coordination center in Belgium to 
increase the interoperability and effectiveness of our special forces.
    One of the most important steps we can take is to protect our--to 
protect our citizens is the deployment of new capabilities to defend 
against a ballistic missile attack. On 
9/11, we saw the damage our enemies could do by hijacking planes loaded 
with jet fuel, turning them into missiles, and using them to strike 
innocent people. Today, dangerous regimes are pursuing far more powerful 
capabilities and building ballistic missiles that could allow them to 
deliver the world's most dangerous weapons to capitals of free nations.
    To defend against this emerging threat, the United States has 
deployed missile defenses in the Pacific that can protect against 
threats emanating from Northeast Asia. And we're now deploying elements 
of this system to Europe, so we can defend against possible attacks 
emanating from the Middle East.
    The need for missile defense in Europe is real, and in my opinion, 
it is urgent. Iran is pursuing technology that could be used to produce 
nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles of increasing range that could 
deliver them. In 2006, Iran conducted military exercises in which it 
launched ballistic missiles

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capable of striking Israel and Turkey. Iranian officials have declared 
that they are developing missiles with a range of 1,200 miles, which 
would give them the capability to reach us right here in Romania. Our 
intelligence community assesses that, with continued foreign assistance, 
Iran could test an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of 
reaching the United States and all of Europe if it should choose to do 
so.
    Today, we have no way to defend Europe against such an emerging 
threat, so we must deploy ballistic missile defenses that can help 
protect. The United States is working with Poland and the Czech Republic 
to deploy a system that could defend countries in Europe from a limited, 
long-range attack from the Middle East. We're working with NATO on 
developing allied capabilities to defend against short- and medium-range 
attacks from the Middle East. And as we do so, we're inviting Russia to 
join us in this cooperative effort, so as to be able to defend Russia, 
Europe, and the United States against an emerging threat that could 
affect us all.
    President Putin has raised the possibility of using radar facilities 
in Azerbaijan and southern Russia. We believe these sites could be 
included as part of a wider threat monitoring system that could lead to 
an unprecedented level of strategic cooperation between Russia and the 
NATO alliance. We can only imagine the devastation that would be caused 
by a ballistic missile attack on one of our cities. So I believe 
strongly we have a responsibility to work together to ensure that such 
attack never comes to pass.
    This week President Putin is planning to attend his first NATO 
summit, and later this week I plan to travel to Sochi, Russia, for 
further talks on this and other matters. In our discussions, I will 
reiterate that the missile defense capabilities we are developing are 
not designed to defend against Russia, just as the new NATO we are 
building is not designed to defend against Russia. The cold war is over. 
Russia is not our enemy. We're working toward a new security 
relationship with Russia, whose foundation does not rest on the prospect 
of mutual annihilation.
    In Warsaw 7 years ago, I said that the Europe we envision must be 
open to Russia. During my Presidency, we've acted to make that vision a 
reality. With our allies, we created the NATO-Russia Council to 
facilitate greater cooperation between Russia and the Atlantic alliance. 
The United States and Russia signed the Moscow Treaty, which commits our 
two nations to historic reductions in our operationally deployed 
strategic nuclear warheads. And as we look to the future, I believe we 
can build strong relations with Russia and a strong NATO alliance at the 
same time.

    Building a strong NATO alliance also requires a strong European 
defense capability. So at this summit, I will encourage our European 
partners to increase their defense investments to support both NATO and 
EU operations. America believes if Europeans invest in their own 
defense, they will also be stronger and more capable when we deploy 
together.

    I have confidence that NATO is ready for the challenges of the 21st 
century because I have confidence in the courage of allies like Romania. 
The Romanian people have seen evil in their midst, and they've seen evil 
defeated. They value freedom because they've lived without it. And this 
hard experience has inspired them to fight and sacrifice for the liberty 
of others.

    That is precisely what Romanian forces are doing on behalf of this 
alliance. We see their courage in soldiers like Second Lieutenant Aurel 
Marcu of Romania's 33d Mountain Battalion. Last fall, Aurel's unit was 
in Afghanistan when it got word that an American soldiers--American 
soldiers from the Arizona National Guard had been struck by a roadside 
bomb. Several were injured, one of them fatally. Aurel and his comrades 
swung into action and responded to the call for assistance. As his unit 
sped to the scene of the attack, Aurel's vehicle was struck by a second 
roadside bomb, killing him instantly. Aurel gave his life rushing to the 
aid of wounded American soldiers. His example and his valor are an 
inspiration to all of us. I very much appreciate his wife joining us 
today, and I want her to know that she and her family have the gratitude 
and the respect and the prayers of the American people.

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    Our troops are proud to fight alongside allies like this. We 
appreciate courage. We appreciate people who love freedom. We appreciate 
people who understand freedom will yield the peace that we all want. We 
value our friendship with Romania, and we value the Atlantic alliance 
that we share. America is united with our European allies by ties of 
blood that our soldiers have shed together. We're united by ties of 
conviction, a shared belief that every human life is precious and 
endowed by our Creator with dignity and worth. We're united by ties of 
liberty and by an abiding faith in the power of freedom to change the 
course of history. Strengthened by these convictions, tested in battle, 
and confident in our future, this great alliance for freedom is ready 
for all that will come.
    Thank you for your time. God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 8:45 a.m. at the Casa di Economii si 
Consemnatiuni. In his remarks, he referred to former Presidents Ion 
Iliescu and Emil Constantinescu of Romania; President Valdis Zatlers of 
Latvia and his wife, Lilita Zatlere; Radu Gratian Ghetea, president, 
Casa de Economii si Consemnatiuni; Usama bin Laden, leader of the Al 
Qaida terrorist organization; President Nicolas Sarkozy of France; Prime 
Minister Nuri al-Maliki of Iraq; President Vladimir Putin of Russia; and 
Aurelia Marcu, wife of Romanian Army 2d Lt. Aurel Marcu, who was killed 
in Afghanistan on September 6, 2007.