[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 50 (Monday, December 22, 2008)]
[Pages 1523-1525]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to Military Personnel at Camp Victory in Baghdad

December 14, 2008

    Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
    The President. There you go. Thank you for coming out to say hello. 
General, thank you for the introduction; I am honored to be at Camp 
Victory.
    Audience members. Hooah!
    The President. Laura and I have been having a lot of Christmas 
parties at the White House, so I thought it would be kind of neat to 
change the scenery.
    I would rather be with the men and women of the United States 
military than with anybody else.
    So as you can see I decided to fly over, and in the spirit of the 
season we renamed Air Force One to ``Rudolph One.''
    Thanks for coming. I bring greetings from a proud and grateful 
nation; Merry Christmas to you, happy holidays. Congratulations on your 
inspiring accomplishments here in Iraq. And above all, thank you very 
much for volunteering to defend our country in a time of danger.
    This is a time of year to give thanks for our many blessings. And 
the greatest blessing we have is freedom and the fact that we've got a 
United States military to defend that freedom.
    So, General, thank you very much for your leadership. I'm proud to 
be with you again. I appreciate the leadership of General Austin as 
well. Ambassador Crocker and Christine are with us today. I had the 
pleasure of meeting Sergeant--Command Sergeant Major Lawrence Wilson, 
Command Sergeant Major Joe Allen, Major General Hammond----
    Audience members. Hooah!
    The President. Put it together for Hammond. [Laughter]
    Audience members. Hooah!
    The President. Command Sergeant Major Gioia----
    Audience members. Hooah!
    The President. There you go. Major General Oates; have you ever 
heard of--how about, have you ever heard of a guy named Redmore?
    Audience members. Hooah!
    The President. There you go. Thanks for coming out. I am thrilled to 
be here with the diplomats and Embassy personnel that are so critical to 
our success.
    I want to thank the Iraqi citizens who are here with us today. I 
appreciate your courage. I know there are members of the coalition who 
are here with us. There have been a lot of troops from around the world 
who have come to help this young democracy survive and thrive. And so I 
want to thank the citizens of those country and the troops who have 
served here before us.

[[Page 1524]]

    This is my fourth trip to Iraq, and you've probably heard I'm 
heading into retirement--[laughter]--so it's going to be my last trip as 
the President. But thanks to you, the Iraq we stand in tonight is 
dramatically freer, dramatically safer, and dramatically better than the 
Iraq we found 8 years ago.
    And as a result of the sacrifices of our troops, America is safer, 
and America is more secure.
    I want to take you back to what life was like 8 years ago here in 
Iraq. Iraq had a record of supporting terror, a record of developing and 
using weapons of mass destruction, was routinely firing at American 
military personnel, systematically violating United Nations resolutions. 
Life for the Iraqi people was a nightmare, with Saddam Hussein torturing 
and murdering anyone who did not support his repressive rule. Iraq was a 
sworn enemy of the United States at the heart of the Middle East; the 
region was a serious threat to us.
    After the attacks of September the 11th, 2001, America concluded we 
could not tolerate a regime like this in a pivotal region of the world. 
I gave Saddam Hussein a chance to peacefully resolve the question as to 
whether or not he had weapons of mass destruction. You might remember, I 
went to the United Nations, where the--that body said, ``Disarm, 
disclose, or face serious consequence.'' It was his choice to make, and 
he made the wrong choice. And so the United States military, with a vast 
coalition removed this man from power, and the world is better off for 
it.
    Audience members. Hooah! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
    The President. I doubt in his worst nightmares, he ever would have 
dreamt that we'd be standing in one of his palaces.
    Thanks to you, 25 million Iraqis are free. Thanks to you, Iraq is no 
longer sponsoring terror, it is fighting terror. It's making American 
people safer as a result.
    The enemies of freedom in Iraq are determined, and this fight has 
been tough. Two years ago, the situation had grown dire; the political 
process was frozen, and sectarian violence was spiraling out of control. 
Some of you were here then. Many said the mission was hopeless; many 
called for retreat. Retreat would have meant failure, and failure is 
never an option.
    So instead of pulling troops out, we sent more troops in--called the 
surge. And because of you and because of your courage, the surge is one 
of the greatest successes in the history of the United States military.
    Terrorists who once held safe havens across the country are being 
driven out of their strongholds. The political process that was once 
stalled is moving forward. Iraqi citizens once afraid to leave their 
homes are going back to school and shopping in markets and leading a 
more normal life. And American troops are returning home because of 
success.
    The dramatic turnaround you led in Iraq culminated in two agreements 
completed last month, which the Prime Minister and I affirmed in a 
ceremony earlier today.
    These agreements formalize the ties between our two democracies in 
areas ranging from security and diplomacy to culture and trade. These 
agreements show the way forward toward a historic day, when American 
forces withdraw from a democratic and successful Iraq, and the war in 
this land is won.
    There's more hard work to do before we reach that day. But if there 
is any--but if there is no doubt--but there is no doubt in my mind, 
there's just no doubt that we're going to reach that day. I am confident 
because our cause is just and freedom is universal. I'm confident 
because the Iraqi people are showing unshakable determination and 
courage.
    And above all, I am confident because I know the character and the 
strength of those who wear the uniform of the United States military.
    Over the past 5 years, you have shown the world some unmistakable 
truths. You have shown that when America is tested, we rise to meet the 
test. You have shown that the desire for freedom is more powerful than 
the intimidation of terrorists. You have shown that there is no task too 
difficult for the United States military.
    And so I have a message for you and all who serve our country: I 
want to thank you for making the noble choice to serve and to protect 
your fellow Americans. Sometimes it can be hard to tell when history is 
being

[[Page 1525]]

made, particularly if you're in the middle of the action. What you're 
doing in Iraq is as important and courageous and selfless as what 
American troops did in places like Normandy and Iwo Jima and Korea. Your 
generation is every bit as great as any that came before it. And the 
work you do every day will shape history for generations to come.
    I guess what I'm telling you is, your grandchildren some day are 
going to say, ``Thank God you showed up and served.''
    America now has a strong friend and a partner in the fight against 
extremism in the heart of the Middle East, and that is historic.
    People across this troubled region of the world now have an example 
for a more hopeful path, a model of liberty that can prevail over 
tyranny and terror. Killers who wanted to take the lives of Americans 
back home have been brought to justice before they reached our shores.
    Because of you all who worked to protect this Nation--and all who 
work to protect the Nation, America has done something many said was 
impossible: We have gone 7 years without a terrorist attack.
    We think of those who have laid down their lives for freedom here in 
Iraq. Their children are growing up without a mom or a dad. But all 
the--of our children are growing up with something else: the promise of 
a safer America and a better world. And that is the lasting memorial of 
all who have sacrificed here in Iraq. And thanks to you, that memorial 
will be achieved, and their sacrifice will not be in vain.
    We think of your comrades who have been wounded. And this Nation 
pledges that we will give them all the care and all the support they 
need to recover.
    We think of all your families back home. I know many of you have a 
sweetheart who misses you, or a daughter who longs for her dad, or a mom 
who worries about you day and night. For many of you, it won't be your 
first holiday away, and that certainly doesn't make it easier. So I'm 
going to give you an order: When you get out of here, call home or e-
mail home; you tell your families you love them; and you tell the 
Commander in Chief came by to thank them for their sacrifice along with 
yours.
    Audience members. Hooah!
    The President. Thanks for coming by to let me say hello. Thanks for 
serving the United States of America. They ask me what I'm going to miss 
as the President. I'll tell you what I'm going to miss: being the 
Commander in Chief of such a fabulous group of folks. May God bless you, 
and God bless America.

Note: The President spoke at 10:10 p.m. at Al Faw Palace. In his 
remarks, he referred to Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, USA, commanding 
general, Multi-National Force--Iraq, who introduced the President; Lt. 
Gen. Lloyd Austin, USA, commander, Multi-National Corps--Iraq; Christine 
Barnes, wife of U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker; Command Sgt. 
Maj. Lawrence Wilson, USA, Multi-National Force--Iraq; Command Sgt. Maj. 
Joseph R. Allen, USA, Multi-National Corps--Iraq; Maj. Gen. Jeffery 
Hammond, USA, commander, Multi-National Division--Baghdad and 4th 
Infantry Division; Command Sgt. Maj. John Gioia, USA, Multi-National 
Division--Baghdad and 4th Infantry Division; Command Sgt. Maj. James W. 
Redmore, USA, Multi-National Division--Center; Maj. Gen. Michael Oates, 
USA, commander, Multi-National Division--Center; and Prime Minister Nuri 
al-Maliki of Iraq.