Democracy Rising in "Heart of the Middle East," Bush Says
"Because America and our allies acted, all the world is now seeing democracy
rising in the heart of the Middle East," President Bush said March 18, "and
these historic changes are sending a message across the region from Damascus to
Tehran: Freedom is the future of every nation."
In a speech to U.S. military personnel at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Bush praised
the Iraqi people and said "they're building a country that is strong and free,
and America is proud to stand with them."
The president quoted a statement from an enlisted solider, who volunteered to
serve in Iraq: "We made a difference in [Iraqis'] lives. And their faces, when
they look at us, that made it all worthwhile right there."
Bush also addressed the terrorist attack in Spain. "The murderers in Madrid," he
said, "have revealed once again the agenda and the nature of the terrorist
enemy. They kill the innocent; they kill children and their mothers on a
commuter train, without conscience, without mercy. This terrorist enemy will
never be appeased, because death is their banner and their cause."
For the civilized world, the president declared, "there's only one path to
safety: We will stay united, and we will fight until this enemy is broken."
Following is the text of the Bush remarks, as delivered:
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Fort Campbell, Kentucky)
March 18, 2004
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT TO MILITARY PERSONNEL
Fort Campbell, Kentucky
11:10 A.M. CST
THE PRESIDENT: I'm glad to be back. Thanks for having me. Thanks for inviting
Laura. I am proud to be here once again with the Screaming Eagles of the 101st.
With the Green Berets of the 5th Special Forces group. And with the Night
Stalkers.
Many of you have seen action in the global war on terror. Some of you have just
returned to Fort Campbell from your deployments. Thank you for a job well done.
Welcome home.
Laura and I are honored to be with all the personnel at Fort Campbell, and with
all the family members who live here. Each one of you serves our nation by
giving your love and support to our soldiers. Here, at one of America's vital
military bases, you've built a strong community of people who care about each
other, and share the challenges and rewards of army life. America is grateful.
America is proud of our military families.
All who serve at Fort Campbell, and all who wear the uniform of the United
States are serving at a crucial hour in the history of freedom. In the first war
of the 21st century, you're defending your fellow citizens against ruthless
enemies, and by your sacrifice, you're making our country more secure. You have
delivered justice to many terrorists, and you're keeping the rest of them on the
run. You've helped to remove two of the most violent regimes on Earth. With
daring and skill and honor, you've held true to the Special Forces motto: To
liberate the oppressed.
America is indebted to you. And we're also indebted to the men and women of the
National Guard and the Reserves who are serving abroad, and those called up for
homeland security assignments. Hundreds of Guard and Reserve units across
America have been activated in this time of war. These fine citizens and their
families and their employers have put duty first. And our nation is grateful to
them, as well.
We've got a lot of veterans with us today, veterans who have served our Armed
Forces worldwide and who now live near Fort Campbell. Thank you for the great
example you've set for today's soldiers. Thank you for your service to our
nation.
I want to thank General Petraeus for being such a strong leader and a good man.
I want to thank General Ellis for being with us today -- oh, I forgot. I want to
thank Holly Petraeus, as well. She deeply cares about the men and women from
this base. It's clear when you talk to her, she's got a lot of love in her
heart.
General Ellis is with us, Commanding General of the U.S. Armed Forces Command.
General Ellis, thank you for being here. Today I traveled down from Washington
with two members of the United States Congress who care a lot about the people
stationed at Fort Campbell and who live around the Fort Campbell area. That
would be Congressman Ed Whitfield from Kentucky and Congresswoman Marsha
Blackburn from Tennessee. Thank you all for coming.
Laura and I regret the fact we didn't get here in time for the entertainment. We
want to thank Lane Brody and Mark Wills and Darryl Worley and Jaci Velasquez,
for your work, your care, and your support of the United States military.
I had the privilege of saying hello to a fellow named Billy Colwell. Billy has,
by the way, served for 20 years in the 101st. He served our nation during two
tours of duty in Vietnam. You're probably wondering why I'm bringing up Billy.
I'll tell you why. A lot of times, people say, well, America is strong because
of our military. And that's one reason we're strong, and by the way, we're going
to keep our military strong. Or they say, well, we're strong because we've got a
great economy. And the economy is strong and it's getting stronger. But the true
reason we're strong is because of the hearts and souls of the American people.
That's why we're strong. We're a compassionate, decent country, where neighbors
care for neighbors.
Billy volunteers at the Fort Campbell YMCA. He takes time out of his life to
help junior enlisted officers, or people who are getting deployed. Billy is
there to help welcome people home, and to wish people well as they leave. Billy
takes time out of his life to love a neighbor, just like you would like to be
loved yourself. No, the strength of this country is the fact that we've got
citizens from all walks of life who care deeply about our fellow citizens.
Billy, thank you for your service. Thank you for what you do.
Fort Campbell was the first army post I visited in the weeks after our country
was attacked. It was around Thanksgiving. I will never forget eating turkey with
the Screaming Eagles. I remember telling you that the men and women of Fort
Campbell -- that you once again had a rendezvous with destiny. That's what I
said when I was here last. And when the orders came, you carried out your
missions. You made history once again.
Since we last met, you deployed over 5,000 vehicles, 254 aircraft, and 18,000
soldiers in Kuwait, in the fastest deployment in the history of the 101st. Since
we last met, the 101st liberated the cities of Najaf, Karbala, and Hilla. You
secured southern Baghdad, and sent 1,600 soldiers by helicopter to Mosul, in the
longest air assault in military history.
Since we last met, the sons of the dictator went into hiding, until they were
found and dealt with by the 101st and Special Operations. Since we last met,
soldiers from Fort Campbell have helped to organize the first truly free local
election in Iraq in 30 years. Since we last met, you helped to build medical
clinics and to rebuild schools. By your decency and compassion, you are helping
the Iraqi people to reclaim their country. Because you care, you're helping the
Iraqis live as free people.
One year ago tomorrow, the Armed Forces of the United States entered Iraq to end
the regime of Saddam Hussein. After his years of defiance, we gave the dictator
one final chance. He refused. And so in one year's time, Saddam Hussein has gone
from a palace, to a bunker, to a spider hole, to jail.
Because America and our allies acted, one of the most evil, brutal regimes in
history is gone forever. The dictator of Iraq committed many atrocities and he
had many more in mind. This was a regime that tortured children in front of
their parents. This was a regime that used chemical weapons against whole
villages. This was a country in which millions 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,
a state sponsor of terror was put out of business. The Iraqi regime gave cash
rewards to the families of suicide bombers and sheltered terrorist groups. But
all that's over. When Saddam Hussein went down, the terrorists lost an ally
forever. Because America and our allies acted, an aggressive threat to the
security of the Middle East and to the peace of the world is now gone.
September the 11th, 2001 taught a lesson I will never forget. America must
confront threats before they fully materialize. In Iraq, my administration
looked at the intelligence information, and we saw a threat. Members of Congress
looked at the intelligence, and they saw a threat. The United Nations Security
Council looked at the intelligence, and it saw a threat. I had a choice to make,
either take the word of a madman, or take such threats seriously and defend
America. Faced with that choice, I will defend America every time.
Because America and our allies acted, it is clear to everyone, when America
makes a pledge, we keep our word. By speaking clearly, by speaking consistently,
and by meaning what we say, it is more likely the world will be more peaceful.
Because America and our allies acted, all the world is now seeing democracy
rising in the heart of the Middle East. A year ago, Iraq was ruled by the whims
of one cruel man. Today, Iraq has a new interim law that guarantees basic rights
for all: freedom of religion, the right to cast a secret ballot, and equality
under the law. And these historic changes are sending a message across the
region from Damascus to Tehran: Freedom is the future of every nation.
The Iraqi people are achieving great things and serving and sacrificing for
their own future. Today, more than 200,000 Iraqis, including 78,000 new police,
are protecting their fellow citizens. They're building a country that is strong
and free, and America is proud to stand with them. All over Iraq today, as that
nation moves closer to self-government, Iraqis can be certain that in the United
States of America, they have a faithful friend. And our military -- and in our
military, they're seeing the good heart of America.
They see people like PFC Amanda Thompson Cummings, who volunteered to serve in
Iraq. She's an Army cook who also works on security patrol. She said this to a
reporter: "They know I can shoot. I'm one of the best in
my battalion. But, hey, I'm a redneck, what do you expect?" Those are
her words, not mine.
This soldier also describes how the children of Iraq look at her, especially the
young girls. As Amanda puts it, "When those girls look at a female soldier, they
think, maybe I can be something, too." PFC Cummings says, "We made a difference
in their lives. And their faces, when they look at us, that made it all
worthwhile right there."
Soldiers of Fort Campbell, every one of you is making a difference. You've seen
hard duty, and the defense of freedom is always worth it. Because of your
service, because of your bravery, because of your dedication, the world is
better off and the American people are more secure.
You have done your duty. America owes those who do their duty, our military, our
gratitude. We owe you more than gratitude. We also owe you the material support
you need to do your job. As Commander-in-Chief, I've been proud to sign into law
three pay increases for the military. You deserved every one. We've increased
support for base housing and schools. We have a duty in Washington, D.C. to make
sure our families are taken care of.
Our military has had strong supporters in the House and the Senate. I want to
thank the Congress for standing up. I want to thank every member of Congress who
voted in favor of the $87 billion supplemental that is
meeting the needs of our troops in the field right now. When your
government gives you a mission, we must accept serious responsibility of our
own. And here's my pledge: I'll work to make sure you have every resource and
every tool you need to fight and win the war on terror.
The war continues. It's a different kind of war, but it goes on. As we saw again
yesterday, the terrorists are fighting desperately to undermine Iraq's progress
toward freedom. That attack showed once again the cruelty of our enemies. The
terrorists and Baathist holdouts know that a free and stable Iraq will be a
major defeat to the cause of hatred and terror. They can't stand the thought of
a free society. They know that the rise of democracy and hope in the Middle East
will mean the decline of their appeal and influence. So the terrorists
understand that Iraq is the central front in the war on terror. They're testing
our will. And, day by day, they are learning, our will is firm, their cause will
fail. We will stay on the offensive. Whatever it takes, we will seek and find
and destroy the terrorists, so that we do not have to face them in our own
country.
Not long ago, we intercepted a planning document being sent to the leaders of al
Qaeda by a terrorist named, Zarqawi. He's in Iraq. Along with the usual threats,
he had a complaint. "Our enemy," said Zarqawi, "is growing stronger, and his
intelligence data are increasing day by day. This is suffocation." Zarqawi is
getting the idea. For the terrorists in Iraq, we're making sure there is less
oxygen every day.
The terrorists hate and target a free Afghanistan and a free Iraq. They also
hate and target every country that stands for democracy and tolerance and
freedom in the world. The murderers in Madrid have revealed once again the
agenda and the nature of the terrorist enemy. They kill the innocent; they kill
children and their mothers on a commuter train, without conscience, without
mercy. They cause suffering and grief and they rejoice in it. This terrorist
enemy will never be appeased, because death is their banner and their cause.
There's no safety for any nation in a world that lives at the mercy of gangsters
and mass murderers. Eventually, there's no place to hide from the planted bombs,
or far worse, the weapons that terrorists seek. For the civilized world, there's
only one path to safety: We will stay united, and we will fight until this enemy
is broken.
The United States is committed to defeating terrorism around the world. It's a
solemn commitment. We lead in this cause; we're fighting in this cause; and we
are sacrificing in this cause. The 101st Airborne has known greater losses than
any other division-sized unit. Each of these Americans brought pride to our
country. We pray for their families. We will honor their names forever.
The 101st Airborne Division has earned its place in the history of our country.
Sixty years ago, on the night before D-Day, General Eisenhower went down to the
airfield where the 101st was loading into C-47s for their flight to Normandy.
Eisenhower told the men not to worry because they had the best leaders and
equipment. One of them looked at him and said, "Hell, General, we ain't worried.
It's Hitler's turn to worry." That spirit carried the American soldier across
Europe to help liberate a continent. It's the same spirit that carried you
across Iraq to set a nation free.
Like your fathers and grandfathers before you, you have liberated millions from
oppression. You've added to the momentum of freedom across the world. You have
helped keep America safe. You make us all proud to be Americans, and you have
made me proud to be your Commander-in-Chief.
May God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States. Thank you
all.
(end transcript)
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Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)