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Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Video (Real)   En Español

     In Focus: Renewal in Iraq

8:02 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Please be seated. Good evening. I'm pleased tovisit Fort Bragg, "Home of the Airborne and Special Operations Forces."It's an honor to speak before you tonight.

My greatest responsibility as President is to protect the American people.And that's your calling, as well. I thank you for your service, yourcourage and your sacrifice. I thank your families, who support you in yourvital work. The soldiers and families of Fort Bragg have contributedmightily to our efforts to secure our country and promote peace. America isgrateful, and so is your Commander-in-Chief.

The troops here and across the world are fighting a global war on terror.The war reached our shores on September the 11th, 2001. The terrorists whoattacked us -- and the terrorists we face -- murder in the name of atotalitarian ideology that hates freedom, rejects tolerance, and despisesall dissent. Their aim is to remake the Middle East in their own grim imageof tyranny and oppression -- by toppling governments, by driving us out ofthe region, and by exporting terror.

To achieve these aims, they have continued to kill -- in Madrid, Istanbul,Jakarta, Casablanca, Riyadh, Bali, and elsewhere. The terrorists believethat free societies are essentially corrupt and decadent, and with a fewhard blows they can force us to retreat. They are mistaken. After Septemberthe 11th, I made a commitment to the American people: This nation will notwait to be attacked again. We will defend our freedom. We will take thefight to the enemy.

Iraq is the latest battlefield in this war. Many terrorists who killinnocent men, women, and children on the streets of Baghdad are followersof the same murderous ideology that took the lives of our citizens in NewYork, in Washington, and Pennsylvania. There is only one course of actionagainst them: to defeat them abroad before they attack us at home. Thecommander in charge of coalition operations in Iraq -- who is also seniorcommander at this base -- General John Vines, put it well the other day. Hesaid: "We either deal with terrorism and this extremism abroad, or we dealwith it when it comes to us."

Our mission in Iraq is clear. We're hunting down the terrorists. We'rehelping Iraqis build a free nation that is an ally in the war on terror.We're advancing freedom in the broader Middle East. We are removing asource of violence and instability, and laying the foundation of peace forour children and our grandchildren.

The work in Iraq is difficult and it is dangerous. Like most Americans, Isee the images of violence and bloodshed. Every picture is horrifying, andthe suffering is real. Amid all this violence, I know Americans ask thequestion: Is the sacrifice worth it? It is worth it, and it is vital to thefuture security of our country. And tonight I will explain the reasons why.

Some of the violence you see in Iraq is being carried out by ruthlesskillers who are converging on Iraq to fight the advance of peace andfreedom. Our military reports that we have killed or captured hundreds offoreign fighters in Iraq who have come from Saudi Arabia and Syria, Iran,Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Libya and others. They are making common cause withcriminal elements, Iraqi insurgents, and remnants of Saddam Hussein'sregime who want to restore the old order. They fight because they know thatthe survival of their hateful ideology is at stake. They know that asfreedom takes root in Iraq, it will inspire millions across the Middle Eastto claim their liberty, as well. And when the Middle East grows indemocracy and prosperity and hope, the terrorists will lose their sponsors,lose their recruits, and lose their hopes for turning that region into abase for attacks on America and our allies around the world.

Some wonder whether Iraq is a central front in the war on terror. Among theterrorists, there is no debate. Hear the words of Osama Bin Laden: "ThisThird World War is raging" in Iraq. "The whole world is watching this war."He says it will end in "victory and glory, or misery and humiliation."

The terrorists know that the outcome will leave them emboldened, ordefeated. So they are waging a campaign of murder and destruction. Andthere is no limit to the innocent lives they are willing to take.

We see the nature of the enemy in terrorists who exploded car bombs along abusy shopping street in Baghdad, including one outside a mosque. We see thenature of the enemy in terrorists who sent a suicide bomber to a teachinghospital in Mosul. We see the nature of the enemy in terrorists who beheadcivilian hostages and broadcast their atrocities for the world to see.

These are savage acts of violence, but they have not brought the terroristsany closer to achieving their strategic objectives. The terrorists -- bothforeign and Iraqi -- failed to stop the transfer of sovereignty. Theyfailed to break our Coalition and force a mass withdrawal by our allies.They failed to incite an Iraqi civil war. They failed to prevent freeelections. They failed to stop the formation of a democratic Iraqigovernment that represents all of Iraq's diverse population. And theyfailed to stop Iraqis from signing up in large number with the policeforces and the army to defend their new democracy.

The lesson of this experience is clear: The terrorists can kill theinnocent, but they cannot stop the advance of freedom. The only way ourenemies can succeed is if we forget the lessons of September the 11th, ifwe abandon the Iraqi people to men like Zarqawi, and if we yield the futureof the Middle East to men like Bin Laden. For the sake of our nation'ssecurity, this will not happen on my watch.

A little over a year ago, I spoke to the nation and described ourcoalition's goals in Iraq. I said that America's mission in Iraq is todefeat an enemy and give strength to a friend -- a free, representativegovernment that is an ally in the war on terror, and a beacon of hope in apart of the world that is desperate for reform. I outlined the steps wewould take to achieve this goal: We would hand authority over to asovereign Iraqi government. We would help Iraqis hold free elections byJanuary 2005. We would continue helping Iraqis rebuild their nation'sinfrastructure and economy. We would encourage more international supportfor Iraq's democratic transition, and we would enable Iraqis to takeincreasing responsibility for their own security and stability.

In the past year, we have made significant progress. One year ago today, werestored sovereignty to the Iraqi people. In January 2005, more than 8million Iraqi men and women voted in elections that were free and fair, andtook time on -- and took place on time. We continued our efforts to help them rebuild their country. Rebuilding acountry after three decades of tyranny is hard, and rebuilding while at waris even harder. Our progress has been uneven, but progress is being made.

We're improving roads and schools and health clinics. We're working toimprove basic services like sanitation, electricity, and water. Andtogether with our allies, we'll help the new Iraqi government deliver abetter life for its citizens.

In the past year, the international community has stepped forward withvital assistance. Some 30 nations have troops in Iraq, and many others arecontributing non-military assistance. The United Nations is in Iraq to helpIraqis write a constitution and conduct their next elections. Thus far,some 40 countries and three international organizations have pledged about$34 billion in assistance for Iraqi reconstruction. More than 80 countriesand international organizations recently came together in Brussels tocoordinate their efforts to help Iraqis provide for their security andrebuild their country. And next month, donor countries will meet in Jordanto support Iraqi reconstruction.

Whatever our differences in the past, the world understands that success inIraq is critical to the security of our nations. As German ChancellorGerhard Schr der said at the White House yesterday, "There can be noquestion a stable and democratic Iraq is in the vested interest of not justGermany, but also Europe."Finally, we have continued our efforts to equip and train Iraqi securityforces. We made gains in both the number and quality of those forces. TodayIraq has more than 160,000 security forces trained and equipped for avariety of missions. Iraqi forces have fought bravely, helping to captureterrorists and insurgents in Najaf and Samarra, Fallujah and Mosul. And inthe past month, Iraqi forces have led a major anti-terrorist campaign inBaghdad called Operation Lightning, which has led to the capture ofhundreds of suspected insurgents. Like free people everywhere, Iraqis wantto be defended by their own countrymen, and we are helping Iraqis assumethose duties.

The progress in the past year has been significant, and we have a clearpath forward. To complete the mission, we will continue to hunt down theterrorists and insurgents. To complete the mission, we will prevent alQaeda and other foreign terrorists from turning Iraq into what Afghanistanwas under the Taliban, a safe haven from which they could launch attacks onAmerica and our friends. And the best way to complete the mission is tohelp Iraqis build a free nation that can govern itself, sustain itself, anddefend itself.

So our strategy going forward has both a military track and a politicaltrack. The principal task of our military is to find and defeat theterrorists, and that is why we are on the offense. And as we pursue theterrorists, our military is helping to train Iraqi security forces so thatthey can defend their people and fight the enemy on their own. Our strategycan be summed up this way: As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.

We've made progress, but we have a lot of -- a lot more work to do. TodayIraqi security forces are at different levels of readiness. Some arecapable of taking on the terrorists and insurgents by themselves. A largenumber can plan and execute anti-terrorist operations with coalitionsupport. The rest are forming and not yet ready to participate fully insecurity operations. Our task is to make the Iraqi units fully capable andindependent. We're building up Iraqi security forces as quickly aspossible, so they can assume the lead in defeating the terrorists andinsurgents.

Our coalition is devoting considerable resources and manpower to thiscritical task. Thousands of coalition troops are involved in the trainingand equipping of Iraqi security forces. NATO is establishing a militaryacademy near Baghdad to train the next generation of Iraqi militaryleaders, and 17 nations are contributing troops to the NATO trainingmission. Iraqi army and police are being trained by personnel from Italy,Germany, Ukraine, Turkey, Poland, Romania, Australia, and the UnitedKingdom. Today, dozens of nations are working toward a common objective: anIraq that can defend itself, defeat its enemies, and secure its freedom.

To further prepare Iraqi forces to fight the enemy on their own, we aretaking three new steps: First, we are partnering coalition units with Iraqiunits. These coalition-Iraqi teams are conducting operations together inthe field. These combined operations are giving Iraqis a chance toexperience how the most professional armed forces in the world operate incombat.

Second, we are embedding coalition "transition teams" inside Iraqi units.These teams are made up of coalition officers and non-commissioned officerswho live, work, and fight together with their Iraqi comrades. Under U.S.command, they are providing battlefield advice and assistance to Iraqiforces during combat operations. Between battles, they are assisting theIraqis with important skills, such as urban combat, and intelligence,surveillance and reconnaissance techniques.

Third, we're working with the Iraqi Ministries of Interior and Defense toimprove their capabilities to coordinate anti-terrorist operations. We'rehelping them develop command and control structures. We're also providingthem with civilian and military leadership training, so Iraq's new leaderscan effectively manage their forces in the fight against terror.

The new Iraqi security forces are proving their courage every day. Morethan 2,000 members of Iraqi security forces have given their lives in theline of duty. Thousands more have stepped forward, and are now training toserve their nation. With each engagement, Iraqi soldiers grow morebattle-hardened, and their officers grow more experienced. We've learnedthat Iraqis are courageous and that they need additional skills. And thatis why a major part of our mission is to train them so they can do thefighting, and then our troops can come home.

I recognize that Americans want our troops to come home as quickly aspossible. So do I. Some contend that we should set a deadline forwithdrawing U.S. forces. Let me explain why that would be a seriousmistake. Setting an artificial timetable would send the wrong message tothe Iraqis, who need to know that America will not leave before the job isdone. It would send the wrong message to our troops, who need to know thatwe are serious about completing the mission they are risking their lives toachieve. And it would send the wrong message to the enemy, who would knowthat all they have to do is to wait us out. We will stay in Iraq as long aswe are needed, and not a day longer.

Some Americans ask me, if completing the mission is so important, why don'tyou send more troops? If our commanders on the ground say we need moretroops, I will send them. But our commanders tell me they have the numberof troops they need to do their job. Sending more Americans would undermineour strategy of encouraging Iraqis to take the lead in this fight. Andsending more Americans would suggest that we intend to stay forever, whenwe are, in fact, working for the day when Iraq can defend itself and we canleave. As we determine the right force level, our troops can know that Iwill continue to be guided by the advice that matters: the sober judgmentof our military leaders.

The other critical element of our strategy is to help ensure that the hopesIraqis expressed at the polls in January are translated into a securedemocracy. The Iraqi people are emerging from decades of tyranny andoppression. Under the regime of Saddam Hussein, the Shia and Kurds werebrutally oppressed, and the vast majority of Sunni Arabs were also deniedtheir basic rights, while senior regime officials enjoyed the privileges ofunchecked power. The challenge facing Iraqis today is to put this pastbehind them, and come together to build a new Iraq that includes all of itspeople.

They're doing that by building the institutions of a free society, asociety based on freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom ofreligion, and equal justice under law. The Iraqis have held free electionsand established a Transitional National Assembly. The next step is to writea good constitution that enshrines these freedoms in permanent law. TheAssembly plans to expand its constitutional drafting committee to includemore Sunni Arabs. Many Sunnis who opposed the January elections are nowtaking part in the democratic process, and that is essential to Iraq'sfuture.

After a constitution is written, the Iraqi people will have a chance tovote on it. If approved, Iraqis will go to the polls again, to elect a newgovernment under their new, permanent constitution. By taking thesecritical steps and meeting their deadlines, Iraqis will bind theirmultiethnic society together in a democracy that respects the will of themajority and protects minority rights.

As Iraqis grow confident that the democratic progress they are making isreal and permanent, more will join the political process. And as Iraqis seethat their military can protect them, more will step forward with vitalintelligence to help defeat the enemies of a free Iraq. The combination ofpolitical and military reform will lay a solid foundation for a free andstable Iraq.

As Iraqis make progress toward a free society, the effects are being feltbeyond Iraq's borders. Before our coalition liberated Iraq, Libya wassecretly pursuing nuclear weapons. Today the leader of Libya has given uphis chemical and nuclear weapons programs. Across the broader Middle East,people are claiming their freedom. In the last few months, we've witnessedelections in the Palestinian Territories and Lebanon. These elections areinspiring democratic reformers in places like Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Ourstrategy to defend ourselves and spread freedom is working. The rise offreedom in this vital region will eliminate the conditions that feedradicalism and ideologies of murder, and make our nation safer.

We have more work to do, and there will be tough moments that testAmerica's resolve. We're fighting against men with blind hatred -- andarmed with lethal weapons -- who are capable of any atrocity. They wear nouniform; they respect no laws of warfare or morality. They take innocentlives to create chaos for the cameras. They are trying to shake our will inIraq, just as they tried to shake our will on September the 11th, 2001.They will fail. The terrorists do not understand America. The Americanpeople do not falter under threat, and we will not allow our future to bedetermined by car bombers and assassins.

America and our friends are in a conflict that demands much of us. Itdemands the courage of our fighting men and women, it demands thesteadfastness of our allies, and it demands the perseverance of ourcitizens. We accept these burdens, because we know what is at stake. Wefight today because Iraq now carries the hope of freedom in a vital regionof the world, and the rise of democracy will be the ultimate triumph overradicalism and terror. And we fight today because terrorists want to attackour country and kill our citizens, and Iraq is where they are making theirstand. So we'll fight them there, we'll fight them across the world, and wewill stay in the fight until the fight is won. (Applause.)

America has done difficult work before. From our desperate fight forindependence to the darkest days of a Civil War, to the hard-fought battlesagainst tyranny in the 20th century, there were many chances to lose ourheart, our nerve, or our way. But Americans have always held firm, becausewe have always believed in certain truths. We know that if evil is notconfronted, it gains in strength and audacity, and returns to strike usagain. We know that when the work is hard, the proper response is notretreat, it is courage. And we know that this great ideal of human freedomentrusted to us in a special way, and that the ideal of liberty is worthdefending.

In this time of testing, our troops can know: The American people arebehind you. Next week, our nation has an opportunity to make sure thatsupport is felt by every soldier, sailor, airman, Coast Guardsman, andMarine at every outpost across the world. This Fourth of July, I ask you tofind a way to thank the men and women defending our freedom -- by flyingthe flag, sending a letter to our troops in the field, or helping themilitary family down the street. The Department of Defense has set up awebsite --AmericaSupportsYou.mil. You can go there to learn about privateefforts in your own community. At this time when we celebrate our freedom,let us stand with the men and women who defend us all.

To the soldiers in this hall, and our servicemen and women across theglobe: I thank you for your courage under fire and your service to ournation. I thank our military families -- the burden of war falls especiallyhard on you. In this war, we have lost good men and women who left ourshores to defend freedom and did not live to make the journey home. I'vemet with families grieving the loss of loved ones who were taken from ustoo soon. I've been inspired by their strength in the face of such greatloss. We pray for the families. And the best way to honor the lives thathave been given in this struggle is to complete the mission.

I thank those of you who have re-enlisted in an hour when your countryneeds you. And to those watching tonight who are considering a militarycareer, there is no higher calling than service in our Armed Forces. Welive in freedom because every generation has produced patriots willing toserve a cause greater than themselves. Those who serve today are takingtheir rightful place among the greatest generations that have worn ournation's uniform. When the history of this period is written, theliberation of Afghanistan and the liberation of Iraq will be remembered asgreat turning points in the story of freedom.

After September the 11th, 2001, I told the American people that the roadahead would be difficult, and that we would prevail. Well, it has beendifficult -- and we are prevailing. Our enemies are brutal, but they are nomatch for the United States of America, and they are no match for the menand women of the United States military.

May God bless you all. (Applause.)

END 8:30 P.M. EDT

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