Text 1811, 573 rader
Skriven 2005-11-30 23:33:20 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0511302) for Wed, 2005 Nov 30
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President Outlines Strategy for Victory in Iraq
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 30, 2005

President Outlines Strategy for Victory in Iraq
United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, Maryland


˙˙˙˙˙Fact Sheet: Training Iraqi Security Forces
˙˙˙˙˙In Focus: National Strategy for Victory in Iraq
˙˙˙˙˙In Focus: National Security

9:45 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thanks, please be seated. Please be seated.
Thanks for the warm welcome. It's good to be back at the Naval Academy. I'm
pleased to provide a convenient excuse for you to miss class. (Applause.)

This is the first year that every class of midshipmen at this Academy
arrived after the attacks of September the 11th, 2001. Each of you has
volunteered to wear our nation's uniform in a time of war -- knowing all
the risks and dangers that accompany military service. Our citizens are
grateful for your devotion to duty -- and America is proud of the men and
women of the United States Naval Academy. (Applause.)

I thank Admiral Rempt for his invitation for me to come and give this
speech. I appreciate Admiral Mike Mullen. I'm traveling today with a man
who's done a fine job as the Secretary of Defense -- Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld. (Applause.) Navy aviator, Don Rumsfeld. (Applause.) I'm
proud that the Governor of the great state of Maryland, Bob Ehrlich, and
his wife, Kendel, is with us. Thanks for being here, Governor. (Applause.)

I so appreciate that members of the United States Congress have joined us,
starting with the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator
John Warner of the state of Virginia. (Applause.) Former Secretary of the
United States Navy, I might add. (Applause.) Chairman of the House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Congressman Pete Hoekstra.
(Applause.) From the state of Arizona, Congressman John Shadegg.
(Applause.) And from the state of Indiana, Congressman Mike Pence.
(Applause.) I'm honored you all came, thanks for being here.

I appreciate the Mayor of the city of Annapolis, Mayor Ellen Moyer, joining
us. I want to thank all the state and local officials. I want to thank the
faculty members here. Thank you all for letting me come by. (Applause.)

Six months ago, I came here to address the graduating class of 2005. I
spoke to them about the importance of their service in the first war of the
21st century -- the global war on terror. I told the class of 2005 that
four years at this Academy had prepared them morally, mentally and
physically for the challenges ahead. And now they're meeting those
challenges as officers in the United States Navy and Marine Corps.

Some of your former classmates are training with Navy SEAL teams that will
storm terrorist safe houses in lightning raids. Others are preparing to
lead Marine rifle platoons that will hunt the enemy in the mountains of
Afghanistan and the streets of Iraqi cities. Others are training as naval
aviators who will fly combat missions over the skies of Afghanistan and
Iraq and elsewhere. Still others are training as sailors and submariners
who will deliver the combat power of the United States to the farthest
regions of the world -- and deliver compassionate assistance to those
suffering from natural disasters. Whatever their chosen mission, every
graduate of the class of 2005 is bringing honor to the uniform -- and
helping to bring us victory in the war on terror. (Applause.)

In the years ahead, you'll join them in the fight. Your service is needed,
because our nation is engaged in a war that is being fought on many fronts
-- from the streets of Western cities, to the mountains of Afghanistan, the
islands of Southeast Asia and the Horn of Africa. This war is going to take
many turns, and the enemy must be defeated on every battlefield. Yet the
terrorists have made it clear that Iraq is the central front in their war
against humanity, and so we must recognize Iraq as the central front in the
war on terror.

As we fight the enemy in Iraq, every man and woman who volunteers to defend
our nation deserves an unwavering commitment to the mission -- and a clear
strategy for victory. A clear strategy begins with a clear understanding of
the enemy we face. The enemy in Iraq is a combination of rejectionists,
Saddamists and terrorists. The rejectionists are by far the largest group.
These are ordinary Iraqis, mostly Sunni Arabs, who miss the privileged
status they had under the regime of Saddam Hussein -- and they reject an
Iraq in which they are no longer the dominant group.

Not all Sunnis fall into the rejectionist camp. Of those that do, most are
not actively fighting us -- but some give aid and comfort to the enemy.
Many Sunnis boycotted the January elections -- yet as democracy takes hold
in Iraq, they are recognizing that opting out of the democratic process has
hurt their interests. And today, those who advocate violent opposition are
being increasingly isolated by Sunnis who choose peaceful participation in
the democratic process. Sunnis voted in the recent constitutional
referendum in large numbers -- and Sunni coalitions have formed to compete
in next month's elections -- or, this month's elections. We believe that,
over time, most rejectionists will be persuaded to support a democratic
Iraq led by a federal government that is a strong enough government to
protect minority rights.

The second group that makes up the enemy in Iraq is smaller, but more
determined. It contains former regime loyalists who held positions of power
under Saddam Hussein -- people who still harbor dreams of returning to
power. These hard-core Saddamists are trying to foment anti-democratic
sentiment amongst the larger Sunni community. They lack popular support and
therefore cannot stop Iraq's democratic progress. And over time, they can
be marginalized and defeated by the Iraqi people and the security forces of
a free Iraq.

The third group is the smallest, but the most lethal: the terrorists
affiliated with or inspired by al Qaeda . Many are foreigners who are
coming to fight freedom's progress in Iraq. This group includes terrorists
from Saudi Arabia, and Syria, and Iran, and Egypt, and Sudan, and Yemen,
and Libya, and other countries. Our commanders believe they're responsible
for most of the suicide bombings, and the beheadings, and the other
atrocities we see on our television.

They're led by a brutal terrorist named Zarqawi -- al Qaeda's chief of
operations in Iraq -- who has pledged his allegiance to Osama bin Laden.
Their objective is to drive the United States and coalition forces out of
Iraq, and use the vacuum that would be created by an American retreat to
gain control of that country. They would then use Iraq as a base from which
to launch attacks against America, and overthrow moderate governments in
the Middle East, and try to establish a totalitarian Islamic empire that
reaches from Indonesia to Spain. That's their stated objective. That's what
their leadership has said.

These terrorists have nothing to offer the Iraqi people. All they have is
the capacity and the willingness to kill the innocent and create chaos for
the cameras. They are trying to shake our will to achieve their stated
objectives. They will fail. America's will is strong. And they will fail
because the will to power is no match for the universal desire to live in
liberty. (Applause.)

The terrorists in Iraq share the same ideology as the terrorists who struck
the United States on September the 11th. Those terrorists share the same
ideology with those who blew up commuters in London and Madrid, murdered
tourists in Bali, workers in Riyadh, and guests at a wedding in Amman,
Jordan. Just last week, they massacred Iraqi children and their parents at
a toy give-away outside an Iraqi hospital.

This is an enemy without conscience -- and they cannot be appeased. If we
were not fighting and destroying this enemy in Iraq, they would not be
idle. They would be plotting and killing Americans across the world and
within our own borders. By fighting these terrorists in Iraq, Americans in
uniform are defeating a direct threat to the American people. Against this
adversary, there is only one effective response: We will never back down.
We will never give in. And we will never accept anything less than complete
victory. (Applause.)

To achieve victory over such enemies, we are pursuing a comprehensive
strategy in Iraq. Americans should have a clear understanding of this
strategy -- how we look at the war, how we see the enemy, how we define
victory, and what we're doing to achieve it. So today, we're releasing a
document called the "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq." This is an
unclassified version of the strategy we've been pursuing in Iraq, and it is
posted on the White House website -- whitehouse.gov. I urge all Americans
to read it.

Our strategy in Iraq has three elements. On the political side, we know
that free societies are peaceful societies, so we're helping the Iraqis
build a free society with inclusive democratic institutions that will
protect the interests of all Iraqis. We're working with the Iraqis to help
them engage those who can be persuaded to join the new Iraq -- and to
marginalize those who never will. On the security side, coalition and Iraqi
security forces are on the offensive against the enemy, cleaning out areas
controlled by the terrorists and Saddam loyalists, leaving Iraqi forces to
hold territory taken from the enemy, and following up with targeted
reconstruction to help Iraqis rebuild their lives.

As we fight the terrorists, we're working to build capable and effective
Iraqi security forces, so they can take the lead in the fight -- and
eventually take responsibility for the safety and security of their
citizens without major foreign assistance.

And on the economic side, we're helping the Iraqis rebuild their
infrastructure, reform their economy, and build the prosperity that will
give all Iraqis a stake in a free and peaceful Iraq. In doing all this we
have involved the United Nations, other international organizations, our
coalition partners, and supportive regional states in helping Iraqis build
their future.

In the days ahead, I'll be discussing the various pillars of our strategy
in Iraq. Today, I want to speak in depth about one aspect of this strategy
that will be critical to victory in Iraq -- and that's the training of
Iraqi security forces. To defeat the terrorists and marginalize the
Saddamists and rejectionists, Iraqis need strong military and police
forces. Iraqi troops bring knowledge and capabilities to the fight that
coalition forces cannot.

Iraqis know their people, they know their language, and they know their
culture -- and they know who the terrorists are. Iraqi forces are earning
the trust of their countrymen -- who are willing to help them in the fight
against the enemy. As the Iraqi forces grow in number, they're helping to
keep a better hold on the cities taken from the enemy. And as the Iraqi
forces grow more capable, they are increasingly taking the lead in the
fight against the terrorists. Our goal is to train enough Iraqi forces so
they can carry the fight -- and this will take time and patience. And it's
worth the time, and it's worth the effort -- because Iraqis and Americans
share a common enemy, and when that enemy is defeated in Iraq, Americans
will be safer here at home. (Applause.)

The training of the Iraqi security forces is an enormous task, and it
always hasn't gone smoothly. We all remember the reports of some Iraqi
security forces running from the fight more than a year ago. Yet in the
past year, Iraqi forces have made real progress. At this time last year,
there were only a handful of Iraqi battalions ready for combat. Now, there
are over 120 Iraqi Army and Police combat battalions in the fight against
the terrorists -- typically comprised of between 350 and 800 Iraqi forces.
Of these, about 80 Iraqi battalions are fighting side-by-side with
coalition forces, and about 40 others are taking the lead in the fight.
Most of these 40 battalions are controlling their own battle space, and
conducting their own operations against the terrorists with some coalition
support -- and they're helping to turn the tide of this struggle in
freedom's favor. America and our troops are proud to stand with the brave
Iraqi fighters. (Applause.)

The progress of the Iraqi forces is especially clear when the recent
anti-terrorist operations in Tal Afar are compared with last year's assault
in Fallujah. In Fallujah, the assault was led by nine coalition battalions
made up primarily of United States Marines and Army -- with six Iraqi
battalions supporting them. The Iraqis fought and sustained casualties. Yet
in most situations, the Iraqi role was limited to protecting the flanks of
coalition forces, and securing ground that had already been cleared by our
troops. This year in TAL Afar, it was a very different story.

The assault was primarily led by Iraqi security forces -- 11 Iraqi
battalions, backed by five coalition battalions providing support. Many
Iraqi units conducted their own anti-terrorist operations and controlled
their own battle space -- hunting for enemy fighters and securing
neighborhoods block-by-block. To consolidate their military success, Iraqi
units stayed behind to help maintain law and order -- and reconstruction
projects have been started to improve infrastructure and create jobs and
provide hope.

One of the Iraqi soldiers who fought in TAL Afar was a private named Tarek
Hazem. This brave Iraqi fighter says, "We're not afraid. We're here to
protect our country. All we feel is motivated to kill the terrorists."
Iraqi forces not only cleared the city, they held it. And because of the
skill and courage of the Iraqi forces, the citizens of TAL Afar were able
to vote in October's constitutional referendum.

As Iraqi forces increasingly take the lead in the fight against the
terrorists, they're also taking control of more and more Iraqi territory.
At this moment, over 30 Iraqi Army battalions have assumed primary control
of their own areas of responsibility. In Baghdad, Iraqi battalions have
taken over major sectors of the capital -- including some of the city's
toughest neighborhoods. Last year, the area around Baghdad's Haifa Street
was so thick with terrorists that it earned the nickname "Purple Heart
Boulevard." Then Iraqi forces took responsibility for this dangerous
neighborhood -- and attacks are now down.

Our coalition has handed over roughly 90 square miles of Baghdad province
to Iraqi security forces. Iraqi battalions have taken over responsibility
for areas in South-Central Iraq, sectors of Southeast Iraq, sectors of
Western Iraq, and sectors of North-Central Iraq. As Iraqi forces take
responsibility for more of their own territory, coalition forces can
concentrate on training Iraqis and hunting down high-value targets, like
the terrorist Zarqawi and his associates.

We're also transferring forward operating bases to Iraqi control. Over a
dozen bases in Iraq have been handed over to the Iraqi government --
including Saddam Hussein's former palace in Tikrit, which has served as the
coalition headquarters in one of Iraq's most dangerous regions. From many
of these bases, the Iraqi security forces are planning and executing
operations against the terrorists -- and bringing security and pride to the
Iraqi people.

Progress by the Iraqi security forces has come, in part, because we learned
from our earlier experiences and made changes in the way we help train
Iraqi troops. When our coalition first arrived, we began the process of
creating an Iraqi Army to defend the country from external threats, and an
Iraqi Civil Defense Corps to help provide the security within Iraq's
borders. The civil defense forces did not have sufficient firepower or
training -- they proved to be no match for an enemy armed with machine
guns, rocket-propelled grenades, and mortars. So the approach was adjusted.
Working with Iraq's leaders, we moved the civil defense forces into the
Iraqi Army, we changed the way they're trained and equipped, and we focused
the Army's mission on defeating those fighting against a free Iraq, whether
internal or external.

Now, all Iraqi Army recruits receive about the same length of basic
training as new recruits in the U.S. Army -- a five-week core course,
followed by an additional three-to-seven weeks of specialized training.
With coalition help, Iraqis have established schools for the Iraqi military
services, an Iraqi military academy, a non-commissioned officer academy, a
military police school, a bomb disposal school -- and NATO has established
an Iraqi Joint Staff College. There's also an increased focus on leadership
training, with professional development courses for Iraqi squad leaders and
platoon sergeants and warrant officers and sergeants-major. A new
generation of Iraqi officers is being trained, leaders who will lead their
forces with skill -- so they can defeat the terrorists and secure their
freedom.

Similar changes have taken place in the training of the Iraqi police. When
our coalition first arrived, Iraqi police recruits spent too much time of
their training in classroom lectures -- and they received limited training
in the use of small arms. This did not adequately prepare the fight they
would face. And so we changed the way the Iraqi police are trained. Now,
police recruits spend more of their time outside the classroom with
intensive hands-on training in anti-terrorism operations and real-world
survival skills.

Iraq has now six basic police academies, and one in Jordan, that together
produce over 3,500 new police officers every ten weeks. The Baghdad police
academy has simulation models where Iraqis train to stop IED attacks and
operate roadblocks. And because Iraqi police are not just facing common
criminals, they are getting live-fire training with the AK-47s.

As more and more skilled Iraqi security forces have come online, there's
been another important change in the way new Iraqi recruits are trained.
When the training effort began, nearly all the trainers came from coalition
countries. Today, the vast majority of Iraqi police and army recruits are
being taught by Iraqi instructors. By training the trainers, we're helping
Iraqis create an institutional capability that will allow the Iraqi forces
to continue to develop and grow long after coalition forces have left Iraq.

As the training has improved, so has the quality of the recruits being
trained. Even though the terrorists are targeting Iraqi police and army
recruits, there is no shortage of Iraqis who are willing to risk their
lives to secure the future of a free Iraq.

The efforts to include more Sunnis in the future of Iraq were given a
significant boost earlier this year. More than 60 influential Sunni clerics
issued a fatwa calling on young Sunnis to join the Iraqi security forces,
"for the sake of preserving the souls, property and honor" of the Iraqi
people. These religious leaders are helping to make the Iraqi security
forces a truly national institution -- one that is able to serve, protect
and defend all the Iraqi people.

Some critics dismiss this progress and point to the fact that only one
Iraqi battalion has achieved complete independence from the coalition. To
achieve complete independence, an Iraqi battalion must do more than fight
the enemy on its own -- it must also have the ability to provide its own
support elements, including logistics, airlift, intelligence, and command
and control through their ministries. Not every Iraqi unit has to meet this
level of capability in order for the Iraqi security forces to take the lead
in the fight against the enemy. As a matter of fact, there are some
battalions from NATO militaries that would not be able to meet this
standard. The facts are that Iraqi units are growing more independent and
more capable; they are defending their new democracy with courage and
determination. They're in the fight today, and they will be in the fight
for freedom tomorrow. (Applause.)

We're also helping Iraqis build the institutions they need to support their
own forces. For example, a national depot has been established north of
Baghdad that is responsible for supplying the logistical needs of the ten
divisions of the Iraqi Army. Regional support units and base support units
have been created across the country with the mission of supplying their
own war fighters. Iraqis now have a small Air Force, that recently
conducted its first combat airlift operations -- bringing Iraqi troops to
the front in TAL Afar. The new Iraqi Navy is now helping protect the vital
ports of Basra and Umm Qasr. An Iraqi military intelligence school has been
established to produce skilled Iraqi intelligence analysts and collectors.
By taking all these steps, we're helping the Iraqi security forces become
self-supporting so they can take the fight to the enemy, and so they can
sustain themselves in the fight.

Over the past two and a half years, we've faced some setbacks in standing
up a capable Iraqi security force -- and their performance is still uneven
in some areas. Yet many of those forces have made real gains over the past
year -- and Iraqi soldiers take pride in their progress. An Iraqi first
lieutenant named Shoqutt describes the transformation of his unit this way:
"I really think we've turned the corner here. At first, the whole country
didn't take us seriously. Now things are different. Our guys are hungry to
demonstrate their skill and to show the world."

Our troops in Iraq see the gains that Iraqis are making. Lieutenant Colonel
Todd Wood of Richmond Hill, Georgia, is training Iraqi forces in Saddam
Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. He says this about the Iraqi units he is
working with: "They're pretty much ready to go it on their own ... What
they're doing now would have been impossible a year ago ... These guys are
patriots, willing to go out knowing the insurgents would like nothing
better than to kill them and their families ... They're getting better, and
they'll keep getting better."

Our commanders on the ground see the gains the Iraqis are making. General
Marty Dempsey is the commander of the Multinational Security Transition
Command. Here's what he says about the transformation of the Iraqi security
forces: "It's beyond description. They are far better equipped, far better
trained" than they once were. The Iraqis, General Dempsey says, are
"increasingly in control of their future and their own security _ the Iraqi
security forces are regaining control of the country."

As the Iraqi security forces stand up, their confidence is growing and they
are taking on tougher and more important missions on their own. As the
Iraqi security forces stand up, the confidence of the Iraqi people is
growing -- and Iraqis are providing the vital intelligence needed to track
down the terrorists. And as the Iraqi security forces stand up, coalition
forces can stand down -- and when our mission of defeating the terrorists
in Iraq is complete, our troops will return home to a proud nation.
(Applause.)

This is a goal our Iraqi allies share. An Iraqi Army Sergeant named Abbass
Abdul Jabar puts it this way: "We have to help the coalition forces as much
as we can to give them a chance to go home. These guys have been helping
us. [Now] we have to protect our own families." America will help the
Iraqis so they can protect their families and secure their free nation. We
will stay as long as necessary to complete the mission. If our military
leaders tell me we need more troops, I will send them.

For example, we have increased our force levels in Iraq to 160,000 -- up
from 137,000 -- in preparation for the December elections. My commanders
tell me that as Iraqi forces become more capable, the mission of our forces
in Iraq will continue to change. We will continue to shift from providing
security and conducting operations against the enemy nationwide, to
conducting more specialized operations targeted at the most dangerous
terrorists. We will increasingly move out of Iraqi cities, reduce the
number of bases from which we operate, and conduct fewer patrols and
convoys.

As the Iraqi forces gain experience and the political process advances, we
will be able to decrease our troop levels in Iraq without losing our
capability to defeat the terrorists. These decisions about troop levels
will be driven by the conditions on the ground in Iraq and the good
judgment of our commanders -- not by artificial timetables set by
politicians in Washington. (Applause.)

Some are calling for a deadline for withdrawal. Many advocating an
artificial timetable for withdrawing our troops are sincere -- but I
believe they're sincerely wrong. Pulling our troops out before they've
achieved their purpose is not a plan for victory. As Democratic Senator Joe
Lieberman said recently, setting an artificial timetable would "discourage
our troops because it seems to be heading for the door. It will encourage
the terrorists, it will confuse the Iraqi people."

Senator Lieberman is right. Setting an artificial deadline to withdraw
would send a message across the world that America is a weak and an
unreliable ally. Setting an artificial deadline to withdraw would send a
signal to our enemies -- that if they wait long enough, America will cut
and run and abandon its friends. And setting an artificial deadline to
withdraw would vindicate the terrorists' tactics of beheadings and suicide
bombings and mass murder -- and invite new attacks on America. To all who
wear the uniform, I make you this pledge: America will not run in the face
of car bombers and assassins so long as I am your Commander-in-Chief.
(Applause.)

And as we train Iraqis to take more responsibility in the battle with the
terrorists, we're also helping them build a democracy that is worthy of
their sacrifice. And in just over two-and-a-half years, the Iraqi people
have made incredible progress on the road to lasting freedom. Iraqis have
gone from living under the boot of a brutal tyrant, to liberation, free
elections, and a democratic constitution -- and in 15 days they will go to
the polls to elect a fully constitutional government that will lead them
for the next four years.

With each ballot cast, the Iraqi people have sent a clear message to the
terrorists: Iraqis will not be intimidated. The Iraqi people will determine
the destiny of their country. The future of Iraq belongs to freedom.
Despite the costs, the pain, and the danger, Iraqis are showing courage and
are moving forward to build a free society and a lasting democracy in the
heart of the Middle East -- and the United States of America will help them
succeed. (Applause.)

Some critics continue to assert that we have no plan in Iraq except to,
"stay the course." If by "stay the course," they mean we will not allow the
terrorists to break our will, they are right. If by "stay the course," they
mean we will not permit al Qaeda to turn Iraq into what Afghanistan was
under the Taliban -- a safe haven for terrorism and a launching pad for
attacks on America -- they are right, as well. If by "stay the course" they
mean that we're not learning from our experiences, or adjusting our tactics
to meet the challenges on the ground, then they're flat wrong. As our top
commander in Iraq, General Casey, has said, "Our commanders on the ground
are continuously adapting and adjusting, not only to what the enemy does,
but also to try to out-think the enemy and get ahead of him." Our strategy
in Iraq is clear, our tactics are flexible and dynamic; we have changed
them as conditions required and they are bringing us victory against a
brutal enemy. (Applause.)

Victory in Iraq will demand the continued determination and resolve of the
American people. It will also demand the strength and personal courage of
the men and women who wear our nation's uniform. And as the future officers
of the United States Navy and Marine Corps, you're preparing to join this
fight. You do so at a time when there is a vigorous debate about the war in
Iraq. I know that for our men and women in uniform, this debate can be
unsettling -- when you're risking your life to accomplish a mission, the
last thing you want to hear is that mission being questioned in our
nation's capital. I want you to know that while there may be a lot of
heated rhetoric in Washington, D.C., one thing is not in dispute: The
American people stand behind you.

And we should not fear the debate in Washington. It's one of the great
strengths of our democracy that we can discuss our differences openly and
honestly -- even at times of war. Your service makes that freedom possible.
And today, because of the men and women in our military, people are
expressing their opinions freely in the streets of Baghdad, as well.

Most Americans want two things in Iraq: They want to see our troops win,
and they want to see our troops come home as soon as possible. And those
are my goals as well. I will settle for nothing less than complete victory.
In World War II, victory came when the Empire of Japan surrendered on the
deck of the USS Missouri. In Iraq, there will not be a signing ceremony on
the deck of a battleship. Victory will come when the terrorists and
Saddamists can no longer threaten Iraq's democracy, when the Iraqi security
forces can provide for the safety of their own citizens, and when Iraq is
not a safe haven for terrorists to plot new attacks on our nation.

As we make progress toward victory, Iraqis will take more responsibility
for their security, and fewer U.S. forces will be needed to complete the
mission. America will not abandon Iraq. We will not turn that country over
to the terrorists and put the American people at risk. Iraq will be a free
nation and a strong ally in the Middle East -- and this will add to the
security of the American people.

In the short run, we're going to bring justice to our enemies. In the long
run, the best way to ensure the security of our own citizens is to spread
the hope of freedom across the broader Middle East. We've seen freedom
conquer evil and secure the peace before. In World War II, free nations
came together to fight the ideology of fascism, and freedom prevailed --
and today Germany and Japan are democracies and they are allies in securing
the peace. In the Cold War, freedom defeated the ideology of communism and
led to a democratic movement that freed the nations of Eastern and Central
Europe from Soviet domination -- and today these nations are allies in the
war on terror.

Today in the Middle East freedom is once again contending with an ideology
that seeks to sow anger and hatred and despair. And like fascism and
communism before, the hateful ideologies that use terror will be defeated
by the unstoppable power of freedom, and as democracy spreads in the Middle
East, these countries will become allies in the cause of peace. (Applause.)

Advancing the cause of freedom and democracy in the Middle East begins with
ensuring the success of a free Iraq. Freedom's victory in that country will
inspire democratic reformers from Damascus to Tehran, and spread hope
across a troubled region, and lift a terrible threat from the lives of our
citizens. By strengthening Iraqi democracy, we will gain a partner in the
cause of peace and moderation in the Muslim world, and an ally in the
worldwide struggle against -- against the terrorists. Advancing the ideal
of democracy and self-government is the mission that created our nation --
and now it is the calling of a new generation of Americans. We will meet
the challenge of our time. We will answer history's call with confidence --
because we know that freedom is the destiny of every man, woman and child
on this earth. (Applause.)

Before our mission in Iraq is accomplished, there will be tough days ahead.
A time of war is a time of sacrifice, and we've lost some very fine men and
women in this war on terror. Many of you know comrades and classmates who
left our shores to defend freedom and who did not live to make the journey
home. We pray for the military families who mourn the loss of loves ones.
We hold them in our hearts -- and we honor the memory of every fallen
soldier, sailor, airman, Coast Guardsman, and Marine.

One of those fallen heroes is a Marine Corporal named Jeff Starr, who was
killed fighting the terrorists in Ramadi earlier this year. After he died,
a letter was found on his laptop computer. Here's what he wrote, he said,
"[I]f you're reading this, then I've died in Iraq. I don't regret going.
Everybody dies, but few get to do it for something as important as freedom.
It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq, it's not to me. I'm here helping
these people, so they can live the way we live. Not [to] have to worry
about tyrants or vicious dictators_. Others have died for my freedom, now
this is my mark."

There is only one way to honor the sacrifice of Corporal Starr and his
fallen comrades -- and that is to take up their mantle, carry on their
fight, and complete their mission. (Applause.)

We will take the fight to the terrorists. We will help the Iraqi people lay
the foundations of a strong democracy that can govern itself, sustain
itself, and defend itself. And by laying the foundations of freedom in
Iraq, we will lay the foundation of peace for generations to come.

You all are the ones who will help accomplish all this. Our freedom and our
way of life are in your hands -- and they're in the best of hands. I want
to thank you for your service in the cause of freedom. I want to thank you
for wearing the uniform. May God bless you all, and may God continue to
bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

END 10:28 A.M. EST
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