Text 2509, 169 rader
Skriven 2006-04-19 23:33:12 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (060419) for Wed, 2006 Apr 19
===================================================
===========================================================================
President Meets with Governors Who Traveled to Kuwait, Iraq, and
Afghanistan
===========================================================================

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 19, 2006

President Meets with Governors Who Traveled to Kuwait, Iraq, and
Afghanistan
The South Lawn

President's Remarks view

˙˙˙˙˙ In Focus: Renewal in Iraq ˙˙˙˙˙ In Focus: Afghanistan

9:05 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: I just had breakfast with four governors who have returned
from Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. I invited Secretary Rice and Secretary
Rumsfeld, as well as Steve Hadley and Josh Bolten, to breakfast so that we
could hear from these governors.

First of all, I want to thank the four of them for traveling overseas. I
particularly want to thank them for going to see our men and women who are
helping secure freedom and peace. I thank them for sending a message from
home that we care about them, we care about our troops, that we'll support
our troops, that we appreciate the fact that people are willing to make
sacrifices.

I assured them that our goal in Afghanistan and Iraq is victory. And
victory will be achieved when there is a democracy in both countries that
are able to sustain itself and defend itself.

Secretary Rice brought the governors up to date about a conversation she
had with Ambassador Khalilzad. We fully recognize that the Iraqis must step
up and form a unity government, so that those who went to the polls to vote
recognize that a government will be in place to respond to their needs. In
other words, we also recognize that vacuums in the political process create
opportunity for malfeasance and harm. And so we assured these governors
that we understand full-well that the political process in Iraq must occur
soon, and we're working toward that end.

I again want to thank the governors for coming. I thought -- I asked them
if they wouldn't mind saying a few words. We -- I don't expect everybody to
agree with my decision to go into Iraq, but I do want the people to
understand -- the American people to understand that failure in Iraq is not
an option, that failure in Iraq would make the security situation for our
country worse, and that success in Iraq will begin to lay the foundation of
peace for generations to come.

Governor Daniels.

GOVERNOR DANIELS: First, profound gratitude to the President and the
administration for the chance to go, for the chance to carry a message to
the men and women of our state who are serving in such large numbers there;
our love for them and appreciation for what they're doing for the rest of
us.

And my dominant impressions are, one, the sheer proficiency of the United
States military in carrying the tasks they have been assigned. One knows
this, but till you see it firsthand and on the immense scale, very hard to
express how well they do what they are asked to do.

Secondly, the commitment to their safety, the enormity of the investment in
each and every soldier, and the ingenuity and the constant adaptation to
the evolving tactics of a very malicious and determined enemy is very
heartening to people who -- like us, who feel responsible for the men and
women in harm's way. Everything that can be done is being done, and on a
daily basis.

I think, third, the involvement of the citizen soldier and the full
integration of our Guard units, as well as reservists, and then of the
services with each other. Very hard to tell -- impossible to tell until you
ask who is whom. And this, I guess, can be thought of as the transformation
that this President came to office intent on driving happening before our
eyes.

Lastly, I will simply report that the commitment to a mission on the part
of every single person I talked to -- and I gave them ample chances to
express themselves out of earshot of their commanding officers and others
-- is unanimous. They believe they are doing something important. And I was
spontaneously asked to reenlist 13 different Indiana National Guardsmen for
six-year new hitches, and swear them in while there.

And so I simply will report on their behalf that they think this is a noble
thing they're doing and are very proud of the contribution they're making,
first, to the security of our country and their loved ones at home,
secondly, to the establishment of freedom in two lands that have been
denied it for so long.

GOVERNOR MANCHIN: First of all, I want to say to all of the people in
America about how proud that I am that -- the way our troops are being
treated. Our citizen soldiers, our Guards, our reservists, and our active
duty people from West Virginia, their spirits are high; they're committed
to the safety and freedom that every American enjoys and should enjoy --
and hopefully make the rest of the world free. They're committed to getting
the job done, and they're working very hard. They're a dedicated group of
people. And it was so good to see them being in such high spirits.

It gave me a different perspective, and the commitment people have towards
freedom, the desire that other people in the world have for the freedoms
that we take for granted so many times. The one thing that we were able to
talk to some of the provincial governors, there's nothing free in the word
"freedom" -- nothing at all.

So they're working very hard and they're committed and dedicated. And our
troops, the West Virginia troops, are committed to doing everything they
can to have a successful resolve and to make sure they get their job done.

GOVERNOR VILSACK: The issues in Afghanistan and Iraq are extraordinarily
complex. What you have is simultaneously trying to build a government and
economy and provide security. And sometimes it can be difficult to express
how difficult the challenge is.

I had the opportunity to visit with members of the Iowa National Guard, of
whom I am extraordinarily proud, as we all should be. Two small, very short
stories reflect my images of my trip. First was visiting with a member of
the 134th Medical Company. They handle transportation of folks who are sick
and ill. They provide transportation for our soldiers, but they also
provide transportation for Iraqi citizens, and also detainees, and they do
it in a professional and extraordinary way. They, in fact, have saved lives
of detainees, and have expressed pride in the job that they've done.

The second story is of an individual, Robert Staves (ph), who is currently
a instructor at the University of Northern Iowa. He has been instructing
the ROTC there. He is now finding himself in Afghanistan as part of the
training corps for the Afghan army. He explained it this way: He said,
"Governor, what I see every day is hope in this country." And I said,
"Precisely what do you mean by that?" He said, "I see it in the faces of
the children walking to school, particularly the young girls walking to
school, hand-in-hand with bookbags. They are thirsty for freedom and
thirsty for an education."

There may be disagreements on policy, but no one can disagree with the fact
that we have extraordinarily brave, competent, and dedicated individuals in
the Armed Forces, serving in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

GOVERNOR BUSH: Mr. President, I cannot tell you how grateful I am to be
able to go to Iraq and Afghanistan and Kuwait for Easter Weekend, to spend
time with the most dedicated patriots I've had the privilege of meeting --
not just from Florida, but all across the country. These men and women,
whether they're reservists, Guard, or enlisted men and women, are doing
heroic work. They're well trained, they're well taken care of, their morale
is high, they're totally focused on the mission. There is a strategy that
they're implementing. It was inspirational.

And I'd just like to reiterate what the other governors have said, that it
is very important that we stay the course, that we provide support for
these incredible people that are doing such a service for liberty around
the world and protecting our freedoms here. Thank you for allowing us to
go.

THE PRESIDENT: Again, I want to thank the four governors for coming. Thank
you for your eloquent statements. I appreciate your service to our nation.
I assured the governors that the United States will complete the mission,
that we will honor those who have paid the ultimate price by completing the
mission, that we will help those who desire to live in freedom, and in so
doing, we will lay the foundations of peace for a generation to come.

I appreciate you all coming.

END 9:13 A.M. EDT
===========================================================================
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/04/20060419.html

 * Origin: (1:3634/12)