[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
[December 14, 2008]
[Pages 1449-1452]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
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.
[[Page 1450]]
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.
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.
[[Page 1451]]
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 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.
[[Page 1452]]
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 S. 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.