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Skriven 2005-10-05 23:33:08 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0510053) for Wed, 2005 Oct 5
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Vice President's Remarks at the Association of the United States Army
Sustaining Members Luncheon
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Vice President
October 5, 2005

Vice President's Remarks at the Association of the United States Army
Sustaining Members Luncheon
Washington D.C. Convention Center
Washington, D.C.



1:02 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, General. Distinguished guests,
sustaining members, soldiers, I want to thank you for asking me to join you
today. I see some old friends in the hall. And it's good to be with all of
you, and I appreciate the warm welcome.

I also want to thank my former colleague, General Gordon Sullivan, for the
introduction, and for his many years of service, both in uniform, now as
president of the AUSA. It's also great to see the Secretary of the Army,
Fran Harvey, here today.

I am a great admirer of the United States Army, of its contributions to our
liberty, its history and traditions, and above all the men and women who
take up the profession of arms. As General Sullivan probably remembers,
while serving as Secretary of Defense I kept in my office a portrait of a
predecessor and a personal hero, General George C. Marshall, who served, of
course, more than 40 years on active duty and retired with five stars on
his shoulder. To me, Marshall embodied the ideals of our nation and the
character of our armed forces. And I have always counted it a privilege to
work with the soldiers and the civilian employees of the Department of the
Army.

The year Marshall was appointed Secretary of Defense, 1950, was also the
year that a group of fine citizens founded the Association of the United
States Army. And in all the years since, this organization has provided
outstanding support for America's Army -- active, National Guard and
reserve, civilians, veterans, retirees, and Army families. AUSA members are
men and women comfortable with responsibility, and devoted to serving
others. You remind fellow citizens of the Army's critical role in
preserving our national security, and you share a dedication to ensuring
that our soldiers have the best possible equipment, training, and
leadership to carry out their missions. AUSA members speak with conviction,
and with credibility, on behalf of the Army's noble traditions --
traditions that reflect the wisdom and the experience of 230 years of
history, and which give a sense of purpose and pride to every new
generation of soldiers.

The AUSA is a committed, reliable, and articulate voice for America's
soldiers, but never more than in this time of war, when so much is being
asked of the men and women who serve. Your conference theme is "Call to
Duty," and for you, I know this represents more than just words but a way
of life. And I want to thank all of you for the extraordinary support you
provide to soldiers and Army families through your chapters, not only
across the nation but overseas, as well.

American soldiers are currently serving in 120 countries, and the Army
remains an active, visible sign of America's commitments -- defending our
interests, standing by our friends, keeping patient vigil against possible
dangers, and, above all, directly engaging the enemies of the United
States.

For many in this generation of soldiers, service to the country has
involved accepting some extremely perilous missions. The war on terror is a
new kind of war against the most ruthless of enemies, and the fight we are
waging is every bit as urgent as it is dangerous. Those who attacked
America have proven their eagerness to kill innocent men, women, and
children by the thousands. They are looking to obtain weapons of mass
destruction by any means they can find, and would not hesitate to use such
weapons at the first opportunity. After 9/11 this nation made a decision:
Having been attacked by stealth inside our own country, we will not sit
back and wait to be hit again. We will prevent attacks by taking the fight
to the enemy.

Although we have been in the struggle against terrorism for four years now,
the terrorists were actually at war with this country before 2001. For a
long time, they were the ones on the offensive. And they grew bolder in
their belief that if they killed enough Americans, they could change
American policy. In Beirut in 1983, terrorists killed 241 Americans.
Following the attack, the United States forces were withdrawn from Beirut.
Time and time again, for the remainder of the 20th century, the terrorists
hit America and America did not hit back hard enough. In 1993 we had the
killing of American soldiers in Mogadishu, and the first bombing at the
World Trade Center in New York. We had the murders at the Saudi National
Guard Training Center in Riyadh in 1995, the killings at the Khobar Towers
in 1996, the destruction of two American embassies in Africa in 1998, and
the attack on the USS Cole in 2000. The terrorists came to believe that
they could strike America without paying any price.

And so terrorists continued to wage those attacks, making the world less
safe and eventually striking the United States directly on 9/11. Now
terrorists are making a stand in Iraq, testing our resolve and trying to
shake our commitment to democracy in that part of the world. There is still
difficult work ahead, because the terrorists regard Iraq as the central
front in their war against the civilized world. We are dealing with enemies
that recognize no rule of warfare and accept no standard of morality, and
they are determined to continue waging a campaign of terror against
coalition forces, Iraqi security personnel, and other innocents.

Though random and merciless in their tactics, the terrorists in Iraq
obviously have a strategy. They have a history of stepping up attacks
whenever Iraq approaches a political milestone. Next week Iraqis will vote
on a democratic constitution, and if that constitution is approved, they
will return to the polls later this year to elect a fully constitutional
government. As the Iraqi people take these next steps on the path to a free
and democratic country, the terrorists will continue doing anything they
can to stop the progress.

By their methods of murder, the terrorists hope to overturn Iraq's
democratic government and return that country to the rule of tyrants, and
then use Iraq as a staging area for ever greater attacks against America
and other civilized nations. Their aim is to remake the Middle East in
their own image of tyranny and oppression -- by toppling governments,
driving us out of the region, and by exporting terror. As President Bush
has said, the only way the terrorists can win is if we lose our nerve and
abandon our mission. But this nation has made a decision: We will stand by
our friends; we will help Iraqis build a nation that is free and secure and
able to defend itself; we will confront our enemies on this and every other
front in the war on terror; and with good allies at our side, we will
prevail.

Last week, General Abizaid came back to Washington and presented a detailed
briefing on the war on terror, particularly the situation in Iraq. Our own
strategy for victory in the conflict remains clear: We are hunting down
high-value targets like Zarqawi and his lieutenants, and last week Iraqi
and coalition forces tracked down and killed Abu Azzam, the second
most-wanted al Qaeda leader in Iraq. Our soldiers and Marines are
conducting smart, focused, aggressive, counterterrorism operations in the
areas where the terrorists are known to be concentrated. And our coalition
continues to train more Iraqi forces to assume increasing new
responsibility for their country's security. As more and more Iraqi
security forces complete their training, they are taking on greater
responsibilities in these efforts. Iraqi troops are increasingly taking the
lead in joint operations, conducting independent operations and expanding
the reach and the effectiveness of coalition forces.

As Iraqi security forces grow in their size and capabilities, we're
becoming better able to keep urban centers out of the hands of terrorists.
One of the challenges we faced was that after clearing out terrorists,
there weren't always enough trained Iraqi forces to maintain control. So
when coalition forces moved on, terrorists would move to get back in. More
and more, however, we're able to leave Iraqi troops in charge, and because
they're equipped, properly trained, familiar with the territory, and often
know who the terrorists are, these Iraqi units are able to maintain order
and safety. Meanwhile, coalition forces are able to go forward and deal
with terrorists in other parts of the country, as well as control the
borders.

At present, Iraqi forces are in control of more parts of Iraq than at any
time in the past two years. Significant areas of Baghdad and Mosul -- once
violent and volatile -- are now more stable because Iraqi forces are
helping keep the peace. In these and other areas, Iraqi personnel are
collecting good intelligence, working with civic and religious leaders, and
gaining greater confidence among the people. This is an ongoing process,
and standing up a capable, effective military force requires a patient and
sustained effort. Yet progress is steady, it is moving in the direction we
want, and the people in charge of the effort are doing a superb job. The
goal we share with Iraq's government and the Iraqi people is a full
transition to security and self-reliance, a nation with a constitutionally
elected government and capable security forces, an Iraq that is at peace
with its neighbors and can be an ally in the war on terror.

By staying in this fight, we honor both the ideals and the security
interests of the United States. The victory of freedom in Iraq will inspire
democratic reformers in other lands. In the broader Middle East and beyond,
America will continue to encourage free markets, democracy, and tolerance,
because these are the ideas and the aspirations that overcome violence, and
turn societies to the pursuits of peace. And as the peoples of that region
experience new hope, progress, and control over their own destiny, we will
see the power of freedom to change our world, and a terrible threat will be
removed from the lives of our children and our grandchildren.

Like other great duties in history, it will require decades of patient
effort, and it will be resisted by those whose only hope for power is
through the spread of violence. Yet the direction of events is clear.
Afghanistan has held the first free elections in the nation's 5,000-year
history. In Iraq, voters turned out in incredible numbers and elected
leaders who are now preparing the way for the new constitution and a
representative government. The Palestinian people have chosen a new
president and they have new hope for democracy and peace. In Lebanon,
citizens have poured into the streets to demand freedom to determine a
peaceful future for their own country as a fully independent member of the
world community. We are seeing the power of freedom to change our world,
and all who strive for freedom can know that the United States of America
is on their side.

The current generation of our armed services will witness many changes in
the years to come -- improvements in the tactics, strategies, and
technologies of warfare -- all with the goal of building a more modular,
standardized, and flexible force. A military that was designed for the
latter half of the 20th century needs to be a force that is lighter, more
adaptable, more agile, and more lethal in action. A transformed military
will build upon traditional advantages such as technological superiority,
our ability to project power across great distances, and our precision
strike capabilities. We're committed to building a more relevant and ready
force, designed around more compact, self-contained organizations, so that
in the future we can employ smaller, tailored forces in missions that once
required large units. At the same time, we're going to do more for our
military families, who deserve a more stable, predictable lifestyle and
better support in housing.

As always, the key to our security and our freedom will be the character of
our men and women in uniform. We could have the finest technology and
equipment -- and thanks to many in this room, we do have the finest and we
will continue to have it. But the success of our efforts always come down
to the soldier who carries a pack and goes straight at the face of the
enemy.

In today's Army, everybody is a potential combat soldier, with the
training, expertise, and mental toughness needed to be on the ground in a
360-degree battle space. And right now in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is
still tough fighting, in conditions ranging from urban to desert to high
mountains. We have lost some of our finest, and those losses are
irreplaceable. We are a nation that values every life, and we reserve
special honor for the soldier who defends our freedom at the cost of his
own life.

In military hospitals we also have many soldiers recovering from serious
injuries in battle. Some are facing a very hard road ahead, and they can be
assured of the finest care we can possibly give them. These Americans can
know with absolute certainty that they have contributed to the future
safety of this nation, and to the peace of our world. They can be proud of
all they have done for America, just as we will always respect their spirit
of sacrifice and their courage under fire.

There have been so many stories of heroism in this conflict, and so many
battle decorations earned by American soldiers. The highest award of all,
the Medal of Honor, has also been given, and it was given to a member of
the United States Army. In April of 2003, during the campaign to liberate
Iraq, a task force led by Sergeant Paul Ray Smith came under attack in
Baghdad by a company-size force of Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard. Under
constant enemy fire, with his unit pinned down and a number of men wounded,
Sergeant Smith climbed onto a damaged armored vehicle and manned a
50-caliber machine gun -- all the while in a completely exposed position.
Sergeant Smith remained in that spot, subjecting himself to greater danger
than the Army or his country could ever ask, firing incessantly at the
enemy until he took a fatal round to the head. After the firefight, the
Army concluded that this one soldier had personally killed as many as 50
Republican Guard, and saved the lives of more than 100 other Americans.

On the second anniversary of the incident, President Bush presented
Sergeant Smith's Medal of Honor to his wife and ten-year-old son. One of
Paul Ray Smith's men said he "was hard in training because he knew we had
to be hard in battle." For as long as citizens step forward to wear the
uniform of the United States, our nation will remember this man and his
courage.

In this new generation we are seeing once again that the American soldier
in battle places the mission first, never accepts defeat, never quits, and
never leaves a fallen comrade. The spirit of the American soldier is to be
honorable and just, and, even amid the cruelties of battle, to be decent
and humane. And these are the reasons why, in every corner of the earth, to
people who struggle and suffer, the sight of an American in uniform has
brought relief, hope, and deliverance. They know that we are a nation that
seeks not to conquer but to liberate, and to spread the freedom that leads
to peace.

Recently I saw a quote from a 107-year-old veteran of World War I, who was
living out in Oregon. This gentleman told a reporter that he recognized the
same sense of duty in today's Army that he saw when he put on the uniform
nearly 90 years ago. "There's not too much difference," he said, "and there
shouldn't be."

Ladies and gentlemen, it speaks very well of the Army, and of America, that
the men and women who have served under Tommy Franks and John Abizaid would
-- in their courage and their honor -- be recognized by George C. Marshall,
or Douglas MacArthur, or Black Jack Pershing, or even George Washington
himself. And it's another reason for all of you to be proud of your
association with the United States Army. In a time of such great challenge
for our country, we are reminded, and we are grateful, that the greatest
nation on earth is defended by the greatest volunteers on earth. This Army
at war is a permanent credit to the United States of America. As Vice
President -- and more than that, as a citizen of this land -- I am grateful
to the men and women who defend us all. And I am grateful to you, ladies
and gentlemen, for standing with our soldiers.

Thank you very much.

END 1:20 P.M. EDT
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