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Skriven 2006-08-29 23:31:16 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0608294) for Tue, 2006 Aug 29
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Vice President's Remarks at a Rally for the Troops at Offutt Air Force Base
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Vice President
August 29, 2006

Vice President's Remarks at a Rally for the Troops at Offutt Air Force Base
U.S. STRATCOM Headquarters
Omaha, Nebraska



1:15 P.M.

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you
very much, Hoss. And thank all of you. It's great to be back in Nebraska,
the chance to visit Offutt Air Force Base once again. I appreciate all of
you taking time out today to let me come by and say thank you.

I want to thank General George, obviously, the Commander of the 55th Wing,
for hosting me today; and General Cartwright, Commander of the U.S.
Strategic Command, for those kind words of introduction. (Applause.)
There's got to be something okay for a general named Hoss. (Laughter.) I
like that. I also want to recognize Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, who is
with us today. And I'd also like to thank the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce,
the Offutt Advisory Council, the towns of Papillion, La Platte and Omaha
for the support and hospitality you provide to all of our folks here at
Offutt. Thanks, as well, to a terrific group of musicians -- the Heartland
of America Band. (Applause.)

Above all, I want to thank the hardworking men and women who make Offutt
Air Force Base one of the finest military installations in the entire
nation. (Applause.)

I've long admired the work that is done here, and Offutt was one of the
first bases I visited after I became Secretary of Defense back in 1989.
Located in the heart of America, the base is also at the very heart of
America's national security strategy. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a
week, units housed at Offutt Air Force Base are watching out for the
security of the nation and the people who call it home. Our military has
many superb military assets, but the decisive element is not equipment but
rather courage and character. Your work ethic, your sense of duty, your
deep commitment to our country -- these are the finest assets we have. So I
count it an honor to be in your company, and I bring good wishes to each
and every one of you from our Commander-in-Chief, President George W. Bush.
(Applause.)

I am here today because the President and I want you to know how much we
appreciate everything you do on behalf of the United States. You're serving
in an eventful time for the country, and for the cause of freedom. Some of
the challenges have arisen close to home. Just one year ago, personnel
stationed here joined in the relief effort after the devastating hurricane.
As part of Task Force Katrina, you conducted surveillance flights, provided
security, set up temporary shelter and field hospitals for relief workers,
and brought food and water to evacuees. You did an outstanding job in an
hour of need, and I know the citizens of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast
will never forget what you did for them.

As we gather today, another anniversary lies just ahead. In less than two
weeks the calendar will again read September 11th -- and our minds will go
back to that day five years ago, when the enemies of our country struck the
homeland with acts of stealth and murder. To stand here at Offutt Air Force
Base is to be reminded of how the world changed on that terrible morning.
This is where President Bush came to direct the initial response to the
attacks, and to conduct an emergency national security meeting by secure
video. It's never a small matter when the President of the United States
arrives on short notice. But that's the very kind of contingency that
Offutt is prepared for -- and the support you provided to the President on
9/11 was nothing short of superb.

From that day to this, the work carried out by Team Offutt has helped to
sustain the U.S. military in the global war on terror. That war goes on,
and thanks in part to all of you, it's a war we are going to win.
(Applause.)

In the aftermath of the tragedy, President Bush told the nation that the
struggle ahead would be global in nature, that it would be lengthy and
difficult, that it would require our best effort and unfailing resolve.
This is precisely how the war on terror has unfolded. And in this fight
some of the toughest, most urgent duties have come to our men and women in
uniform. Fortunately for America, you've never let us down, and the nation
has an awful lot to be grateful for.

America is grateful to the largest wing in the Air Force Air Combat Command
-- the Fighting Fifty-Fifth. (Applause.) In an age when enemies view the
entire world as battle space, there's no substitute for real-time, on-scene
intelligence. And it's the Rivet Joint aircraft that ensures American air
superiority and global response capability. At any given time, some 10
percent of the personnel of the 55th are deployed around the world -- so
it's true "the sun never sets on the Fighting Fifty-Fifth." (Applause.) I
especially want to recognize those who have just returned from their second
Global War on Terror deployment: Thank you for a job well done, and welcome
home. (Applause.)

America is grateful to the U.S. Strategic Command. STRATCOM carries a heavy
responsibility in protecting the people of the United States. You're the
ones we depend on to warn and defend this country against catastrophic
attack, to maintain some of the most critical elements of our defense
arsenal, and to position combat forces far from home. Across an incredible
range of expertise -- intelligence, planning, targeting, space and
information operations -- STRATCOM is helping us to track enemies and to
maintain our edge in a time of testing. You carry out difficult work with
precision, and focus, and a consistent standard of excellence. All
Americans are proud of the men and women of STRATCOM. (Applause.)

America is grateful, as well, to the Air Force Weather Agency -- keepers of
quality, comprehensive climate data for customers around the world. And
we're grateful to the citizen warriors of the Nebraska Air National Guard.
(Applause.)

In waging the global war on terror, the men and women who wear the nation's
uniform have reminded people everywhere of America's purposes. For the sake
of our own security, and that of our friends, we've undertaken a lot of
serious work in this world. Yet when we use our military, it's not to
conquer, but to liberate. And after we throw back tyrants, we stand by our
friends to ensure that democratic institutions can take hold, and to help
build the freedom that leads to peace in the long run.

Five years ago Iraq and Afghanistan were both in the grips of violent,
merciless regimes. Now they have democratically-elected governments, the
dictators are gone, and 50 million people are awakening to a future of hope
and freedom. And Americans who return home from that part of the world can
be proud of their service for the rest of their lives. (Applause.)

We maintain forces in those countries because we're a nation that keeps its
word and because we understand what is at stake in that part of the world.
The terrorists understand it as well. The terrorists know that as freedom
takes hold, the ideologies of hatred and resentment will weaken, and the
advance of free institutions in the broader Middle East will produce a much
safer world for our children and our grandchildren. The war on terror is a
battle for the future of civilization. It's a battle worth fighting. It's a
battle we are going to win. (Applause.)

The terrorists have made Iraq the central front in this war. And we wage
this fight with good allies at our side, including an Iraqi Security Force
growing in size and ability. We'll continue to train the Iraqi forces so
they can defend their own country and make it a source of stability in an
otherwise troubled region. When it comes to our own troop levels, the
President will listen to the recommendations of commanders on the ground.
And he will make the call based on what is needed for victory, not
according to the polls, and not by artificial timelines set by politicians
in Washington, D.C. (Applause.)

In our own country, we take democratic values seriously -- so we always
have a vigorous debate on the issues. That's part of the greatness of
America; we wouldn't have it any other way. But there is a difference
between healthy debate and self-defeating pessimism. We have only two
options in Iraq -- victory or defeat. And I want you to know, as members of
the United States military, that the American people do not support a
policy of retreat or defeat. We want to complete the mission. We want to
get it done right. And we want to return with honor. (Applause.)

Although we've been in the struggle against terrorism for nearly five years
now, the terrorists were actually at war with this country long before
2001. And they were the ones on the offensive. Over time, they came to
believe that they could strike America without paying a price -- because
they did so many times in the 1980s and '90s. Eventually, of course, they
hit us here at home on September 11th, 2001.

On September 11th, the American people had a glimpse of the broader
ambitions these enemies want to achieve, as well as the kind of world they
want to create. These enemies pervert a religious faith to serve a dark
political objective -- to establish, by violence and intimidation, a
totalitarian empire that denies all political and religious freedom. To
achieve that vision, the terrorists want to demoralize free nations with
dramatic acts of murder, and to gain weapons of mass destruction so they
can hold power by threat or blackmail. We need not have any illusions about
their ambitions, because the terrorists have stated them very clearly. They
have killed many thousands in many countries. They would, if able, kill
hundreds of thousands more -- and still not be finished.

This is not an enemy that can be ignored, or negotiated with, or appeased.
And every retreat by civilized nations is an invitation to further violence
against us. Men who despise freedom will attack freedom in any part of the
world -- and so, responsible nations have a duty to stay on the offensive,
together, to remove this threat. We are working to prevent attacks before
they occur, by tracking down the terrorists wherever they dwell. We are
working to deny weapons of mass destruction to outlaw states and their
terrorist allies. And we are working to prevent any nation from becoming a
staging ground for further terrorist violence. And we are working to deny
the terrorists future recruits, by replacing hatred and resentment with
democracy and hope across the broader Middle East.

The task of protecting America includes, as well, a home front -- and the
home front is every bit as important as the battlefields overseas. To
protect Americans, the President signed the Patriot Act, which is helping
us disrupt terrorist activity, to break up terror cells within the United
States, and to protect the lives of Americans. Another vital step the
President took in the days following 9/11 was to authorize the National
Security Agency to intercept a certain category of terrorist-linked
international communications. There are no communications more important to
the safety of the United States than those related to al Qaeda that have
one end in the United States. If you'll recall, the report of the 9/11
Commission focused criticism on our inability to uncover links between
terrorists at home and terrorists abroad. The authorization the President
made after September 11th helped address that problem in a manner that is
fully consistent with the constitutional responsibilities and the legal
authority of the President, and consistent with the civil liberties of the
American people.

As people who know first-hand what this war really involves, you can be
certain of this: The President will not relent in tracking the enemies of
the United States with every legitimate tool in his command. This is not a
war we can win on the defensive. Our only option against these enemies is
to monitor them, to find them, to fight them, and to destroy them.
(Applause.)

I'm afraid that as we get farther away from September 11th, 2001 there is a
temptation to let up in the fight against terror. We're all grateful that
this nation has gone half a decade without another 9/11. Obviously, no one
can guarantee that we won't be hit again. But getting through almost five
years of wartime without an attack on the homeland took a lot more than
luck. We've been protected by sound policy decisions by the President, by
decisive action at home and abroad, and by round-the-clock efforts on the
part of people in the armed forces, in law enforcement, in intelligence,
and homeland security. The enemy that struck on 9/11 is weakened and
fractured, yet still lethal, still determined to hit us again.

Remember the plot uncovered just this month in the United Kingdom. It was
aimed at U.S. commercial flights headed over the Atlantic. We've never had
a fight like this -- we have a lot more to do before it's finished. Either
we are serious about fighting this war or we are not. And the enemies of
America need to know: We are serious, we will not let down our guard.
(Applause.)

Everywhere I go in this country, I am struck by the depth of gratitude and
admiration that Americans have for the people who serve in our military. We
don't take freedom for granted, because we know that it came at a price.
Many Americans have been decorated for acts of bravery and superior
performance. And we have had to say a last farewell to some heroic men and
women. The families left behind need to know that their loved ones served
in a noble and a necessary cause, and their sacrifice has made our nation
and the world more secure. We will honor their memory forever. (Applause.)

Ladies and gentlemen, on a Tuesday morning five years ago, the nation we
love experienced one of the cruelest acts the modern world has seen. In our
sorrow we felt inspiration, as we learned of airline passengers who rose up
against hijackers to prevent greater loss, and rescuers who charged into
burning towers and died by the hundreds, and the many examples of kindness
and brotherhood that Americans showed to each other on one of the worst
days in our history.

From that hour of destruction to this very moment, the people and the
government of the United States have answered violence with justice, honor,
and moral courage. America is a good, and decent, and generous country. The
ideals that gave life to this nation are the same ideals we uphold at home
and that we serve abroad. We fight not only to protect ourselves and to
overcome dangers to civilization, but to free the oppressed, and to give
others the chance to decide their own destiny, so that all of us can one
day live in peace on the foundation of human freedom.

Every day you go on duty, it is to uphold these ideals. Every day you go on
duty, you make this nation safer, and you show the world that the people
who wear this country's uniform are men and women of skill, and
perseverance, and honor. Standing here today, in the great American
heartland, I want to thank each and every one of you for the vital work you
do, and for your example of service and character. It's a privilege for me
to be in your company. You've reflected great credit on your state and on
your country. And you've made your fellow citizens extremely proud.

Thank you very much. (Applause.)

END 1:35 P.M. CDT

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