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Skriven 2006-08-31 23:31:40 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0608311) for Thu, 2006 Aug 31
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President Bush Addresses American Legion National Convention
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 31, 2006

President Bush Addresses American Legion National Convention
Salt Palace Convention Center
Salt Lake City, Utah


˙˙˙˙˙ Fact Sheet: Winning the Struggle Between Freedom and Terror in the
Middle East ˙˙˙˙˙ In Focus: National Security

9:08 A.M. MDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much. Please be seated. Thanks for the
warm welcome. It's great to join you here in one of America's most
beautiful cities. I appreciate your hospitality. I'm proud to stand before
some of our country's finest patriots, our veterans and their families.
(Applause.) And I'm pleased to call you my fellow Legionnaires --
(applause) -- I suspect I may be the only one here, though, from Post 77,
Houston, Texas. That's what I thought. (Laughter.) If you're from Post 77,
behave yourself here in Salt Lake. (Laughter.)

Laura did remind me the other night, though, that a few of my fellow
members -- at least I've joined a few of my fellow members in another
illustrious organization, the "Over 60 Club." (Laughter.)

For almost 90 years, Legionnaires have stood proudly "for God and country."
(Applause.) From big cities to small towns, the American Legion name brings
to mind the best of our nation -- decency, generosity, and character.
(Applause.) I thank you for a lifetime of service. I thank you for the
positive contributions you make to our nation, and I'm proud to join you
today.

First, I want to thank Tom Bock, the National Commander, for his kind
introduction and his strong leadership. I always am pleased to welcome the
Commander to the Oval Office to discuss common issues, and you've done a
fine job leading this organization, Tom. I also want to thank your wife,
Elaine, and I particularly want to pay respect to your son, Captain Bock,
of the United States Army, who's joined us today. (Applause.)

I appreciate being here with Carol Van Kirk, the National President of the
American Legion Auxiliary. And I want to thank all the Auxiliary members
who are with us here today, as well. (Applause.)

I'm proud that the Governor of this great state, Jon Huntsman, and his wife
Mary Kaye, have joined us. Governor, thank you for your time. I'm also
proud to be joined by two United States Senators who are strong supporters
of the United States military, Senator Orrin Hatch, and Senator Bob
Bennett. (Applause.)

Members of the congressional delegation from the state of Utah have joined
us: Congressman Rob Bishop, and Congressman Chris Cannon. Thank you both
for coming. Proud you're here. (Applause.) I thank the state Senator, John
Valentine, who is the President of the Utah State Senate. I appreciate
Speaker Greg Curtis. I want to thank all the state and local officials who
have joined us here today. Most particularly, I want to thank you all for
giving me a chance to come and speak to you. I particularly want to thank
all the Gold Star families who have joined us today. May God bless you. May
God bless you. (Applause.)

As veterans, all of you stepped forward when America needed you most. From
North Africa to Normandy, Iwo Jima to Inchon, from Khe Sanh to Kuwait, your
courage and service have made it possible for generations to live in
liberty. And we owe you more than just thanks. We owe you the support of
the federal government. And so, in my first four years as President, we
increased funding for veterans more than the previous administration did in
eight years. (Applause.) Since then, we've increased it even more. My
budget for this year provides more than $80 billion for veterans -- that's
a 75-percent increase since I took office. It's the highest level of
support for veterans in American history. (Applause.)

For many veterans, health care is a top priority, and it's a top priority
of my administration. When Congress passes my 2007 budget, we will have
increased the VA health care budget by 69 percent since 2001. We've
extended treatment to a million additional veterans, including more than
300,000 men and women returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. (Applause.)
We're building new VA facilities in places where veterans are retiring, so
that more veterans can get top-quality health care closer to their homes.

I appreciate the Legion's strong history of care and compassion for your
fellow veterans. Earlier this week, I traveled to Mississippi and Louisiana
to mark the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Veterans were hit hard
by this storm, and American Legion posts all across the United States
responded with vital relief. In an hour of suffering, you showed the good
heart of our nation, and you showed the world that America can always count
on Legionnaires. (Applause.)

I also appreciate the Legion's long history of supporting wise legislation
in the Nation's Capital. Earlier this year, the Senate voted on a
constitutional amendment to ban flag desecration -- we came within a single
vote of passing it. The administration looks forward to continuing working
with the American Legion to make sure we get this important protection in
the Constitution of the United States of America. (Applause.)

Your organization supported another good piece of legislation called the
Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act. This bill ensures that families of
fallen service members will not have to endure protests during military
funerals. (Applause.)

My administration will also continue to work to locate the men and women in
uniform whose fate is still undetermined -- our prisoners of war and
personnel missing in action. We will not forget these brave Americans. We
must not rest until we've accounted for every soldier, sailor, airman,
Coast Guardsman, and Marine. And we will always honor their courage.
(Applause.)

At this hour, a new generation of Americans in uniform is showing great
courage in defending our freedom in the first war of the 21st century. I
know that Legionnaires are following this war closely, especially those of
you with family and friends who wear our uniform. The images that come back
from the front lines are striking, and sometimes unsettling. When you see
innocent civilians ripped apart by suicide bombs, or families buried inside
their homes, the world can seem engulfed in purposeless violence. The truth
is there is violence, but those who cause it have a clear purpose. When
terrorists murder at the World Trade Center, or car bombers strike in
Baghdad, or hijackers plot to blow up planes over the Atlantic, or
terrorist militias shoot rockets at Israeli towns, they are all pursuing
the same objective -- to turn back the advance of freedom, and impose a
dark vision of tyranny and terror across the world.

The enemies of liberty come from different parts of the world, and they
take inspiration from different sources. Some are radicalized followers of
the Sunni tradition, who swear allegiance to terrorist organizations like
al Qaeda. Others are radicalized followers of the Shia tradition, who join
groups like Hezbollah and take guidance from state sponsors like Syria and
Iran. Still others are "homegrown" terrorists -- fanatics who live quietly
in free societies they dream to destroy. Despite their differences, these
groups from -- form the outlines of a single movement, a worldwide network
of radicals that use terror to kill those who stand in the way of their
totalitarian ideology. And the unifying feature of this movement, the link
that spans sectarian divisions and local grievances, is the rigid
conviction that free societies are a threat to their twisted view of Islam.

The war we fight today is more than a military conflict; it is the decisive
ideological struggle of the 21st century. (Applause.) On one side are those
who believe in the values of freedom and moderation -- the right of all
people to speak, and worship, and live in liberty. And on the other side
are those driven by the values of tyranny and extremism -- the right of a
self-appointed few to impose their fanatical views on all the rest. As
veterans, you have seen this kind of enemy before. They're successors to
Fascists, to Nazis, to Communists, and other totalitarians of the 20th
century. And history shows what the outcome will be: This war will be
difficult; this war will be long; and this war will end in the defeat of
the terrorists and totalitarians, and a victory for the cause of freedom
and liberty. (Applause.)

We're now approaching the fifth anniversary of the day this war reached our
shores. As the horror of that morning grows more distant, there is a
tendency to believe that the threat is receding and this war is coming to a
close. That feeling is natural and comforting -- and wrong. As we recently
saw, the enemy still wants to attack us. We're in a war we didn't ask for,
but it's a war we must wage, and a war we will win. (Applause.)

In the coming days, I'll deliver a series of speeches describing the nature
of our enemy in the war on terror, the insights we've gained about their
aims and ambitions, the successes and setbacks we've experienced, and our
strategy to prevail in this long war. Today, I'll discuss a critical aspect
of this war: the struggle between freedom and terror in the Middle East,
including the battle in Iraq, which is the central front in our fight
against terrorism.

To understand the struggle unfolding in the Middle East, we need to look at
the recent history of the region. For a half- century, America's primary
goal in the Middle East was stability. This was understandable at the time;
we were fighting the Soviet Union in the Cold War, and it was important to
support Middle Eastern governments that rejected communism. Yet, over the
decades, an undercurrent of danger was rising in the Middle East. Much of
the region was mired in stagnation and despair. A generation of young
people grew up with little hope to improve their lives, and many fell under
the sway of radical extremism. The terrorist movement multiplied in
strength, and resentment that had simmered for years boiled over into
violence across the world.

Extremists in Iran seized American hostages. Hezbollah terrorists murdered
American troops at the Marine barracks in Beirut and Khobar Towers in Saudi
Arabia. Terrorists set off a truck bomb at the World Trade Center. Al Qaeda
blew up two U.S. embassies in East Africa, and bombed the USS Cole. Then
came the nightmare of September the 11, 2001, when 19 hijackers killed
nearly 3,000 men, women, and children.

In the space of a single morning, it became clear that the calm we saw in
the Middle East was only a mirage. We realized that years of pursuing
stability to promote peace had left us with neither. Instead, the lack of
freedom in the Middle East made the region an incubator for terrorist
movements.

The status quo in the Middle East before September the 11th was dangerous
and unacceptable, so we're pursuing a new strategy. First, we're using
every element of national power to confront al Qaeda, those who take
inspiration from them, and other terrorists who use similar tactics. We
have ended the days of treating terrorism simply as a law enforcement
matter. We will stay on the offense. We will fight the terrorists overseas
so we do not have to face them here at home. (Applause.)

Second, we have made it clear to all nations, if you harbor terrorists, you
are just as guilty as the terrorists; you're an enemy of the United States,
and you will be held to account. (Applause.) And third, we've launched a
bold new agenda to defeat the ideology of the enemy by supporting the
forces of freedom in the Middle East and beyond.

The freedom agenda is based upon our deepest ideals and our vital
interests. Americans believe that every person, of every religion, on every
continent, has the right to determine his or her own destiny. We believe
that freedom is a gift from an almighty God, beyond any power on Earth to
take away. (Applause.) And we also know, by history and by logic, that
promoting democracy is the surest way to build security. Democracies don't
attack each other or threaten the peace. Governments accountable to the
voters focus on building roads and schools -- not weapons of mass
destruction. Young people who have a say in their future are less likely to
search for meaning in extremism. Citizens who can join a peaceful political
party are less likely to join a terrorist organization. Dissidents with the
freedom to protest around the clock are less likely to blow themselves up
during rush hour. And nations that commit to freedom for their people will
not support terrorists -- they will join us in defeating them. (Applause.)

So America has committed its influence in the world to advancing freedom
and democracy as the great alternatives to repression and radicalism. We
will take the side of democratic leaders and reformers across the Middle
East. We will support the voices of tolerance and moderation in the Muslim
world. We stand with the mothers and fathers in every culture who want to
see their children grow up in a caring and peaceful world. And by
supporting the cause of freedom in a vital region, we'll make our children
and our grandchildren more secure. (Applause.)

Over the past five years, we've begun to see the results of our actions --
and we have seen how our enemies respond to the advance of liberty. In
Afghanistan, we saw a vicious tyranny that harbored the terrorists who
planned the September the 11th attacks. Within weeks, American forces were
in Afghanistan. Along with Afghan allies, we captured or killed hundreds of
al Qaeda and Taliban fighters; we closed down their training camps, and we
helped the people of Afghanistan replace the Taliban with a democratic
government that answers to them. (Applause.)

Our enemies saw the transformation in Afghanistan, and they've responded by
trying to roll back all the progress. Al Qaeda and the Taliban lost a
coveted base in Afghanistan and they know they will never reclaim it when
democracy succeeds. And so they're trying to return to power by attacking
Afghanistan's free institutions. And they will fail. (Applause.) Forces
from 40 nations, including every member of NATO, are now serving alongside
American troops to support the new Afghan government. The days of the
Taliban are over. The future of Afghanistan belongs to the people of
Afghanistan. And the future of Afghanistan belongs to freedom. (Applause.)

In Lebanon, we saw a sovereign nation occupied by the Syrian dictatorship.
We also saw the courageous people of Lebanon take to the streets to demand
their independence. So we worked to enforce a United Nations resolution
that required Syria to end its occupation of the country. The Syrians
withdrew their armed forces, and the Lebanese people elected a democratic
government that began to reclaim their country.

Our enemies saw the transformation in Lebanon and set out to destabilize
the young democracy. Hezbollah launched an unprovoked attack on Israel that
undermined the democrat government in Beirut. Yet their brazen action
caused the world to unite in support for Lebanon's democracy. Secretary
Rice worked with the Security Council to pass Resolution 1701, which will
strengthen Lebanese forces as they take control of southern Lebanon -- and
stop Hezbollah from acting as a state within a state.

I appreciate the troops pledged by France and Italy and other allies for
this important international deployment. Together, we're going to make it
clear to the world that foreign forces and terrorists have no place in a
free and democratic Lebanon. (Applause.)

This summer's crisis in Lebanon has made it clearer than ever that the
world now faces a grave threat from the radical regime in Iran. The Iranian
regime arms, funds, and advises Hezbollah, which has killed more Americans
than any terrorist network except al Qaeda. The Iranian regime interferes
in Iraq by sponsoring terrorists and insurgents, empowering unlawful
militias, and supplying components for improvised explosive devices. The
Iranian regime denies basic human rights to millions of its people. And the
Iranian regime is pursuing nuclear weapons in open defiance of its
international obligations.

We know the death and suffering that Iran's sponsorship of terrorists has
brought, and we can imagine how much worse it would be if Iran were allowed
to acquire nuclear weapons. Many nations are working together to solve this
problem. The United Nations passed a resolution demanding that Iran suspend
its nuclear enrichment activities. Today is the deadline for Iran's leaders
to reply to the reasonable proposal the international community has made.
If Iran's leaders accept this offer and abandon their nuclear weapons
ambitions, they can set their country on a better course. Yet, so far, the
Iranian regime has responded with further defiance and delay. It is time
for Iran to make a choice. We've made our choice: We will continue to work
closely with our allies to find a diplomatic solution -- but there must be
consequences for Iran's defiance, and we must not allow Iran to develop a
nuclear weapon. (Applause.)

In Iraq, we saw a dictator who harbored terrorists, fired at military
planes, paid the families of Palestinian suicide bombers, invaded a
neighbor, and pursued and used weapons of mass destruction. The United
Nations passed more than a dozen resolutions demanding that Saddam Hussein
fully and openly abandon his weapons of mass destruction. We gave him a
last chance to comply -- and when he refused, we enforced the just demands
of the world. And now Saddam Hussein is in prison and on trial. Soon he
will have the justice he denied to so many for so long. (Applause.) And
with this tyrant gone from power, the United States, Iraq, the Middle East,
and the world are better off. (Applause.)

In the three years since Saddam's fall the Iraqi people have reclaimed
sovereignty of their country. They cast their ballots in free elections.
They drafted and approved a democratic constitution and elected a
constitutional democracy at the heart of the Middle East. Over the same
period, Iraq has seen a rise of terrorist and insurgent movements that use
brutal and indiscriminate violence to frustrate the desire of the Iraqi
people for freedom and peace. Al Qaeda terrorists, former elements of
Saddam's regime, illegal militias and unlawful armed groups are all working
to undermine Iraq's new democracy. These groups have different long-term
ambitions, but the same immediate goals. They want to drive America and our
coalition out of Iraq and the Middle East, so they can stop the advance of
freedom and impose their dark vision on the people of the Middle East.
(Applause.)

Our enemies in Iraq have employed ruthless tactics to achieve those goals.
They've targeted American and coalition troops with ambushes and roadside
bombs. They've taken hostage and beheaded civilians on camera. They've
blown up Iraqi army posts and assassinated government leaders. We've
adapted to the tactics -- and thanks to the skill and professionalism of
Iraqi and American forces, many of these enemies have met their end. At
every step along the way, our enemies have failed to break the courage of
the Iraqi people; they have failed to stop the rise of Iraqi democracy --
and they will fail in breaking the will of the American people. (Applause.)

Now these enemies have launched a new effort. They have embarked on a
bloody campaign of sectarian violence, which they hope will plunge Iraq
into a civil war. The outbreak of sectarian violence was encouraged by the
terrorist Zarqawi, al Qaeda's man in Iraq who called for an "all-out war"
on Iraqi Shia. The Shia community resisted the impulse to seek revenge for
a while. But after this February bombing of the Shia Golden Dome Mosque in
Samarra, extremist groups mobilized and sectarian death squads formed on
the streets of Baghdad and other areas. Our Ambassador reports that
thousands of Iraqis were murdered in Baghdad last month, and large numbers
of them were victims of sectarian violence.

This cruelty and carnage has led some to question whether Iraq has
descended into civil war. Our commanders and our diplomats on the ground in
Iraq believe that's not the case. They report that only a small number of
Iraqis are engaged in sectarian violence, while the overwhelming majority
want peace and a normal life in a unified country. Iraqi leaders from all
backgrounds remember the elections that brought them to power, in which 12
million Iraqis defied the car bombers and killers to claim, "We want to be
free." (Applause.)

Iraq's government is working tirelessly to hold the nation together and to
heal Iraq's divisions, not to exploit them. The Iraqi people have come a
long way. They are not going to let their country fall apart or relapse
into tyranny. As Prime Minister Maliki told the United States Congress,
"Iraqis have tasted freedom and we will defend it absolutely." (Applause.)

America has a clear strategy to help the Iraqi people protect their new
freedom, and build a democracy that can govern itself, and sustain itself,
and defend itself. On the political side, we're working closely with Prime
Minister Maliki to strengthen Iraq's unity government and develop -- and to
deliver better services to the Iraqi people. This is a crucial moment for
the new Iraqi government; its leaders understand the challenge. They
believe that now is the time to hammer out compromises on Iraq's most
contentious issues.

I've been clear with each Iraqi leader I meet: America is a patient nation,
and Iraq can count on our partnership, as long as the new government
continues to make the hard decisions necessary to advance a unified,
democratic and peaceful Iraq. Prime Minister Maliki has shown courage in
laying out an agenda to do just that -- and he can count on an ally, the
United States of America, to help him promote this agenda. (Applause.)

On the security side, we're refining our tactics to meet the threats on the
ground. I've given our commanders in Iraq all the flexibility they need to
make adjustments necessary to stay on the offense and defeat the enemies of
freedom. We've deployed Special Operation forces to kill or capture
terrorists operating in Iraq. Zarqawi found out what they can do. We
continue to train Iraqi police forces to defend their own nation. We've
handed over security responsibility for a southern province to Iraqi
forces. Five of Iraq's 10 army divisions are now taking the lead in their
areas of operation. The Iraqi security forces are determined; they're
becoming more capable; and together, we will defeat the enemies of a free
Iraq. (Applause.)

Recently, we also launched a major new campaign to end the security crisis
in Baghdad. Side by side, Iraqi and American forces are conducting
operations in the city's most violent areas to disrupt al Qaeda, to capture
enemy fighters, crack down on IED makers, and break up the death squads.
These forces are helping Iraq's national police force undergo retraining to
better enforce law in Baghdad. And these forces are supporting the Iraqi
government as it provides reconstruction assistance.

The Baghdad Security Plan is still in its early stages. We cannot expect
immediate success. Yet, the initial results are encouraging. According to
one military report, a Sunni man in a diverse Baghdad neighborhood said
this about the Shia soldiers on patrol: "Their image has changed. Now you
feel they're there to protect you." Over the coming weeks and months, the
operation will expand throughout Baghdad. until Iraq's democratic
government is in full control of its capital. The work is difficult and
dangerous, but the Iraqi government and their forces are determined to
reclaim their country. And the United States is determined to help them
succeed. (Applause.)

Here at home we have a choice to make about Iraq. Some politicians look at
our efforts in Iraq and see a diversion from the war on terror. That would
come as news to Osama bin Laden, who proclaimed that the "third world war
is raging" in Iraq. It would come as news to the number two man of al
Qaeda, Zawahiri, who has called the struggle in Iraq, quote, "the place for
the greatest battle." It would come as news to the terrorists from Syria,
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and other countries, who have to
come to Iraq to fight the rise of democracy.

It's hard to believe that these terrorists would make long journeys across
dangerous borders, endure heavy fighting, or blow themselves up in the
streets of Baghdad, for a so-called "diversion." Some Americans didn't
support my decision to remove Saddam Hussein; many are frustrated with the
level of violence. But we should all agree that the battle for Iraq is now
central to the ideological struggle of the 21st century. We will not allow
the terrorists to dictate the future of this century -- so we will defeat
them in Iraq. (Applause.)

Still, there are some in our country who insist that the best option in
Iraq is to pull out, regardless of the situation on the ground. Many of
these folks are sincere and they're patriotic, but they could be -- they
could not be more wrong. If America were to pull out before Iraq can defend
itself, the consequences would be absolutely predictable -- and absolutely
disastrous. We would be handing Iraq over to our worst enemies -- Saddam's
former henchmen, armed groups with ties to Iran, and al Qaeda terrorists
from all over the world who would suddenly have a base of operations far
more valuable than Afghanistan under the Taliban. They would have a new
sanctuary to recruit and train terrorists at the heart of the Middle East,
with huge oil riches to fund their ambitions. And we know exactly where
those ambitions lead. If we give up the fight in the streets of Baghdad, we
will face the terrorists in the streets of our own cities.

We can decide to stop fighting the terrorists in Iraq and other parts of
the world, but they will not decide to stop fighting us. General John
Abizaid, our top commander in the Middle East region, recently put it this
way: "If we leave, they will follow us." And he is right. The security of
the civilized world depends on victory in the war on terror, and that
depends on victory in Iraq. So the United States of America will not leave
until victory is achieved. (Applause.)

Victory in Iraq will be difficult and it will require more sacrifice. The
fighting there can be as fierce as it was at Omaha Beach or Guadalcanal.
And victory is as important as it was in those earlier battles. Victory in
Iraq will result in a democracy that is a friend of America and an ally in
the war on terror. Victory in Iraq will be a crushing defeat for our
enemies, who have staked so much on the battle there. Victory in Iraq will
honor the sacrifice of the brave Americans who have given their lives. And
victory in Iraq would be a powerful triumph in the ideological struggle of
the 21st century. From Damascus to Tehran, people will look to a democratic
Iraq as inspiration that freedom can succeed in the Middle East, and as
evidence that the side of freedom is the winning side. This is a pivotal
moment for the Middle East. The world is watching -- and in Iraq and
beyond, the forces of freedom will prevail. (Applause.)

For all the debate, American policy in the Middle East comes down to a
straightforward choice. We can allow the Middle East to continue on its
course -- on the course it was headed before September the 11th, and a
generation from now, our children will face a region dominated by terrorist
states and radical dictators armed with nuclear weapons. Or we can stop
that from happening, by rallying the world to confront the ideology of
hate, and give the people of the Middle East a future of hope. And that is
the choice America has made. (Applause.)

We see a day when people across the Middle East have governments that honor
their dignity, unleash their creativity, and count their votes. We see a
day when leaders across the Middle East reject terror and protect freedom.
We see a day when the nations of the Middle East are allies in the cause of
peace. The path to that day will be uphill and uneven, but we can be
confident of the outcome, because we know that the direction of history
leads toward freedom.

In the early years of our republic, Thomas Jefferson said that we cannot
expect to move "from despotism to liberty in a featherbed." That's been
true in every time and place. No one understands that like you, our
veterans, understand that. With the distance of history, it can be easy to
look back at the wars of the 20th century and see a straight path to
victory. You know better than that. You waged the hard battles, you
suffered the wounds, you lost friends and brothers. You were there for dark
times and the moments of uncertainty. And you know that freedom is always
worth the sacrifice.

You also know what it takes to win. For all that is new about this war, one
thing has not changed: Victory still depends on the courage and the
patience and the resolve of the American people. Above all, it depends on
patriots who are willing to fight for freedom. (Applause.) Our nation is
blessed to have these men and women in abundance. Our military forces make
this nation strong; they make this nation safe; and they make this nation
proud. (Applause.)

We thank them and their families for their sacrifice. We will remember all
those who have given their lives in this struggle -- and I vow that we will
give our men and women in uniform all the resources they need to accomplish
their missions. (Applause.)

One brave American we remember is Marine Corporal Adam Galvez, from here in
Salt Lake City. Yesterday Adam's mom and dad laid their son to rest. We're
honored by their presence with us today. (Applause.) About a month ago,
Adam was wounded by a suicide bomb in Iraq's Anbar Province. When he
regained consciousness, he found he was buried alive, so he dug himself out
of the rubble. And then ran through gunfire to get a shovel to dig out his
fellow Marines. As soon as he recovered from his injuries, Adam volunteered
to go back to the front lines. and 11 days ago, he was killed when a
roadside bomb hit his convoy.

Here is what Adam's mom and dad said about the cause for which their son
gave his life: "Though many are debating the justification of this war,
Adam believed in his country -- Adam's belief in his country did not waver,
even to the point of the ultimate sacrifice. It's our hope and our prayer
that people share the same conviction and dedication to our troops and
fellow Americans." (Applause.)

Our nation will always remember the selflessness and sacrifice of Americans
like Adam Galvez. We will honor their lives by completing the good and
noble work they have started. (Applause.) And we can be confident that one
day, veterans of the war on terror will gather at American Legion halls
across the country, and say the same things you say: We made our nation
safer; we made a region more peaceful; and we left behind a better world
for our children and our grandchildren. (Applause.)

Thanks for having me. May God bless our veterans. May God bless our troops.
And may God continue to bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

END 9:52 A.M. MDT

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