Text 3295, 514 rader
Skriven 2006-09-29 23:31:16 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0609293) for Fri, 2006 Sep 29
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President Bush Discusses Global War on Terror
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 29, 2006

President Bush Discusses Global War on Terror
Wardman Park Marriott Hotel
Washington, D.C.

President's Remarks view

˙˙˙˙˙ Fact Sheet: Afghanistan and Pakistan: Strong Allies in the War on
Terror ˙˙˙˙˙ In Focus: National Security

9:36 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thanks, Captain Smith, for your kind introduction. Thank you
all for being here, and thank you for the warm welcome. I am honored to
stand with the men and women of the Reserve Officers Association. For more
than 80 years, this organization has stood up for America and its
citizen-soldiers, and I appreciate your contribution to our country. We're
safer because you stand ready to put on the uniform. I am grateful for your
service, and I am proud to be your Commander-in-Chief.

I want to speak to you today about the struggle between moderation and
extremism that is unfolding across the broader Middle East. At this moment,
terrorists and extremists are fighting to overthrow moderate governments in
the region, so they can take control of countries and use them as bases
from which to attack America and from which to impose their hateful
ideology. This is the challenge of our time. This is the call of a
generation, to stand against the extremists and support moderate leaders
across the broader Middle East, to help us all secure a future of peace.

This week in Washington, I met with two courageous leaders who are working
for peace -- President Karzai of Afghanistan, and President Musharraf of
Pakistan. These leaders understand the stakes in the struggle -- in the
ideological struggle of the 21st century. They understand the stakes from a
personal perspective, as well, since the extremists have tried to
assassinate them. They are courageous people. They have seen the
destruction that terrorists have caused in their own country, and they know
this, that the only way to stop them is to work together and to stay on the
offense. By standing with brave leaders like these, we are defending
civilization itself, and we're building a more peaceful world for our
children and grandchildren.

I appreciate very much the Ambassador from Afghanistan, Ambassador Jawad,
and Ambassador Durrani from Pakistan for joining us here today. Thank you
all for coming. (Applause.) I appreciate members of my administration who
have joined us, I appreciate people wearing the uniform who have joined us.
I appreciate those from Walter Reed who have joined us, and from Bethesda.
(Applause.) I thank you for your sacrifice.

I also want to thank those from Walter Reed and Bethesda who are giving you
the help you need to recover from your wounds. It gives me great comfort to
be able to tell the loved ones of those who wear our uniform that if you
get hurt you will receive first class, compassionate care from the United
States military. And so to the healers who are here, thank you for doing
your duty and providing these brave folks the help they need to recover.

Earlier this month, our nation marked the fifth anniversary of the
September the 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks. We paused on that day to
remember the innocent people who were killed that day. We paused to
remember the rescue workers who rushed into burning towers to save lives.
After 9/11, I stood in the well of the House of Representatives and
declared that every nation, in every region, had a decision to make --
either you were with us, or you stood with the terrorists. Two nations,
Afghanistan and Pakistan, made very different decisions -- with very
different results.

Five years ago, Afghanistan was ruled by the brutal Taliban regime. Under
the Taliban and al Qaeda, Afghanistan was a land where women were
imprisoned in their own homes, where men were beaten for missing prayer
meetings, where girls couldn't even go to school. What a hopeless society
that was, under the rule of these hateful men. Afghanistan was the home to
terrorist training camps. Under al Qaeda and the Taliban, Afghanistan was a
terrorist safe haven and a launching pad for the horrific attacks that
killed innocent people in New York City on September the 11th, 2001.

After 9/11, America gave the leaders of the Taliban a choice. We told them
that they must turn over all the leaders of al Qaeda hiding in their land.
We told them they must close every terrorist training camp and hand over
every terrorist to appropriate authorities. We told them they must give the
United States full access to the terrorist training camps, so they could
make sure they were no longer operating. We told them these demands were
not up for negotiation, and that if they did not comply immediately and
hand over the terrorists, they would share in the same fate as the
terrorists.

I felt these were reasonable demands. The Taliban regime chose unwisely --
so within weeks after the 9/11 attacks, our coalition launched Operation
Enduring Freedom. By December 2001, the Taliban regime had been removed
from power, hundreds of Taliban and al Qaeda fighters had been captured or
killed, and the terrorist camps where the enemy had planned the 9/11
attacks were shut down. We did what we said we were going to do. We made
our intentions clear. We gave the Taliban a chance to make the right
decision. They made the wrong decision, and we liberated Afghanistan.
(Applause.)

The liberation of Afghanistan was a great achievement -- and for those of
you who served in that effort, thank you. I thank you on behalf of America,
and the Afghan people thank you. But we knew that it was only the beginning
of our mission in Afghanistan. See, the liberation was only the start of an
important mission to make this world a more peaceful place. We learned the
lesson of the 1980s, when the United States had helped the Afghan people
drive the Soviet Red Army from Kabul, and then decided our work was
finished, and left the Afghans to fend for themselves.

The Taliban came to power and provided a sanctuary for bin Laden and al
Qaeda, and we paid the price when the terrorists struck our nation and
killed nearly 3,000 people in our midst. So after liberating Afghanistan,
we began the difficult work of helping the Afghan people rebuild their
country, and establish a free nation on the rubble of the Taliban's
tyranny.

With the help of the United Nations and coalition countries, Afghan leaders
chose an interim government. They wrote and approved a democratic
constitution. They held elections to choose a new President and they
elected leaders to represent them in a new Parliament. In those
parliamentary elections, more than six million Afghans defied terrorist
threats and cast their ballots. They made it clear they wanted to live in a
free society. As I travel around the country, I tell people that I'm not
surprised when people say, I want to live in liberty. I believe liberty is
universal. I believe deep within the soul of every man, woman and child on
the face of the Earth is a desire to live in freedom. And when we free
people, we not only do our duty to ourselves, but we help the rise of
decent human beings.

As Afghans have braved the terrorists and claimed their freedom, we've
helped them, and we will continue to help them. It's in our interests that
we help this young democracy survive and grow strong. We helped them build
security forces they need to defend their democratic gains. In the past
five years, our coalition has trained and equipped more than 30,000
soldiers in the Afghan National Army -- and at this moment, several
thousand more are in training at a Kabul Military Training Center. These
Afghan soldiers are on the front lines with coalition troops. Some have
suffered terrible wounds in battle, others have given their lives in the
fight against the terrorists. Afghans in uniform are determined to protect
their nation and fight our common enemies -- and we're proud to fight
alongside such brave allies.

Our coalition has also trained about 46,000 members of the Afghan National
Police. The training of the Afghan police has not gone as smoothly as that
of the army. The police have faced problems with corruption and substandard
leadership. And we've made our concerns known to our friends in the Afghan
government. When we see a problem, we adjust, we change. And so this year,
President Karzai's government announced a new team to lead the National
Police. As the police become more capable, and better led, and more
disciplined, they will gain legitimacy and they will earn the respect of
the Afghan people.

Listen, the Afghan people want to live in a peaceful world. It's important
for the American citizens to understand an Afghan mother wants the same
thing for her child that our mothers' want for our children, the chance to
grow up and realize dreams, the chance to live in peace. And it's important
for the Afghan government to provide the kind of security so the citizens
have trust that their government can enable the peace to evolve in that
strife-ridden part of the world.

The army and police are good fighters. At this moment, more than 21,000
American troops and more than 20,000 personnel from 40 countries are
deployed in Afghanistan. In the summer of 2003, NATO took over the
International Security Assistance Force -- it's called ISAF, in Afghanistan
-- NATO's first mission outside the Euro-Atlantic area. Other nations
besides the United States understand the importance of helping this young
democracy survive and thrive and grow. Since then, NATO has expanded ISAF
from a small force that was operating only in Kabul into a robust force
that has taken responsibility for security in nearly 60 percent of the
country. And this week, NATO announced that it would take over security
operations in all of Afghanistan in the coming weeks. Under the plan, the
U.S. will transfer 12,000 of our troops that are now serving in the country
to the NATO force, while the rest will remain under coalition command and
continue anti-terrorist operations across the country.

We saw the effectiveness of NATO forces this summer, when NATO took
responsibility from the United States for security operations in Southern
Afghanistan. The Taliban saw the transfer of the region from the United
States to NATO control as a window of opportunity. They saw it as an
opportunity to test the will of nations under than the United States. See,
they've been testing our will. And they understand it's strong, and they
need to understand it will remain strong. (Applause.)

So the Taliban massed an estimated 800 to 900 fighters near Kandahar to
face the NATO force head on. And that was a mistake. Earlier this month,
NATO launched Operation Medusa. Together with the Afghan National Army,
troops from Canada, and Denmark, and the Netherlands, and Britain, and the
United States engaged the enemy -- with operational support from Romanian,
and Portuguese, and Estonian Forces. According to NATO Commanders, NATO
forces killed hundreds of Taliban fighters. NATO's Supreme Allied
Commander, General Jones, a United States Marine, says this about the NATO
operation in Southern Afghanistan: "The Taliban decided to make a test case
of this region r. And they paid a very heavy price for it.. [The operation
sent a] signal to the insurgents [that] NATO forces would not back down."
The operation also sent a clear message to the Afghan people: that NATO is
standing with you. I appreciate the courage of the NATO forces. I
appreciate the governments of our allies in NATO understanding the
importance of helping the Afghan people achieve their dream, and that is a
stable country. The people from NATO must understand that they're helping a
young democracy defend itself and protect its people. And in so doing,
they're helping to lay the foundation of peace in the ideological struggle
of the 21st century. (Applause.)

The NATO deployment has begun to bring security and reconstruction to a
region that had previously had little, and has allowed the United States
and Afghan forces to stay on the offense. And so we launched another major
offensive in the East called Operation Mountain Fury. The operation is
ongoing. It's aimed at clearing out enemy safe havens in five Afghan
provinces -- including three provinces bordering Pakistan. The operation is
being led by about 4,000 Afghan forces, and supported by about 3,000 of our
finest. As Afghan and coalition forces clear out the enemy, then we will
follow up with reconstruction assistance -- so we can improve the quality
of life for local Afghans, and help extend the authority of the central
government to distant areas of the country.

See, the enemy understands what we're doing, and they don't like it. That's
why they're reacting the way they're reacting. They understand that the
arrival of Afghan and coalition forces in the region means that the
government is beginning to win the hearts of the people. In many of these
regions, the Taliban and al Qaeda fighters, and drug traffickers, and
criminal elements have enjoyed free reign. There hasn't been any
countervailing force to their presence. And you can imagine how that makes
innocent people feel, you know, when you've got these killers in your
midst. It creates an atmosphere of fear. As a matter of fact, people like
al Qaeda, whose ideology is hateful, have got one major tool at their
disposal: they kill innocent life to create fear. What a contrast it is to
the United States of America, and coalition partners, and decent Afghans to
believe in hope. (Applause.)

These haters of humanity know that when the government in Kabul can reach
out and improve the lives of local Afghans in distant parts of the country,
the population will gain confidence in Afghanistan's democracy. That's part
of the struggle, this ideological struggle we're engaged in. And so they
are going to try to do everything they can to stop the progress. And
they'll fight Afghan and coalition forces. And that's what you're seeing
today.

But they do more than just fight our forces. They destroy schools and they
destroy clinics; they do everything in their power to intimidate local
folks. The enemies of a free Afghanistan are brutal and they're determined
-- and we're not going to let them succeed. (Applause.) NATO, and
coalition, and Afghan forces will continue to fight the enemy. We will stay
on the offense, and we're going to help this government of President Karzai
bring a better life to his people.

To bring a better life to the Afghan people, our coalition and NATO forces
have deployed 23 Provincial Reconstruction Teams across Afghanistan. These
teams are important because we're talking about a country that has been
torn apart because of war over the years. The teams are led by Sweden, and
Norway, and Germany, and Hungary, and Italy, and Spain, and Lithuania, and
Canada, and Britain, and the Netherlands, and the United States. And these
teams are bringing security and reconstruction assistance to distant
regions of the country. And to link the distant regions to the capital,
we've got a strategy -- it's called building roads. This is a country that
is in dire need for transportation. And since the liberation of
Afghanistan, we've provided more than $4.5 billion for reconstruction
throughout the country. We're helping with electricity, and irrigation, and
water, and sanitation, and other necessities.

Our coalition is working with President Karzai to strengthen the
institutions of Afghans -- Afghanistan's young democracy. We understand
that the institutions must be strengthened and reformed for democracy to
survive. And one of the areas most in need of reform is the nation's legal
system. Recently, President Karzai took important steps to strengthen the
rule of law, when he appointed a new Attorney General and judges to serve
on Afghanistan's Supreme Court. Our coalition is helping his government
institutionalize these changes. Italy, for example, is helping to train
Afghan judges, and prosecutors, and public defenders, and court
administrators so all Afghans can receive equal justice under the law.

And from the beginning, our actions in Afghanistan have had a clear purpose
-- in other words, our goals are clear for people to understand -- and that
is to rid that country of the Taliban and the terrorists, and build a
lasting free society that will be an ally in the war on terror. (Applause.)
And from the beginning, the American people have heard the critics say
we're failing -- but their reasons keep changing. In the first days of
Operation Enduring Freedom, the critics warned that we were heading toward
a "quagmire." And then when the Taliban fell, and operations began in Iraq,
the critics held up the multinational coalition in Afghanistan as a model,
and said it showed that everything we were doing in Iraq was wrong. And now
some of the critics who praised the multinational coalition we built in
Afghanistan claim that the country is in danger of failing because we don't
have enough American troops there.

Look, in order to win war, in order to win the ideological struggle of the
21st century, it is important for this country to have a clear strategy,
and change tactics to meet the conditions on the ground, not try to
constantly respond to the critics who change their positions. And so I
listen to the advice of those who matter in Afghanistan, and that is
President Karzai and our commanders. (Applause.) We will continue to help
Afghanistan's government defeat our common enemies.

I've constantly told the American people we must defeat the enemy overseas,
so we do not have to face them here at home. (Applause.) I will continue to
remind the American people that you deal with threats before they
materialize. In this war that we're in, it is too late to respond to a
threat after the -- after we've been attacked. I'm not going to forget the
lessons of September the 11th, 2001, and I know you won't either. We must
take threats seriously now, in order to protect the American people.

So we're going to help the people of Afghanistan, and help them build a
free nation. We're going to help them be a successful part of defeating an
ideology of hate with an ideology of hope. And think what that will mean
for reformers and moderate people in a region that has been full of
turmoil. Imagine the effect it will have when they see a thriving democracy
in their midst.

No, this ideological struggle of the 21st century will require tough
military action, good intelligence, it will require the United States to
give our folks on the front line of terror the tools necessary to protect
us, including listening to phone calls from al Qaeda coming into the
country so we know what they're getting ready to attack or questioning
people we capture on the battlefield. That's what it's going to include.
(Applause.)

But it also means helping the millions who want to live in liberty to do
so. In the long term, we will help our children and grandchildren live in a
peaceful world by encouraging the spread of liberty.

Five years ago, another country that faced a choice was Pakistan. At the
time of 9/11, Pakistan was only one of three nations that recognized the
Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Al Qaeda had a large presence in Pakistan.
There was a strong radical Islamic movement in that country. Some of the
9/11 hijackers were housed and trained in Pakistan. Pakistan's future was
in doubt -- and President Musharraf understood that he had to make a
fundamental choice for his people. He could turn a blind eye and leave the
people hostage to the extremists, or he could join the free world in
fighting the extremists and the terrorists. President Musharraf made the
choice to fight for freedom, and the United States of America is grateful
for his leadership.

Within two days of the September the 11th attacks, the Pakistani government
committed itself to stop al Qaeda operatives at its border, to share
intelligence on terrorist activities and movements, and to break off all
ties with the Taliban government if it refused to hand over Bin Laden and
the al Qaeda. President Musharraf's decision to fight the terrorists was
made at great personal risk. They have tried to kill him as a result of his
decision, because they know he has chosen to side with the forces of peace
and moderation, and that he stands in the way of their hateful vision for
his country.

President Musharraf's courageous choice to join the struggle against
extremism has saved American lives. His government has helped capture or
kill many senior terrorist leaders. For example, Pakistani forces helped
capture Abu Zubaydah -- a man we believe to be a trusted associate of Osama
bin Laden. Pakistani forces helped capture another individual believed to
be one of the key plotters of the 9/11 attacks -- Ramzi bin al Shibh.
Pakistani forces helped capture the man our intelligence community believes
masterminded the 9/11 attacks -- Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Once captured, these men were taken into custody of the Central
Intelligence Agency. The questioning of these and other suspected
terrorists provided information that helped us protect the American people.
They helped us break up a cell of Southeast Asian terrorist operatives that
had been groomed for attacks inside the United States. They helped us
disrupt an al Qaeda operation to develop anthrax for terrorist attacks.
They helped us stop a planned strike on a U.S. Marine camp in Djibouti, and
to prevent a planned attack on the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, and to foil a
plot to hijack passenger planes and to fly them into Heathrow Airport and
London's Canary Wharf.

Were it not for the information gained from the terrorists captured with
the help of Pakistan, our intelligence community believes that al Qaeda and
its allies would have succeeded in launching another attack against the
American homeland. Our close cooperation with the government of Pakistan
has saved American lives -- and America is grateful to have a strong and
steadfast ally in the war against these terrorists. (Applause.)

President Musharraf understands that the terrorists hide in remote regions
and travel back and forth across the border between Afghanistan and
Pakistan. And so we're helping his government establish stronger control
over these border areas. We are helping him to equip the nation's
paramilitary Frontier Corps that is policing the border regions. The United
States is funding the construction of more than 100 border outposts, which
will provide Pakistani forces with better access to remote areas of the
country's western border. We're providing high-tech equipment to help
Pakistani forces better locate terrorists attempting to cross the border.
We are funding an air wing with helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to give
Pakistan better security and surveillance capabilities.

And as we work with President Musharraf to bring security to his country,
we're also supporting him as he takes steps to build a modern and moderate
nation, that will hold free and fair elections next year. In an address to
his fellow citizens earlier this year, President Musharraf declared this:
"We have to eliminate extremism in our society. It will eat us up from
within. So it is my appeal to all of you to shun extremism. Adopt the path
of moderation.. we will eliminate this extremism in our society and then
Pakistan will be considered a moderate, developed country." President
Musharraf has a clear vision for his country as a nation growing in freedom
and prosperity and peace. And as he stands against the terrorists and for
the free future of his country, the United States of America will stand
with him. (Applause.)

In both Pakistan and Afghanistan, America has strong allies who are
committed to rooting out the terrorists in their midst. And with their
help, we've killed or captured hundreds of al Qaeda leaders and operatives
-- and we put the others on the run. Osama Bin Laden and other terrorists
are still in hiding. Our message to them is clear: No matter how long it
takes, we will find you, and we're going to bring you to justice.
(Applause.)

On Wednesday night, I had dinner with Presidents Musharraf and Karzai at
the White House. We had a long and we had a frank conversation about the
challenges we face in defeating the extremists and the terrorists in their
countries, and providing the people of these two nations an alternative to
the dark ideology of the enemy. We discussed the best ways to improve
intelligence sharing so that we can target and eliminate the leaders of al
Qaeda and the Taliban.

We resolved to strengthen the institutions of civil society in both
countries. We agreed on the need to support tribal leaders on both sides of
the border. By helping these local leaders build schools, and roads, and
health clinics, we will help them build a better life for their
communities, and strengthen their hand against -- to fight against the
extremists. It was clear from our conversation that our three nations share
the same goals: We will defeat the Taliban, we will defeat al Qaeda, and
the only way to do it is by working together.

Our meeting took place at a time when there is a debate raging in
Washington about how best to fight the war on terror. Recently, parts of a
classified document called the National Intelligence Estimate was leaked to
the press. As I said yesterday in Alabama, it's an indication that we're
getting close to an election. (Laughter.) The NIE is a document that
analyzes the threat we face from terrorists and extremists -- and its
unauthorized disclosure has set off a heated debate here in the United
States, particularly in Washington.

Some have selectively quoted from this document to make the case that by
fighting the terrorists, by fighting them in Iraq we are making our people
less secure here at home. This argument buys into the enemy's propaganda
that the terrorists attack us because we're provoking them. I want to
remind the American citizens that we were not in Iraq on September the
11th, 2001. (Applause.)

And this argument was powerfully answered this week by Prime Minister Tony
Blair. Here is what he said. He said, "I believe passionately [that] we
will not win until we shake ourselves free of the wretched capitulation to
the propaganda of the enemy, that somehow we are the ones responsible."
(Applause.) He went on to say, "This terrorism is not our fault. We didn't
cause it. And It is not the consequence of foreign policy." He's right. You
do not create terrorism by fighting terrorism. (Applause.) If that ever
becomes the mind set of the policymakers in Washington, it means we'll go
back to the old days of waiting to be attacked and then respond. Our most
important duty is to protect the American people from a future attack, and
the way to do so is to stay on the offense against the terrorists.
(Applause.)

Iraq is not the reason the terrorists are at war against us. They are at
war against us because they hate everything America stands for -- and we
stand for freedom. We stand for people to worship freely. One of the great
things about America is, you're equally American if you're a Jew, a Muslim,
a Christian, an agnostic or an atheist. What a powerful statement to the
world about the compassion of the American people that you're free to
choose the religion you want in our country. They can't stand the thought
that people can go into the public square in America and express their
differences with government. They can't stand the thought that the people
get to decide the future of our country by voting. Freedom bothers them
because their ideology is the opposite of liberty, it is the opposite of
freedom. And they don't like it because we know they know we stand in their
way of their ambitions in the Middle East, their ambitions to spread their
hateful ideology as a caliphate from Spain to Indonesia.

We'll defeat the terrorists in Iraq. We'll deny them the safe haven to
replace the one they lost in Afghanistan. We're going to make it harder for
them to recruit a new generation of terrorists, and we're going to help the
Iraqis build a free society. It's a hopeful country that sends a powerful
message across the broader Middle East, and serves with those of us who
believe in moderation and hope as an ally in the war against these
extremists.

We can have confidence in the outcome of the war on terror -- because our
nation is determined. We've done this kind of hard work before, and we have
succeeded. And we can be confident because we've got incredible men and
women who wear our nation's uniform. (Applause.) I am constantly amazed at
the incredible courage that our fellow citizens who wear the uniform show
on a regular basis.

I think of two Navy SEALs named Matthew Axelson and Danny Deetz. In June of
2005, they were part of a SEAL team operating deep in the mountains of
Afghanistan on a mission to kill or capture a Taliban leader. They were
discovered, and they were soon surrounded in a mountain ravine by 30 to 40
Taliban fighters. During the firefight that ensued, Axelson urged an
injured teammate to escape, and he provided cover before suffering a mortal
wound. Fighting nearby, his partner Deetz was also mortally wounded, but he
too stood his ground and kept firing until finally, he finally died.

Because of the courage of Petty Officers Axelson and Deetz, their wounded
teammate made it out alive. For their heroism, these two Petty Officers
were awarded the Navy Cross. But I want you to hear what Petty Officer
Deetz's wife said about her husband and his comrades in arms. She said,
"Danny and his brothers went toward evil and ran forward and gave their
last breath."

We live in freedom because of the courage of men like Matthew and Danny.
And we will honor their sacrifice by completing the mission. (Applause.)
From Afghanistan and Iraq to Africa and Southeast Asia, we are engaged in a
struggle against violent extremists -- a struggle which will help determine
the destiny of the civilized world. We've borne these responsibilities
before, and we have seen our faith in freedom vindicated by history. In
this young century, a new generation of Americans is being called to defend
liberty -- and once again the cause of liberty and peace will prevail.

Thank you for coming. God bless.

END 10:28 A.M. EDT

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