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Skriven 2004-11-09 23:32:50 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (041109a) for Tue, 2004 Nov 9
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President's Remarks to the Press Pool
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 9, 2004

President's Remarks to the Press Pool
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Washington, D.C.



3:01 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Listen, I've -- Laura and I have just toured one of the
wards upstairs. I am -- every time I come to Walter Reed I'm struck by the
courage and bravery of our men and women who wear the uniform. It's such an
honor to meet the troops who are wounded. And it's so uplifting to see
their spirit, their drive to become rehabilitated, their love of their
country, their support of the mission.

Laura and I spent time with the moms and dads and husbands and wives of
those who are wounded, and I was struck by just the patriotic sense that
they have and that -- their strong support for their loved ones.

Every time I come to the hospital, one of the things I try to determine is
to whether or not our troops and their families are being treated with
first-class care. It's very important for all of us involved in
decision-making to know that a troop who had been injured in Iraq or
Afghanistan is immediately brought to care. And to a person they were very
strong in their support and praise to how this hospital is run.

I want to thank the generals, the doctors, the nurses for running this
hospital. I mean, it's -- it's such a comforting sense for me to be able to
tell a loved one, your person hurt, your loved one will get the best care
possible.

And finally, we've got troops in harm's way in the Fallujah area right now,
and our prayers are with the soldiers and their loved ones as they're doing
the hard work necessary for a free Iraq to emerge. There are still
terrorists there who are trying to stop the march of freedom. And at the
request of the Allawi government, and alongside of Iraqi troops, coalition
forces are now moving in to Fallujah to bring to justice those who are
willing to kill the innocent, and those who are trying to terrorize the
Iraqi people and our coalition, those who want to stop democracy. And
they're not going to succeed.

And so we wish our troops all the best and Godspeed to them, as well. Thank
you all.

END 3:04 P.M. EST
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http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/11/20041109-10.html

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