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'It's Time For Others To Join Us': Speech by US President George W. Bush, September 12

'Remarks by the President to Military Personnel and Families, Trent Field, Fort Stewart, Georgia, September 12, 2003'; The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, http://www.whitehouse.gov.

Two-and-a-half years ago - or two years ago, this nation came under enemy attack. Two years ago yesterday we were attacked. On a single morning, we suffered the highest casualties on our own soil since the Civil War. America saw the face of a new adversary - an enemy that plots in secret, an enemy that rejects the rules of war, an enemy that rejoices in the murder of the innocent. We made a pledge that day, and we have kept it: We are bringing the guilty to justice; we are taking the fight to the enemy.

In this new kind of war, America has followed a new strategy. We are not waiting for further attacks on our citizens. We are striking our enemies before they can strike us again. As all of you know, wars are fought on the offensive, and America and our friends are staying on the offensive. We're rolling back the terrorist threat, not on the fringes of its influence, but at the heart of its power.

In Afghanistan, America and our broad coalition acted against a regime that harbored al Qaeda and ruled by terror. We've sent a message that is now understood throughout the world: If you harbor a terrorist, if you support a terrorist, if you feed a terrorist, you're just as guilty as the terrorists. And the Taliban found out what we meant. Thanks to our men and women in uniform, Afghanistan is no longer a haven for terror, and as a result, the people of America are safer from attack.

We are hunting the al Qaeda terrorists wherever they still hide, from Pakistan to the Philippines, to the Horn of Africa. And we're making good progress. Nearly two-thirds of al Qaeda's known leaders have been captured or killed. The rest of them are dangerous, but the rest of them can be certain we're on their trail. Our resolve is firm; the resolve of this nation is clear: No matter how long it takes, we will bring justice to those who plot against America.

And we have pursued the war on terror in Iraq. Our coalition enforced the demands of the UN Security Council, in one of the swiftest and most humane military campaigns in history. Because of our military, catastrophic weapons will no longer be in the hands of a reckless dictator. Because of our military, Middle Eastern countries no longer fear subversion and attack by Saddam Hussein. Because of our military, the torture chambers in Iraq are closed and people who speak their minds need not fear execution. Because of our military, the people of Iraq are free.

Now we're working with the Iraqi people to build a decent and democratic society, a country that is an example of peace, not an exporter of violence. This undertaking is difficult and it is costly. Yet it is worthy of our country, and it is critical to our security. You've seen how Saddam holdouts and foreign terrorists are desperately - desperately trying to undermine Iraq's progress and to throw the country into chaos. You know, they understand that a free Iraq will be free of them, free of assassins and torturers and secret police. As democracy and freedom rise in Iraq, their ambitions will fall just like the statues of Saddam Hussein.

The terrorists have a strategic goal. They want America to leave Iraq before our work is done. You see, they believe their attacks on our people and on innocent people will shake the will of the United States and the civilized world. They believe America will run from a challenge. They don't know us very well. They're mistaken. Iraq is now the central front in the war on terror. This nation will complete our work, and we will win this essential victory. ...

All who serve understand what this fight is about. Our military is confronting terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in other places, so that our people will not have to confront terrorist violence in our own cities.

Our strategy in Iraq has three objectives. First, we are destroying the terrorists, by swift and decisive action. We continue to launch raids against these enemies, we're rounding them up, we're seizing their weapons. And as for leaders of the former regime, we're working our way through the famous deck of cards. The Iraqi people are helping with critical leads, and with each new capture the word gets out. ...

Our second objective is to bring in other nations to help Iraq build a free country; that will make the world more secure. Already two multinational divisions - perhaps you saw brothers and sisters in combat when you were in Iraq - divisions led by the Brits and the Poles, they're sharing responsibilities with us. And we thank all the nations who have contributed.

It's time for others to join us. Tomorrow, Secretary Powell will be in Geneva, consulting with friends and allies, and the officials of the United Nations. He'll carry a message: No free nation can be neutral in the fight between civilization and chaos. Terrorists in Iraq have attacked representatives of the civilized world, and opposing them and defeating them must be the cause of the civilized world.

Our third goal is to encourage the orderly transfer of sovereignty and authority to the Iraqi people. We're helping to train Iraqi civil defense forces and police and border guards. In these and other roles, some 60,000 Iraqis are now helping to secure their country. Iraq's new Governing Council represents the nation's diverse groups. Ninety percent of the communities have local councils. In Baghdad, a new city council is at work, chosen by all the neighborhoods in the cities. In the months ahead, the Iraqis will be drafting a new constitution, and this will prepare the way for elections. With our help, and with the great strength of its own people, Iraq is getting rid of the days of dictatorship and terror, and is moving toward a future of stability and freedom. And life is returning to normal for a lot of the citizens in Iraq. ...

As America carries out its strategy for security and reconstruction, we need the resources to do the job in Iraq. Soon I will send Congress a request for additional money we need to keep our commitments. In this time of challenge of America, as we ask so much of our military, we in government have a solemn responsibility to give you every tool you need to achieve victory.

This base, and all of you serving here, are critical to the defense of the United States. You've shown that, once again, by enduring a long deployment, and performing brilliantly every day under difficult and dangerous circumstances, that you're worthy of the task, and you're worthy of our trust. Our whole nation has been reminded that we can never take our military for granted. I will keep our military strong.

This was the message of another President, John F. Kennedy, when he visited Fort Stewart in 1962, and spoke to the troops on Donovan Field. President Kennedy said this: "Regardless of how persistent our diplomacy may be in activities stretching all around the globe, in the final analysis it rests upon the power of the United States, and that power rests upon the will and courage of our citizens, and upon you in this field." Soldiers and families of Fort Stewart: Those words are still true today. Peace and America's security depends on you.

In meeting the dangers of a new era, the world looks to America for leadership. And America counts on the men and women who have stepped forward as volunteers in the cause of freedom.

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