For Immediate Release
Office of the Vice President
August 2, 2004
Vice President's Remarks at a Rally for the Troops at Northcom
Peterson Air Force Base
Colorado Springs, Colorado
10:55 A.M. MDT
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. That is a tremendous
welcome. Lynne and I are delighted to be here this morning. We've
come to Colorado many times over the years, but I've never had a
welcome like that before. (Applause.)
We deeply appreciate your hospitality. Colorado Springs feels a
lot like home, and Peterson Air Force Base makes a mighty fine place to
park Air Force Two. (Applause.)
I'm proud today to stand with the men and women of the Northern
Command and NORAD. I want to thank General Eberhart, General Lord,
General Webber, and everyone who helped prepare the way for our visit
today. You represent America's newest unified command, and I've been
looking forward to dropping in. I'm grateful for the chance to stand
before so many who defend our homeland so well. (Applause.) And I'm
honored to bring personal regards to each and every one of you from our
Commander-in-Chief, President George W. Bush. (Applause.)
I also want to thank Congressman Joel Hefley, who represents this
area, for joining us. Joel does superb job for the people of Colorado,
and he is, obviously, a great friend of the U.S. military.
When President Bush proposed standing up Northern Command, he
understood the enormous duties that lay ahead, and he had complete
confidence in the men and women who would fulfill those duties. Your
mission here is nothing less than the defense of America's land, sea,
and airspace. In our vast, open nation, that is a heavy
responsibility. And you meet it every day. In less than two years'
time, you have turned a brand new command into a disciplined,
professional, effective component of the greatest military force in the
world. (Applause.)
In your mission to defend the skies, you are joined by our fine
Canadian allies in NORAD. Through decades of Cold War, NORAD kept
faithful watch over the United States and Canada, and helped free
nations overcome great dangers. Now you are meeting different
challenges -- to guard our airspace against complex new threats. And
thanks to your efforts, the people of both the United States and Canada
are more secure. (Applause.)
Peterson hosts other commands as well -- the Air Force Space
Command -- (applause) -- the Army Space and Missile Defense Command --
(applause) -- the 21st Space Wing -- (applause) -- and the 302nd
Airlift Wing of the Air Force Reserves. (Applause.) This is one of
America's vital military bases, and you receive tremendous support, I
know, from the Colorado Springs community. I want to thank all the
local leaders, businesspeople, volunteers, and, especially, the
veterans with us today for your commitment to our armed forces.
(Applause.)
Above all else, our men and women in uniform depend on the support
of their families. At bases around the world, from here at Peterson,
to Camp Pendleton, to Yongsan Garrison in South Korea, Lynne and I have
witnessed the selfless devotion and courage of our military families.
You're the ones who send the letters and packages, look out for friends
and neighbors in need, and give prayerful support to those who serve.
Military life is a family commitment, and this nation does not take you
for granted. America is enormously proud of our military families.
(Applause.)
I want to say a special word about the National Guard and Reserve
now serving on active duty. These men and women have put their lives
and their careers on hold to fulfill a solemn commitment to serve. As
you know so well, they are making critical contributions to the defense
of the nation -- both overseas and here at home. In their courage and
sacrifice, America's Guardsmen and Reservists have earned the respect
and gratitude of the entire nation. (Applause.)
It's been almost three years now since the terrorists brought war
to our homeland. I was at the White House on the morning of September
11th, 2001, and throughout that day received reports on the situation
in New York, Pennsylvania, and across the Potomac at the Pentagon.
There were conversations with the President and our military
commanders, including General Eberhart, decisions to be made about
civilian flights, military air cover, and disaster response. In many
ways, the attacks of that day brought out the best in people under
difficult and extremely uncertain circumstances. America saw the calm
determination of our President, and the heroic acts of our
firefighters, police, and medical personnel, who saved thousands of
lives. American fighter planes, under NORAD command, were scrambled to
protect our skies. And at our military bases around the world, we saw
our armed forces rise to heightened readiness with great speed and
efficiency.
That day changed everything for our country. In the space of a few
hours, we lost some 3,000 of our fellow citizens. We saw the violence
and the grief that terrorism can inflict. We saw a foe whose hatred of
us is limitless. Today we face an enemy every bit as intent on
destroying us as the Axis powers were in World War II, or the Soviet
Union was during the days of the Cold War. This enemy, in the words of
the 9/11 Commission's report released last week, is "sophisticated,
patient, disciplined, and lethal." What this enemy wants, as the 9/11
report explains, is to do away with democracy, to end all rights for
women, to impose their way of life on the rest of us. And as we saw on
the morning of 9/11, this enemy is perfectly prepared to slaughter
anyone -- man, woman, or child -- to advance its cause. This is not a
foe we can reason with, or negotiate with, or appease. This is -- to
put it simply -- an enemy that we must vanquish. (Applause.) And we
will vanquish this enemy. (Applause.)
To win this war, America is applying a doctrine that is clear to
all: Every person, group, or regime that harbors or supports terror is
equally guilty of terrorist crimes, and will be held to account.
(Applause.) In Afghanistan, the Taliban found out what we meant.
Within weeks of 9/11, American forces were on the ground in
Afghanistan, teaming up with Afghan freedom fighters to destroy the
terrorist camps, where terrorists trained to kill Americans, and to
take down the Taliban regime. With swift, precise action, we and our
allies captured or killed hundreds of al Qaeda fighters, ended Taliban
rule, liberated 25 million people, and closed the terrorist camps.
(Applause.) Today Afghanistan has a new government. They have a new
constitution. This fall they'll have free elections, and they now are
a developing democracy.
Having seen the devastation caused by 19 men armed with knives, box
cutters, and boarding passes, we awakened to a possibility even more
lethal -- that terrorists could acquire the capability to make weapons
of mass destruction -- chemical, biological, or even nuclear weapons --
or gain such weapons from an outlaw regime. If terrorists get their
hands on that deadly technology, there can be no doubt they will
inflict catastrophic damage on America and our allies. President Bush
is determined to remove threats before they arrive instead of simply
waiting for another attack on our country. So America, acting with a
coalition of 30 nations, ended the regime of Saddam Hussein.
(Applause.)
AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: There is still important and difficult work
ahead in Iraq. Freedom still has enemies in that country. Yet thanks
to the accomplishments of our military, Iraq has undergone an historic
transformation. Sixteen months ago, Iraq was under the control of a
dictator. Today, Saddam Hussein is in jail. (Applause.) Sixteen
months ago, 25 million Iraqi people lived in repression, fearful of
torture or death. Now they are free, and protected by an Iraqi bill of
rights, and preparing to elect their own leaders. Sixteen months ago,
Iraq was a gathering threat to the United States and the civilized
world. Now it is a rising democracy, its leaders are working with us
to fight terrorism, and the American people are safer for that.
(Applause.)
Since 9/11, we have taken the fight to our enemies wherever they
plot and plan. Yet we understand that winning this war requires more
than that. We must put forth a sustained effort on every major
battlefront -- and as we saw so clearly on 9/11, the homeland is one of
those fronts. That is why the Northern Command was such a critical
addition to our military strategy. In NORTHCOM, we have a unified
command fully dedicated to defending against threats to the United
States. Already, NORTHCOM units have flown more than 36,000 sorties in
support of Operation Noble Eagle, a far-reaching effort to deter and
disrupt attacks against America from the sky. You've also made
extraordinary progress toward developing a national missile defense
system -- and that is one of the great contributions to national
security in the past three years.
Just as we've called on NORAD and NORTHCOM to play a central role
in our military strategy, we're also relying on your contributions to
our homeland security efforts. This year so far, you've helped provide
security for events from the Super Bowl, to the G8 Summit, to the
recent political convention in Boston. You've supported state and
federal civilian agencies in responding to the Space Shuttle Columbia
disaster. You've developed task forces to improve homeland security
coordination in the national capital region; to enhance our ability to
respond to an attack with weapons of mass destruction; and to fight
drug trafficking. In all these actions, you've demonstrated the high
quality of your training and the depth of your dedication. By carrying
out your duties, you make it possible for so many Americans to lead
their daily lives with confidence and security. And your fellow
citizens are deeply grateful for your service. (Applause.)
Thanks in part to your vigilance at home, and our strong, effective
actions against terrorism overseas, America has gone nearly three years
now without a terrorist attack. Yet we must have no illusions about
the dangers we face. Secretary Ridge's announcement yesterday confirms
that the threats to our country are very real, that the terrorists are
doing everything they can to find ways to attacks. We've created the
Department of Homeland Security to focus our government on one mission
-- protecting the American people. We passed the Patriot Act to give
law enforcement the tools they need to track terrorists. We've
reorganized the FBI to focus on the terrorist threat; strengthened our
border and port security; and recently signed Project BioShield to
improve our defenses against catastrophic attacks. All Americans can
be certain we are doing everything in our power to protect the people
of this country.
I want every one of you to know that in the days and months ahead,
President Bush is going to back you up 100 percent. (Applause.) Our
job is to provide you with the best possible equipment to do your
mission; to make sure you receive the pay you deserve; and to support
military families at home. We have made that commitment to you -- and
we will keep it. (Applause.)
In these last three years, many great challenges have come to our
country. Much has been asked of us, and, as with the other great
challenges in our nation's history, the greatest burdens have fallen on
the men and women of our military. And yet this time of testing is
also a time of promise. The United States is a good, and a decent
country -- a nation that is making the world a better place by
defending the innocent, confronting the violent, and bringing freedom
to the oppressed. We understand the threats before us, and we have the
resources, the strength, and the moral courage to overcome them all.
As our President has made clear to all, the terrorist enemies will fail
because the direction of history is toward justice and human freedom.
The terrorists will fail because the resolve of America and or allies
wil not be shaken. And the terrorists will fail because men and women
like you stand in their way. (Applause.) Every person in the United
States Armed Forces can take great pride in the work you for for
America. Your fellow citizens know that your work is extraordinarily
challenging; the enemies we face are persistent and dangerous, and many
of your successes will go unknown. Yet our whole nation appreciates
everything you do for us. You bring great credit to your uniform, to
the flag, and to our country. (Applause.) Your Commander-in-Chief is
proud of you. And his behalf, and on behalf of the people of the
United, I thank you all.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
END 11:16 A.M. MDT
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