For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 25, 2002
President Recognizes Greek Independence Day
Remarks by the President at Greek Independence Day Ceremony
Presidential Hall
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
THE PRESIDENT: Your Eminence, I can't spend enough time
with you. (Laughter.) I love your gentle soul, and I love
your guidance and your advice. And any time you want to come
back, just give me a call. (Laughter.) I'm so glad you're
here. And I want to thank you all for joining us to
celebrate this important day for Greece.
I want to honor the heritage of liberty that both the Greeks and
the Americans share. There's no better place to do this than
in the White House, the symbol of liberty and the symbol of freedom.
I want to thank the Greek Under Secretary of Foreign Affairs for
being here, as well. I appreciate you coming. I
want to thank the Ambassador -- the Greek Ambassador to the
United States, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to the
United States, as well. You all are welcome
here. Thank you for coming. It's great to see you
again.
I'm glad to see Ambassador George Argyros is here, as
well. I never thought he'd get through the confirmation
process. (Laughter.) But he is my Ambassador to Spain, and
is doing a very fine job. I appreciate so much the Director
of the Central Intelligence Agency, George Tenet, for being here, as
well. (Applause.)
One hundred and eighty one years ago, our nation supported the
cause of Greek independence. And we have admired the
progress Greece has made since. Yet well before we
recognized the independence of modern Greece, the Greek heritage had a
great impact on American independence. Many of America's
founders knew Greek history better than our own. They drew
on Greece's political heritage in framing our
Constitution. America's love for liberty has deep roots in
the spirit of Greece.
The spirit of liberty has always had enemies. It's
important for us to remember our history, that there are some who can't
stand liberty and freedom, as we learned so tragically on September the
11th. The terrorists who attack us hate the very idea of
human freedom. They cannot stand the thought of freedom of
religion. It must make them very nervous to know that a
Methodist is standing next to His
Eminence -- (laughter) -- in
a free society, in a society that welcomes people to worship freely,
and as they so choose. They hate freedom of
speech. They can't stand the thought of people speaking
their minds. They hate our system.
They also thought we were weak and soft. And they're
wrong, and they're learning it every day. They
learned it in Afghanistan, where we went into that country not to seek
revenge, but to seek justice. And this weekend, little girls
went to school for the first time -- some little
girls went to school for the first time in Afghanistan, showing the
world that we didn't go into Afghanistan as conquerors, but as
liberators.
And they're going to find out how tough we are. Because
I want to assure you all that we're going to hunt 'em down, one by one,
until our homeland is secure, until freedom is secure, to make sure our
children and our grandchildren can live in a free and peaceful
world. (Applause.)
One ancient Greek statesman put it this way. He said,
"We are free to live exactly as we please, yet we are ready to face any
danger." He might as well have been talking about the United
States of America. Fortunately, we don't face danger
alone. There are other people who love freedom, as well, in
this world. Greece and America have been firm allies in the
great struggles for liberty. Greece was one of only a
handful of countries that fought alongside the United States in every
major 20th century war. And Americans will always remember
Greek heroism and Greek sacrifice for the sake of freedom.
As the 21st century dawns, Greece and America
are -- once again stand united; this time in the
fight against terrorism. Greece is a part of the coalition
of nations helping bring justice to those who would harm us, harm the
people of Greece, harm anybody who love freedom. The United
States deeply appreciates the role Greece is playing in the war against
terror. We thank Greece for access to the military base in
Souda Bay, Crete, and for providing a naval frigate for patrolling the
Arabian Sea.
And just as Greece has stood side by side with the United States,
the United States stands ready to encourage the continued warming of
Greek and Turkish relations. We welcome the resumption of
diplomatic talks on Cyprus, and hope that they will lead to a final
settlement that strengthens regional peace and stability.
America and Greece are strong allies, and we're strategic
partners. Our nation has been inspired by Greek ideals, and enriched
by Greek immigrants. Today about 1 million Americans claim
Greek origin. They've made a mark in every
field. America is better for the 1 million Americans who
live here.
In my administration, John Negroponte heads our United Nations, and
he's doing a fine job. And as a part of my war council, the
National Security Council, sits George Tenet, whose advice and steady
hand have been invaluable to our success.
Today we honor Greek independence and the Greek spirit, a spirit of
liberty and a spirit of courage, a spirit that values family and
education and public service and faith; a spirit that has helped make
America what it is today.
It is my honor to welcome you all here. May God bless
Greece, and may God continue to bless America. (Applause.)