Bush: U.S. Will Not Relent in War Against Terrorism
(Cites U.S. policies to fight AIDS, poverty and hunger) (3160)
President Bush told U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduates May 21 that "America will not relent in the war against global
terror."
Washington File: "We will hunt the terrorists in every dark corner of the Earth," Bush said during graduation exercises
in New London, Connecticut. "We will deny the terrorists the sanctuary and bases they need to plan and strike, as we
have done in the battle of Afghanistan. We will not permit terrorist organizations or states to blackmail the world with
weapons of mass destruction, as we have shown in the battle of Iraq."
Bush's remarks came a day after the United States raised its terrorist threat alert level from code "yellow," or
elevated, to code "orange," or high, which is the second-highest threat level. The increase is based on extensive
intelligence assessments that suggest a high possibility of a terrorist attack on the United States.
"Our country has been attacked by treachery in our own cities -- and that treachery continues in places like Riyadh and
Casablanca. We have seen the ruthless intentions of our enemies. And they are seeing our intentions: we will press on
until this danger to our country and to the world is ended," Bush said.
But the president also highlighted another aspect of U.S. foreign policy when he emphasized that "we also stand for the
values that defeat violence, and the hope that overcomes hatred. We find our greatest security in the advance of human
freedom."
He spoke of the importance to U.S. foreign policy of ending HIV/AIDS, poverty and hunger around the world, which
effectively would bring greater security to the United States. He said that the United States is the nation of the
Marshall Plan that helped to rebuild war-torn western Europe at the conclusion of World War II, the Berlin Airlift that
provided much-needed supplies to Berlin during the early years of the Cold War, and the Peace Corps.
"We're the nation that ended the oppression of Afghan women, and we are the nation that closed the torture chambers of
Iraq," he said.
The United States has allocated several hundred million dollars in Afghanistan reconstruction aid to help rebuild the
country, and plans to pursue similar aid in Iraq. The U.S. Congress recently passed appropriations to spend $15 billion
[$15,000 million] over five years to attack AIDS and provide help in 14 African and Caribbean nations as they battle the
disease.
"Free countries build wealth and prosperity for their people in an atmosphere of stability and order, instead of seeking
weapons of mass murder and attacking their neighbors," he said.
Bush said that when he travels to Europe next week, May 25-31, for the Group of Eight meetings, he will challenge U.S.
allies to make a similar commitment.
"I will urge our European partners and Japan and Canada to join a great mission of rescue, and to match their good
intentions with real resources," Bush said.
Bush said the advance of human freedom and hope is challenged by an ancient enemy: famine.
"Our world produces more than enough food to feed its six billion people, yet tens of millions are at risk of
starvation, and millions more lack water fit for drinking," he said. "We have the ability to confront the suffering, and
we accept the duty, as old as the scriptures, to comfort the afflicted and to feed the hungry."
Following is the text of Bush's remarks:
(begin transcript)
THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary (New London, Connecticut)
May 21, 2003
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS TO UNITED STATES COAST GUARD ACADEMY
Cadet Nitchman Field New London, Connecticut
11:37 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Thanks for the warm welcome. Admiral Collins and Admiral Olsen, Secretary Ridge,
Lieutenant Governor Rell, Mr. President, I'm glad you're here, thank you for coming, sir; Congressman Simmons, the fine
professors of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, distinguished guests, proud family members and the graduates. Thank you for
your welcome, and thank you for the honor of speaking to the newest officers of the United States Coast Guard.
You know, I was born in this state, just down the road. (Laughter and applause.) I've still got relatives living here.
(Laughter.) And it looks like some of them were up late last night painting Pride Rock. (Laughter and applause.)
This is a proud day for the Class of 2003, I know you've worked hard to get here. You've persevered through the rigors
of Swab Summer, you've faced difficult trials -- in the classroom, aboard Eagle. And now, with silver dollars in your
pockets, you're ready to become officers in our nation's oldest, continuous sea-going service. You have shown each day
that you "revere honor" and that you "honor duty." You have made your families, your professors and your country proud.
On behalf of the American people, thank you for choosing a life of service, and congratulations on a great achievement.
(Applause.)
I bring with me a small graduation present. Pursuant to the longstanding tradition, I hereby grant amnesty to all cadets
on restriction for minor conduct offenses. (Laughter and applause.) I leave it up to Admiral Olsen to determine the
definition of "minor." (Laughter.)
Coast Guard Academy life is demanding, and it should be -- because you are entrusted with solemn responsibilities, in
peace and in war. America counts on the Coast Guard to enforce maritime law, to secure our waterways and ports, to
rescue those in distress, and to intercept illegal drugs. In this new century, we will count on you even more. The men
and women of this class are the first ever to graduate into the Department of Homeland Security, which is charged with
protecting the American people against terrorist attacks. You are bringing a long tradition of duty to this new and
urgent task. Terrorists who seek to harm our country now face your "Shield of Freedom." Every citizen can be grateful
that the Coast Guard stands watch for America.
The Coast Guard is also playing a vital role in America's strategy to confront terror before it comes to our shores. In
the Iraqi theater, Coast Guard cutters and patrol boats and buoy tenders, and over a thousand of your finest active duty
and reserve members protected key ports and oil platforms, detained Iraqi prisoners of war, and helped speed the
delivery of relief supplies to the Iraqi people. Many have returned safely to port, and many remain on duty in the
Persian Gulf. All have helped to liberate a great people. And all have brought great credit to the uniform of the United
States Coast Guard. (Applause.)
In Iraq, America's military and our allies carried out every mission, and exceeded every expectation. Heavy units of
armor and infantry moved with a speed and agility that kept the enemy in a state of constant surprise and deadly
confusion. Air strikes and cruise missiles destroyed the power centers and meeting places of the regime, while targets
were carefully examined to protect the innocent from harm. Our forces confronted an enemy that rejected every rule of
warfare and morality -- but our men and women in uniform showed their decency and kept their honor. In a month of
battle, American Armed Services set an example of skill and daring that will stand for all time. (Applause.)
America will not relent in the war against global terror. (Applause.) We will hunt the terrorists in every dark corner
of the earth. And we're making good progress. Nearly one-half of al Qaeda's senior operatives have been captured or
killed. (Applause.) We will deny the terrorists the sanctuary and bases they need to plan and strike -- as we have done
in the battle of Afghanistan. We will not permit terror networks or terror states to threaten or blackmail the world
with weapons of mass destruction -- as we have shown in the battle of Iraq. (Applause.) Our country has been attacked by
treachery in our own cities -- and that treachery continues in places like Riyadh and Casablanca. We have seen the
ruthless intentions of our enemies. And they are seeing our intentions: we will press on until this danger to our
country and to the world is ended. (Applause.)
Yet, the national interest of America involves more than eliminating aggressive threats to our safety. We also stand for
the values that defeat violence, and the hope that overcomes hatred. We find our greatest security in the advance of
human freedom. Free societies look to the possibilities of the future, instead of feeding old resentments and
bitterness. Free countries build wealth and prosperity for their people in an atmosphere of stability and order, instead
of seeking weapons of mass murder and attacking their neighbors. Because America loves peace, America will always work
and sacrifice for the expansion of freedom. (Applause.)
The advance of freedom is more than an interest we pursue. It is a calling we follow. Our country was created in the
name and cause of freedom. And if the self-evident truths of our founding are true for us, they are true for all. As a
people dedicated to civil rights, we are driven to defend the human rights of others. We are the nation that liberated
continents and concentration camps. We are the nation of the Marshall Plan, the Berlin Airlift and the Peace Corps. We
are the nation that ended the oppression of Afghan women, and we are the nation that closed the torture chambers of
Iraq. (Applause.)
America's national ambition is the spread of free markets, free trade, and free societies. These goals are not achieved
at the expense of other nations, they are achieved for the benefit of all nations. America seeks to expand, not the
borders of our country, but the realm of liberty.
Our vision is opposed by terrorists and tyrants who attack a world they can never inspire. This vision is also
threatened by the faceless enemies of human dignity: plague and starvation and hopeless poverty. And America is at war
with these enemies, as well.
The advance of freedom and hope is challenged by the spread of AIDS. Today, on the continent of Africa, nearly 30
million people are afflicted with HIV/AIDS, including 3 million children under the age of 15. The African continent has
lost 7 million agricultural workers. In some countries, almost a third of the teachers are HIV positive. A 15-year old
boy living in Botswana has an 80 percent chance of dying of AIDS. It is a desperate struggle for any person, or any
nation, to build a better future in the shadow of death.
Yet, this shadow can be lifted. AIDS can be prevented, and AIDS can be treated. Lives can be saved, and others extended
by many years. In my State of the Union Address in January, I put forward an Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, directing
$15 billion over the next five years to fight AIDS abroad. And we will especially focus our efforts on 14 African and
Caribbean countries where HIV/AIDS is heavily concentrated.
I'm pleased that both Houses of Congress have now passed a bill authorizing these funds; I look forward to signing the
bill next week. (Applause.) The Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is the largest, single up front commitment in history for
an international public health initiative involving a specific disease.
With this dramatic expansion of America's efforts, we will prevent 7 million new HIV infections; treat at least 2
million people with life-extending drugs; and provide humane care for 10 million HIV-infected individuals and AIDS
orphans.
When I travel to Europe next week, I will challenge our allies to make a similar commitment which will save even more
lives. I will remind them that the clock is ticking -- that every single day 8,000 more people will die from AIDS in
Africa. There will be 14,000 more infections. I will urge our European partners, and Japan, and Canada, to join a great
mission of rescue, and to match their good intentions with real resources. (Applause.)
The advance of freedom and hope in the world is also challenged by an ancient enemy: famine. Our world produces more
than enough food to feed its 6 billion people. Yet tens of millions are at risk of starvation, and millions more lack
water fit for drinking. This crisis also is concentrated in Africa. We have the ability to confront this suffering. And
we accept the duty, as old as the Scriptures, to comfort the afflicted and to feed the hungry.
America is already the largest provider in the world of food relief -- giving more than $1.4 billion in global emergency
food aid, and one-half of all contributions to the World Food Program. And we are determined to do more. I've committed
to a nearly $1 billion initiative to provide clean drinking water to 50 million people in the developing world. I've
also asked Congress to provide $200 million for a new Famine Fund, which will give us the flexibility to act quickly
when the first signs of famine appear. I call on other nations to follow our lead by establishing their own emergency
funds. By saving time in responding to crisis, we will save lives.
We can also greatly reduce the long-term problem of hunger in Africa by applying the latest developments of science. I
have proposed an Initiative to End Hunger in Africa. By widening the use of new high-yield bio-crops and unleashing the
power of markets, we can dramatically increase agricultural productivity and feed more people across the continent.
Yet, our partners in Europe are impeding this effort. They have blocked all new bio-crops because of unfounded,
unscientific fears. This has caused many African nations to avoid investing in biotechnologies, for fear their products
will be shut out of European markets. European governments should join -- not hinder -- the great cause of ending hunger
in Africa. (Applause.)
We must also give farmers in Africa, Latin America and Asia and elsewhere a fair chance to compete in world markets.
When wealthy nations subsidize their agricultural exports, it prevents poor countries from developing their own
agricultural sectors. So I propose that all developed nations, including our partners in Europe, immediately eliminate
subsidies on agricultural exports to developing countries so that they can produce more food to export and more food to
feed their own people. (Applause.)
The advance of freedom is also undermined by persistent poverty and despair. Half the human population lives on less
than $2 a day. Billions of men and women can scarcely imagine the benefits of modern life because they have never
experienced them.
For decades, many governments around the world have made sincere and generous efforts to support global development. Far
too often, these funds have only enriched corrupt rulers and made little or no difference in the lives of the poor. It's
time for governments of developed nations to stop asking the simplistic question: How much money are we transferring
from nations that are rich? The only question that matters is: How much good are we doing to help people that are poor?
(Applause.) The only standard worth setting and meeting is the standard of results.
The lesson of our time is clear: when nations embrace free markets, the rule of law and open trade, they prosper, and
millions of lives are lifted out of poverty and despair. So I have proposed the creation of a new Millennium Challenge
Account -- an entirely new approach to development aid. This money will go to developing nations whose governments are
committed to three broad standards: they must rule justly; they must invest in the health and education of their people;
and they must have policies that encourage economic freedom. (Applause.)
To fund this account, I have proposed a 50 percent increase in America's core development assistance over the next three
years. Under this proposal, our annual development assistance eventually will be $5 billion greater than it is today. I
urge the Congress to give its full support to the Millennium Challenge Account. And when I'm in Europe, I will call on
America's partners to join us in moving beyond the broken development policies of the past, and encourage the freedom
and reform that lead to prosperity. (Applause.)
These goals -- advancing against disease, hunger and poverty -- will bring greater security to our country. They are
also the moral purpose of American influence. They set an agenda for our government, and they give idealistic citizens a
great cause to serve. President Woodrow Wilson said, "America has a spiritual energy in her which no other nation can
contribute to the liberation of mankind." In this new century, we must apply that energy to the good of people
everywhere.
For more than four decades, the volunteers of the Peace Corps have carried the good will of America into many parts of
the world. Interest in this program is greater than ever before. I'm determined to double the size of the Peace Corps
over five years. (Applause.) Today, I would like to announce a new USA Freedom Corps initiative called Volunteers for
Prosperity, which will give America's highly skilled professionals new opportunities to serve abroad. The program will
enlist American doctors and nurses and teachers and engineers and economists and computer specialists, and others to
work on specific development initiatives, including those that I have discussed today. These volunteers will serve in
the countries of their choice, for however long their project takes. Like generations before us, this generation of
citizens will show the world the energy and idealism of the United States of America. (Applause.)
I see that idealism in the faces of our soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines. I see that idealism in the faces of
this academy class. The men and women of the Coast Guard are "always ready" to defend the security of this nation. You
are "always ready" to rescue those in trouble. These two commitments define your mission -- and they define America's
role in history. We understand that strength is necessary to confound the designs of evil men. And we know that the
compassion and generosity of this land can aid the suffering, and inspire the world. We will use the great power of
America to serve the great ideals of America. And by these efforts we will build a lasting, democratic peace -- for
ourselves, and for all humanity. (Applause.)
Congratulations. May God bless the Class of 2003. May God continue to bless the United States of America. Semper
Paratus. (Applause.)
12:03 P.M. EDT
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)