Bush, Obama and Peace in Iraq
U.S. Marines with Regimental Combat Team 1 use a forklift to remove track from a damaged self-propelled artillery piece so it can be removed from Al Anbar University campus in Ramadi, Iraq, Nov 29, 2008. The tank removal is part of the ongoing effort to rebuild Iraq and beautify the country.
Photo by Lance Cpl. Albert Hunt
Bush, Obama and Peace in Iraq
President George W. Bush singled out military members for their selfless service and cited his administration’s accomplishments over the past eight years during his farewell address to the nation Thursday, January 15, 2009 from the White House.
“I have cherished meeting these selfless patriots and their families,” he said. “And to all our men and women in uniform listening tonight: There has been no higher honor than serving as your commander in chief.”
Bush remarked on the central event of his presidency, the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that killed 3,000 Americans.
“I remember standing in the rubble of the World Trade Center three days later, surrounded by rescuers who had been working around the clock,” he said. “I remember talking to brave souls who charged through smoke-filled corridors at the Pentagon and to husbands and wives whose loved ones became heroes aboard Flight 93.
“I remember Arlene Howard, who gave me her fallen son’s police shield as a reminder of all that was lost,” he said. “And I still carry his badge.”
Soon after the 9/11 attacks, coalition forces went into Afghanistan to eliminate the safe havens from which al-Qaida terrorists planned, trained for and financed the attacks.
“Afghanistan has gone from a nation where the Taliban harbored al-Qaida and stoned women in the streets to a young democracy that is fighting terror and encouraging girls to go to school,” Bush said.
U.S. forces also participated in providing freedom to millions of Iraqis who lived under a brutal dictatorship. The country was once a sworn enemy of America, but is now “an Arab democracy at the heart of the Middle East and a friend of the United States,” the president said.
Bush admitted that there is legitimate debate about many of his decisions. “But there can be little debate about the results,” he said.
“America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil,” he continued. “This is a tribute to those who toil day and night to keep us safe, law enforcement officers, intelligence analysts, homeland security and diplomatic personnel, and the men and women of the United States armed forces.”
The president said the battles in Iraq and Afghanistan are part of a larger ideological conflict between two radically differing visions of the future.
“Under one, a small band of fanatics demands total obedience to an oppressive ideology, condemns women to subservience and marks unbelievers for murder,” he said. “The other system is based on the conviction that freedom is the universal gift of Almighty God and that liberty and justice light the path to peace.”
He spoke of Marine Staff Sgt. Aubrey McDade, who charged into an ambush in Iraq and rescued three of his fellow Marines, and of Dr. Bill Krissoff, a surgeon from California.
“His son Nathan, a Marine, gave his life in Iraq,” Bush said. “When I met Dr. Krissoff and his family, he delivered some surprising news: He told me he wanted to join the Navy Medical Corps in honor of his son.”
Krissoff was 60 years old – 18 years above the age limit, but his petition for a waiver was granted. “For the past year he has trained in battlefield medicine,” the president said. Now a lieutenant commander, he soon will deploy to Iraq where he will help save America’s wounded warriors and uphold the legacy of his fallen son.
“In citizens like these, we see the best of our country, resilient and hopeful, caring and strong,” the president said. “These virtues give me an unshakable faith in America. We have faced danger and trial, and there is more ahead. But with the courage of our people and confidence in our ideals, this great nation will never tire, never falter, and never fail.”
As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to assume the role of commander in chief, one of the stated items on his list of priorities is to shape the U.S. military for the 21st century. To this end, the incoming administration has laid out the following focal points on its Web site:
Build the Military for 21st Century Tasks: Obama and Biden plan to build up special operations forces, civil affairs, information operations and other units and capabilities that remain in chronic short supply; to invest in foreign language training, cultural awareness, and human intelligence and other needed counterinsurgency and stabilization skill sets; and to create a more robust capacity to train, equip, and advise foreign security forces so allies are better prepared to confront mutual threats.
Expand to Meet Military Needs on the Ground: Obama and Biden support plans to increase the size of the Army by 65,000 soldiers and the Marine Corps by 27,000 Marines to help units retrain and re-equip properly between deployments and decrease the strain on military families.
Leadership from the Top: Obama and Biden plan to inspire a new generation of Americans to serve their country, whether it be in local communities in such roles as teachers or first responders, or serving in the military to keep the nation free and safe.
Lighten the Burdens on Troops and Their Families: The administration plans to create a Military Families Advisory Board to provide a conduit for military families’ concerns to be brought to the attention of senior policymakers and the public. They’ve promised end the “stop-loss” policy that allows service members to be retained beyond the term of their enlistment and to establish predictability in deployments so that active duty and reserve service members know what they can and must expect.
This is Sgt. Stryker Signing Out.