Remarks by Vice President Cheney at a Rally for the Troops

    WASHINGTON, May 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following are remarks
 by Vice President Cheney at a rally for the troops:
     USS John C. Stennis
 
     2:20 P.M. (Local)
     THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. A reception like that is almost enough
 to make me want to run for office again. (Applause and cheers.) I said
 almost, almost. (Laughter.)
     But I'm delighted to be here today and it's great to be welcomed aboard
 this great American carrier. I've been in the Middle East this week for
 meetings with friends and allies, and on a journey like this I always like
 to spend some time with the men and women who go to work every day
 defending the United States of America. So I'm delighted to be with this
 great Battle Group, the crew of the USS John C. Stennis, and the men and
 women of Air Wing Nine.
     It's good to see all of you, and it's a special privilege to visit the
 Stennis. This fine ship's company is comprised of sailors from across the
 United States -- from New York to Ohio ... from Florida to Texas ... from
 Missouri to California. (Cheers.) Anybody here from Wyoming? (Cheers.)
 Well, it's a small contingent, but it's quality, I can tell. (Laughter.)
 You think it'd be bigger, given the breadth of Wyoming's coastline and our
 maritime traditions. (Laughter.)
     While I'm here, I want to thank the individual squadrons of CVW Nine:
 Strike Fighter Squadron VFA 154 -- the "Black Knights" (cheers) ... VFA
 146, the "Blue Diamonds" (cheers) ... VFA 147, the "Argonauts" (cheers) ...
 Marine Strike Fighter 323 -- the "Death Rattlers" (cheers) ... Tactical
 Electronic Warfare Squadron 138 -- the "Yellowjackets" (cheers) ... and
 Carrier Early Warning Squadron 112 -- the "Golden Hawks" (cheers) ... Sea
 Control Squadron 31 -- the "Topcats" (cheers) ... Fleet Logistics Support
 Squadron 30 -- the "Providers" (cheers) ... and HS-8 -- the "Eightballers"
 (cheers).
     As Admiral Quinn noted -- and I've been around for a while -- so long,
 in fact, that I even knew Senator John Stennis personally. But I've never
 been more proud of the United States military than I am today. It's an
 incredibly challenging time for the country, and there's serious work being
 done on many fronts. You're doing all that we ask of you, and you're doing
 it with skill and with honor. So I'm here to say thank you ... and to bring
 greetings from our Commander-in-Chief, President George W. Bush. (Applause
 and cheers.)
     The last time I stood on the deck of the Stennis was five years ago,
 during Operation Enduring Freedom. There's been a lot of activity in the
 five years since, and this warship and the JCS Strike Group have been at
 the center of many great events. It's not easy duty to serve in this part
 of the world. It's a place of tension and many conflicts. Throughout the
 region our country has interests to protect and commitments to honor. With
 two carrier strike groups in the Gulf, we're sending clear messages to
 friends and adversaries alike. We'll keep the sea lanes open. We'll stand
 with our friends in opposing extremism and strategic threats. We'll disrupt
 attacks on our own forces. We'll continue bringing relief to those who
 suffer, and delivering justice to the enemies of freedom. And we'll stand
 with others to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons and dominating
 this region. These are important duties, and they must all be done at the
 same time. There's no way we could do it all without you, and all those who
 have stepped forward to serve our country. America is a nation that keeps
 its promises - and for that, we can thank the men and women of the United
 States military. (Applause and cheers.)
     Our presence here has been vital for many years, but never more than in
 the time since September 11th, 2001. The John C. Stennis was in the fight
 early, deploying to the Arabian Sea just weeks after 9/11. Since the war on
 terror began, this carrier has sailed thousands of nautical miles, and
 thousands of sorties have been flown from the deck above us. Thanks in part
 to this ship's company and Air Wing Nine, we've struck major blows against
 the al-Qaeda network that hit America. (Applause and cheers.) We've removed
 two dictatorships that sponsored terror, liberated 50 million people from
 tyranny, deterred aggression, and stood by young democracies, as America
 always does.
     The work goes on, because the set of challenges that arrived on 9/11 is
 unlike any other this nation has ever faced. The war against al-Qaeda
 terrorists is not a matter of finding an opposing army and engaging it, or
 finding a navy and sinking it. The terrorist enemies are hidden and
 dispersed. They view the entire world as a battlefield -- and that is why
 we're dealing with them systematically, from Afghanistan to Iraq. This
 enemy is determined to commit indiscriminate murder against innocent,
 unsuspecting men, women, and children. They serve an ideology that rejects
 tolerance and demands total obedience. It's an extreme and hateful ideology
 -- and what it's done is to drive 19 men to get on airplanes and to come to
 kill 3,000 Americans.
     The terrorists who have declared war on America have made Iraq the
 central front in that war. Osama Bin Laden and his lieutenants believe they
 can wear us down, break our will, force us out, and make Iraq a safe haven
 for terror. They see Iraq as the center of a new caliphate, from which they
 can stir extremism and violence throughout the region, and eventually carry
 out devastating attacks against the United States and others.
     The terrorists have stated these ambitions clearly, and they intend to
 pursue them with ferocity. The United States, also, has made a decision: As
 the prime target of a global terror campaign, we will take the fight to the
 enemy. We will not sit back and wait to be hit again. (Applause.)
     While the forces of violence inflict harm and grief on the Iraqi
 people, the citizens of that country have shown their courage, and
 fortitude, and their own desire for freedom and self government. They
 defied assassins and car bombers to vote in three national elections. They
 have adopted the most progressive, democratic constitution in the Arab
 world. And they have elected men and women to lead Iraq on a path to
 reconciliation, progress, and peace. Success in Iraq remains critical to
 our national security.
     The ultimate solution in Iraq will be a political solution. But that
 requires basic security, especially in Baghdad, where our troops are
 working beside Iraqi forces to carry out a new strategy. In our briefings
 in Iraq in these last few days, General Petraeus underscored the fact that
 the enemy tactics are barbaric ... that we can expect more violence as they
 try to destroy the hopes of the Iraqi people. But they told me as well of
 the progress that's been made in fighting al-Qaeda terrorists, seizing
 weapons, and getting actionable intelligence. The job now is to persevere
 in every area of operations -- from Baghdad, to Anbar Province, to the
 border areas. And I think General Petraeus's own words put it best: "We
 cannot allow mass murderers to hold the initiative. We must strike them
 relentlessly. We and our Iraqi partners must set the terms of the struggle,
 not our enemies. And together we must prevail." (Applause.)
     The United States of America has learned the lessons of history. Nearly
 six years ago, we saw that dangers can accumulate on the far side of the
 world, yet still find us in our own country. We've learned as well that
 terrorist attacks are not caused by the use of strength ... they are
 invited by the perception of weakness. You and every member of our military
 can be certain that America will stay on the offensive in the war on
 terror. The Commander-in-Chief and his national security team understand
 the threat -- the enemy's changing tactics and its unchanging nature. We
 know that we're not dealing with adversaries that will surrender or
 suddenly come to their senses. So we'll be flexible. We'll do all we can to
 adapt to conditions on the ground. We'll make every change necessary to do
 the job. And I want you to know that the American people will not support a
 policy of retreat. We want to complete the mission, we want to get it done
 right, and then we want to return home with honor. (Applause and cheers.)
     Each and every one of you needs to know how much your service means to
 our country. We're grateful to you, and to your families back home --
 because they, also, make sacrifices for America.
     Our nation has accepted many serious responsibilities. To be credible,
 our forces must be able to deploy wherever they're needed -- and this, in
 turn, requires the power to sail the oceans of the world, in control of the
 surface, the sub-surface, and the skies overhead. That's the business
 you're in -- and when you're on board a carrier the work goes on around the
 clock, seven days a week. Each one of you is here for a reason. You have a
 job that has to be done well, no matter whether someone sees it or not.
 Your service makes a difference for a nation at war, and improves the
 chances that one day we'll see a world at peace. (Applause.)
     You will always be able to take pride in your service in the United
 States Navy and Marine Corps. (Applause and cheers.) This world can be
 messy and dangerous -- but it's a world made better by American power and
 American values. The cause we serve is freedom. That cause is right. That
 cause is just. That cause will prevail.
     Thank you. (Applause and cheers.)
     END 2:35 P.M. (Local)
 
 

SOURCE White House Press Office