Remarks to the Community at Travis Air Force Base, California

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Oct 22, 2001

October 17, 2001

Thank you all very much. I appreciate such a warm welcome. I'm about to cross the Pacific on my favorite Air Force airplane. And there's really only one place to leave from--that's called the Gateway to the Pacific. Thank you for your hospitality. I can't tell you how proud I am to be with the men and women who wear the uniform of the great United States of America.

I want to thank the Air Force and the Army and the Navy troops who are here. I'm also proud to be with the husbands and wives and sons and daughters, and to the families of those of you whose mom or dad or husband or wife have been deployed, I want you to know that they're on a noble mission. The cause is just, and we will win.

I want to thank "Lone Star" Lefforge for the introduction--my fellow Texan. There may be a few other Texans here, as well. I want to thank General Becker and Colonel Rubeor, as well, for your hospitality. Thank you, Colonel. Thank you, General, very much.

And I want to thank the Air Force Band of the Golden West. Thank you all for your entertainment. I want to thank the State and local officials who have come today. I'm honored that you took time out of your day.

The planes to the left and right of where we stand here represent the unmatched air power of the United States. But that's not our real strength. Our real strength are the people who fly them and who maintain them, the people who make the military go. The real strength of this proud Nation are the men and women who wear the uniform. That's the real strength of this country.

You're among the first to be deployed in America's new war against terror and against evil, and I want you to know, America is proud, proud of your deeds, proud of your talents, proud of your service to our country.

I'm told that one of the pilots here, a fellow named Randy, was asked if anyone at Travis had personal connections to any of the victims of the attacks on September the 11th. And here's what he said: "I think we all do. They're all Americans. When you strike one American, you strike us all."

The victims of September 11th were innocent, and this Nation will never forget them. The men and women who murdered them were instruments of evil, and they have died in vain. This Nation is strong. This Nation is united. This Nation is resolved. This Nation will defeat terror wherever we find it across the globe.

And not only will we find the terrorists; we will enforce the doctrine that says, if you harbor a terrorist, you're a terrorist. If you feed a terrorist, if you fund a terrorist, you're a terrorist. And this great, proud Nation of free men and women will hold you just as responsible for the actions that take place on American soil.

And that's what's happening in Afghanistan. I gave the people in Afghanistan a choice. I said to the Taliban, "Turn them over. Destroy the camps. Free people you're unjustly holding." I said, "You've got time to do it." But they didn't listen. They didn't respond, and now they're paying a price. They are learning that anyone who strikes America will hear from our military, and they're not going to like what they hear. In choosing their enemy, the evildoers and those who harbor them have chosen their ate.

We don't quarrel with the innocent folks of Afghanistan; they're not our enemy. Nor is any religion the enemy of the United States of America. The evil ones have tried to hijack a religion to justify their murder, But I want to assure the people of the world that our military fights not against Muslims or fights not against the Islam religion. We fight against evil people. We fight against people who believe that they can harm the United States of America. We fight against people who have no country, no ideology; they re motivated by hate.

And make no mistake about it, this great Nation will do what it takes to win. We are determined. We are patient. We are steadfast. We are resolved. We will not tire, and we will not fail.

And we're making progress. We're making progress. The terrorist camps are being destroyed. The enemy's air force and air defenses are being demolished. We're paving the way for friendly troops on the ground to slowly but surely tighten the net to bring them to justice.

I can't tell you how proud as Commander in Chief I am to know that we've got a great United States military backing our Nation. A Commander in Chief must know he can count on the skill and resolve of our military. And from Secretary Rumsfeld to General Myers to the good troops of this base, I have all the confidence in the world that our military will fulfill its mission.

And you must have confidence in this, my commitment that for the mission that lies ahead, our military, the men and women who wear our uniform, will have everything you need to win, every resource, every weapon, every means to assure full victory for the United States and our allies and our friends in the cause of freedom.

There is no question that we're inflicting pain upon the Taliban Government. There is also no question that we're a compassionate nation; at the same time we do so, we're dropping airlifts of food and medicine so the innocent citizens of that country can survive the brutal winter.