Posted on 11/19/2005 3:21:35 PM PST by Wolfstar
PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: President and Mrs. Bush, as well as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and others in the American delegation, continue their trip to Asian nations. Before leaving for Bejing, China, they visited Osan Air Base, Osan, Republic of Korea, where the President spoke to a huge crowd of troops and other American personnel. "Laura and I are so honored to be here," the President said. "We thought we'd stop by and feel the thunder and the fury of the Mustangs. Thanks for greeting us. It's a privilege to stand with the brave men and women of the 51st Fighter Wing and the 7th Air Force."
President Bush went on to recognize a hero of the Korean War. "Not far from here," the President said, "during the Korean War, Captain Louis L. Millett took Hill 180. Faced with superior numbers, Captain Millett withheld communist forces by leading the first bayonet charge by a U.S. Army company since World War I. For his valor, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor." He then noted, "As part of the 30,000 active duty personnel in Korea, you're upholding the same proud tradition. You know what it takes to win a war; you know how to protect the peace; and you know what it takes to defend our nation."
President and Mrs. Bush will attend church services Sunday morning in China.
THE WEEK AHEAD: Due to the President's trip, the week ahead schedule was not announced. However, the Vice President is scheduled to give another hard-hitting speech on Monday.
EXCERPTS OF THE DAY: From the President's address to the troops at Osan Air Base, November 19, 2005:
For more than four years, we've seen the brutal nature of the enemy. They've targeted the innocent in scores of countries from almost every walk of life. In Casablanca they killed diners enjoying their evening meal. In Bali, they killed tourists on a holiday. In Beslan, they killed Russian school children. They've murdered workers in Riyadh and commuters in Madrid and hotel guests in Jakarta, and guests at a wedding celebration in Amman, Jordan. They killed Iraqi children. The tragic images of innocent victims can make it seem like these terrorist attacks are random, isolated acts of madness. While these killers choose their victims indiscriminately, their attacks flow from an ideology and a terrifying vision for the world. Their acts are evil, but they're not insane.Some call this evil Islamic radicalism; others, militant jihadhism; still others, Islamo fascism. Whatever we choose to call this enemy...This form of radicalism exploits Islam to serve a violent, political vision: the establishment by terrorism...of a totalitarian empire that denies all political and religious freedom.
We know the vision of the radicals because they openly state it in videos and audio tapes and letters and declarations and websites. These extremists want to end American and Western influence in the broader Middle East, because we stand for democracy and peace, and stand in the way of their ambitions. The tactics of al Qaeda and other Islamic extremists [have] been consistent for a quarter-century. They hit us and they expect us to run.
Over the past few decades, radicals have specifically targeted Egypt and Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and Jordan for potential takeovers. And for a time, they achieved their goal in Afghanistan, until they came face to face with the men and women of the United States military.
Some might be tempted to dismiss the terrorist goals as fanatical or extreme. They are fanatical and extreme, but we cannot afford to dismiss them. Evil men obsessed with ambition and unburdened by conscience must be taken very seriously. Against such an enemy, there's only one effective response: We will never back down, and we will never give in, and we'll never accept anything less than complete victory.
In Washington, there are some who say that the sacrifice is too great, and they urge us to set a date for withdrawal before we have completed our mission. Those who are in the fight know better. One of our top commanders in Iraq, Major General William Webster, says that setting a deadline for our withdrawal from Iraq would be, "a recipe for disaster." General Webster is right. So long as I'm the Commander-in-Chief, our strategy in Iraq will be driven by the sober judgment of our military commanders on the ground. We will fight the terrorists in Iraq. We will stay in the fight until we have achieved...the victory that our brave troops have fought for.
In this time of war and sacrifice, the greatest burden falls on our military families. We've lost some of our nation's finest men and women in the war on terror. Each of these men and women left grieving families and loved ones back home. Each loss of life is heartbreaking. And the best way to honor the sacrifices of our fallen troops is to complete their mission and lay the foundation of peace for our children and our grandchildren.
Q: The President's visit to church, what's the message he's hoping to send to the government and what's the message he's hoping to send to the people of China?MR. GREEN: Of course, it's Sunday, so the President will want to worship. But it's also important that the world see, and that the Chinese people see, that expression of faith is a good thing for a healthy and mature society.
The church where he will worship is a church that is often called a state-sponsored church, but it's a real church and people really do worship, and it is a real religious service and the parishioners are real people of faith who are congregating to express that faith.
But there are many other religions in China. There are Muslims, there are Buddhists, Tibetan Buddhists, who have more opportunities to worship and to congregate and express their faith than Chinese did a generation ago, or even a decade ago. But there is still much to be done. And the message for the Chinese government is the same message the President has given President Hu before, which is that allowing all Chinese citizens to give full and free expression of their faith is something that's not a threat to the state, it's something, as he said in his Kyoto speech, that makes for a stronger and more mature and stable society, which, ultimately, really should be in Chinese interest and consistent with President Hu's own vision for China's future.
Here
Pinging you to the Saturday Dose, including photos from the President's visit with the troops in South Korea, and excerpts from his speech.
Howdy!
President Bush waves to troops before speaking at Osan Air Base.
The President and First Lady were greeted by thousands of soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines in Osan.
Thank you wolfstar.. great treat before I go out for evening
The crowd was huge...
...and very enthusiastic.
I like that one!
Determination.
Respect.
Condi pauses as an admiring sailor takes her picture.
If he could, GWB would shake the hands of each and every one of them. When visiting troops, the President often stays well past his scheduled time of departure to greet as many individuals as he can.
Whatever political gamesmanship may be going on back at home, the troops still love this Commander in Chief.
Thanks, Wolf. I love the pics of W with the troops .. I think they're the greatest. You can see how thrilled and proud the troops are to be with him, and his pride and love for them is written all over his face. The VP's speech Monday will be an important one to catch. The game is on, and I'm loving it. Time to tell the folks just what the he** is going on here.
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