U.S. Undaunted, President Says
MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — At one of the nerve centers of the U.S.-declared global campaign against terrorism, President Bush paid tribute Wednesday to the sacrifices made by American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and warned of more violence as an interim government prepares to take power in Baghdad.
"We can expect more attacks in the coming weeks, more car bombs, more suiciders, more attempts on the lives of Iraqi officials," Bush said in a speech here at the headquarters of the U.S. Central Command. "But our coalition is standing firm. New Iraq's leaders are not intimidated. I will not yield, and neither will the leaders of Iraq."
To underline his resolve, Bush added: "We will not let thugs and killers stand in the way of a free and democratic Iraq."
The U.S.-led coalition in charge of Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein last year is scheduled to return sovereignty to Iraqis on June 30, though the end of the American military presence in the country is nowhere in sight.
Bush spoke at the midpoint of a routinely deadly week of bombings and other armed assaults in Iraq. He was heard in person by thousands of troops and their families who gathered in a humid hangar at MacDill, and by U.S. military personnel worldwide who tuned in to live coverage on Armed Forces radio and television.
Bush's stop at the headquarters of the command known as Centcom was his first since the early days of the Iraq war in March 2003. Centcom oversees military operations in a region spanning two dozen nations from East Africa to South Asia, including Afghanistan and Iraq.
"The men and women of Centcom have liberated two nations and have rescued more than 50 million people from tyranny," Bush said in his 35-minute speech. "Today your nation is counting on you to ensure the defeat of terrorists, to secure America and to advance freedom throughout the Middle East. That's our mission."
But the president acknowledged that two concurrent wars had heavily stretched the all-volunteer military. About 138,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq and 18,000 in Afghanistan; many in both regions are reservists called to active duty. In addition, the Pentagon is extending tours of duty for many personnel.
"Many of you have faced long deployments -- sometimes longer than you expected," Bush told the troops. "You miss your families. Your families miss you."
Afterward, Bush met privately with the families of 10 service members killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns.
