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The Predator is a good example. This unmanned aerial vehicle is
able to circle over enemy forces, gather intelligence, transmit
information instantly back to commanders, then fire on targets with
extreme accuracy.
Before the war, the Predator had skeptics, because it did not fit
the old ways. Now it is clear the military does not have enough
unmanned vehicles. We're entering an era in which unmanned vehicles
of all kinds will take on greater importance -- in space, on land,
in the air, and at sea.
Precision-guided munitions also offer great promise. In the Gulf
War, these weapons were the exception -- while in Afghanistan, they
have been the majority of the munitions we have used. We're striking
with greater effectiveness, at greater range, with fewer civilian
casualties. More and more, our weapons can hit moving targets. When
all of our military can continuously locate and track moving targets
-- with surveillance from air and space -- warfare will be truly
revolutionized.
The need for military transformation was clear before the conflict
in Afghanistan, and before September the 11th. Here at the Citadel
in 1999, I spoke of keeping the peace by redefining war on our terms.
The same recommendation was made in the strategic review that Secretary
Rumsfeld briefed me on last August -- a review that I fully endorse.
What's different today is our sense of urgency -- the need to build
this future force while fighting a present war. It's like overhauling
an engine while you're going at 80 miles an hour. Yet we have no
other choice.
Our military has a new and essential mission. For states that support
terror, it's not enough that the consequences be costly -- they
must be devastating. (Applause.) The more credible this reality,
the more likely that regimes will change their behavior -- making
it less likely that America and our friends will need to use overwhelming
force against them.
To build our future force, the Armed Services must continue to
attract America's best people, with good pay and good living conditions.
Our military culture must reward new thinking, innovation, and experimentation.
Congress must give defense leaders the freedom to innovate, instead
of micromanaging the Defense Department. And every service and every
constituency of our military must be willing to sacrifice some of
their own pet projects. Our war on terror cannot be used to justify
obsolete bases, obsolete programs, or obsolete weapon systems. Every
dollar of defense spending must meet a single test: It must help
us build the decisive power we will need to win the wars of the
future. (Applause.)
Our country is united in supporting a great cause -- and in supporting
those who fight for it. We will give our men and women in uniform
every resource, every weapon, every tool they need to win the long
battle that lies ahead.
America's next priority to prevent mass terror is to protect against
the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the means to
deliver them. I wish I could report to the American people that
this threat does not exist -- that our enemy is content with car
bombs and box cutters -- but I cannot.
One former al Qaeda member has testified in court that he was involved
in an effort 10 years ago to obtain nuclear materials. And the leader
of al Qaeda calls that effort "a religious duty." Abandoned
al Qaeda houses in Kabul contained diagrams for crude weapons of
mass destruction. And as we all know, terrorists have put anthrax
into the U.S. mail, and used sarin gas in a Tokyo subway.
And almost every state that actively sponsors terror is known to
be seeking weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver
them at longer and longer ranges. Their hope is to blackmail the
United States into abandoning our war on terror, and forsaking our
friends and allies and security commitments around the world. Our
enemies are bound for disappointment. America will never be blackmailed,
and we will never forsake our commitment to liberty. (Applause.)
To meet our new threats, I have directed my National Security Advisor
and my Homeland Security Director to develop a comprehensive strategy
on proliferation. Working with other countries, we will strengthen
nonproliferation treaties and toughen export controls. Together,
we must keep the world's most dangerous technologies out of the
hands of the world's most dangerous people.
A crucial partner in this effort is Russia -- a nation we are helping
to dismantle strategic weapons, reduce nuclear material, and increase
security at nuclear sites. Our two countries will expand efforts
to provide peaceful employment for scientists who formerly worked
in Soviet weapons facilities. The United States will also work with
Russia to build a facility to destroy tons of nerve agent. I'll
request an over-all increase in funding to support this vital mission.
Even as we fight to prevent proliferation, we must prepare for
every possibility. At home, we must be better prepared to detect,
protect against, and respond to the potential use of weapons of
mass destruction. Abroad, our military forces must have the ability
to fight and win against enemies who would use such weapons against
us.
Biodefense has become a major initiative of ours. This year we've
already requested nearly $3 billion additional dollars for biodefense,
more than doubling the level of funding prior to September the 11th.
The attacks on our nation made it even more clear that we need
to build limited and effective defenses against a missile attack.
(Applause.) Our enemies seek every chance and every means to do
harm to our country, our forces, and our friends. And we will not
permit it.
Suppose the Taliban and the terrorists had been able to strike
America or important allies with a ballistic missile. Our coalition
would have become fragile, the stakes in our war much, much higher.
We must protect Americans and our friends against all forms of terror,
including the terror that could arrive on a missile.
Last week we conducted another promising test of our missile defense
technology. For the good of peace, we're moving forward with an
active program to determine what works and what does not work. In
order to do so, we must move beyond the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile
Treaty, a treaty that was written in a different era, for a different
enemy. (Applause.)
America and our allies must not be bound to the past. We must be
able to build the defenses we need against the enemies of the 21st
century.
Our third and final priority in the fight against mass terror is
to strengthen the advantage that good intelligence gives our country.
Every day I make decisions influenced by the intelligence briefing
of that morning. To reach decisions, a President needs more than
data and information. A President needs real and current knowledge
and analysis of the plans, intentions, and capabilities of our enemies.
The last several months have shown that there is no substitute
for good intelligence officers, people on the ground. These are
the people who find the targets, follow our enemies, and help us
disrupt their evil plans.
The United States must rebuild our network of human intelligence.
(Applause.) And we will apply the best new technology to gather
intelligence on the new threats. Sophisticated systems like Global
Hawk, an unmanned surveillance plane, are transforming our intelligence
capabilities. Our technological strengths produce great advantages,
and we will build on them.
Our intelligence services and federal law enforcement agencies
must work more closely together, and share timely information with
our state and local authorities. The more we know, the more terrorist
plans we can prevent and disrupt, and the better we'll be able to
protect the American people.
And in all they do, our intelligence agencies must attract the
best people -- the best collectors, the best analysts, the best
linguists. We will give them the training they need and the compensation
they deserve.
There have been times here in America when our intelligence services
were held in suspicion, and even contempt. Now, when we face this
new war, we know how much we need them. And for their dedication
and for their service, America is grateful. (Applause.)
We're also grateful to you, the students of the Citadel. Your uniforms
symbolize a tradition of honor and sacrifice, renewed in your own
lives. Many of you will enter our military -- taking your place
in the war against terror. That struggle may continue for many years,
and it may bring great costs. But you will have chosen a great calling
at a crucial hour for our nation.
The course we follow is a matter of profound consequence to many
nations. If America wavers, the world will lose heart. If America
leads, the world will show its courage. America will never waver.
America will lead the world to peace. (Applause.)
Our cause is necessary. Our cause is just. And no matter how long
it takes, we will defeat the enemies of freedom. (Applause.)
In all that is to come, I know the graduates of the Citadel will
bring credit to America, to the military, and to this great institution.
In the words of your school song, you will go where you've always
gone -- "in the paths our fathers showed us. Peace and Honor,
God and Country -- we will fight for thee."
God bless.
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