Bush Tells Troops, ‘We Are Very, Very Grateful to You’

Here is the text of President Bush’s remarks to troops in Mogadishu at the end of his two-day visit to Somalia:

May I just first wish all of you a very, very happy new year. And I don’t know what the rest of the year holds for all of you, but you ought to be very, very proud at the way it’s begun.

Let me also pay my respects to the coalition commanders that I just met and to the members of the armed forces that are here side by side with the United States, armed forces from other countries, shoulder to shoulder, and we are very grateful that this is a multilateral, not simply a unilateral, mission.

Our U.S. presence, of course, is the dominant one, and I must say I am more proud than I ever have been of the men and women in the armed forces of the United States. You get it at the orphanage out there, you get it from just riding along, as (mission commander Lt.) Gen. (Robert B.) Johnston says, along the streets.

And what you all have done in a very different role, certainly, for the U.S. military, I think, will go down in the books not only as historic but as a principled, humanitarian effort.

And when I see some clips on the television from the soldiers and the airmen and the Marines and the Navy saying, well, they want to help others, why, it’s a wonderful thing and we are very, very grateful to you.

Let me just say as the close of my presidency draws nigh--I think about 19 days to go--that one of the great joys of being President has been working with the U.S. military. And whether it was that Panama operation where American lives were at stake and democracy was on the line, the American military did a first-class job. Then on to Desert Storm--where many of you I’m sure were--and we made a point along with our coalition partners that aggression would not stand, that a bully was not going to prevail and that’s exactly what the armed forces accomplished, again with the U.S. proudly in the lead.

So I’m grateful for all that, and then, as I say, this one is a new one, this one is different than any President has had to order forces for. It’s a humanitarian mission, and our mission is to get in there and open up these corridors and provide humanitarian relief, and I think you’ve done a superb job at all of that.

I expect everybody is wondering, ‘Well, that’s great, but how long?’ and I wish I knew the answer--I wish I knew the answer--but I do know that it’s not an open-ended commitment. The definition of our mission is clear under the United Nations guidelines, the United Nations resolutions. And each day you’re here, though, I think you can be proud of what you’ve done for mankind.

So, I wish Barbara were here, but she is busy packing. We’ve moving, you see, on Jan. 20. And two dogs, one wife and me: We’re off to Houston, Tex., on the 20th, but with me will be--but I’ll take with me--the wonderful memories of the best fighting forces the United States has ever had--best in the entire world.

God bless you, God bless you and thank you all, and happy, happy new year to you and to your families halfway around the world. God bless you all and thank you. Good luck.