For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 21, 2006

President Bush Meets with Recently Returned Military Service Personnel
Tamale Fiesta Kitchen
Aurora, Colorado

11:35 A.M. MDT

THE PRESIDENT: (In progress) -- and this country supports you and admires you, and appreciates your dedication. You're doing some hard work. It's hard work to defeat terrorists, killers that wanted to achieve their objective. But we'll succeed, we'll prevail.

I want our troops to understand that not only does the country support them, but we'll -- we'll win. It's in our national interests that we win. And we will. We've got some powerful, powerful weapons on our side. We've got the men and women who wear the uniform, people who bring such dignity and honor and bring compassion to people who have been suffering under tyranny and are now wondering whether or not the future is bright for them. And we've got freedom on our side, too. And freedom is a powerful weapon. People want to be free.

And again, I want to thank you all for your service. I want to thank your families. I wish they were here so I could thank them in person. But your sacrifice has meant a lot. Congratulations for stepping up and volunteering and being a part of history. Thanks for giving me a chance to visit and have a little lunch with you. God bless you all.

Q Mr. President, what do you hope Secretary Rice accomplishes on her trip to the Middle East, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: I'm going to talk to her tomorrow when I -- Sunday, when I get back to the White House. We're going to have a good visit.

Q What do you hope she accomplishes, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: I said I would talk to her tomorrow.

END 11:38 A.M. MDT