The White House
President George W. Bush
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 1, 2007

Fact Sheet: America and Our Allies Are Working Together to Keep Our Nations Safe
President Bush Thanks Allies At CENTCOM Coalition Conference For Dedication To Cause Of Freedom

      President Bush Addresses CENTCOM Coalition Conference
      In Focus: National Security

Today, President Bush Addressed The CENTCOM Coalition Conference At MacDill Air Force Base In Tampa, Florida.  America is joined in the fight against terrorists by more than 90 nations, including every country represented in the CENTCOM Coalition.  The work of these countries has helped liberate millions of people, has kept brutal enemies on the defensive, and has helped keep millions of our citizens safe.

America And Our Allies Are Working Together To Address The Dangers Of Our Time

An Era Of New Threats Requires New Forms Of Engagement, So We Have Reinvigorated Historic Alliances, Such As NATO, And Formed New And Dynamic Coalitions To Address The Dangers Of Our Time.  Our broad Coalition has protected millions of people.  We have worked to stop the spread of dangerous weapons, and we have taken the fight to the enemy where they live, so we do not have to face them where we live. 

Our Coalition Is Going On The Offense Against The Taliban And Its Al-Qaeda Allies In Afghanistan

Since Their Liberation, The Afghan People Have Made Enormous Strides.  Afghans chose the first democratically-elected President in their history and held free elections for a National Assembly.  The Afghan economy has doubled in size, and more than 4.6 million Afghan refugees have come home in one of the largest return movements in history. 

The Taliban And Its Al-Qaeda Allies Are Actively Working To Undermine This Progress And Reclaim Power, And Our Coalition – Led By NATO – Is Going On The Offense Against Them.  Coalition and Afghan forces have conducted dozens of operations over the past few months to go after the enemy in their strongholds, including an operation launched this week targeting the Taliban in Helmand Province in the South.  We have seized dozens of caches of weapons, ammunition, and improvised explosive devices, and we are making progress in training the growing Afghan National Army.

We Are Also Committed To Winning The Fight In Iraq

After An Extensive Review, President Bush Ordered A New Strategy In Iraq And Appointed General David Petraeus To Carry That Strategy Out.  This new strategy recognizes that our top priority must be to help the Iraqi government secure its capital so they can make political and economic progress.  The Iraqis cannot yet do this on their own, so the President ordered reinforcements to help Iraqis secure their population, go after those inciting sectarian violence, and get their capital under control. 

America Is Deeply Grateful For The Contributions Of Nations Supporting Operations In Iraq.  Today, more than 30 nations are supporting operations in Iraq.  Seventeen NATO nations have contributed forces or been part of the NATO Training Mission to help train Iraqis, and Georgia also recently decided to contribute 2,000 troops.  America joins in honoring the Coalition troops who have been killed in Iraq and the others who have been wounded in combat.

America Is Also Grateful For The Increasing Contributions International Organizations Are Making To Iraq's Stability. 

On May 4, Iraq's neighbors will meet to discuss ways to promote political reconciliation in Iraq.  These meetings will be attended by Secretary Rice and senior officials from the G-8 nations.  Iran and Syria have been invited to attend.

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