One
of those former cadets was First Lieutenant Rob Seidel, a 2004 West
Point graduate who gave his life in Iraq earlier this month. Rob grew up
in Maryland, and as a child he and his family made frequent visits to
the Civil War battlefield at Gettysburg, and from his earliest days he
dreamed of serving in the U.S. Army. He deployed to Iraq with the 10th
Mountain division and was killed by a bomb in Baghdad. His father says
this about Rob: "He loved his family, and believed in God, and he loved
his country, and he was willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice on behalf
of his country."
We live in freedom because of young Americans like Lieutenant Rob
Seidel. And in recent days in Iraq, we've seen what their sacrifices
have made possible. A week ago, the new Prime Minister of Iraq announced
the formation of a national unity government. British Prime Minister
Tony Blair recently visited Baghdad to meet with Prime Minister Maliki
and Iraq's new leaders, and this week he came to the United States to
give me his impressions. Prime Minister Blair told me that Iraq's new
leaders are determined to rid their country of terrorism, unite Iraqis
as one people, and deliver peace and prosperity for all their citizens.
The formation of a democratic government in Iraq marks a victory for
the cause of freedom in the Middle East. It is a victory for millions of
Iraqis who defied the terrorists and cast their ballots in three
elections last year. It is a victory for the Iraqi Security Forces, who
fought and bled for this moment, and now have a democracy worthy of
their sacrifice. And it is a victory for the American, British, and
other coalition forces who removed a murderous dictator who threatened
the world. Because of their courage and sacrifices, Iraq has a free
government that will be a strong and capable ally in the global war on
terror.
The new government in Iraq is also a defeat for the terrorists, who
fought the arrival of a free and democratic Iraq with all the hateful
power they could muster. Now, a day that they feared has arrived. The
terrorists can kill the innocent, but they cannot stop the advance of
freedom. We can expect the terrorists to continue bombing and killing,
but something fundamental has changed: The terrorists are now fighting a
free and constitutional government. They are at war with the people of
Iraq. The Iraqi people and their new leaders are determined to defeat
this enemy, and so is the United States of America.
This Memorial Day weekend, we remember First Lieutenant Seidel and
the brave Americans of every generation who have given their lives for
freedom, liberated the oppressed, and left the world a safer and better
place. And the best way to honor America's fallen heroes is to carry on
their fight, defend our freedom, and complete the mission for which they
gave their lives.
Thank you for listening.