June 28, 20
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, all. Please be seated. Thanks for the warm wele. Thanks, Governor; appreciate you -- go find a nice seat. (Laughter.) I am really pleased to be among the best and brightest of the United States military. (Applause.) And I am pleased to see the many here who represent nations from around the world. Thanks for ing by. (Laughter.) Those who go to school here are at a great place. We actually have some things in mon. We went to school in New England. (Laughter.) We pursued advanced degrees. And we piled outstanding academic records. (Laughter.) Well, two out of three. (Laughter and applause.)
The Naval War College is where the United States military does some of its finest thinking. You help the Navy define its mission. You support its bat readiness. You strengthen our maritime security cooperation with other countries. You train officers to think strategically. And that's important. The United States Navy is the most professional and advanced navy the world has ever seen -- and the men and women of the Naval War College are determined to keep it that way, and I appreciate your work.
More than a century ago, the president of this college wrote a book called "The Influence of Sea Power upon History." The book was read by Theodore Roosevelt. It affected American strategic thinking for decades to e. Now we're in a new and unprecedented war against violent Islamic extremists. This is an ideological conflict we face against murderers and killers who try to impose their will. These are the people that attacked us on September the 11th and killed nearly 3,000 people. The stakes are high, and once again, we have had to change our strategic thinking.
The major battleground in this war is Iraq. And this morning I'm going to give you an update on the strategy we're pursuing in Iraq. I'll outline some of the indicators that will tell us if we're succeeding. And I appreciate you giving me a chance to e and visit with you.