American Forces Press Service reported on August 20: The United States must remain on the offensive to defeat global terrorism, President Bush told U.S. military veterans in Orlando, Fla., today.
The only way to bring U.S. servicemembers home from Afghanistan and Iraq is victory, Bush told Veterans of Foreign Wars members at their convention.

“We must not rest until that war is won,” Bush declared.

U.S. military operations over the years have killed or captured hundreds of terrorists across the globe, Bush said, noting that U.S. special operations forces have been beefed up as part of the mission to defeat overseas-based terrorists. The success of the surge of forces in Iraq has greatly diminished al-Qaida terrorist activities there and helped to tilt the field toward victory for U.S., coalition and Iraqi security forces, he added.

“We’re keeping the pressure on the enemy, and as we’ve done so, we’ve defended this homeland,” Bush told the veterans.
In 2006, as you well know, the situation in Iraq was deteriorating. Some back in Washington said the war was lost. They were willing to give up on the mission. They were willing to leave a struggling democracy to its own fate. But failure in Iraq could have spread chaos across the region, emboldened Iran, emboldened the terrorists, and given them a new base from which to launch operations against America and allies. I believe this would have been a disaster for America — and so do the men and women of the VFW.
To ensure that we have the capabilities to prevail in Iraq and Afghanistan, or wherever the terrorists make their stand, we’ve transformed the United States military. Our branches of the military are working together better than ever. We’ve more than doubled funding for our Special Operations Command so our forces can hunt the terrorists no matter where they hide. We’ve increased the number of unmanned aerial vehicles in our arsenal. We’re moving American forces from Cold War garrisons in Europe and Asia so they can deploy rapidly anywhere in the world. We’re going to increase the size of our ground forces. We’ll make our troops more lethal and more agile so they can remain on the offense against the enemy. America’s future leaders must remember that the war on terror will be won on the offense — and that’s where our military must stay.
But that war cannot be won if terrorism is treated solely as a law-enforcement concern, he added. All components of national power must be harnessed to defeat the terrorists, he said.

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on America, Bush said, the United States has improved support for returning war veterans, modernized the military and reorganized the intelligence community to make it more efficient.

The United States and its allies will triumph over terrorism, because democratic countries offer a positive vision that’s the exact opposite of the terrorists’ hateful, dark ideology, he said. The difference between democracy and the tyranny practiced by terrorists is based on freedom, he added.