The bad news concerns the recent terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco. The terrorists chose soft, non-military targets and killed innocent people. But the good news is that since 9/11 we have, to date, prevented further attacks on American soil.

Announcing the end of military combat operations in Iraq, President Bush flew aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and addressed her crew and air wing, as well as the nation and the world, from the flight deck. Bush’s address aboard the great warship as she ventured home from Iraq was historic and highly dramatic.

"The battle of Iraq is one victory in a war on terror that began on September 11^th, 2001 and still goes on," Bush said.

"The liberation of Iraq is a crucial advance in the campaign against terror. We have removed an ally of al Qaida and cut off a source of terrorist funding," Bush told the sailors and the world. "And this much is certain: No terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from the Iraqi regime, because the regime is no more."

Although he has been criticized for choosing this venue for his victory speech, I was particularly impressed with the President’s judgment, as nothing says American military power projection better than an aircraft carrier. Since the World War II Battle of Midway, the aircraft carrier has served as the premier symbol of America’s might. And every President since Truman has asked the same question at the start of a world crisis – where are the carriers?

I was also pleased with the President’s tribute aboard the Lincoln because I served on an aircraft carrier as a young sailor during the Vietnam War. My old ship, the USS Kitty Hawk, like the Lincoln, participated in the "Shock and Awe" air combat operations in Iraq.

Clearly, the crew of the Lincoln was glad to have the President aboard and just as clearly the President was grateful for the warm welcome. I believe he genuinely likes military people and was proud and pleased with their outstanding performance in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

On April 30^th the U.S. State Department released the 2002 "Patterns of Global Terrorism" Annual Report. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell announced the release of the report and offered what could be considered a progress report on the war on terrorism.

"Thousands of terrorists have been captured and detained," Powell said. "Terrorist cells have been broken up, networks disrupted and plots foiled."

Powell went on to report that the terrorist’s financial bloodlines were severed by our freezing more than $134 million of the terrorist’s assets. He said states sponsoring terrorism are under international pressure and are isolated. He said that the U.S.-led coalition forces destroyed a major terrorist stronghold in Afghanistan. In Iraq, our victory freed the world from what he called the potentially catastrophic combination of a rogue regime, weapons of mass destruction and terrorists.

"But terrorism still casts its grim shadow across the globe," Powell warned. "The international campaign against terrorism must press forward on every front: diplomatic, intelligence, law enforcement, financial and military."

The report states that in 2002 we saw a significant decrease in the number of terrorist attacks, from 355 in 2001, down to 199 in 2002.

"Terrorists are planning appalling crimes and trying to get their hands on weapons of mass destruction," Powell said. "We cannot and will not relax our resolve, our efforts and our vigilance."

Another Bush cabinet member also gave a form of progress report on the war on terrorism when U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing in March.

"We are gathering and cultivating detailed intelligence on terrorism in the U.S.; we are arresting and detaining potential terrorist threats; we are dismantling the terrorist financial network; we are disrupting potential terrorist travel; and we are building our long-term counter-terrorism capacity," Ashcroft told the committee.

Ashcroft thanked the American people for their continued role in protecting the country from terrorism. He noted that we have not suffered another major terrorist attack in this country and stated that it was due to the alert, vigilant and supportive public, as well to the credit of thousands of unsung and dedicated public servants.

"We are winning the war on terrorism," Ashcroft said.

As President Bush said on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier, the terrorists are not idle and neither are we. He said the U.S. government has taken unprecedented measures to defend the country and will continue to hunt down the terrorists before they can strike.

"The war on terror is not over, yet it is not endless,’ Bush said. "We do not know the day of final victory, but we have seen the turning of the tide."

"No act of the terrorists will change our purpose, weaken our resolve, or alter their fate," Bush said. "Their cause is lost."

The rattlesnake was a symbol of American resistance during the Revolutionary War and the Continental Navy began the tradition of flying the First Navy Jack. The First Navy Jack is a flag with 13 horizontal alternating red and white stripes with a superimposed rattlesnake and the motto "Don’t Tread On Me."

Prior to the war on the terrorism, the oldest active duty ship in the U.S. Navy had the honor of flying the First Navy Jack. My old ship, the USS Kitty Hawk, became the oldest active duty ship in 1998 and held the honor of being the first aircraft carrier to fly the First Navy Jack.

Since the start of the war on terrorism, the U.S. Navy ordered all Navy ships to fly the First Navy Jack. With our military victories in Afghanistan and Iraq and our crack down on terrorist networks worldwide, rogue nations and terrorists should be getting the unmistakable American message: Don’t Tread On Me.