Gentlemen the president of the United States accompanied by the honorable robert m gates ladies and gentlemen our most distinguished alumnus the president of the United States well, listen. Thank you very much. I know anything to keep from having to go back to work. I know how it is, but but listen, its the other way around i came out here to thank you all for a fantastic. Support for your country and so many ways and of course, i want to thank bob gates my right hand person and and trusted advisor when at the white house and then thank him for the superb job. Hes done out here. Its great to be back back at langley. I guess the last time i was out here. Now was when bob gates was in as dci. I have loved this warm. Welcome back wandering through the halls out there and now this i just cant get over it and i feel very well come and i want to thank each and every one you, you know. Last november when bob became director i noted. That the men and women of the Intelligence Community. Faced a new new mission in a dramatically different world and i stated then and id like to just repeat it now. That we must not diminish our intelligence their big changes. I think the world may be perceived to be more peaceful. But in my view the need for intelligence is as great as ever and you are doing a great job and i will try to be a voice after i leave and a few more days for keeping this Intelligence Community the strongest the best in the entire world, which it is now, so i i do think there have been dramatic changes. I had a chance to visit with some of the analysts and operators upstairs and we talked about the visit that barbara and i had to the soviet union what used to be the soviet union. I got to learn to say russia now, but but with with yeltsin and i think that the work of this agency and of the Intelligence Community through the years really probably will never get the credit that it deserves for for affecting these changes for your role and and bringing about these changes and having president s. Hopefully make informed decisions on the world. We the world we face, but we did manage to work out with yelts and a treaty over there finalize a treaty thats many here in one way or another contributed to that does provide great. Hope for a better and safer world, so im very happy that we were able to conclude that treaty before i go back to houston, texas on january 20th, but we cant fool ourselves those who would challenge us. Were seeing it right now is we try to decide what what we should do over in iraq those who would challenge freedoms gains or many and we continue to face threats in the world of terrorism or a lot of good work is has been the antiterrorist work and the intelligence contributing to that out here has been fantastic many here are concerned about and have worked on weapons of proliferate weapons proliferation. And of course i remain very much concerned about that. I had a little briefing on just a just a corner of the world on narcotics trafficking and here the agency and community is doing a superb job on the intelligence for that economic security. I salute those who are involved in the economic side of our of our intelligence and all of these things must continue. It must be as strongly all of these accounts must be strongly service and those so i come back to the point that the threats we face are real. We need more intelligence not less. If were to meet the challenge and we got to have the best possible intelligence as we work for peace and decency for and respect for the rule of law. I wish all of you could have been with me on this visit to somalia. It was very moving and were doing the right thing that ill tell you when you say respect for the law. There isnt any there and weve got to conduct ourselves in such a ways and last days of our administration and im sure the new president will feel the same way to demonstrate americas lasting respect for law. And again this agency in the people all the people here in one way or another. I think i think point out the fact that we we must work for peace for decency and respect for the rule of law. So this is not a time to claim. Claim victory and turn our backs on the intelligence needs of the future. And as we we face. A more turbulent and and unpredictable world and as our military forces are being reduced. I i just dont think that we ought to be contemplating significant reductions in the intelligence budget, and im going to be glad to convey that on to to those who follow a general scowcroft and bob gates and me. So let me just say that the work youve done is has always been hard. Theres no question about that. I think of the operation side particularly. But its true on the intelligence side everything the dangers that we face as a country are real and i still get emotionally convinced of that when i see the stars out in the hall of this building and i just think that the nation is very very fortunate to have the service of everybody here. Dont get to sit at the head table quite as much as i have in my last incarnations, and you dont get saluted as much as perhaps others in different departments, but you deserve a great deal of credit. And now so i came to say, thank you. And now before i depart i have one last matter that i want to want to do and i would like i dont know what bob is becky out here. Of course, youre right in front becky. Come on up here and the kids as well. I want to get the gates family here and it gives me great pleasure particularly surrounded by people whove worked with bob to honor him here as a distinguished Public Service by awarding him the National Security medal. This is the highest metal that a president can give for National Security. Hey guys, and i have a long list of here that some very thorough speechwriter wrote out. About bob gates is accomplishments his record his service to his country, but i expect people here know this better than most but you ought to know how much i trust him admire him and respect. I will ask you. So this is the National Security medal and if theres ever been one thats been well deserved or wellearned. Its the one i present now with great pride to bob gates director of central intelligence. Got it. Were out of here. Thank you all very much. Thanks a lot. And welcome to the nixon library. My name is jim byron. Im the president and ceo of the Richard Nixon foundation. Hello to all of you and welcome. This is an important day because today we celebrate 37 words that changed everything. And before i do that it is my pleasure to introduce the honor guard from the yorba linda girl scouts and