WASHINGTON — President Bush awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday to former CIA director George Tenet, retired Army Gen. Tommy Franks and one-time envoy to Baghdad L. Paul Bremer, bestowing the nation's highest civilian honor upon three central figures in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Pressing aside criticism of their performance in the continuing war in Iraq, Bush said the men "made our country more secure and advanced the cause of human liberty."
Praising each as a man of "exceptional merit, integrity and achievement," Bush said the country owes them its gratitude for service in defense of the nation.
"These three men symbolize the nobility of public service, the good character of our country and the good influence of America on the world," Bush said at a White House ceremony.
A holdover from the Clinton presidency, Tenet was the director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 1997 to 2004 and was responsible for the effort to pull together conclusions based on information gathered from more than a dozen intelligence agencies during the run-up to the war against Iraq.
In that capacity, Tenet assured Bush that Iraq possessed chemical and biological weapons — he said at the time the conclusion was a "slam dunk" — and it was upon that information that Bush publicly justified the war. No such weapons have been found in Iraq, where 1,296 American troops have been killed and 9,844 others have been wounded, according to Pentagon figures.
On Tuesday, though, Bush praised Tenet as "a fine public servant and patriot," crediting him with having a ready plan for striking al-Qaida cells and their Taliban backers in Afghanistan "within days" after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"His tireless efforts have brought justice to America's enemies and greater security to the American people," Bush said in the ornate East Room, lavishly decorated with Christmas trees, ornaments and other seasonal touches.
As commander of U.S. forces in the broad region stretching from the Middle East to the Indian subcontinent, Franks oversaw the military attacks against Afghanistan and Iraq before retiring last year.
"Tommy Franks led the forces that fought and won two wars in the defense of the world's security and helped liberate more than 50 million people from two of the worst tyrannies in the world," said Bush. "One of the highest distinctions of history is to be called a liberator, and Tommy Franks will always carry that title."
Franks has been criticized, however, for not fully securing weapons depots in Iraq that were later looted by Iraqis. Some of the looted weapons have since been used in insurgent attacks against Iraqi citizens and U.S. forces.
Among those who questioned the administration for those alleged shortcomings, asserting that too few troops were deployed to Iraq, was Bremer, who oversaw the U.S. occupation there until last June. Bremer's critics, meanwhile, have said he presided over the rise of the insurgency in Iraq, in part by dismantling Iraqi security forces and by failing to fully integrate rival Shiite and Sunni groups into the political process there.
Bush praised Bremer, though, for risking his life to work with Iraq's disparate groups to build the consensus that ultimately resulted in an interim government that assumed political control of the country last June, setting the stage for national elections scheduled for next month.
"For 14 months, Jerry Bremer worked day and night, in difficult, dangerous conditions, to stabilize the country, to help its people rebuild, and to establish a political process that would lead to justice and liberty," said Bush. "The job was demanding, requiring personal courage, calmness under fire and hundreds of decisions every day."
And so, while Tuesday's awards spotlighted once again the difficult mission U.S. forces have faced in Iraq, it was not a day for second-guessing the central judgments behind the war, at least not at the White House, but rather a moment to pause and thank three key architects of the policy there.
"This is a day to pay tribute to all three of these individuals," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters. "We're going to stay focused on honoring these individuals on this day."