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On Sept. 11, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against
our country. Americans have known wars. But for the past 136 years they
have been wars on foreign soil, except for one Sunday in 1941. Americans
have known the casualties of war. But not at the center of a great city on
a peaceful morning. Americans have known surprise attacks. But never
before on thousands of civilians. All of this was brought upon us in a
single day. And night fell on a different world, a world where freedom
itself is under attack.
Americans have many questions tonight. Americans are asking,
"Who attacked our country?"
The evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of
loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as Al Qaeda. They are
some of the murderers indicted for bombing American Embassies in Tanzania
and Kenya, and responsible for bombing the U.S.S. Cole.
Al Qaeda is to terror what the Mafia is to crime. But its goal
is not making money; its goal is remaking the world and imposing its
radical beliefs on people everywhere.
The terrorists practice a fringe form of Islamic extremism that
has been rejected by Muslim scholars and the vast majority of Muslim
clerics. A fringe movement that perverts the peaceful teaching of Islam.
The terrorists' directive commands them to kill Christians and Jews, to
kill all Americans and make no distinctions among military and civilians,
including women and children. This group and its leader, a person named
Osama bin Laden, are linked to many other organizations in different
countries, including the Egyptian Islamic Jihad and the Islamic Movement
of Uzbekistan.
There are thousands of these terrorists in more than 60
countries. They are recruited from their own nations and neighborhoods and
brought to camps in places like Afghanistan, where they are trained in the
tactics of terror. They are sent back to their homes or sent to hide in
countries around the world to plot evil and destruction. The leadership of
Al Qaeda has great influence in Afghanistan and supports the Taliban
regime in controlling most of that country.
In Afghanistan we see Al Qaeda's vision for the world.
Afghanistan's people have been brutalized. Many are starving and many have
fled. Women are not allowed to attend school. You can be jailed for owning
a television. Religion can be practiced only as their leaders dictate. A
man can be jailed in Afghanistan if his beard is not long enough.
The United States respects the people of Afghanistan. After all,
we are currently its largest source of humanitarian aid. But we condemn
the Taliban regime. It is not only repressing its own people; it is
threatening people everywhere by sponsoring and sheltering and supplying
terrorists. By aiding and abetting murder, the Taliban regime is
committing murder.
And tonight the United States of America makes the following
demands on the Taliban:
¶Deliver to United States authorities all the leaders of Al
Qaeda who hide in your land.
¶Release all foreign nationals, including American citizens,
you have unjustly imprisoned.
¶Protect foreign journalists, diplomats and aid workers in your
country.
¶Close immediately and permanently every terrorist training
camp in Afghanistan and hand over every terrorist and every person in
their support structure to appropriate authorities.
¶Give the United States full access to terrorist training camps
so we can make sure they are no longer operating.
These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion. The
Taliban must act and act immediately. They will hand over the terrorists
or they will share in their fate.
I also want to speak tonight directly to Muslims throughout the
world. We respect your faith. It's practiced freely by many millions of
Americans and by millions more in countries that America counts as
friends. Its teachings are good and peaceful. And those who commit evil in
the name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah. The terrorists are traitors
to their own faith, trying in effect to hijack Islam itself.
The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends. It is not
our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists and
every government that supports them.
Our war on terror begins with Al Qaeda, but it does not end
there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has
been found, stopped and defeated.
Americans are asking, "Why do they hate us?"
They hate what they see right here in this chamber, a
democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They
hate our freedoms, our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our
freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other. They want to
overthrow existing governments in many Muslim countries, such as Egypt,
Saudi Arabia and Jordan. They want to drive Israel out of the Middle East.
They want to drive Christians and Jews out of vast regions of Asia and
Africa.
These terrorists kill not merely to end lives but to disrupt and
end a way of life. With every atrocity they hope that America grows
fearful, retreating from the world and forsaking our friends. They stand
against us because we stand in their way. We're not deceived by their
pretenses to piety. We have seen their kind before. They are the heirs of
all the murderous ideologies of the 20th century. By sacrificing human
life to serve their radical visions, by abandoning every value except the
will to power, they follow in the path of fascism, Nazism and
totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way to where it
ends: in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.
Americans are asking, "How will we fight and win this
war?"
We will direct every resource at our command — every means of
diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law
enforcement, every financial influence and every necessary weapon of war
— to the disruption and to the defeat of the global terror network.
Now, this war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade
ago, with the decisive liberation of territory and a swift conclusion. It
will not look like the air war above Kosovo two years ago, where no ground
troops were used and not a single American was lost in combat.
Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and
isolated strikes.
Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign
unlike any other we have ever seen. It may include dramatic strikes
visible on TV and covert operations, secret even in success.
We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against
another, drive them from place to place until there is no refuge or no
rest. And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to
terrorism.
Every nation in every region now has a decision to make. Either
you are with us or you are with the terrorists.
From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or
support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile
regime.
Our nation has been put on notice: We're not immune from attack.
We will take defensive measures against terrorism to protect
Americans. Today dozens of federal departments and agencies as well as
state and local governments have responsibilities affecting homeland
security. These efforts must be coordinated at the highest level.
So tonight I announce the creation of a cabinet-level position
reporting directly to me, the Office of Homeland Security.
And tonight I also announce a distinguished American to lead
this effort to strengthen American security, a military veteran, an
effective governor, a true patriot, a trusted friend: Pennsylvania's Tom
Ridge.
He will lead, oversee and coordinate a comprehensive national
strategy to safeguard our country against terrorism and respond to any
attacks that may come.
These measures are essential. The only way to defeat terrorism
as a threat to our way of life is to stop it, eliminate it and destroy it
where it grows.
Many will be involved in this effort, from F.B.I. agents to
intelligence operatives to the reservists we have called to active duty.
All deserve our thanks and all have our prayers.
And tonight a few miles from the damaged Pentagon, I have a
message for our military: be ready. I've called the armed forces to alert
and there is a reason. The hour is coming when America will act and you
will make us proud.
This is not, however, just America's fight. And what is at stake
is not just America's freedom. This is the world's fight, this is
civilization's fight, this is the fight of all who believe in progress and
pluralism, tolerance and freedom.
We ask every nation to join us. We will ask and we will need the
help of police forces, intelligence service and banking systems around the
world.
The United States is grateful that many nations and many
international organizations have already responded with sympathy and with
support. Nations from Latin America to Asia to Africa to Europe to the
Islamic world.
Perhaps the NATO charter reflects best the attitude of the
world: an attack on one is an attack on all.
The civilized world is rallying to America's side. They
understand that if this terror goes unpunished, their own cities, their
own citizens, may be next. Terror unanswered can not only bring down
buildings, it can threaten the stability of legitimate governments. And
you know what? We're not going to allow it.
Americans are asking, "What is expected of us?"
I ask you to live your lives and hug your children. I know many
citizens have fears tonight and I ask you to be calm and resolute, even in
the face of a continuing threat. I ask you to uphold the values of America
and remember why so many have come here.
We're in a fight for our principles and our first responsibility
is to live by them. No one should be singled out for unfair treatment or
unkind words because of their ethnic background or religious faith.
I ask you to continue to support the victims of this tragedy
with your contributions. Those who want to give can go to a central source
of information — libertyunites.org
— to find the names of groups providing direct help in New York,
Pennsylvania and Virginia. The thousands of F.B.I. agents who are now at
work in this investigation may need your cooperation. And I ask you to
give it. I ask for your patience with the delays and inconveniences that
may accompany tighter security. And for your patience in what will be a
long struggle.
I ask your continued participation and confidence in the
American economy. Terrorists attacked a symbol of American prosperity.
They did not touch its source. America is successful because of the hard
work and creativity and enterprise of our people. These were the true
strengths of our economy before Sept. 11 and they are our strengths today.
And finally, please continue praying for the victims of terror
and their families, for those in uniform and for our great country. Prayer
has comforted us in sorrow and will help strengthen us for the journey
ahead.
Tonight I thank my fellow Americans for what you have already
done and for what you will do. And ladies and gentlemen of the Congress I
thank you, their representatives, for what you have already done and for
what we will do together.
Tonight we face new and sudden national challenges. We will come
together to improve air safety, to dramatically expand the number of air
marshals on domestic flights and take new measures to prevent hijacking.
We will come together to promote stability and keep our airlines flying
with direct assistance during this emergency. We will come together to
give law enforcement the additional tools it needs to track down terror
here at home. We will come together to strengthen our intelligence
capabilities to know the plans of terrorists before they act and to find
them before they strike. We will come together to take active steps to
strengthen America's economy and put our people back to work.
Tonight we welcome two leaders who embody the extraordinary
spirit of all New Yorkers: Gov. George Pataki and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
As a symbol of America's resolve, my administration will work
with Congress and these two leaders to show the world that we will rebuild
New York City.
After all that has just passed, all the lives taken and all the
possibilities and hopes that died with them, it is natural to wonder if
America's future is one of fear. Some speak of an age of terror. I know
there are struggles ahead and dangers to face.
But this country will define our times, not be defined by them.
As long as the United States of America is determined and strong, this
will not be an age of terror. This will be an age of liberty here and
across the world.
Great harm has been done to us. We have suffered great loss. And
in our grief and anger, we have found our mission and our moment. Freedom
and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom, the great achievement
of our time and the great hope of every time, now depends on us.
Our nation, this generation, will lift the dark threat of
violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this
cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire. We will not falter
and we will not fail.
It is my hope that in the months and years ahead life will
return almost to normal. We'll go back to our lives and routines, and that
is good.
Even grief recedes with time and grace.
But our resolve must not pass. Each of us will remember what
happened that day and to whom it happened, will remember the moment the
news came, where we were and what we were doing. Some will remember an
image of a fire or a story of rescue. Some will carry memories of a face
and a voice gone forever.
And I will carry this: it is the police shield of a man named
George Howard, who died at the World Trade Center trying to save others.
It was given to me by his mom, Arlene, as a proud memorial to her son. It
is my reminder of lives that ended and a task that does not end.
I will not forget the wound to our country and those who
inflicted it. I will not yield. I will not rest. I will not relent in
waging this struggle for freedom and security for the American people.
The course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome is
certain. Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty, have always been at war.
And we know that God is not neutral between them.
Fellow citizens, we'll meet violence with patient justice,
assured of the rightness of our cause and confident of the victories to
come. In all that lies before us, may God grant us wisdom and may he watch
over the United States of America. Thank you.
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