Mr. Speaker,
Mr. President Pro Tempore, members of Congress, and fellow Americans, in the
normal course of events, presidents come to this chamber to report on the state
of the union. Tonight, no such report is needed; it has already been delivered
by the American people.
We have seen it
in the courage of passengers who rushed terrorists to save others on the
ground. Passengers like an exceptional man named Todd Beamer. And would you
please help me welcome his wife Lisa Beamer here tonight? (APPLAUSE)
We have seen
the state of our union in the endurance of rescuers working past exhaustion. We’ve
seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles, the giving of blood, the
saying of prayers in English, Hebrew and Arabic. We have seen the decency of a
loving and giving people who have made the grief of strangers their own.
My fellow
citizens, for the last nine days, the entire world has seen for itself the
state of union, and it is strong. (APPLAUSE)
Tonight, we are
a country awakened to danger and called to defend freedom. Our grief has turned
to anger and anger to resolution. Whether we bring our enemies to justice or
bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done. (APPLAUSE)
I thank the
Congress for its leadership at such an important time. All of America was
touched on the evening of the tragedy to see Republicans and Democrats joined
together on the steps of this Capitol singing “God Bless America.”
And you did
more than sing. You acted, by delivering $40 billion to rebuild our communities
and meet the needs of our military. Speaker Hastert, Minority Leader Gephardt,
Majority Leader Daschle and Senator Lott, I thank you for your friendship, for
your leadership and for your service to our country. (APPLAUSE)
And on behalf
of the American people, I thank the world for its outpouring of support.
America will
never forget the sounds of our national anthem playing at Buckingham Palace, on
the streets of Paris and at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate.
We will not
forget South Korean children gathering to pray outside our embassy in Seoul, or
the prayers of sympathy offered at a mosque in Cairo.
We will not
forget moments of silence and days of mourning in Australia and Africa and
Latin America.
Nor will we
forget the citizens of 80 other nations who died with our own. Dozens of
Pakistanis, more than 130 Israelis, more than 250 citizens of India, men and
women from El Salvador, Iran, Mexico and Japan, and hundreds of British
citizens.
America has no
truer friend than Great Britain. (APPLAUSE) Once again, we are joined together
in a great cause. I’m so honored the British prime minister has crossed an
ocean to show his unity with America. Thank you for coming, friend. (APPLAUSE)
On September
the 11th, 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.
Aericans 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 USS 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 teachings 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, 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. (APPLAUSE)
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 of 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 and 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. (APPLAUSE)
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. (APPLAUSE)
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. (APPLAUSE)
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.
(APPLAUSE)
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’re 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 destruction and to the defeat of
the global terror network.
Now, this war
will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago, with a 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 FBI 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 have 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. (APPLAUSE)
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 FBI 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 September 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. (APPLAUSE) 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.
(APPLAUSE) We will come together to take active steps that 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,
Governor 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. (APPLAUSE)
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.
We will
remember the moment the news came, where we were and what we were doing. Some
will remember an image of a fire or story or 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. (APPLAUSE)
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. (APPLAUSE)
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