THE PRESIDENT: 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 to
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 have 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 our 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 -- so honored the British Prime
Minister has crossed an ocean to show his unity of purpose 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. 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 the same 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
distinction 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. (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 the leaders of al Qaeda who hide in your land.
(Applause.) 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. (Applause.) 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 we 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 are 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, and Nazism, and
totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way, to
where it ends: in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.
(Applause.)
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.
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. (Applause.) 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 are 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. (Applause.) 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. But 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. (Applause.)
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'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.
(Applause.)
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 services, 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
are 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. (Applause.)
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 11th, and they are our
strengths today. (Applause.)
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.
(Applause.) We will come together to strengthen our intelligence
capabilities to know the plans of terrorists before they act, and
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. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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 a 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'll 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. This is my reminder of
lives that ended, and a task that does not end. (Applause.)
I will not forget this wound to our country or 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.) |