On September 11, 2001, the United States suffered the most
devastating terrorist attack in its history. Hijackers seized four commercial
jets and crashed two of them into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in
New York City, causing the collapse and destruction of both towers. A third jet
crashed into a section of the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., and the final jet
crashed into a field southeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. More than 3,000
people were reported dead or missing. On September 20, President George W. Bush
addressed a joint session of Congress to discuss the tragedy and the U.S.
response to it. He spoke of the country coming together and the need for
patience in the face of a long battle against terrorism.
President Bush’s Address to Congress and the American
People
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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. 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 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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 find them before they strike.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment