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.