Presidential
Speeches in the Context of 9/11
Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American PeopleUnited States Capitol 9:00 P.M. EDT 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.
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. 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. 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. 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.) 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 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.) END 9:41 P.M. EDT
from: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.html
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This
page © 2002 by Frank
Schulz
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