Transcript of President Bush's Speech

— -- Sept. 20 — Mr. Speaker, Mr. President Pro Tempore, members ofCongress, 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 isneeded. It has already been delivered by the American people.

We have seen it in the courage of passengers who rushedterrorists to save others on the ground. Passengers like anexceptional man named Todd Beamer. And would you please help mewelcome his wife Lisa Beamer here tonight?

We have seen the state of our Union in the endurance of rescuersworking past exhaustion.

We've seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting ofcandles, the giving of blood, the saying of prayers in English, Hebrewand Arabic.

We have seen the decency of a loving and giving people who havemade the grief of strangers their own.

My fellow citizens, for the last nine days, the entire world hasseen for itself the state of union, and it is strong.

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Tonight, we are a country awakened to danger and called to defendfreedom. Our grief has turned to anger and anger to resolution.Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to ourenemies, justice will be done.

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I thank the Congress for its leadership at such an importanttime.

All of America was touched on the evening of the tragedyto see Republicans and Democrats joined together on the steps of thisCapitol singing "God Bless America."

And you did more than sing. You acted, by delivering $40 billionto rebuild our communities and meet the needs of our military.Speaker Hastert, Minority Leader Gephardt, Majority Leader Daschle andSenator Lott, I thank you for your friendship, for your leadership andfor your service to our country.

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And on behalf of the American people, I thank the world for itsoutpouring 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 prayoutside our embassy in Seoul, or the prayers of sympathy offered at amosque in Cairo.

We will not forget moments of silence and days of mourning inAustralia and Africa and Latin America.

Nor will we forget the citizens of 80 other nations who died withour own. Dozens of Pakistanis, more than 130 Israelis, more than 250citizens of India, men and women from El Salvador, Iran, Mexico andJapan, and hundreds of British citizens.

America has no truer friend than Great Britain.

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Once again, we are joined together in a great cause.

I'm so honored the British prime minister had crossed anocean to show his unity with America.

Thank you for coming, friend.

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On September the 11th, enemies of freedom committed an act of waragainst our country. Americans have known wars, but for the past 136years they have been wars on foreign soil, except for one Sunday in1941. Americans have known the casualties of war, but not at thecenter of a great city on a peaceful morning.

Americans have known surprise attacks, but never before onthousands of civilians.

All of this was brought upon us in a single day, and night fellon 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 ofloosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al Qaeda. Theyare some of the murderers indicted for bombing American embassies inTanzania and Kenya and responsible for bombing the USS Cole.

Al Qaeda is to terror what the Mafia is to crime. But its goalis not making money, its goal is remaking the world and imposing itsradical beliefs on people everywhere.

The terrorists practice a fringe form of Islamic extremism thathas been rejected by Muslim scholars and the vast majority of Muslimclerics; a fringe movement that perverts the peaceful teachings ofIslam.

The terrorists' directive commands them to kill Christiansand Jews, to kill all Americans and make no distinctions amongmilitary and civilians, including women and children.

This group and its leader, a person named Osama bin Laden, arelinked to many other organizations in different countries, includingthe Egyptian Islamic Jihad, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

There are thousands of these terrorists in more than 60countries.

They are recruited from their own nations andneighborhoods and brought to camps in places like Afghanistan wherethey are trained in the tactics of terror. They are sent back totheir homes or sent to hide in countries around the world to plot eviland destruction.

The leadership of Al Qaeda has great influence in Afghanistan andsupports the Taliban regime in controlling most of that country. InAfghanistan we see Al Qaeda's vision for the world. Afghanistan'speople have been brutalized, many are starving and many have fled.

Women are not allowed to attend school. You can be jailedfor owning a television. Religion can be practiced only as theirleaders dictate. A man can be jailed in Afghanistan if his beard isnot long enough.

The United States respects the people of Afghanistan — afterall, we are currently its largest source of humanitarian aid — but wecondemn the Taliban regime.

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It is not only repressing its own people, it is threateningpeople everywhere by sponsoring and sheltering and supplyingterrorists.

By aiding and abetting murder, the Taliban regime is committing murder. And tonight the United States of America makes thefollowing demands on the Taliban.

Deliver to United States authorities all of the leaders of AlQuaeda who hide in your land.

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Release all foreign nationals, including American citizensyou have unjustly imprisoned. Protect foreign journalists, diplomatsand aid workers in your country. Close immediately and permanentlyevery terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. And hand over everyterrorist and every person and their support structure to appropriateauthorities.

Give the United States full access to terrorist trainingcamps, so we can make sure they are no longer operating.

These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion.

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The Taliban must act and act immediately.

They will hand over the terrorists or they will share intheir fate.

I also want to speak tonight directly to Muslims throughout theworld. We respect your faith. It's practiced freely by many millionsof Americans and by millions more in countries that America counts asfriends. Its teachings are good and peaceful, and those who commitevil in the name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah.

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The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying, ineffect, to hijack Islam itself.

The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends. Itis not our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network ofterrorists and every government that supports them.

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Our war on terror begins with Al Qaeda, but it does not endthere.

It will not end until every terrorist group of globalreach has been found, stopped and defeated.

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Americans are asking "Why do they hate us?"

They hate what they see right here in this chamber: ademocratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed.They hate our freedoms: our freedom of religion, our freedom ofspeech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other.

They want to overthrow existing governments in many Muslimcountries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. They want to driveIsrael out of the Middle East. They want to drive Christians and Jewsout of vast regions of Asia and Africa.

These terrorists kill not merely to end lives, but to disrupt andend a way of life. With every atrocity, they hope that America growsfearful, retreating from the world and forsaking our friends. Theystand 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 allthe murderous ideologies of the 20th century. By sacrificing humanlife to serve their radical visions, by abandoning every value exceptthe will to power, they follow in the path of fascism, Nazism andtotalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way to whereit ends in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.

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Americans are asking, "How will we fight and win thiswar?"

We will direct every resource at our command — every means ofdiplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of lawenforcement, every financial influence, and every necessary weapon ofwar — to the destruction and to the defeat of the global terrornetwork.

Now, this war will not be like the war against Iraq adecade ago, with a decisive liberation of territory and a swiftconclusion. It will not look like the air war above Kosovo two yearsago, where no ground troops were used and not a single American waslost in combat.

Our response involves far more than instant retaliation andisolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but alengthy campaign unlike any other we have ever seen. It may includedramatic strikes visible on TV and covert operations secret even insuccess.

We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them oneagainst another, drive them from place to place until there is norefuge or no rest.

And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven toterrorism. Every nation in every region now has a decision to make:Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists.

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From this day forward, any nation that continues to harboror support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as ahostile regime. Our nation has been put on notice, we're not immunefrom attack. We will take defensive measures against terrorism toprotect Americans.

Today, dozens of federal departments and agencies, as well asstate and local governments, have responsibilities affecting homelandsecurity.

These efforts must be coordinated at the highest level.So tonight, I announce the creation of a Cabinet-level positionreporting directly to me, the Office of Homeland Security.

And tonight, I also announce a distinguished American to leadthis effort, to strengthen American security: a military veteran, aneffective governor, a true patriot, a trusted friend, Pennsylvania'sTom Ridge.

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He will lead, oversee and coordinate a comprehensivenational strategy to safeguard our country against terrorism andrespond to any attacks that may come.

These measures are essential. The only way to defeat terrorismas a threat to our way of life is to stop it, eliminate it and destroyit where it grows.

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Many will be involved in this effort, from FBI agents, tointelligence operatives, to the reservists we have called to activeduty.

All deserve our thanks, and all have our prayers.

And tonight a few miles from the damaged Pentagon, I have amessage for our military: Be ready. I have called the armed forcesto alert, and there is a reason.

The hour is coming when America will act, and you will make usproud.

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This is not, however, just America's fight. And what isat stake is not just America's freedom.

This is the world's fight. This is civilization's fight. Thisis the fight of all who believe in progress and pluralism, toleranceand freedom.

We ask every nation to join us.

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We will ask and we will need the help of police forces,intelligence service and banking systems around the world. The UnitedStates is grateful that many nations and many internationalorganizations have already responded with sympathy and with support — nations from Latin America to Asia to Africa to Europe to the Islamicworld.

Perhaps the NATO charter reflects best the attitude of the world:An attack on one is an attack on all. The civilized world is rallyingto America's side.

They understand that if this terror goes unpunished, theirown cities, their own citizens may be next. Terror unanswered can notonly bring down buildings, it can threaten the stability of legitimategovernments.

And you know what? We're not going to allow it.

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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 calmand resolute, even in the face of a continuing threat.

I ask you to uphold the values of America and remember why somany have come here.

We're in a fight for our principles, and our first responsibilityis to live by them. No one should be singled out for unfair treatmentor unkind words because of their ethnic background or religious faith.

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I ask you to continue to support the victims of thistragedy with your contributions. Those who want to give can go to acentral source of information, Libertyunites.org, to find the names ofgroups providing direct help in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

The thousands of FBI agents who are now at work in thisinvestigation may need your cooperation, and I ask you to give it. Iask for your patience with the delays and inconveniences that mayaccompany tighter security and for your patience in what will be along struggle.

I ask your continued participation and confidence in theAmerican economy. Terrorists attacked a symbol of Americanprosperity; they did not touch its source.

America is successful because of the hard work and creativity andenterprise of our people. These were the true strengths of oureconomy before September 11, and they are our strengths today.

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And finally, please continue praying for the victims ofterror and their families, for those in uniform and for our greatcountry. Prayer has comforted us in sorrow and will help strengthenus for the journey ahead.

Tonight I thank my fellow Americans for what you have alreadydone and for what you will do.

And ladies and gentlemen of the Congress, I thank you, theirrepresentatives, for what you have already done and for what we willdo together.

Tonight we face new and sudden national challenges.

We will come together to improve air safety, to dramaticallyexpand the number of air marshals on domestic flights and take newmeasures to prevent hijacking.

We will come together to promote stability and keep our airlinesflying with direct assistance during this emergency.

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We will come together to give law enforcement the additionaltools it needs to track down terror here at home.

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We will come together to strengthen our intelligencecapabilities to know the plans of terrorists before they act and tofind them before they strike.

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We will come together to take active steps that strengthenAmerica's economy and put our people back to work.

Tonight, we welcome two leaders who embody the extraordinaryspirit of all New Yorkers, Governor George Pataki and Mayor RudolphGiuliani.

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As a symbol of America's resolve, my administration willwork with Congress and these two leaders to show the world that wewill rebuild New York City.

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After all that has just passed, all the lives taken andall the possibilities and hopes that died with them, it is natural towonder if America's future is one of fear.

Some speak of an age of terror. I know there arestruggles ahead and dangers to face. But this country will define ourtimes, 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 libertyhere and across the world.

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Great harm has been done to us. We have suffered greatloss. And in our grief and anger we have found our mission and ourmoment.

Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom, thegreat achievement of our time and the great hope of every time, nowdepends on us.

Our nation, this generation, will lift the dark threat ofviolence from our people and our future. We will rally the world tothis cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we willnot falter and we will not fail.

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It is my hope that in the months and years ahead life will returnalmost to normal. We'll go back to our lives and routines and that isgood.

Even grief recedes with time and grace.

But our resolve must not pass. Each of us will remember whathappened that day and to whom it happened. We will remember themoment the news came, where we were and what we were doing.

Some will remember an image of a fire or story or rescue. Somewill carry memories of a face and a voice gone forever.

And I will carry this. It is the police shield of a man namedGeorge Howard who died at the World Trade Center trying to saveothers.

It was given to me by his mom, Arlene, as a proud memorialto her son. It is my reminder of lives that ended and a task thatdoes not end.

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I will not forget the wound to our country and those whoinflicted it. I will not yield, I will not rest, I will not relent inwaging this struggle for freedom and security for the American people.

The course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome iscertain. Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty, have always been atwar, and we know that God is not neutral between them.

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Fellow citizens, we'll meet violence with patient justice,assured of the rightness of our cause and confident of the victoriesto come.

In all that lies before us, may God grant us wisdom andmay he watch over the United States of America.

Thank you.