12 September 2001
Transcript: U.S. Statement to OSCE Forum on Terrorist Attacks
(Amb. Johnson: U.S. expects support from OSCE members) (560)
Terrorists attacked the United States September 11 "not for what we
did but for who we are - a free, open society, and what we believe -
that freedom is the birthright of all humanity," Ambassador David T.
Johnson told the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation in Vienna.
Johnson, head of the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, said the United States is grateful for the
expressions of condolences from other OSCE member states and added,
"When the culprits are identified and the time comes to act to
confront them, we look forward to, indeed we expect, your support in
that hour as well."
Following is a transcript of his remarks made on September 12:
(begin transcript)
United States Mission to the OSCE
Vienna
STATEMENT ON TERRORIST ATTACKS ON THE UNITED STATES
Delivered by Ambassador David T. Johnson to the Forum for Security
Co-operation, Vienna, September 12, 2001
Thank you Madam Chairwoman. Thank you for your condolences and your
support. And through you, Madam Chairwoman, I wish to thank my
colleagues around this table for the condolences they have conveyed
through me to the families of the many Americans who lost their lives
in yesterday's tragedies.
Yesterday will always be remembered as a dark day in America's
history. The American people, their institutions, their symbols, and
even the idea of a free society were attacked by evil. We were
attacked not for what we did but for who we are - a free, open
society, and what we believe - that freedom is the birthright of all
humanity.
The photos we all saw yesterday are seared in our minds. Americans who
did nothing more than get up and go to work or board an airplane had
their lives snuffed out or forever altered. The horror they endured
and the pain this has inflicted on their families will never be
forgotten. Yesterday's tragedies profoundly injured every American.
Our emotions are brittle and our feelings are raw.
While we saw evil visit our country yesterday, we also saw America at
its best. Police officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel,
civil servants, and just ordinary citizens responded to the needs they
saw. In New York City alone, more than 300 of these brave souls gave
their lives rescuing others. It takes a special kind of person to
enter a burning building to save a life. Yesterday we saw that kind of
courage displayed over and over.
America is a religious nation. But it is neither Christian, nor Jewish
nor Islamic. It is this very diversity which unites us. But we need to
be very clear: The ones who committed these evil deeds represent no
religion - they represent savagery.
Today, I can't tell you who visited this evil upon America, but the
search is underway to find them. When they are found, they will be
punished. And as President Bush said last night, "We will make no
distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those
who harbor them."
America is grateful for the condolences of all the states seated
around this table in our hour of tragedy. When the culprits are
identified and the time comes to act to confront them, we look forward
to, indeed we expect, your support in that hour as well.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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