06 November 2001
Transcript: Bush to Warsaw Conference on Combatting Terrorism
(President spoke by satellite telecast early November 6) (1390)
President Bush told the Warsaw Conference on Combatting Terrorism
early on November 6 that all the nations of Central and Eastern Europe
attending the conference are "our partners in the fight against
terrorism, and we share an important moment in history."
The President spoke by satellite telecast from The White House.
Bush compared al Qaeda and the Taliban regime in Afhanistan "that
supports them, and other terror groups across our world" with the
fascists and totalitarians of the past in Europe in the way they "try
to impose their radical views through threats and violence."
Al Qaeda, he said, "operates in more than 60 nations, including some
in Central and Eastern Europe," adding that these terrorist groups
"seek to destabilize entire nations and regions."
Following is the White House transcript:
(begin transcript)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
November 6, 2001
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT TO THE WARSAW CONFERENCE ON COMBATTING
TERRORISM
7:10 A.M EST
THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much, Mr. President. It is a real
pleasure to be back in Warsaw, this time by telecast. I had a
wonderful visit to the region in June, and I know I'm among friends
today.
I thank all the nations of Central and Eastern Europe at this
conference. You are our partners in the fight against terrorism, and
we share an important moment in history.
For more than 50 years, the peoples of your region suffered under
repressive ideologies that tried to trample human dignity. Today, our
freedom is threatened once again. Like the fascists and totalitarians
before them, these terrorists -- al Qaeda, the Taliban regime that
supports them, and other terror groups across our world -- try to
impose their radical views through threats and violence. We see the
same intolerance of dissent; the same mad, global ambitions; the same
brutal determination to control every life and all of life.
We have seen the true nature of these terrorists in the nature of
their attacks -- they kill thousands of innocent people and then
rejoice about it. They kill fellow Muslims, many of whom died in the
World Trade Center that terrible morning -- and then they gloat. They
condone murder and claim to be doing so in the name of a peaceful
religion.
We have also seen the true nature of these terrorists in the nature of
the regime they support in Afghanistan -- and it's terrifying. Women
are imprisoned in their homes, and are denied access to basic health
care and education. Food sent to help starving people is stolen by
their leaders. The religious monuments of other faiths are destroyed.
Children are forbidden to fly kites, or sing songs, or build snowmen.
A girl of seven is beaten for wearing white shoes. Our enemies have
brought only misery and terror to the people of Afghanistan -- and now
they are trying to export that terror throughout the world.
Al Qaeda operates in more than 60 nations, including some in Central
and Eastern Europe. These terrorist groups seek to destabilize entire
nations and regions. They are seeking chemical, biological and nuclear
weapons. Given the means, our enemies would be a threat to every
nation and, eventually, to civilization itself.
So we're determined to fight this evil, and fight until we're rid of
it. We will not wait for the authors of mass murder to gain the
weapons of mass destruction. We act now, because we must lift this
dark threat from our age and save generations to come.
The people of my nation are now fighting this war at home. We face a
second wave of terrorist attacks in the form of deadly anthrax that
has been sent through the U.S. mail. Our people are responding to this
new threat with alertness and calm. Our government is responding to
treat the sick, provide antibiotics to those who have been exposed and
track down the guilty, whether abroad or at home.
And we fight abroad with our military, with the help of many nations,
because the Taliban regime of Afghanistan refused to turn over the
terrorists. And we're making good progress in a just cause. Our
efforts are directed at terrorist and military targets because --
unlike our enemies -- we value human life. We do not target innocent
people, and we grieve for the difficult times the Taliban have brought
to the people of their own country.
Our military is systematically pursuing its mission. We've destroyed
many terrorist training camps. We have severed communication links.
We're taking out air defenses, and now we're attacking the Taliban's
front lines.
I've seen some news reports that many Afghanistan citizens wish the
Taliban had never allowed the al Qaeda terrorists into their country.
I don't blame them. And I hope those citizens will help us locate the
terrorists - because the sooner we find them, the better the people's
lives will be. It may take a long time, but no matter how long it
takes, those who killed thousands of Americans and citizens from over
80 other nations will be brought to justice, and the misuse of
Afghanistan as a training ground for terror will end.
As I've said from the start, this is a difficult struggle, of
uncertain duration. We hunt an enemy that hides in shadows and caves.
We are at the beginning of our efforts in Afghanistan. And Afghanistan
is the beginning of our efforts in the world. No group or nation
should mistake America's intentions: We will not rest until terrorist
groups of global reach have been found, have been stopped, and have
been defeated. And this goal will not be achieved until all the
world's nations stop harboring and supporting such terrorists within
their borders.
The defeat of terror requires an international coalition of
unprecedented scope and cooperation. It demands the sincere, sustained
actions of many nations against the network of terrorist cells and
bases and funding. Later this week, at the United Nations, I will set
out my vision of our common responsibilities in the war on terror. I
will put every nation on notice that these duties involve more than
sympathy or words. No nation can be neutral in this conflict, because
no civilized nation can be secure in a world threatened by terror.
I thank the many nations of Europe, including our NATO allies, who
have offered military help. I also thank the nations who are sharing
intelligence and working to cut off terrorist financing. And I thank
all of you for the important, practical work you are doing at this
conference. The war against terrorism will be won only when we combine
our strengths.
We have a vast coalition that is uniting the world and increasingly
isolating the terrorists -- a coalition that includes many Arab and
Muslim countries. I am encouraged by what their leaders are saying.
The head of the 22 nation Arab League rejected the claims of the
terrorist leader and said he -- Osama bin Laden -- "doesn't speak in
the name of Arabs and Muslims." Increasingly, it is clear that this is
not just a matter between the United States and the terror network. As
the Egyptian Foreign Minister said, "There is a war between bin Laden
and the whole world."
All of us here today understand this: We do not fight Islam, we fight
against evil.
I thank all of our coalition partners, and all of you, for your
steadfast support. The last time I was in Warsaw, I talked of our
shared vision of a Europe that is whole and free and at peace. I said
we are building a House of Freedom, whose doors are open to all of
Europe's people, and whose windows look out to global opportunities
beyond. Now that vision has been challenged, but it will not change.
With your help, our vision of peace and freedom will be realized. And
with your help, we will defend the values we hold in common.
Thank you for joining us. And may God bless you all.
7:18 A.M. EST
(end White House transcript)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
