08 November 2001
Transcript: Bush Addresses Nation on War Against Terrorism
(President says the effort in Afghanistan "only the beginning") (3470)
The United States is stronger and more united now than it was before
the September 11 terrorist attacks, President Bush said November 8 in
a progress report to the nation on the war on terrorism at home and
abroad, delivered at the Georgia World Conference Center in Atlanta.
"We are a different country than we were on September the 10th --
sadder and less innocent; stronger and more united; and in the face of
ongoing threats, determined and courageous," Bush told the 5,000
people, mostly public servants -- police, firefighters, postal and
public health workers and military personnel -- gathered in the large
auditorium.
Behind him on the podium was a large sign with the words "United We
Stand."
"Our nation faces a threat to our freedoms, and the stakes could not
be higher," he said. "We are the target of enemies who boast they want
to kill -- kill all Americans, kill all Jews, and kill all Christians.
We've seen that type of hate before -- and the only possible response
is to confront it, and to defeat it," he said.
"We wage a war to save civilization, itself. We did not seek it, but
we must fight it -- and we will prevail," Bush said.
Afghanistan's ruling Taliban regime, he said, made a choice to
continue harboring terrorists, and they are now paying a price for
that decision. "We are deliberately and systematically hunting down
these murderers, and we will bring them to justice," Bush said.
He said the effort in Afghanistan is only the beginning of the fight
against terror. "No group or nation should mistake America's
intentions," he said; where terrorist groups of global reach exist,
the United States and its allies will seek them out and destroy them.
"We have defeated freedom's enemies before, and we will defeat them
again," he said.
He concluded his remarks with the words, "We have our marching orders,
my fellow Americans, let's roll."
Bush was referring to the comment that a passenger on the hijacked
flight 93 is reported to have made as he and fellow passengers jumped
the terrorists on the plane before it crashed in rural Pennsylvania,
rather than have it be used as a weapon as were the three other planes
hijacked in the September 11 attacks.
Prior to his speech, Bush toured the Centers for Disease Control
(CDC), headquartered in Atlanta, which have been major participants in
the investigation of the anthrax cases in the United States.
Following is a transcript of the President's remarks:
(begin transcript)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
(Atlanta, Georgia)
November 8, 2001
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN ADDRESS TO THE NATION
World Congress Center
Atlanta, Georgia
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much. Thank you so very much. We
meet tonight after two of the most difficult -- and most inspiring --
months in our nation's history. We have endured the shock of watching
so many innocent lives ended in acts of unimaginable horror. We have
endured the sadness of so many funerals. We have faced unprecedented
bioterrorist attack delivered in our mail.
Tonight, many thousands of children are tragically learning to live
without one of their parents. And the rest of us are learning to live
in a world that seems very different than it was on September the
10th.
The moment the second plane hit the second building -- when we knew it
was a terrorist attack -- many felt that our lives would never be the
same. What we couldn't be sure of then -- and what the terrorists
never expected -- was that America would emerge stronger, with a
renewed spirit of pride and patriotism. (Applause.)
I said in my speech to a Joint Session of Congress that we are a
nation awakened to danger. We're also a nation awakened to service,
and citizenship, and compassion. None of us would ever wish the evil
that has been done to our country, yet we have learned that out of
evil can come great good.
During the last two months, we have shown the world America is a great
nation. (Applause.) Americans have responded magnificently, with
courage and caring. We've seen it in our children, who have sent in
more than $1 million for the children of Afghanistan. We have seen it
in the compassion of Jewish and Christian Americans who have reached
out to their Muslim neighbors. We have seen it as Americans have
reassessed priorities -- parents spending more time with their
children, and many people spending more time in prayer and in houses
of worship.
We have gained new heroes: Those who ran into burning buildings to
save others, our police and our firefighters. (Applause.) Those who
battled their own fears to keep children calm and safe -- America's
teachers. (Applause.) Those who voluntarily placed themselves in
harm's way to defend our freedom -- the men and women of the Armed
Forces. (Applause.)
And tonight, we join in thanking a whole new group of public servants
who never enlisted to fight a war, but find themselves on the front
lines of a battle nonetheless: Those who deliver the mail -- America's
postal workers. (Applause.) We also thank those whose quick response
provided preventive treatment that has no doubt saved thousands of
lives -- our health care workers. (Applause.)
We are a different country than we were on September the 10th --
sadder and less innocent; stronger and more united; and in the face of
ongoing threats, determined and courageous. (Applause.)
Our nation faces a threat to our freedoms, and the stakes could not be
higher. We are the target of enemies who boast they want to kill --
kill all Americans, kill all Jews, and kill all Christians. We've seen
that type of hate before -- and the only possible response is to
confront it, and to defeat it. (Applause.)
This new enemy seeks to destroy our freedom and impose its views. We
value life; the terrorists ruthlessly destroy it. We value education;
the terrorists do not believe women should be educated or should have
health care, or should leave their homes. We value the right to speak
our minds; for the terrorists, free expression can be grounds for
execution. We respect people of all faiths and welcome the free
practice of religion; our enemy wants to dictate how to think and how
to worship even to their fellow Muslims.
This enemy tries to hide behind a peaceful faith. But those who
celebrate the murder of innocent men, women, and children have no
religion, have no conscience, and have no mercy. (Applause.)
We wage a war to save civilization, itself. We did not seek it, but we
must fight it -- and we will prevail. (Applause.)
This is a different war from any our nation has ever faced, a war on
many fronts, against terrorists who operate in more than 60 different
countries. And this is a war that must be fought not only overseas,
but also here at home. I recently spoke to high school students in
Maryland, and realized that for the first time ever, these seniors
will graduate in the midst of a war in our own country. We've added a
new era, and this new era requires new responsibilities, both for the
government and for our people.
The government has a responsibility to protect our citizens -- and
that starts with homeland security. The first attack against America
came by plane, and we are now making our airports and airplanes safer.
We have posted the National Guard in America's airports and placed
undercover air marshals on many flights. I call on Congress to quickly
send me legislation that makes cockpits more secure, baggage screening
more thorough, and puts the federal government in charge of all
airport screening and security. (Applause.)
The second attack against America came in the mail. We do not know
whether this attack came from the same terrorists; we don't know the
origin of the anthrax -- but whoever did this unprecedented and
uncivilized act is a terrorist.
Four Americans have now died from anthrax, out of a total of 17 people
who have been infected. The Postal Service has processed more than 30
billion pieces of mail since September the 11th, and so far we've
identified three different letters that contained anthrax. We can
trace the source of infection for all but one of the individuals, and
we are still trying to learn how a woman who died in New York was
exposed.
I'm proud of the way our health care and postal workers -- and the
American people -- are responding with calm in the face of this deadly
new threat. (Applause.) Public health officials have acted quickly to
distribute preventive antibiotics to thousands of people who may have
been exposed. The government is purchasing and storing medicines and
vaccines as a precaution against future attacks. We are cleaning
facilities where anthrax has been detected, and purchasing equipment
to sanitize the mail. Thousands of law enforcement officials are
aggressively investigating this bioterrorism attack -- and public
health officials are distributing the most accurate, up-to-date
information we have to medical professionals and to the public.
To coordinate our efforts we've created the new Office of Homeland
Security. Its director, my good friend and former Governor, Tom Ridge,
reports directly to me -- and works with all our federal agencies,
state and local governments, and the private sector on a national
strategy to strengthen our homeland protections. For example, the
Coast Guard has taken on expanded duties to protect our shores and our
ports. The National Guard has increased -- an increased role in
surveillance at our border. We're imposing new licensing requirements
for safer transportation of hazardous material.
We've passed a new antiterrorism law which gives our law enforcement
officers the necessary tools to track terrorists before they harm
Americans. A new terrorism task force is tightening immigration
controls to make sure no one enters or stays in our country who would
harm us. (Applause.) We are a welcoming country, we will always value
freedom -- yet we will not allow those who plot against our country to
abuse our freedoms and our protections. (Applause.)
Our enemies have threatened other acts of terror. We take each threat
seriously. And when we have evidence of credible threats, we will
issue appropriate alerts.
A terrorism alert is not a signal to stop your life. It is a call to
be vigilant -- to know that your government is on high alert, and to
add your eyes and ears to our efforts to find and stop those who want
to do us harm.
A lot of people are working really hard to protect America. But in the
long run, the best way to defend our homeland -- the best way to make
sure our children can live in peace -- is to take the battle to the
enemy and to stop them. (Applause.)
I have called our military into action to hunt down the members of the
al Qaeda organization who murdered innocent Americans. I gave fair
warning to the government that harbors them in Afghanistan. The
Taliban made a choice to continue hiding terrorists, and now they are
paying a price. (Applause.)
I'm so proud of our military. (Applause.) Our military is pursuing its
mission. We are destroying training camps, disrupting communications,
and dismantling air defenses. We are now bombing Taliban front lines.
We are deliberately and systematically hunting down these murderers,
and we will bring them to justice. (Applause.)
Throughout this battle, we adhere to our values. Unlike our enemy, we
respect life. We do not target innocent civilians. We care for the
innocent people of Afghanistan, so we continue to provide humanitarian
aid, even while their government tries to steal the food we send. When
the terrorists and their supporters are gone, the people of
Afghanistan will say with the rest of the world: good riddance.
(Applause.)
We are at the beginning of our efforts in Afghanistan, and Afghanistan
is only the beginning of our efforts in the world. No group or nation
should mistake Americans' intentions: Where terrorist group exist of
global reach, the United States and our friends and allies will seek
it out and we will destroy it.
After September the 11th, our government assumed new responsibilities
to strengthen security at home and track down our enemies abroad. And
the American people are accepting new responsibilities, as well.
I recently received a letter from a 4th-grade girl that seemed to say
it all: "I don't know how to feel," she said, "sad, mad, angry. It has
been different lately. I know the people in New York are scared
because of the World Trade Center and all, but if we're scared, we are
giving the terrorists all the power." In the face of this great
tragedy, Americans are refusing to give terrorists the power.
(Applause.) Our people have responded with courage and compassion,
calm and reason, resolve and fierce determination. We have refused to
live in a state of panic -- or a state of denial. There is a
difference between being alert and being intimidated -- and this great
nation will never be intimidated. (Applause.)
People are going about their daily lives, working and shopping and
playing, worshiping at churches and synagogues and mosques, going to
movies and to baseball games. (Laughter and applause.) Life in America
is going forward -- and as the 4th-grader who wrote me knew, that is
the ultimate repudiation of terrorism. (Applause.)
And something even more profound is happening across our country. The
enormity of this tragedy has caused many Americans to focus on the
things that have not changed -- the things that matter most in life:
our faith, our love for family and friends, our commitment to our
country and to our freedoms and to our principles.
In my inaugural address, I asked our citizens to serve their nation,
beginning with their neighbors. This fall, I had planned a new
initiative called Communities of Character, designed to spark a
rebirth of citizenship and character and service. The events of
September the 11th have caused that initiative to happen on its own,
in ways we could never have imagined.
Flags are flying everywhere -- on houses, in store windows, on cars
and lapels. Financial donations to the victims' families have reached
more than a billion dollars. Countless Americans gave blood in the
aftermath of the attacks. New Yorkers opened their homes to evacuated
neighbors. We are waiting patiently in long security lines. Children
across America have organized lemonade and cookie sales for children
in Afghanistan.
And we can do more. Since September the 11th, many Americans,
especially young Americans, are rethinking their career choices.
They're being drawn to careers of service, as police or firemen,
emergency health workers, teachers, counselors, or in the military.
And this is good for America. (Applause.)
Many ask, what can I do to help in our fight. The answer is simple.
All of us can become a September the 11th volunteer by making a
commitment to service in our own communities. So you can serve your
country by tutoring or mentoring a child, comforting the afflicted,
housing those in need of shelter and a home. You can participate in
your Neighborhood Watch or Crime Stoppers. You can become a volunteer
in a hospital, emergency medical, fire or rescue unit. You can support
our troops in the field and, just as importantly, support their
families here at home, by becoming active in the USO or groups and
communities near our military installations.
We also will encourage service to country by creating new
opportunities within the AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs for
public safety and public health efforts. We'll ask state and local
officials to create a new modern civil defense service similar to
local volunteer fire departments, to respond to local emergencies when
the manpower of governments is stretched thin. We will find ways to
train and mobilize more volunteers to help when rescue and health
emergencies arise.
Americans have a lot to offer, so I've created a task force to develop
additional ways people can get directly involved in this war effort,
by making our homes and neighborhoods and schools and workplaces
safer. And I call on all Americans to serve by bettering our
communities and, thereby, defy and defeat the terrorists.
Our great nation -- national challenge is to hunt down the terrorists
and strengthen our protection against future attacks. Our great
national opportunity is to preserve forever the good that has
resulted. Through this tragedy, we are renewing and reclaiming our
strong American values. (Applause.)
Both Laura and I were touched by a recent newspaper article that
quoted a little four-year-old girl, who asked a telling and innocent
question. Wondering how terrorists could hate a whole nation of people
they don't even know, she asked, "Why don't we just tell them our
names?" (Laughter.) Well, we can't tell them all our names -- but
together we can show them our values. (Applause.)
Too many have the wrong idea of Americans as shallow, materialistic
consumers who care only about getting rich or getting ahead. But this
isn't the America I know. Ours is a wonderful nation, full of kind and
loving people; people of faith who want freedom and opportunity for
people everywhere. One way to defeat terrorism is to show the world
the true values of America through the gathering momentum of a million
acts of responsibility and decency and service. (Applause.)
I'm encouraging schoolchildren to write letters of friendship to
Muslim children in different countries. Our college students and those
who travel abroad for business or vacation can all be ambassadors of
American values. Ours is a great story, and we must tell it -- through
our words and through our deeds.
I came to Atlanta today to talk about an all-important question: How
should we live in the light of what has happened? We all have new
responsibilities. Our government has a responsibility to hunt down our
enemies -- and we will. Our government has a responsibility to put
needless partisanship behind us and meet new challenges -- better
security for our people, and help for those who have lost jobs and
livelihoods in the attacks that claimed so many lives. I made some
proposals to stimulate economic growth which will create new jobs, and
make America less dependent on foreign oil. (Applause.) And I ask
Congress to work hard and put a stimulus plan into law to help the
American people. (Applause.)
Our citizens have new responsibilities. We must be vigilant.
Obviously, we must inspect our mail, and stay informed on public
health matters. We will not give in to exaggerated fears or passing
rumors. We will rely on good judgment and good, old common sense. We
will care for those who have lost loved ones, and comfort those who
might at times feel afraid.
We will not judge fellow Americans by appearance, ethnic background,
or religious faith. (Applause.) We will defend the values of our
country, and we will live by them. We will persevere in this struggle,
no matter how long it takes to prevail. (Applause.)
Above all, we will live in a spirit of courage and optimism. Our
nation was born in that spirit, as immigrants yearning for freedom
courageously risked their lives in search of greater opportunity. That
spirit of optimism and courage still beckons people across the world
who want to come here. And that spirit of optimism and courage must
guide those of us fortunate enough to live here.
Courage and optimism led the passengers on Flight 93 to rush their
murderers to save lives on the ground. (Applause.) Led by a young man
whose last known words were the Lord's Prayer and "Let's roll."
(Applause.) He didn't know he had signed on for heroism when he
boarded the plane that day. Some of our greatest moments have been
acts of courage for which no one could have ever prepared.
We will always remember the words of that brave man, expressing the
spirit of a great country. We will never forget all we have lost, and
all we are fighting for. Ours is the cause of freedom. We've defeated
freedom's enemies before, and we will defeat them again. (Applause.)
We cannot know every turn this battle will take. Yet we know our cause
is just and our ultimate victory is assured. We will, no doubt, face
new challenges. But we have our marching orders: My fellow Americans,
let's roll.
(end transcript)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
