For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 20, 2001
Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People
United States Capitol
Washington, D.C.
9:00 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: 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.
My fellow citizens, for the last nine days, the entire world
has seen for itself the state of our Union -- and it is
strong. (Applause.)
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.
Americans have many questions tonight. Americans
are asking: Who attacked our country? The
evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely
affiliated terrorist organizations known as al Qaeda. They
are the same murderers indicted for bombing American embassies in
Tanzania and Kenya, and responsible for bombing the USS Cole.
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.
The leadership of al Qaeda has great influence in Afghanistan
and supports the Taliban regime in controlling most of that
country. In Afghanistan, we see al Qaeda's vision for the
world.
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.
They want to overthrow existing governments in many Muslim
countries, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. They
want to drive Israel out of the Middle East. They want to
drive Christians and Jews out of vast regions of Asia and Africa.
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.)
Americans are asking: How will we fight and win
this war?
We will direct every resource at our command -- every means of
diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law
enforcement, every financial influence, and every necessary weapon of
war -- to the disruption and to the defeat of the global terror
network.
This war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago,
with a decisive liberation of territory and a swift
conclusion. It will not look like the air war above Kosovo
two years ago, where no ground troops were used and not a single
American was lost in combat.
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 uphold the values of America, and remember why
so many have come here. We are in a fight for our
principles, and our first responsibility is to live by
them. No one should be singled out for unfair treatment or
unkind words because of their ethnic background or religious
faith. (Applause.)
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
Source: The White House.