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President's Address To The Nation
As Prepared for Delivery
September 11, 2006
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THE PRESIDENT: "Good evening. Five years ago, this date - September the
11th - was seared into America's memory. Nineteen men attacked us with
a barbarity unequaled in our history. They murdered people of all
colors, creeds, and nationalities - and made war upon the entire free
world. Since that day, America and her allies have taken the offensive
in a war unlike any we have fought before. Today, we are safer, but we
are not yet safe. On this solemn night, I have asked for some of your
time to discuss the nature of the threat still before us ... what we are
doing to protect our Nation ... and the building of a more hopeful
Middle East that holds the key to peace for America and the world.
"On Nine-Eleven, our Nation saw the face of evil. Yet on that awful
day, we also witnessed something distinctly American: ordinary citizens
rising to the occasion, and responding with extraordinary acts of
courage. We saw courage in office workers who were trapped on the high
floors of burning skyscrapers - and called home so that their last words
to their families would be of comfort and love. We saw courage in
passengers aboard Flight 93, who recited the 23rd Psalm - and then
charged the cockpit. And we saw courage in the Pentagon staff who made
it out of the flames and smoke - and ran back in to answer cries for
help. On this day, we remember the innocent who lost their lives - and
we pay tribute to those who gave their lives so that others might live.
"For many of our citizens, the wounds of that morning are still fresh.
I have met firefighters and police officers who choke up at the memory
of fallen comrades. I have stood with families gathered on a grassy
field in Pennsylvania, who take bittersweet pride in loved ones who
refused to be victims - and gave America our first victory in the war on
terror. And I have sat beside young mothers with children who are now
five-years-old - and still long for the daddies who will never cradle
them in their arms. Out of this suffering, we resolve to honor every
man and woman lost. And we seek their lasting memorial in a safer and
more hopeful world.
"Since the horror of Nine-Eleven, we have learned a great deal about the
enemy. We have learned that they are evil and kill without mercy - but
not without purpose. We have learned that they form a global network of
extremists who are driven by a perverted vision of Islam - a
totalitarian ideology that hates freedom, rejects tolerance, and
despises all dissent. And we have learned that their goal is to build a
radical Islamic empire where women are prisoners in their homes, men are
beaten for missing prayer meetings, and terrorists have a safe haven to
plan and launch attacks on America and other civilized nations. The war
against this enemy is more than a military conflict. It is the decisive
ideological struggle of the 21st century, and the calling of our
generation.
"Our Nation is being tested in a way that we have not been since the
start of the Cold War. We saw what a handful of our enemies can do with
box-cutters and plane tickets. We hear their threats to launch even
more terrible attacks on our people. And we know that if they were able
to get their hands on weapons of mass destruction, they would use them
against us. We face an enemy determined to bring death and suffering
into our homes. America did not ask for this war, and every American
wishes it were over. So do I. But the war is not over - and it will
not be over until either we or the extremists emerge victorious. If we
do not defeat these enemies now, we will leave our children to face a
Middle East overrun by terrorist states and radical dictators armed with
nuclear weapons. We are in a war that will set the course for this new
century - and determine the destiny of millions across the world.
"For America, Nine-Eleven was more than a tragedy - it changed the way
we look at the world. On September the 11th, we resolved that we would
go on the offense against our enemies - and we would not distinguish
between the terrorists and those who harbor or support them. So we
helped drive the Taliban from power in Afghanistan. We put al Qaeda on
the run, and killed or captured most of those who planned the
Nine-Eleven attacks - including the man believed to be the mastermind,
Khalid Sheik Mohammed. He and other suspected terrorists have been
questioned by the Central Intelligence Agency - and they have provided
valuable information that has helped stop attacks in America and across
the world. Now these men have been transferred to Guantanamo Bay, so
they can be held to account for their actions. Osama Bin Laden and other
terrorists are still in hiding. Our message to them is clear: No
matter how long it takes, America will find you, and we will bring you
to justice.
"On September the 11th, we learned that America must confront threats
before they reach our shores - whether those threats come from terrorist
networks or terrorist states. I am often asked why we are in Iraq when
Saddam Hussein was not responsible for the Nine-Eleven attacks. The
answer is that the regime of Saddam Hussein was a clear threat. My
Administration, the Congress, and the United Nations saw the threat -
and after Nine-Eleven, Saddam's regime posed a risk that the world could
not afford to take. The world is safer because Saddam Hussein is no
longer in power. And now the challenge is to help the Iraqi people
build a democracy that fulfills the dreams of the nearly 12 million
Iraqis who came out to vote in free elections last December.
"Al Qaeda and other extremists from across the world have come to Iraq
to stop the rise of a free society in the heart of the Middle East.
They have joined the remnants of Saddam's regime and other armed groups
to foment sectarian violence and drive us out. Our enemies in Iraq are
tough and they are committed - but so are Iraqi and Coalition forces.
We are adapting to stay ahead of the enemy - and we are carrying out a
clear plan to ensure that a democratic Iraq succeeds.
"We are training Iraqi troops so they can defend their nation. We are
helping Iraq's unity government grow in strength and serve its people.
We will not leave until this work is done. Whatever mistakes have been
made in Iraq, the worst mistake would be to think that if we pulled out,
the terrorists would leave us alone. They will not leave us alone.
They will follow us. The safety of America depends on the outcome of
the battle in the streets of Baghdad. Osama Bin Laden calls this fight
"the Third World War" - and he says that victory for the terrorists in
Iraq will mean America's "defeat and disgrace forever." If we yield
Iraq to men like Bin Laden, our enemies will be emboldened ... they will
gain a new safe haven ... and they will use Iraq's resources to fuel
their extremist movement. We will not allow this to happen. America
will stay in the fight. Iraq will be a free nation, and a strong ally
in the war on terror.
"We can be confident that our Coalition will succeed - because the Iraqi
people have been steadfast in the face of unspeakable violence. And we
can be confident in victory - because of the skill and resolve of
America's Armed Forces. Every one of our troops is a volunteer, and
since the attacks of September the 11th, more than 1.6 million Americans
have stepped forward to put on our Nation's uniform. In Iraq,
Afghanistan, and other fronts in the war on terror, the men and women of
our military are making great sacrifices to keep us safe. Some have
suffered terrible injuries - and nearly 3,000 have given their lives.
America cherishes their memory. We pray for their families. And we
will never back down from the work they have begun.
"We also honor those who toil day and night to keep our homeland safe -
and we are giving them the tools they need to protect our people. We
have created the Department of Homeland Security ... we have torn down
the wall that kept law enforcement and intelligence from sharing
information ... we have tightened security at our airports, seaports,
and borders ... and we have created new programs to monitor enemy bank
records and phone calls. Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement
and intelligence professionals, we have broken up terrorist cells in our
midst, and saved American lives.
"Five years after Nine-Eleven, our enemies have not succeeded in
launching another attack on our soil - but they have not been idle. Al
Qaeda and those inspired by its hateful ideology have carried out
terrorist attacks in more than two dozen nations. And just last month,
they were foiled in a plot to blow up passenger planes headed for the
United States. They remain determined to attack America and kill our
citizens - and we are determined to stop them. We will continue to give
the men and women who protect us every resource and legal authority they
need to do their jobs.
"In the first days after the Nine-Eleven attacks, I promised to use
every element of national power to fight the terrorists wherever we find
them. One of the strongest weapons in our arsenal is the power of
freedom. The terrorists fear freedom as much as they do our firepower.
They are thrown into panic at the sight of an old man pulling the
election lever ... girls enrolling in school ... or families worshiping
God in their own traditions. They know that given a choice, people will
choose freedom over their extremist ideology. So their answer is to deny
people this choice by raging against the forces of freedom and
moderation. This struggle has been called a clash of civilizations. In
truth, it is a struggle for civilization. We are fighting to maintain
the way of life enjoyed by free nations. And we are fighting for the
possibility that good and decent people across the Middle East can raise
up societies based on freedom, and tolerance, and personal dignity.
"We are now in the early hours of this struggle between tyranny and
freedom. Amid the violence, some question whether the people of the
Middle East want their freedom - and whether the forces of moderation
can prevail. For sixty years, these doubts guided our policies in the
Middle East. And then, on a bright September morning, it became clear
that the calm we saw in the Middle East was only a mirage. Years of
pursuing stability to promote peace had left us with neither. So we
changed our policies, and committed America's influence in the world to
advancing freedom and democracy as the great alternatives to repression
and radicalism.
"With our help, the people of the Middle East are now stepping forward
to claim their freedom. From Kabul to Baghdad to Beirut, there are
brave men and women risking their lives each day for the same freedoms
that we enjoy. And they have one question of us: Do we have the
confidence to do in the Middle East what our fathers and grandfathers
accomplished in Europe and Asia? By standing with democratic leaders
and reformers, by giving voice to the hopes of decent men and women, we
are offering a path away from radicalism. And we are enlisting the most
powerful force for peace and moderation in the Middle East: The desire
of millions to be free.
"Across the broader Middle East, the extremists are fighting to prevent
such a future. Yet America has confronted evil before, and we have
defeated it - sometimes at the cost of thousands of good men in a single
battle. When Franklin Roosevelt vowed to defeat two enemies across two
oceans, he could not have foreseen D-Day and Iwo Jima - but he would not
have been surprised at the outcome. When Harry Truman promised American
support for free peoples resisting Soviet aggression, he could not have
foreseen the rise of the Berlin Wall - but he would not have been
surprised to see it brought down. Throughout our history, America has
seen liberty challenged - and every time, we have seen liberty triumph
with sacrifice and determination.
"At the start of this young century, America looks to the day when the
people of the Middle East leave the desert of despotism for the fertile
gardens of liberty - and resume their rightful place in a world of peace
and prosperity. We look to the day when the nations of that region
recognize that their greatest resource is not the oil in the ground -
but the talent and creativity of their people. We look to the day when
moms and dads throughout the Middle East see a future of hope and
opportunity for their children. And when that good day comes, the
clouds of war will part ... the appeal of radicalism will decline ...
and we will leave our children with a better and safer world. On this
solemn anniversary, we rededicate ourselves to this cause. Our Nation
has endured trials - and we face a difficult road ahead. Winning this
war will require the determined efforts of a unified country. So we
must put aside our differences, and work together to meet the test that
history has given us. We will defeat our enemies ... we will protect
our people ... and we will lead the 21st century into a shining age of
human liberty.
"Earlier this year, I traveled to the United States Military Academy. I
was there to deliver the commencement address to the first class to
arrive at West Point after the attacks of September the 11th. That day
I met a proud mom named RoseEllen Dowdell. She was there to watch her
son Patrick accept his commission in the finest Army the world has ever
known. A few weeks earlier, RoseEllen had watched her other son, James,
graduate from the Fire Academy in New York City. On both these days,
her thoughts turned to someone who was not there to share the moment:
her husband, Kevin Dowdell. Kevin was one of the 343 firefighters who
rushed to the burning towers of the World Trade Center on September the
11th - and never came home. His sons lost their father that day - but
not the passion for service he instilled in them. Here is what
RoseEllen says about her boys, "As a mother, I cross my fingers and pray
all the time for their safety - but as worried as I am, I am also proud
- and I know their dad would be too."
"Our Nation is blessed to have young Americans like these - and we will
need them. Dangerous enemies have declared their intention to destroy
our way of life. They are not the first to try - and their fate will be
the same as those who tried before. Nine-Eleven showed us why. The
attacks were meant to bring us to our knees, and they did - but not in
the way the terrorists intended. Americans united in prayer ... came to
the aid of neighbors in need ... and resolved that our enemies would not
have the last word. The spirit of our people is the source of America's
strength. And we go forward with trust in that spirit, confidence in
our purpose - and faith in a loving God who made us to be free.
"Thank you, and may God bless you."
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