For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 8, 2001
President Discusses War on Terrorism
In Address to the Nation
World Congress Center
Atlanta, Georgia
8:03 P.M. EST
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.