THE PRESIDENT: Good
afternoon. On my orders, the United States military has
begun strikes against al Qaeda terrorist training camps and military
installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. These
carefully targeted actions are designed to disrupt the use of
Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations, and to attack the
military capability of the Taliban regime.
We are joined in this operation by our
staunch friend, Great Britain. Other close friends, including Canada,
Australia, Germany and France, have pledged forces as the operation
unfolds. More than 40 countries in the Middle East, Africa,
Europe and across Asia have granted air transit or landing
rights. Many more have shared intelligence. We
are supported by the collective will of the world.
More than two weeks ago, I gave Taliban
leaders a series of clear and specific demands: Close
terrorist training camps; hand over leaders of the al Qaeda network;
and return all foreign nationals, including American citizens, unjustly
detained in your country. None of these demands were
met. And now the Taliban will pay a price. By
destroying camps and disrupting communications, we will make it more
difficult for the terror network to train new recruits and coordinate
their evil plans.
Initially, the terrorists may burrow
deeper into caves and other entrenched hiding places. Our
military action is also designed to clear the way for sustained,
comprehensive and relentless operations to drive them out and bring
them to justice.
At the same time, the oppressed people of
Afghanistan will know the generosity of America and our
allies. As we strike military targets, we'll also drop food,
medicine and supplies to the starving and suffering men and women and
children of Afghanistan.
The United States of America is a friend
to the Afghan people, and we are the friends of almost a billion
worldwide who practice the Islamic faith. The United States
of America is an enemy of those who aid terrorists and of the barbaric
criminals who profane a great religion by committing murder in its
name.
This military action is a part of our
campaign against terrorism, another front in a war that has already
been joined through diplomacy, intelligence, the freezing of financial
assets and the arrests of known terrorists by law enforcement agents in
38 countries. Given the nature and reach of our enemies, we
will win this conflict by the patient accumulation of successes, by
meeting a series of challenges with determination and will and
purpose.
Today we focus on Afghanistan, but the
battle is broader. Every nation has a choice to
make. In this conflict, there is no neutral ground. If any
government sponsors the outlaws and killers of innocents, they have
become outlaws and murderers, themselves. And they will take
that lonely path at their own peril.
I'm speaking to you today from the Treaty
Room of the White House, a place where American Presidents have worked
for peace. We're a peaceful nation. Yet, as we
have learned, so suddenly and so tragically, there can be no peace in a
world of sudden terror. In the face of today's new threat,
the only way to pursue peace is to pursue those who threaten it.
We did not ask for this mission, but we
will fulfill it. The name of today's military operation is
Enduring Freedom. We defend not only our precious freedoms,
but also the freedom of people everywhere to live and raise their
children free from fear.
I know many Americans feel fear
today. And our government is taking strong
precautions. All law enforcement and intelligence agencies
are working aggressively around America, around the world and around
the clock. At my request, many governors have activated the National
Guard to strengthen airport security. We have called up
Reserves to reinforce our military capability and strengthen the
protection of our homeland.
In the months ahead, our patience will be
one of our strengths -- patience with the long waits that will result
from tighter security; patience and understanding that it will take
time to achieve our goals; patience in all the sacrifices that may
come.
Today, those sacrifices are being made by
members of our Armed Forces who now defend us so far from home, and by
their proud and worried families. A Commander-in-Chief sends
America's sons and daughters into a battle in a foreign land only after
the greatest care and a lot of prayer. We ask a lot of those who wear
our uniform. We ask them to leave their loved ones, to
travel great distances, to risk injury, even to be prepared to make the
ultimate sacrifice of their lives. They are dedicated, they
are honorable; they represent the best of our country. And
we are grateful.
To all the men and women in our military
-- every sailor, every soldier, every airman, every coastguardsman,
every Marine -- I say this: Your mission is
defined; your objectives are clear; your goal is just. You
have my full confidence, and you will have every tool you need to carry
out your duty.
I recently received a touching letter that
says a lot about the state of America in these difficult times -- a
letter from a 4th-grade girl, with a father in the
military: "As much as I don't want my Dad to fight," she
wrote, "I'm willing to give him to you."
This is a precious gift, the greatest she
could give. This young girl knows what America is all
about. Since September 11, an entire generation of young
Americans has gained new understanding of the value of freedom, and its
cost in duty and in sacrifice.
The battle is now joined on many
fronts. We will not waver; we will not tire; we will not
falter; and we will not fail. Peace and freedom will
prevail.