For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 24, 2001
Letter to Congress on American Campaign Against Terrorism
Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate
September 24, 2001
Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
On the morning of September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four U.S.
commercial airliners. These terrorists coldly murdered
thousands of innocent people on those airliners and on the ground, and
deliberately destroyed the towers of the World Trade Center and
surrounding buildings and a portion of the Pentagon.
In response to these attacks on our territory, our citizens, and
our way of life, I ordered the deployment of various combat-equipped
and combat support forces to a number of foreign nations in the Central
and Pacific Command areas of operations. In the future, as
we act to prevent and deter terrorism, I may find it necessary to order
additional forces into these and other areas of the world, including
into foreign nations where U.S. Armed Forces are already located.
I have taken these actions pursuant to my constitutional authority
to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief
Executive. It is not now possible to predict the scope and
duration of these deployments, and the actions necessary to counter the
terrorist threat to the United States. It is likely that the
American campaign against terrorism will be a lengthy one.
I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the
Congress informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution and Senate
Joint Resolution 23, which I signed on September 18, 2001. As you know,
officials of my Administration and I have been regularly communicating
with the leadership and other Members of Congress about the actions we
are taking to respond to the threat of terrorism and we will continue
to do so. I appreciate the continuing support of the
Congress, including its passage of Senate Joint Resolution 23, in this
action to protect the security of the United States of America and its
citizens, civilian and military, here and abroad.
Sincerely,
GEORGE W. BUSH
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