Would anyone care to really deny this fact: the 9/11 attacks were diabolical. Not political. Not anti-colonial. Not a counter-attack. But diabolical. Evil.
I know that Leftists have a hard time with this concept, because as post-modernists and moral relativists they pretend that there is not really any such a thing as evil. To Leftists, morality is in the eye of the beholder.
But not to realists. To realists, 9/11 was diabolical. The perpetrators - who portray themselves as religious fanatics - are false prophets, purveyors of an evil creed, an evil creed responsible for nearly all the terror in the world, and for the deaths of more Muslims than any other creed ever. They are evil. They believe that it is right to murder one's own daughter in order to restore honor to one's family. They are evil.
On the upcoming anniversary of 9/11, we should remember that the evil people who attacked us on that day cannot be reasoned with, or appeased, or negotiated with. They must be wiped off the face of the earth.
I know that Leftists have a hard time with this concept, because as post-modernists and moral relativists they pretend that there is not really any such a thing as evil. To Leftists, morality is in the eye of the beholder.
But not to realists. To realists, 9/11 was diabolical. The perpetrators - who portray themselves as religious fanatics - are false prophets, purveyors of an evil creed, an evil creed responsible for nearly all the terror in the world, and for the deaths of more Muslims than any other creed ever. They are evil. They believe that it is right to murder one's own daughter in order to restore honor to one's family. They are evil.
On the upcoming anniversary of 9/11, we should remember that the evil people who attacked us on that day cannot be reasoned with, or appeased, or negotiated with. They must be wiped off the face of the earth.
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. 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. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.
... 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.
... 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.
... 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.
... 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.
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.
AMEN. God Bless Our Troops, and Our Commander in Chief. And May God Continue to Bless America.
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