[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 18042]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, 3 years ago this September 11, al-Qaida 
terrorists launched a brutal attack on American soil. Every American 
remembers that clear Tuesday morning when two planes smashed into the 
two World Trade Center towers in New York and brought them crumbling to 
the ground. A third plane crashed into the Pentagon outside Washington, 
DC. A fourth plane may have been destined for this very Capitol were it 
not for the heroic passengers on that flight who put their country 
ahead of their lives.
  Today and every day we honor the innocent victims who died that day 
while conducting America's business. We also honor the heroic first 
responders--police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical 
personnel--who rushed in to save others. We honor the volunteers of 
that day and every day forward who lined up to help their fellow 
Americans. Millions donated money, time, efforts, and blood.
  And we honor the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who have 
risked their lives so Americans don't have to live in fear of being 
attacked again. Some have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Our all-
volunteer military is the best in the world, and as full of courage as 
the military heroes from our Greatest Generation.
  It is worth looking at what we have accomplished in the last 3 years. 
President Bush has led America in a global war on terror to destroy 
those who would attack us again. We have made incredible progress.
  We have led an international military coalition to eradicate two of 
the vilest terrorist regimes on Earth--the Taliban in Afghanistan, and 
Saddam Hussein in Iraq. We have liberated over 50 million people. Over 
10 million have registered to vote in this fall's election in 
Afghanistan. And Iraq has national elections scheduled for early next 
year.
  Using diplomacy and sanctions, and with the help of the international 
community, we have pressured a third terrorist regime in Libya to 
abandon its path to weapons of mass destruction, that could have been 
given to terrorists. The lesson of Saddam Hussein surely served as an 
example here, and should continue to serve as such to despots around 
the globe who would do us harm.
  Of the senior al-Qaida leaders, operational managers, and key 
facilitators that our government has been tracking, nearly two-thirds 
have been brought to justice or had justice brought to them. And with 
the help of our allies, we have severely disrupted the networks and 
organizations that flow money, supplies, people, and information to the 
terrorists.
  Here at home, the defense and intelligence capabilities of the 
Federal Government have been reorganized more sweepingly than at any 
point since the 1940s, to prepare them for this, the first war of the 
21st century. We have created a Department of Homeland Security and are 
currently weighing how best to strengthen our intelligence services to 
deal with today's threats.
  Finally, America has reaffirmed her commitment to liberty across the 
world. Despite the negative words of a few naysayers in high places, 
most people around the globe draw strength from America's commitment to 
lead the global war on terror. Over 30 nations joined us to liberate 
Afghanistan and Iraq. We have never wavered in our pledge to root out 
the terrorists and punish the states that may harbor them. The world 
has been reminded that America lives up to its word.
  We have made great progress in 3 years, and will continue to make 
great progress. The president has told us that this will be a long 
struggle lasting years, perhaps decades. We cannot be sure when the war 
may be won. But we can be sure that it will.
  For nearly 50 years, America grappled with another seemingly 
entrenched enemy--the Soviet Union and the spread of communism 
throughout the world. For much of the cold war, the struggle seemed to 
be without end. Some said it couldn't be won. Some said coexistence was 
the best America could hope for. Some even morally equated American 
freedom with Soviet tyranny, and refused to take sides.
  But today, schoolchildren learn that the Soviet Union collapsed, 
rotten from the inside, as an inevitable fact. We take our victory in 
the Cold War for granted today, but it took decades of resolve, 
perseverance, and faith that our way of life was superior to 
totalitarianism. Well, the American way of freedom--freedom to worship, 
freedom to speak, freedom to vote--is still the best way of life on 
Earth.
  Today's generation must maintain that same faith. We cannot lose on 
the battlefield. We cannot lose the war of ideals. As long as we 
maintain our will to win, we will prevail.

                          ____________________