    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
    [November 6, 2001]
    [Pages 1348-1350]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Satellite Remarks to the Central European Counterterrorism Conference
    November 6, 2001

        Well, thank you very much, Mr. President. It is a real pleasure to be back in Warsaw, this
    time by telecast. I had a wonderful visit to the region in June, and I
    know I'm among friends today.
        I thank all the nations of Central and Eastern Europe at this
    conference. You are our partners in the fight against terrorism, and we
    share an important moment in history.
        For more than 50 years, the peoples of your region suffered under
    repressive ideologies that tried to trample human dignity. Today, our
    freedom is threatened once again. Like the Fascists and totalitarians
    before them, these terrorists--Al Qaida, the Taliban regime that
    supports them, and other terror groups across our world--try to impose
    their radical views through threats and violence. We see the same
    intolerance of dissent, the same mad global ambitions, the same brutal
    determination to control every life and all of life.
        We have seen the true nature of these terrorists in the nature of
    their attacks. They kill thousands of innocent people and then rejoice
    about it. They kill fellow Muslims, many of whom died in the World Trade
    Center that terrible morning, and then they gloat. They condone murder
    and claim to be doing so in the name of a peaceful religion.
        We have also seen the true nature of these terrorists in the nature
    of the regime they support in Afghanistan, and it's terrifying. Women
    are imprisoned in their homes and are denied access to basic health care
    and education. Food sent to help starving people is stolen by their
    leaders. The religious monuments of other faiths are destroyed. Children
    are forbidden to fly kites or sing songs or build snowmen. A girl of 7
    is beaten for wearing white shoes. Our enemies have brought only misery
    and terror to the people of Afghanistan, and now they are trying to
    export that terror throughout the world.
        Al Qaida operates in more than 60 nations, including some in Central
    and Eastern Europe. These terrorist groups seek to destabilize entire
    nations and regions. They are seeking chemical, biological, and nuclear
    weapons. Given the means, our enemies would be a threat to every nation
    and eventually to civilization, itself.
        So we're determined to fight this evil and fight until we're rid of
    it. We will not wait for more innocent deaths. We will not wait for the
    authors of mass murder to gain the weapons of mass destruction. We act
    now because we must lift this dark

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    threat from our age and save generations to come.
        The people of my Nation are now fighting this war at home. We face a
    second wave of terrorist attacks in the form of deadly anthrax that has
    been sent through the U.S. mail. Our people are responding to this new
    threat with alertness and calm. Our Government is responding to treat
    the sick, provide antibiotics to those who have been exposed, and track
    down the guilty, whether abroad or at home.
        And we fight abroad with our military, with the help of many
    nations, because the Taliban regime of Afghanistan refused to turn over
    the terrorists. And we're making good progress in a just cause. Our
    efforts are directed at terrorist and military targets because, unlike
    our enemies, we value human life. We do not target innocent people, and
    we grieve for the difficult times the Taliban have brought to the people
    of their own country.
        Our military is systematically pursuing its mission. We've destroyed
    many terrorist training camps. We have severed communication links.
    We're taking out air defenses, and now we're attacking the Taliban's
    frontlines.
        I've seen some news reports that many Afghan citizens wish the
    Taliban had never allowed the Al Qaida terrorists into their country. I
    don't blame them. And I hope those citizens will help us locate the
    terrorists, because the sooner we find them, the better the people's
    lives will be. It may take a long time, but no matter how long it takes,
    those who killed thousands of Americans and citizens from over 80 other
    nations will be brought to justice, and the misuse of Afghanistan as a
    training ground for terror will end.
        As I've said from the start, this is a difficult struggle of
    uncertain duration. We hunt an enemy that hides in shadows and caves. We
    are at the beginning of our efforts in Afghanistan. And Afghanistan is
    the beginning of our efforts in the world. No group or nation should
    mistake America's intentions: We will not rest until terrorist groups of
    global reach have been found, have been stopped, and have been defeated.
    And this goal will not be achieved until all the world's nations stop
    harboring and supporting such terrorists within their borders.
        The defeat of terror requires an international coalition of
    unprecedented scope and cooperation. It demands the sincere, sustained
    actions of many nations against the network of terrorist cells and bases
    and funding. Later this week, at the United Nations, I will set out my
    vision of our common responsibilities in the war on terror. I will put
    every nation on notice that these duties involve more than sympathy or
    words. No nation can be neutral in this conflict, because no civilized
    nation can be secure in a world threatened by terror.
        I thank the many nations of Europe, including our NATO Allies, who
    have offered military help. I also thank the nations who are sharing
    intelligence and working to cut off terrorist financing. And I thank all
    of you for the important, practical work you are doing at this
    conference. The war against terrorism will be won only when we combine
    our strengths.
        We have a vast coalition that is uniting the world and increasingly
    isolating the terrorists, a coalition that includes many Arab and Muslim
    countries. I am encouraged by what their leaders are saying. The head of
    the 22-nation Arab League rejected the claims of
    the terrorist leader and said, he--Usama bin
    Laden--``doesn't speak in the names of Arabs and Muslims.''
    Increasingly, it is clear that this is not just a matter between the
    United States and the terror network. As the Egyptian Foreign
    Minister said, ``There is a war between bin
    Laden and the whole world.'' All of us here today understand this: We do
    not fight against Islam; we fight against evil.
        I thank all of our coalition partners and all of you for your
    steadfast support. The last time I was in Warsaw, I talked of our shared
    vision of a Europe that is whole

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    and free and at peace. I said, we are building a house of freedom whose
    doors are open to all of Europe's people and whose windows look out to
    global opportunities beyond. Now that vision has been challenged, but it
    will not change. With your help, our vision of peace and freedom will be
    realized. And with your help, we will defend the values we hold in
    common.
        Thank you for joining us. And may God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke by satellite at 7:10 a.m. from the Blue Room
    at the White House to the conference meeting in Warsaw, Poland. In his
    remarks, he referred to President Aleksander Kwasniewski of Poland; Arab
    League Secretary General Amr Moussa; Usama bin Laden, leader of the Al
    Qaida terrorist organization; and Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher of Egypt.
    The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language
    transcript of these remarks.