    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
    [September 29, 2001]
    [Pages 1176-1177]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1176]]

    The President's Radio Address
    September 29, 2001

        Good morning. I want to report to you on the progress being made on
    many fronts in our war against terrorism. This is a different kind of
    war, which we will wage aggressively and methodically to disrupt and
    destroy terrorist activity.
        In recent days, many members of our military have left their homes
    and families and begun moving into a place for missions to come.
    Thousands of reservists have been called to active duty. Soldiers,
    sailors, airmen, marines, and coastguardmen are being deployed to points
    around the globe, ready to answer when their country calls. Our military
    families have accepted many hardships, and our Nation is grateful for
    their willing service. The men and women of the Armed Forces are united
    in their dedication to freedom, and they will make us proud in the
    struggle against terrorism.
        International cooperation is gaining momentum. This week I met with
    the Prime Ministers of two of America's closest friends,
    Canada and Japan. Other countries, from Russia to Indonesia, are
    giving strong support as the war against terrorism moves forward.
    America is grateful to the nations that have cut off diplomatic ties
    with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, which is sheltering terrorists.
    The United States respects the people of Afghanistan, and we are their
    largest provider of humanitarian aid. But we condemn the Taliban and
    welcome the support of other nations in isolating that regime.
        We have also launched a strike against the financial foundation of
    the global terror network. Our goal is to deny terrorists the money they
    need to carry out their plans. We began by identifying 27 terrorist
    organizations, terrorist leaders, and foreign businesses and charities
    that support or front for terrorism. We froze whatever assets they had
    here in the United States, and we blocked them from doing business with
    people, companies, or banks in our country. Many governments and
    financial institutions around the world are joining in this effort to
    starve terrorists of funding.
        This week I visited the headquarters of the FBI and the CIA. Their
    agents and analysts have been on the case around the clock, uncovering
    and pursuing the enemy. In the long campaign ahead, they will need our
    continued support and every necessary tool to do their work.
        I'm asking Congress for new law enforcement authority to better
    track the communications of terrorists and to detain suspected
    terrorists until the moment they are deported. I will also seek more
    funding and better technology for our country's intelligence community.
        This week we also took strong steps to improve security on planes
    and in airports and to restore confidence in air travel. We're providing
    airlines with Federal grants to make cockpits more secure through
    measures including fortified doors and stronger locks. And we're
    dramatically increasing the number of Federal air marshals on our
    planes. Americans will have the confidence of knowing that fully
    equipped officers of the law are flying with them in far greater
    numbers. I'm also working with Congress to put Federal law enforcement
    in charge of all bag and passenger screening at our airports. Standards
    will be tougher and enforced by highly trained professionals who know
    exactly what they're looking for. To enhance safety immediately, I've
    asked Governors to place National Guardsmen at security checkpoints in
    airports.
        As all these actions make clear, our war on terror will be much
    broader than the battlefields and beachheads of the past. This war will
    be fought wherever terrorists hide or run or plan. Some victories will
    be won outside of public view, in tragedies

    [[Page 1177]]

    avoided and threats eliminated. Other victories will be clear to all.
        Our weapons are military and diplomatic, financial and legal. And in
    this struggle, our greatest advantages are the patience and resolve of
    the American people.
        We did not seek this conflict, but we will win it. America will act
    deliberately and decisively, and the cause of freedom will prevail.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 12:04 p.m. on September 28 in the
    Cabinet Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on September
    29. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on September 28 but was embargoed for release until the
    broadcast. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of this address.