[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
[October 8, 2001]
[Pages 1203-1204]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
[[Page 1203]]
Remarks at the Swearing-In Ceremony for Tom Ridge
as Director of the Office of Homeland Security
October 8, 2001
Please be seated. Thank you all. Welcome to the White House.
Today I signed an Executive order creating a new Homeland Security
Office, charged with strengthening America's protections against
terrorism. And I've picked a really good man to lead that office. In
case you hadn't figured it out, it's Tom Ridge. [Laughter]
Together, we will confront the threat of terrorism. We will take
strong precautions aimed at preventing terrorist attacks and prepare to
respond effectively if they might come again. We will defend our
country, and while we do so, we will not sacrifice the freedoms that
make our land unique.
The best defense against terror is a global offensive against
terror, wherever it might be found. Yesterday we opened another front on
the war on terrorism as we began conventional military operations
designed to destroy terrorist training camps and military installations
of the Taliban Government.
Secretary Don Rumsfeld, who is
leading a really fine team, will brief the country this afternoon. But
he informed me this morning that the military mission of yesterday was
executed as planned, and at the same time, that our good Nation dropped
over 37,000 kits of food and medicine. This is an important part of a
war already underway that is being conducted on many fronts.
The first shot of the war was fired several weeks ago, as we began
freezing bank accounts and cutting off funding of known terrorist
organizations and front groups that support them. And I appreciate so
very much the Secretary of Treasury's work, Paul O'Neill.
We've worked aggressively on the diplomatic front, developing a
broad and strong coalition of countries who are united with us and
involved in our campaign. And Mr. Secretary Powell and his team have done a remarkable job of rallying the
lovers of freedom to our side. Mr. Secretary, thank you.
Our intelligence and law enforcement agencies are working around the
clock and around the world. Attorney General Ashcroft and George Tenet and Bob
Mueller are all doing a fantastic job
of making sure we've got the best intelligence and the best information,
not only to protect ourselves but to bring the evildoers to justice.
On all efforts and all fronts, we're going to be ongoing and
relentless as we tighten the net of justice. This will be a long war. It
requires understanding and patience from the American people. Members of
my Cabinet understand that, and I appreciate them all being here. These
are fine Americans who understand the nature of the conflict and are
prepared to join me in doing whatever it takes to win the war, not only
for our country today but for generations to come tomorrow.
It's an honor for me to welcome the Ridge family here to the White
House: the former first lady of Pennsylvania, Michele Ridge, and of course, Lesley and
Tommy, thank you all for being here, and thank
you for your sacrifice.
I want to thank all of Tom's friends for coming up from
Pennsylvania. It looks like he's got a few who don't live in
Pennsylvania, as well. Thank you all for being here. I'm so appreciative
that Clarence Thomas is here to swear in
Tom. I appreciate the Mayor of Washington, DC, being here. Mr. Mayor, thank you for your cooperation.
It's just the beginning of what we need to do together to make sure our
Nation's Capital is safe and secure.
[[Page 1204]]
As we've learned, we face new threats, and therefore we need new
defenses for our country. And I've found the right man to coordinate
that effort. Tom Ridge has been a chief executive. He is a leader who
has shown he can draw the best out of people and out of organizations.
He's a decorated combat veteran of the Vietnam war. He's a patriot who
has heard the sound of battle. He's seen the reach of terror in a field
in his own State. He's a man of compassion who has seen what evil can
do.
I've given Tom and the Office of Homeland Security a mission: to
design a comprehensive, coordinated national strategy to fight terror
here at home. We face a united, determined enemy. We must have a united
and determined response.
The Homeland Security Office has a series of specific goals and will
have my authority to meet them: One, take the strongest possible
precautions against terrorism by bringing together the best information
and intelligence--in the war on terror, knowledge is power; strengthen
and help protect our transportation systems, our food and water systems,
and our critical infrastructure by making them less vulnerable to
attack; respond effectively to terrorist actions if they come. The
Office will coordinate Federal assistance with State and local efforts.
America is going to be prepared.
The Office will work in conjunction with the new Homeland Security
Council, chaired by me and made up of my Cabinet and other senior
officials. The Office mission will have the full attention and complete
support of the very highest levels of our Government.
I know that many Americans at this time have fears. We've learned
that America is not immune from attack. We've seen that evil is real.
It's hard for us to comprehend the mentality of people that will destroy
innocent folks the way they have. Yet, America is equal to this
challenge, make no mistake about it. They've roused a mighty giant. A
compassionate land will rise united to not only protect ourselves, not
only make our homeland as secure as possible but to bring the evildoers
to justice so that our children might live in freedom.
It's now my honor to call Clarence Thomas up here to swear in Tom
Ridge.
Note: The President spoke at 10:53 a.m. in the East Room at the White
House. In his remarks, he referred to Mayor Anthony A. Williams of
Washington, DC. The transcript released by the Office of the Press
Secretary also included the remarks of Director Ridge. The Executive
order is listed in Appendix D at the end of this volume.