    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [March 11, 2002]
    [Pages 374-377]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Six-Month Anniversary of the September 11th Attacks
    March 11, 2002

        Diplomatic representatives of the coalition of nations; Members of
    the Congress, the Cabinet, the Supreme Court; members of the American
    Armed Forces; military coalition members from around the world;
    distinguished guests; and ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the White
    House.
        We have come together to mark a terrible day, to reaffirm a just and
    vital cause, and to thank the many nations that share our resolve and
    will share our common victory.
        Six months separate us from September the 11th. Yet, for the
    families of the lost, each day brings new pain; each day requires new
    courage. Your grace and strength have been an example to our Nation.
    America will not forget the lives that were taken and the justice their
    death requires.
        We face an enemy of ruthless ambition, unconstrained by law or
    morality. The terrorists despise other religions and have defiled their
    own. And they are determined to expand the scale and scope of their
    murder. The terror that targeted New York and Washington could next
    strike any center of civilization. Against such an enemy, there is no
    immunity, and there can be no neutrality.

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        Many nations and many families have lived in the shadows of
    terrorism for decades, enduring years of mindless and merciless killing.
    September the 11th was not the beginning of global terror, but it was
    the beginning of the world's concerted response. History will know that
    day not only as a day of tragedy but as a day of decision when the
    civilized world was stirred to anger and to action. And the terrorists
    will remember September 11th as the day their reckoning began.
        A mighty coalition of civilized nations is now defending our common
    security. Terrorist assets have been frozen. Terrorist front groups have
    been exposed. A terrorist regime has been toppled from power. Terrorist
    plots have been unraveled from Spain to Singapore. And thousands of
    terrorists have been brought to justice, are in prison, or are running
    for fear of their lives.
        With us today are representatives from many of our partners in this
    great work, and we're proud to display their flags at the White House
    this morning. From the contributions these nations have made--some well
    known, others not--I am honored to extend the deepest gratitude of the
    people of the United States.
        The power and vitality of our coalition have been proven in
    Afghanistan. More than half of the forces now assisting the heroic
    Afghan fighters or providing security in Kabul are from countries other
    than the United States. There are many examples of commitment. Our good
    ally France has deployed nearly one-fourth of its navy to support
    Operation Enduring Freedom, and Great Britain has sent its largest naval
    task force in 20 years. British and American special operations forces
    have fought beside teams from Australia and Canada, Norway, Denmark, and
    Germany. In total, 17 nations have forces deployed in the region. And we
    could not have done our work without critical support from countries,
    particularly, like Pakistan and Uzbekistan. Japanese destroyers are
    refueling coalition ships in the Indian Ocean. The Turkish air force has
    refueled American planes. Afghans are receiving treatment in hospitals
    built by Russians, Jordanians, Spanish, and have received supplies and
    help from South Korea.
        Nations in our coalition have shared in the responsibilities and
    sacrifices of our cause. On the day before September the 11th, I met
    with Prime Minister John Howard of Australia,
    who spoke of the common beliefs and shared affection of our two
    countries. We could not have known that bond was about to be proven
    again in war, and we could not have known its human cost. Last month,
    Sergeant Andrew Russell of the Australian Special Air Service died in
    Afghanistan. He left behind his wife, Kylie,
    and their daughter, Leisa, just 11 days old.
    Friends said of Sergeant Russell, ``You could rely on him never to let
    you down.''
        This young man and many like him have not let us down. Each life
    taken from us is a terrible loss. We have lost young people from Germany
    and Denmark and Afghanistan and America. We mourn each one. And for
    their bravery in a noble cause, we honor them.
        Part of that cause was to liberate the Afghan people from terrorist
    occupation, and we did so. Next week, the schools reopen in Afghanistan.
    They will be open to all, and many young girls will go to school for the
    first time in their young lives. Afghanistan has many difficult
    challenges ahead, and yet we've averted mass starvation, begun clearing
    minefields, rebuilding roads, and improving health care. In Kabul, a
    friendly government is now an essential member of the coalition against
    terror.
        Now that the Taliban are gone and Al Qaida has lost its home base
    for terrorism, we have entered the second stage of the war on terror, a
    sustained campaign to deny sanctuary to terrorists who would threaten
    our citizens from anywhere in the world.
        In Afghanistan, hundreds of trained killers are now dead. Many have
    been captured. Others are still on the run, hoping

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    to strike again. These terrorist fighters are the most committed, the
    most dangerous, and the least likely to surrender. They are trying to
    regroup, and we'll stop them. For 5 months in Afghanistan, our coalition
    has been patient and relentless, and more patience and more courage will
    be required. We're fighting a fierce battle in the Shahi-Kot Mountains,
    and we're winning. Yet, it will not be the last battle in Afghanistan.
    And there will be other battles beyond that nation.
        For terrorists fleeing Afghanistan, for any terrorist looking for a
    base of operations, there must be no refuge, no safe haven. By driving
    terrorists from place to place, we disrupt the planning and training for
    further attacks on America and the civilized world. Every terrorist must
    be made to live as an international fugitive, with no place to settle or
    organize, no place to hide, no governments to hide behind, and not even
    a safe place to sleep.
        I have set a clear policy in the second stage of the war on terror.
    America encourages and expects governments everywhere to help remove the
    terrorist parasites that threaten their own countries and peace of the
    world. If governments need training or resources to meet this
    commitment, America will help.
        We are helping right now in the Philippines, where terrorists with
    links to Al Qaida are trying to seize the southern part of the country
    to establish a militant regime. They are oppressing local peoples, and
    they have kidnaped both American and Filipino citizens. America has sent
    more than 500 troops to train Philippine forces. We stand with President
    Arroyo, who is courageously opposing
    the threat of terror.
        In the Republic of Georgia, terrorists working closely with Al Qaida
    operate in the Pankisi Gorge near the Russian border. At President
    Shevardnadze's request, the United
    States is planning to send up to 150 military trainers to prepare
    Georgian soldiers to reestablish control in this lawless region. This
    temporary assistance serves the interests of both our countries.
        In Yemen, we are working to avert the possibility of another
    Afghanistan. Many Al Qaida recruits come from near the Yemen-Saudi
    Arabian border, and Al Qaida may try to reconstitute itself in the
    remote corners of that region. President Salih has assured me that he is committed to confronting
    this danger. We will help Yemeni forces with both training and equipment
    to prevent that land from becoming a haven for terrorists.
        In the current stage of the war, our coalition is opposing not a
    nation but a network. Victory will come over time, as that network is
    patiently and steadily dismantled. This will require international
    cooperation on a number of fronts, diplomatic, financial, and military.
    We will not send the American troops to every battle, but America will
    actively prepare other nations for the battles ahead. This mission will
    end when the work is finished--when terror networks of global reach have
    been defeated. The havens and training camps of terror are a threat to
    our lives and to our way of life, and they will be destroyed.
        At the same time, every nation in our coalition must take seriously
    the growing threat of terror on a catastrophic scale, terror armed with
    biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons. America is now consulting with
    friends and allies about this greatest of dangers, and we're determined
    to confront it.
        Here is what we already know. Some states that sponsor terror are
    seeking or already possess weapons of mass destruction. Terrorist groups
    are hungry for these weapons and would use them without a hint of
    conscience. And we know that these weapons, in the hands of terrorists,
    would unleash blackmail and genocide and chaos.
        These facts cannot be denied and must be confronted. In preventing
    the spread of weapons of mass destruction, there is no margin for error
    and no chance to learn

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    from mistakes. Our coalition must act deliberately, but inaction is not
    an option. Men with no respect for life must never be allowed to control
    the ultimate instruments of death.
        Gathered here today, we are 6 months along, a short time in a long
    struggle. And our war on terror will be judged by its finish, not by its
    start. More dangers and sacrifices lie ahead. Yet, America is prepared.
    Our resolve has only grown, because we remember. We remember the horror
    and heroism of that morning, the death of children on a field trip, the
    resistance of passengers on a doomed airplane, the courage of rescuers
    who died with strangers they were trying to save. And we remember the
    video images of terrorists who laughed at our loss.
        Every civilized nation has a part in this struggle because every
    civilized nation has a stake in its outcome. There can be no peace in a
    world where differences and grievances become an excuse to target the
    innocent for murder. In fighting terror, we fight for the conditions
    that will make lasting peace possible. We fight for lawful change
    against chaotic violence, for human choice against coercion and cruelty,
    and for the dignity and goodness of every life.
        Every nation should know that for America, the war on terror is not
    just a policy; it's a pledge. I will not relent in this struggle for the
    freedom and security of my country and the civilized world.
        And we'll succeed. There will be a day when the organized threat
    against America, our friends, and allies is broken. And when the
    terrorists are disrupted and scattered and discredited, many old
    conflicts will appear in a new light, without the constant fear and
    cycle of bitterness that terrorists spread with their violence. We will
    see then that the old and serious disputes can be settled within the
    bounds of reason and good will and mutual security. I see a peaceful
    world beyond the war on terror, and with courage and unity, we are
    building that world together.
        Any nation that makes an unequivocal commitment against terror can
    join this cause. Every nation of good will is welcome. And together, we
    will face the peril of our moment and seize the promise of our times.
        May God bless our coalition.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:10 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
    of the Philippines; President Eduard Shevardnadze of the Republic of
    Georgia; and President Ali Abdallah Salih of Yemen. The Office of the
    Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of these
    remarks.