    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [August 12, 2006]
    [Pages 1505-1506]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    August 12, 2006

        Good morning. This week, America received a stark reminder that
    terrorists are still plotting attacks to kill our people. Beginning on
    Wednesday night, authorities in Great Britain arrested more than 20
    individuals who we believe were plotting to detonate liquid explosives
    aboard flights from the United Kingdom to the United States. If these
    terrorists had succeeded, they could have caused death on a massive
    scale. The plot appears to have been carefully planned and well-
    advanced. They planned to bring the components of their explosives on
    board in their carry-on luggage, disguised as bottled drinks and
    electronic devices.
        We believe that this week's arrests have significantly disrupted the
    threat. Yet we cannot be sure that the threat has been eliminated. So as
    a precaution, on Thursday, the Federal Government took several steps to
    increase security at our airports and aboard our planes.
        First, the Department of Homeland Security has raised our Nation's
    threat warning to Code Red--the highest level--for flights from Great
    Britain to America, in coordination with British authorities. Second,
    we've raised the threat warning for all domestic and international
    flights landing in the United States to Code Orange, the second highest
    level. We also have sent additional Federal air marshals to Great
    Britain to provide extra protection aboard flights from the United
    Kingdom to the United States.
        This plot is further evidence that the terrorists we face are
    sophisticated and constantly changing their tactics. On September the
    11th, 2001, they used box cutters to hijack airplanes and kill thousands
    of innocent people. This time, we believe they planned to use liquid
    explosives to blow up planes in mid-air. In response, we've adjusted our
    security precautions by temporarily banning most liquids as carry-on
    items on planes. I know many of you will be traveling during this busy
    summer vacation season, and I ask for your patience, cooperation, and
    vigilance in the coming days. The inconveniences you will face are for
    your protection, and they will

    [[Page 1506]]

    give us time to adjust our screening procedures to meet the current
    threat.
        I'm grateful for the outstanding work of intelligence and law
    enforcement officers in the United Kingdom and in our country. This
    week's arrests were the culmination of hard work, cooperation, and
    information sharing across different agencies and different governments.
    We're dealing with a new enemy that uses new means of attack and new
    methods to communicate. This week's events demonstrate the vital
    importance of ensuring that our intelligence and law enforcement
    personnel have all the tools they need to track down the terrorists and
    prevent attacks on our country.
        Because of the measures we've taken to protect the American people,
    our Nation is safer than it was prior to September the 11th. Still, we
    must never make the mistake of thinking the danger of terrorism has
    passed. This week's experience reminds us of a hard fact: The terrorists
    have to succeed only once to achieve their goal of mass murder, while we
    have to succeed every time to stop them. Unfortunately, some have
    suggested recently that the terrorist threat is being used for partisan
    political advantage. We can have legitimate disagreements about the best
    way to fight the terrorists, yet there should be no disagreement about
    the dangers we face.
        America is fighting a tough war against an enemy whose ruthlessness
    is clear for all to see. The terrorists attempt to bring down airplanes
    full of innocent men, women, and children. They kill civilians and
    American servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they deliberately hide
    behind civilians in Lebanon. They are seeking to spread their
    totalitarian ideology. They're seeking to take over countries like
    Afghanistan and Iraq so they can establish safe havens from which to
    attack free nations. These killers need to know that America, Great
    Britain, and our allies are determined to defend ourselves and advance
    the cause of liberty. With patience, courage, and untiring resolve, we
    will defend our freedom, and we will win the war on terror.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 8:05 a.m. on August 11 at the Bush
    Ranch in Crawford, TX, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on August 12. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    August 11 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    this address.