[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

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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.