[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 11 (Monday, March 18, 2002)]
[Pages 390-392]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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.
    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

[[Page 391]]

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 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 Khot 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

[[Page 392]]

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 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.