[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 38 (Monday, September 20, 2004)]
[Pages 1952-1953]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

September 11, 2004

    Good morning. This is a day of remembrance for our country. And I am 
honored to be joined at the White House today by Americans who lost so 
much in the terrible events of September the 11th, 2001, and have felt 
that loss every day since.
    Three years ago, the struggle of good against evil was compressed 
into a single morning. In the space of only 102 minutes, our country 
lost more citizens than were lost in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Time 
has passed, but the memories do not fade.
    We remember the images of fire and the final calls of love and the 
courage of rescuers who saw death and did not flee. We remember the 
cruelty of enemies who murdered the innocent and rejoiced in our 
suffering. We remember the many good lives that ended too soon which no 
one had the right to take. And our Nation remembers the families left 
behind to carry a burden of sorrow. They have shown courage of their 
own, and with the help of God's grace and with support from one another, 
the families of terror victims have shown a strength that survives

[[Page 1953]]

all hurt. Each of them remains in the thoughts and prayers of the 
American people.
    The terrorist attacks on September the 11th were a turning point for 
our Nation. We saw the goals of a determined enemy, to expand the scale 
of their murder and force America to retreat from the world. And our 
Nation accepted a mission: We will defeat this enemy.
    The United States of America is determined to guard our homeland 
against future attacks. As the September the 11th Commission concluded, 
our country is safer than we were 3 years ago, but we are not yet safe.
    So every day, many thousands of dedicated men and women are on 
duty--as air marshals, airport screeners, cargo inspectors, border 
patrol officers, and first-responders. At the same time, Americans 
serving in the FBI and CIA are performing their daily work with 
professionalism, while we reform those agencies to see the dangers 
around the next corner. Our country is grateful to all our fellow 
citizens who watch for the enemy and answer the alarms and guard America 
by their vigilance.
    The United States is determined to stay on the offensive and to 
pursue the terrorists wherever they train or sleep or attempt to set 
down roots. We have conducted this campaign from the mountains of 
Afghanistan to the heart of the Middle East to the horn of Africa to the 
islands of the Philippines to hidden cells within our own country. More 
than three-quarters of Al Qaida's key members and associates have been 
detained or killed. We know that there is still a danger to America. So 
we will not relent until the terrorists who plot murder against our 
people are found and dealt with.
    The United States is also determined to advance democracy in the 
broader Middle East, because freedom will bring the peace and security 
we all want. When the peoples of that region are given new hope and 
lives of dignity, they will let go of old hatreds and resentments, and 
the terrorists will find fewer recruits. And as governments of that 
region join in the fight against terror instead of harboring terrorists, 
America and the world will be more secure. Our present work in Iraq and 
Afghanistan is difficult. It is also historic and essential. By our 
commitment and sacrifice today, we will help transform the Middle East 
and increase the safety of our children and grandchildren.
    Since September the 11th, the sacrifices in the war on terror have 
fallen most heavily on members of our military and their families. Our 
Nation is grateful to the brave men and women who are taking risks on 
our behalf at this hour. And America will never forget the ones who have 
fallen, men and women last seen doing their duty, whose names we will 
honor forever.
    The war on terror goes on. The resolve of our Nation is still being 
tested. And in the face of danger, we are showing our character. Three 
years after the attack on our country, Americans remain strong and 
resolute, patient in a just cause, and confident of the victory to come.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The President spoke at 10:06 a.m. from the Oval Office at the 
White House. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish 
language transcript of these remarks.