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Twin
Towers Speech
by President George W Bush
This
speech was given to Congress on September 20th 2001 after the bombing
of the Trade Towers in New York. Bush's speech uses a wide range of rhetorical
techniques and is generally agreed to be his most effective big speech.
Look at the
list of rhetorical devices and write a commentary
on the speech.
The text of
the speech is available in two forms.
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text to a word processor if you wish.
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text as a pdf file. You can print this off if you wish. There are
six pages. Each page has a wide margin for adding notes about the text.
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of your own.
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER
20 2001
We will not
falter, and we will not fail
The following is a full text of President Bush's address to the
joint session of Congress on Thursday September 20th
MR SPEAKER, Mr President pro tempore, members of Congress, and
fellow Americans: In the normal course of events, presidents come to this
chamber to report on the state of the Union. Tonight, no such report is
needed. It has already been delivered by the American people.
We have seen it in the courage of passengers who rushed terrorists to
save others on the ground. Passengers like an exceptional man named Todd
Beamer. And would you please help me welcome his wife Lisa Beamer here
tonight? We have seen the state of our Union in the endurance of rescuers
working past exhaustion. Weve seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting
of candles, the giving of blood, the saying of prayers in English, Hebrew
and Arabic. We have seen the decency of a loving and giving people who
have made the grief of strangers their own.
My fellow citizens, for the last nine days, the entire world has seen
for itself the state of union, and it is strong. Tonight, we are a country
awakened to danger and called to defend freedom. Our grief has turned
to anger and anger to resolution. Whether we bring our enemies to justice
or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done.
I thank the Congress for its leadership at such an important time.
All of America was touched on the evening of the tragedy to see Republicans
and Democrats joined together on the steps of this Capitol singing God
Bless America.
And you did more than sing. You acted, by delivering $40 billion to rebuild
our communities and meet the needs of our military.
Speaker Hastert, minority leader Gephardt, majority leader Daschle and
Senator Lott, I thank you for your friendship, for your leadership and
for your service to our country.
And on behalf of the American people, I thank the world for its outpouring
of support. America will never forget the sounds of our national anthem
playing at Buckingham Palace, on the streets of Paris and at Berlins
Brandenburg Gate. We will not forget South Korean children gathering to
pray outside our embassy in Seoul, or the prayers of sympathy offered
at a mosque in Cairo.
We will not forget moments of silence and days of mourning in Australia
and Africa and Latin America.
Nor will we forget the citizens of 80 other nations who died with our
own.
Dozens of Pakistanis, more than 130 Israelis, more than 250 citizens of
India, men and women from El Salvador, Iran, Mexico and Japan, and hundreds
of British citizens.
America has no truer friend than Great Britain.
Once again, we are joined together in a great cause.
Im so honoured the British Prime Minister has crossed an ocean to
show his unity with America.
Thank you for coming, friend.
On September the 11th, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against
our country. Americans have known wars, but for the past 136 years they
have been wars on foreign soil, except for one Sunday in 1941. Americans
have known the casualties of war, but not at the centre of a great city
on a peaceful morning.
Americans have known surprise attacks, but never before on thousands of
civilians.
All of this was brought upon us in a single day, and night fell on a different
world, a world where freedom itself is under attack.
Americans have many questions tonight. Americans are asking: Who
attacked our country? The evidence we have gathered all points to
a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organisations known as Al-Qaeda.
They are some of the murderers indicted for bombing American embassies
in Tanzania and Kenya and responsible for bombing the USS Cole.
Al-Qaeda is to terror what the Mafia is to crime. But its goal is not
making money; its goal is remaking the world and imposing its radical
beliefs on people everywhere.
The terrorists practise a fringe form of Islamic extremism that has been
rejected by Muslim scholars and the vast majority of Muslim clerics; a
fringe movement that perverts the peaceful teachings of Islam.
The terrorists directive commands them to kill Christians and Jews,
to kill all Americans and make no distinctions among military and civilians,
including women and children.
This group and its leader, a person named Osama bin Laden, are linked
to many other organisations in different countries, including the Egyptian
Islamic Jihad, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.
There are thousands of these terrorists in more than 60 countries.
They are recruited from their own nations and neighbourhoods and brought
to camps in places like Afghanistan, where they are trained in the tactics
of terror. They are sent back to their homes or sent to hide in countries
around the world to plot evil and destruction.
The leadership of Al-Qaeda has great influence in Afghanistan and supports
the Taleban regime in controlling most of that country. In Afghanistan
we see Al-Qaedas vision for the world. Afghanistans people
have been brutalised, many are starving and many have fled.
Women are not allowed to attend school. You can be jailed for owning a
television. Religion can be practised only as their leaders dictate. A
man can be jailed in Afghanistan if his beard is not long enough.
The United States respects the people of Afghanistan after all,
we are currently its largest source of humanitarian aid but we
condemn the Taleban regime.
It is not only repressing its own people, it is threatening people everywhere
by sponsoring and sheltering and supplying terrorists.
By aiding and abetting murder, the Taleban regime is committing murder.
And tonight the United States of America makes the following demands on
the Taleban.
Deliver to United States authorities all of the leaders of Al-Qaeda who
hide in your land.
Release all foreign nationals, including American citizens you have unjustly
imprisoned. Protect foreign journalists, diplomats and aid workers in
your country. Close immediately and permanently every terrorist training
camp in Afghanistan. And hand over every terrorist and every person and
their support structure to appropriate authorities.
Give the United States full access to terrorist training camps, so we
can make sure they are no longer operating.
These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion.
The Taleban must act and act immediately.
They will hand over the terrorists or they will share in their fate.
I also want to speak tonight directly to Muslims throughout the world.
We respect your faith. Its practised freely by many millions of
Americans and by millions more in countries that America counts as friends.
Its teachings are good and peaceful, and those who commit evil in the
name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah.
The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying, in effect, to
hijack Islam itself.
The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends. It is not our many
Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists and every government
that supports them.
Our war on terror begins with Al-Qaeda, but it does not end there.
It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found,
stopped and defeated.
Americans are asking: Why do they hate us? They hate what
they see right here in this chamber: a democratically elected government.
Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms: our freedom
of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and
disagree with each other.
They want to overthrow existing governments in many Muslim countries such
as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. They want to drive Israel out of the
Middle East. They want to drive Christians and Jews out of vast regions
of Asia and Africa.
These terrorists kill not merely to end lives, but to disrupt and end
a way of life. With every atrocity, they hope that America grows fearful,
retreating from the world and forsaking our friends. They stand against
us because we stand in their way. Were not deceived by their pretences
to piety.
We have seen their kind before. Theyre the heirs of all the murderous
ideologies of the 20th century. By sacrificing human life to serve their
radical visions, by abandoning every value except the will to power, they
follow in the path of fascism, Nazism and totalitarianism. And they will
follow that path all the way to where it ends in historys unmarked
grave of discarded lies.
Americans are asking: How will we fight and win this war?
We will direct every resource at our command every means of diplomacy,
every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law enforcement, every
financial influence, and every necessary weapon of war to the destruction
and to the defeat of the global terror network.
Now, this war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago, with
a decisive liberation of territory and a swift conclusion. It will not
look like the air war above Kosovo two years ago, where no ground troops
were used and not a single American was lost in combat.
Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes.
Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign unlike
any other we have ever seen. It may include dramatic strikes visible on
TV and covert operations secret even in success. We will starve terrorists
of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place
until there is no refuge or no rest.
And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism.
Every nation in every region now has a decision to make: either you are
with us or you are with the terrorists.
From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbour or support
terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime. Our
nation has been put on notice were not immune from attack.
We will take defensive measures against terrorism to protect Americans.
Today, dozens of federal departments and agencies, as well as state and
local governments, have responsibilities affecting homeland security.
These efforts must be co-ordinated at the highest level. So tonight, I
announce the creation of a Cabinet-level position reporting directly to
me, the Office of Homeland Security.
And tonight I also announce a distinguished American to lead this effort
to strengthen American security: a military veteran, an effective governor,
a true patriot, a trusted friend Pennsylvanias Tom Ridge.
He will lead, oversee and co-ordinate a comprehensive national strategy
to safeguard our country against terrorism and respond to any attacks
that may come.
These measures are essential. The only way to defeat terrorism as a threat
to our way of life is to stop it, eliminate it and destroy it where it
grows.
Many will be involved in this effort, from FBI agents to intelligence
operatives to the reservists we have called to active duty. All deserve
our thanks and all have our prayers.
And tonight, a few miles from the damaged Pentagon, I have a message for
our military: be ready. I have called the armed forces to alert, and there
is a reason.
The hour is coming when America will act, and you will make us proud.
This is not, however, just Americas fight. And what is at stake
is not just Americas freedom.
This is the worlds fight. This is civilizations fight. This
is the fight of all who believe in progress and pluralism, tolerance and
freedom. We ask every nation to join us.
We will ask and we will need the help of police forces, intelligence service
and banking systems around the world. The United States is grateful that
many nations and many international organisations have already responded
with sympathy and with support nations from Latin America to Asia
to Africa to Europe to the Islamic world.
Perhaps the Nato charter reflects best the attitude of the world: an attack
on one is an attack on all. The civilized world is rallying to Americas
side. They understand that if this terror goes unpunished, their own cities,
their own citizens may be next. Terror unanswered cannot only bring down
buildings, it can threaten the stability of legitimate governments.
And you know what? Were not going to allow it.
Americans are asking: What is expected of us? I ask you to
live your lives and hug your children.
I know that many citizens have fears tonight, and I ask you to be calm
and resolute, even in the face of a continuing threat.
I ask you to uphold the values of America and remember why so many have
come here.
Were in a fight for our principles, and our first responsibility
is to live by them. No one should be singled out for unfair treatment
or unkind words because of their ethnic background or religious faith.
I ask you to continue to support the victims of this tragedy with your
contributions. Those who want to give can go to a central source of information,
Libertyunites.org, to find the names of groups providing direct help in
New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
The thousands of FBI agents who are now at work in this investigation
may need your co-operation, and I ask you to give it. I ask for your patience
with the delays and inconveniences that may accompany tighter security
and for your patience in what will be a long struggle.
I ask your continued participation and confidence in the American economy.
Terrorists attacked a symbol of American prosperity; they did not touch
its source.
America is successful because of the hard work and creativity and enterprise
of our people. These were the true strengths of our economy before September
11, and they are our strengths today.
And finally, please continue praying for the victims of terror and their
families, for those in uniform and for our great country.
Prayer has comforted us in sorrow and will help strengthen us for the
journey ahead.
Tonight I thank my fellow Americans for what you have already done and
for what you will do.
And ladies and gentlemen of the Congress, I thank you, their representatives,
for what you have already done and for what we will do together. Tonight
we face new and sudden national challenges.
We will come together to improve air safety, to dramatically expand the
number of air marshals on domestic flights and take new measures to prevent
hijacking.
We will come together to promote stability and keep our airlines flying
with direct assistance during this emergency. We will come together to
give law enforcement the additional tools it needs to track down terror
here at home.
We will come together to strengthen our intelligence capabilities to know
the plans of terrorists before they act and to find them before they strike.
We will come together to take active steps that strengthen Americas
economy and put our people back to work.
Tonight, we welcome two leaders who embody the extraordinary spirit of
all New Yorkers, Governor George Pataki and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
As a symbol of Americas resolve, my Administration will work with
Congress and these two leaders to show the world that we will rebuild
New York City.
After all that has just passed, all the lives taken and all the possibilities
and hopes that died with them, it is natural to wonder if Americas
future is one of fear.
Some speak of an age of terror. I know there are struggles ahead and dangers
to face. But this country will define our times, not be defined by them.
As long as the United States of America is determined and strong, this
will not be an age of terror. This will be an age of liberty here and
across the world.
Great harm has been done to us. We have suffered great loss. And in our
grief and anger we have found our mission and our moment.
Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom, the great achievement
of our time and the great hope of every time, now depends on us.
Our nation, this generation, will lift the dark threat of violence from
our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause by our
efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter and we will
not fail.
It is my hope that in the months and years ahead life will return almost
to normal. Well go back to our lives and routines and that is good.
Even grief recedes with time and grace.
But our resolve must not pass. Each of us will remember what happened
that day and to whom it happened.
We will remember the moment the news came, where we were and what we were
doing.
Some will remember an image of a fire or story or rescue. Some will carry
memories of a face and a voice gone forever.
And I will carry this. It is the police shield of a man named George Howard
who died at the World Trade Centre trying to save others.
It was given to me by his mom, Arlene, as a proud memorial to her son.
It is my reminder of lives that ended and a task that does not end.
I will not forget the wound to our country and those who inflicted it.
I will not yield, I will not rest, I will not relent in waging this struggle
for freedom and security for the American people.
The course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome is certain.
Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty, have always been at war, and we
know that God is not neutral between them.
Fellow citizens, well meet violence with patient justice, assured
of the rightness of our cause and confident of the victories to come.
In all that lies before us, may God grant us wisdom and may he watch over
the United States of America.
Thank you.
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