September 28, 2001
Reviewing Bush's Call to War
Joanna Shunk
WORLD AND NATION EDITOR
Thursday, Sept. 20,
George W. Bush delivered the
State of the Union Address. For
five minutes. He then moved on
to an outline of the nation's re
sponse to the terrorist attacks.
It was only a speech, not
an information session. He spoke
of a long war against terrorists
and their nations, a classified war
that will involve little communi
cation with the American people.
He related the terrorists to the
fascists for whom we created the
atomic bomb: Hitler and his al
lies. He told the military to "be
ready" and the civilians to "live
their lives" and "be calm."
Below I have listed his
key statements in the mode of
preparing America's response.
Between most of the quoted sec
tions, segments of his speech that
served to elaborate on his main
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World & Nation
points were left out. At the begin
ning of his address he embel
lished the call to "war on terror"
with affirmation of the patient
work of Americans and the rest
of the world to heal the wounds
inflicted September 11.
My message, as editor, to
Guilford readers of our
President's soothing words:
Be wise as serpents and
harmless as doves.
* * *
"Tonight, we are a country
awakened to danger and called to
defend freedom. Our grief has
turned to anger and anger to reso
lution. Whether we bring our en
emies to justice or bring justice
to our enemies, justice will be
done."
"Americans have many ques
tions tonight. Americans are ask
ing, "Who attacked our country?"
"The evidence we have gath
ered all points to a collection of
loosely affiliated terrorist orga
nizations known as A 1 Qaeda.
The Guilfordian
They are some of the murderers
indicted for bombing American
embassies in Tanzania and Kenya
and responsible for bombing the
USS Cole."
"The terrorists practice a
fringe form of Islamic extremism
that has been rejected by Muslim
scholars and the vast majority of
Muslim clerics; a fringe move
ment that perverts the peaceful
teachings of Islam."
"There are thousands of
these terrorists in more than 60
countries."
"They are recruited from
their own nations and neighbor
hoods 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 Taliban) is not only re
pressing its own people, it is
threatening people everywhere
by sponsoring and sheltering
and supplying terrorists."
"Deliver to United States
authorities all of the leaders of
A 1 Quaeda who hide in your
land."
"The Taliban must act and
act immediately."
"They will hand over the
terrorists or they will share in
their fate."
"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 govern
ment that supports them."
"Our war on terror begins
with A 1 Qaeda, but it does not
end there."
"It will not end until every
terrorist group of global reach
has been found, stopped and de
feated."
"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."
"Americans are asking,
'How will we fight and win this
war?'"
"Americans should not ex
pect one battle, but a lengthy cam
paign unlike any other we have
ever seen. It may include dra
matic strikes visible on TV and
covert operations secret even in
success."
"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."
"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."
"The course of this conflict
is not known, yet its outcome is
certain. Freedom and fear, jus
tice and cruelty, have always
been at war, and we know that
God is not neutral between
them."
"In all that lies before us,
may God grant us wisdom and
may he watch over the United
States of America."
"Thank you."
The full transcript is avail
able at cnn.com. Next week,
Elizabeth Laird will present in
World and Nation Guilford's re
actions to the Address and, in
general, Bush's proclaimed
agenda in response to the attacks.
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