"Today I ordered our armed forces to strike at terrorist- related facilities in Afghanistan and Sudan because of the imminent threat they presented to our national security. Our target was terror. Our mission was clear -- to strike at the network of radical groups affiliated with and funded by
Osama bin Laden, perhaps the preeminent organizer and financier of international terrorism in the world today. They have made the United States their adversary precisely because of what we stand for and what we stand against. A few months ago, and again this week, bin Laden publicly vowed to wage a terrorist war against America, saying -- and I quote --
`We do not differentiate between those dressed in military uniforms and civilians. They are all targets.' And so this morning, based on the unanimous recommendation of my national security team, I ordered our armed forces to take action to counter an immediate threat from the bin Laden network. My fellow Americans, our battle against terrorism did not begin with the bombing of our embassies in Africa, nor will it end with today's strike. It will require strength, courage and endurance. We will not yield to this threat. We will meet it no matter how long it may take. This will be a long, ongoing struggle between freedom and fanaticism, between the rule of law and terrorism. But in this day, no campaign for peace can succeed without a determination to fight terrorism. Let our actions today send this message loud and clear: There are no expendable American targets. There will be no sanctuary for terrorists. We will defend our people, our interests and our values. We will help people of all faiths, in all parts of the world, who want to live free of fear and violence. We will persist and we will prevail.
From Text of president asshat's Speech 20 August, 1998