QUOTES: Regarding the global war on terror (These are excerpts; Click here for text of his speech): "In five years since our nation was attacked, al Qaeda and terrorists it has inspired have continued to attack across the world. They've killed the innocent in Europe and Africa and the Middle East, in Central Asia and the Far East, and beyond. Most recently, they attempted to strike again in the most ambitious plot since the attacks of September the 11th -- a plan to blow up passenger planes headed for America over the Atlantic Ocean.
"Five years after our nation was attacked, the terrorist danger remains. We're a nation at war -- and America and her allies are fighting this war with relentless determination across the world. Together with our coalition partners, we've removed terrorist sanctuaries, disrupted their finances, killed and captured key operatives, broken up terrorist cells in America and other nations, and stopped new attacks before they're carried out. We're on the offense against the terrorists on every battlefront -- and we'll accept nothing less than complete victory.
"We know what the terrorists intend to do because they've told us -- and we need to take their words seriously. So today I'm going to describe, in the terrorists' own words, what they believe, what they hope to accomplish, and how they intend to accomplish it. I'll discuss how the enemy has adapted in the wake of our sustained offensive against them, and the threat posed by different strains of violent Islamic radicalism. I'll explain the strategy we're pursuing to protect America, by defeating the terrorists on the battlefield, and defeating their hateful ideology in the battle of ideas.
"The terrorists who attacked us on September the 11th, 2001, are men without conscience -- but they're not madmen. They kill in the name of a clear and focused ideology, a set of beliefs that are evil, but not insane. These al Qaeda terrorists and those who share their ideology are violent Sunni extremists. They're driven by a radical and perverted vision of Islam that rejects tolerance, crushes all dissent, and justifies the murder of innocent men, women and children in the pursuit of political power. They hope to establish a violent political utopia across the Middle East, which they call a "caliphate," where all would be ruled according to their hateful ideology. Osama bin Laden has called the 9/11 attacks -- in his words -- "a great step towards the unity of Muslims and establishing the righteous caliphate."
"This caliphate would be a totalitarian Islamic empire encompassing all current and former Muslim lands, stretching from Europe to North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. ... Zawahiri -- he's al Qaeda's second in command -- declared that al Qaeda intends to impose its rule in 'every land that was a home for Islam, from Spain to Iraq.' He went on to say, 'The whole world is an open field for us.'
"We know what this radical empire would look like in practice, because we saw how the radicals imposed their ideology on the people of Afghanistan. Under the rule of the Taliban and al Qaeda, Afghanistan was a totalitarian nightmare -- a land where women were imprisoned in their homes, men were beaten for missing prayer meetings, girls could not go to school, and children were forbidden the smallest pleasures like flying kites. Religious police roamed the streets, beating and detaining civilians for perceived offenses. Women were publicly whipped. Summary executions were held in Kabul's soccer stadium in front of cheering mobs. And Afghanistan was turned into a launching pad for horrific attacks against America and other parts of the civilized world -- including many Muslim nations.
"The goal of these Sunni extremists is to remake the entire Muslim world in their radical image. In pursuit of their imperial aims, these extremists say there can be no compromise or dialogue with those they call "infidels" -- a category that includes America, the world's free nations, Jews, and all Muslims who reject their extreme vision of Islam. They reject the possibility of peaceful coexistence with the free world. Again, hear the words of Osama bin Laden earlier this year: 'Death is better than living on this Earth with the unbelievers among us.'"
"[The al Qaeda] manual... includes chapters with titles such as 'Guidelines for Beating and Killing Hostages.' ... declares that their vision of Islam 'does not make a truce with unbelief, but rather confronts it.' The confrontation calls for the "dialogue of bullets, the ideals of assassination, bombing, and destruction, and the diplomacy of the cannon and machine gun.'"
"These violent extremists know that to realize this vision, they must first drive out the main obstacle that stands in their way -- the United States of America. According to al Qaeda, their strategy to defeat America has two parts: First, they're waging a campaign of terror across the world. They're targeting our forces abroad, hoping that the American people will grow tired of casualties and give up the fight. And they're targeting America's financial centers and economic infrastructure at home, hoping to terrorize us and cause our economy to collapse."
"Bin Laden calls this his 'bleed-until-bankruptcy plan.'
"... the enemy has a propaganda strategy. Osama bin Laden [wrote to] Mullah Omar ... that al Qaeda intends to "launch," in his words, "a media campaign to create a wedge between the American people and their government.' This media campaign, bin Laden says, will send the American people a number of messages, including 'that their government will bring them more losses in finances and casualties'" And he goes on to say that 'they are being sacrificed to serve the big investors, especially the Jews.' Bin Laden says that by delivering these messages, al Qaeda 'aims at creating pressure from the American people on the American government to stop their campaign against Afghanistan.' ...
"Bin Laden and his terrorist allies have made their intentions as clear as Lenin and Hitler before them. The question is: Will we listen? Will we pay attention to what these evil men say? America and our coalition partners have made our choice. We're taking the words of the enemy seriously. We're on the offensive, and we will not rest, we will not retreat, and we will not withdraw from the fight, until this threat to civilization has been removed."
"History teaches that underestimating the words of evil and ambitious men is a terrible mistake.
"... we also face the threat posed by Shia extremists, who are learning from al Qaeda, increasing their assertiveness, and stepping up their threats.
"... the Iranian regime has clear aims: They want to drive America out of the region, to destroy Israel, and to dominate the broader Middle East."
The president also addressed Hezbollah's murderous intent.
" I'm not going to allow [the terrorists to achieve their goals] -- and no future American President can allow it either. America did not seek this global struggle, but we're answering history's call with confidence and a clear strategy. Today we're releasing a document called the "National Strategy for Combating Terrorism." This is an unclassified version of the strategy we've been pursuing since September the 11th, 2001. This strategy was first released in February 2003; it's been updated to take into account the changing nature of this enemy. This strategy document is posted on the White House website -- http://whitehouse.gov. And I urge all Americans to read it.
"... freedom is once again contending with the forces of darkness and tyranny. This time, the battle is unfolding in a new region -- the broader Middle East. This time, we're not waiting for our enemies to gather in strength. This time, we're confronting them before they gain the capacity to inflict unspeakable damage on the world, and we're confronting their hateful ideology before it fully takes root."
(Speaking to Kuwait's Emir] "We've had a important strategic dialogue about how to work together to promote peace and stability in the Middle East. I thank you for your leadership. I congratulate you for your steady reforms in your country. They have served as a notable example for others in the region. I thank you very much for your steadfast support of our United States military. It means a lot, Your Highness, to know that we can count on your friendship."
After his remarks on the global war on terror to the Military Officers Association of America in Washington
