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The Global War on Terrorism: The First 100 Days (Report from the President)
State Department ^ | 20 December 2001 | President George W. Bush

Posted on 12/22/2002 11:51:31 AM PST by Stultis

Here's one for the archives that seems to have been missed last year. Again note that this is from December of 2001, fully eleven months before Lil' Tommy cried that we were making no progress against the "evil doers" (not that he would dare to use that phrase):

The Global War on Terrorism

The First 100 Days


"We are supported by the collective will of the world."


President George W. Bush

The Coalition Information Centers

Washington, U.S.A.
London, U.K.
Islamabad, Pakistan


Table of Contents

   EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
   THE TRAGEDY OF SEPTEMBER 11
   THE AL QAEDA VISION FOR THE WORLD
   DIPLOMACY
   TERRORIST FINANCES
   THE MILITARY CAMPAIGN
   LAW ENFORCEMENT
   HUMANITARIAN RELIEF
   RESPECTING ISLAM
   HOMELAND SECURITY
   THE SURVIVORS OF SEPTEMBER 11

 

Executive Summary

"The attack took place on American soil, but it was an attack on the heart and soul of the civilized world. And the world has come together to fight a new and different war, the first, and we hope the only one, of the 21st century. A war against all those who seek to export terror, and a war against those governments that support or shelter them."

   —President George W. Bush, 10/11/01


On September 11, terrorists attacked freedom.

The world has responded with an unprecedented coalition against international terrorism. In the first 100 days of the war, President George W. Bush increased America's homeland security and built a worldwide coalition that:
President Bush is implementing a comprehensive and visionary foreign policy against international terrorism. The President's policy puts the world on notice that any nation that harbors or supports terrorism will be regarded as a hostile regime.

Diplomacy.
President Bush has built a worldwide coalition against terrorism. More than 80 countries suffered losses on September 11; 136 countries have offered a diverse range of military assistance; 46 multilateral organizations have declared their support; and with U.S. leadership and international support, Afghans are putting aside long-standing ethnic and political differences to form a new and representative government.

Terrorist Finances.
The President fired the first shot in the war on terrorism with the stroke of his pen to seize terrorist financial assets and disrupt their fundraising pipelines. The world financial community is moving to starve the terrorists of their financial support. 196 countries support the financial war on terror; 142 countries have acted to freeze terrorist assets; in the U.S. alone, the assets of 153 known terrorists, terrorist organizations, and terrorist financial centers have been frozen; and major terrorist financial networks have been closed down.

The Military Campaign.
Operation Enduring Freedom began on October 7, 2001, and enjoys the support of countries from the United Kingdom to Australia to Japan. The Taliban have been forced to surrender major cities. The military has destroyed 11 terrorist training camps and 39 Taliban command and control sites. And al-Qaida terrorists have been captured, killed or are on the run.

Law Enforcement.
The U.S. has led a global dragnet to help bring terrorists to justice and help prevent future terrorist acts, creating the Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force to prevent terrorists from entering the U.S.; arresting and indicting known terrorists; increasing the global sharing of law enforcement information; and implementing tough new anti-terrorism laws.

Humanitarian.
As Afghanistan's largest humanitarian donor, the U.S. has increased its aid to the Afghan people by providing $187 million in aid since October alone, including food, shelter, blankets, and medical supplies. The President also launched the America's Fund for Afghan Children that has already raised more than $1.5 million for the children of Afghanistan. As the harsh Afghan winter approaches, the U.S. commitment to the Afghan people is saving lives.

Homeland Security.
President Bush has taken steps to help protect America against further terrorist attacks, providing $20 billion for homeland security; strengthening intelligence efforts; creating the Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Council; implementing tough new airline security measures; and taking steps to protect America's mail.

Helping the Survivors of September 11.
The American people have responded with overwhelming compassion for the families of the victims of September 11, donating at least $1.3 billion to charities.

Respecting Islam.
Almost immediately after the attacks the President took steps to protect Muslim-Americans from hate crimes. The President also held a series of events, including hosting the first-ever White House Iftar and an Eid event at the end of Ramadan; the President visited the Islamic Center; and the President created the "Friendship Through Education" initiative to bring American and Muslim children closer together.

 

The Tragedy of September 11

"Every one of the victims who died on September 11th was the most important person on earth to somebody."

   —President George W. Bush, 12/11/01

On September 11 the terrorists committed an act of war against the innocent. The terrorists killed not only to end lives — they killed to end our way of life. Recently the terrorists said that we should forget the attacks of September 11. The terrorists would like nothing more than to silence the world's vocal opposition to their frightening vision they hope to export to every corner of the world.

The world will never forget the innocent victims, and the brave heroes who died attempting to save them. The world will never forget the survivors, the devastated families and the grieving friends they left behind:
On December 11, more than 120 countries stood together to remember the three-month anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

These Nations & Areas Suffered Losses From the September 11 Attacks

Antigua & Barbuda Ethiopia Kenya Spain
Argentina France Lebanon Sri Lanka
Australia The Gambia Liberia St. Kitts & Nevis
Austria Germany Lithuania St. Lucia
Bangladesh Ghana Malaysia St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Barbados Greece Mexico Sweden
Belarus Grenada The Netherlands Switzerland
Belgium Guatemala New Zealand Taiwan
Belize Guyana Nicaragua Thailand
Bolivia Haiti Nigeria Togo
Brazil Honduras Pakistan Trinidad & Tobago
Canada Hong Kong Panama Turkey
Chile India Paraguay Ukraine
China Indonesia Peru United Kingdom
Colombia Ireland Philippines United States of America
Czech Republic Israel Poland Uruguay
Dominica Italy Portugal Uzbekistan
Dominican Republic Jamaica Romania Venezuela
Ecuador Japan Russia Yemen
Egypt Jordan South Africa Yugoslavia
El Salvador Kazakhstan South Korea Zimbabwe

 

The al-Qaeda Vision for the World

"...we calculated in advance the number of casualties from the enemy, who would be killed based on the position of the tower. We calculated that the floors that would be hit would be three or four floors. I was the most optimistic of them all...due to my experience in this field, I was thinking that the fire from the gas in the plane would melt the iron structure of the building and collapse the area where the plane hit and all the floors above it only. This is all that we had hoped for."

   —bin Laden


"This new enemy seeks to destroy our freedom and impose its views. We value life; the terrorists ruthlessly destroy it. We value education; the terrorists do not believe women should be educated or should have health care, or should leave their homes. We value the right to speak our minds; for the terrorists, free expression can be grounds for execution. We respect people of all faiths and welcome the free practice of religion; our enemy wants to dictate how to think and how to worship even to their fellow Muslims."


   —President George W. Bush, 11/8/01

Al-Qaeda is a movement defined by hatred. They hate progress, and freedom, and choice, and culture, and music, and laughter, and women, and Christians, and Jews, and all Muslims who reject their distorted doctrines. They love and worship only one thing, and that is power — power they use without mercy to kill the innocent.

In Afghanistan, we have seen al-Qaeda's vision for the world. The leadership of al-Qaeda had great influence in Afghanistan and was supported by the Taliban regime. Afghanistan's people have been brutalized — many are starving and many have fled. Women were not allowed to attend school. A person could be jailed for owning a television. Religion could be practiced only as their leaders dictated. A man could be jailed in Afghanistan if his beard was not long enough.

The al-Qaeda terrorists believe it is acceptable to steal food meant for starving, innocent families. The al-Qaeda philosophy says it is acceptable to use innocent people as human shields for their military operations. The al-Qaeda philosophy says it is acceptable to oppress women and doom them to a lifetime of poverty.

 

Diplomacy

"The message to every country is, there will be a campaign against terrorist activity, a worldwide campaign. And there is an outpouring of support for such a campaign. Freedom-loving people understand that terrorism knows no borders that terrorists will strike in order to bring fear, to try to change the behavior of countries that love liberty. And we will not let them do that."

   —President George W. Bush, 9/19/01

Since September 11, President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell have built a worldwide coalition for the war against terrorism. The coalition is stronger than ever and continues to grow.

 

Terrorist Finances

"We put the world's financial institutions on notice: if you do business with terrorists, if you support them or sponsor them, you will not do business with the United States of America."

   —President George W. Bush, 11/7/01

Terrorists need money to carry out their evil deeds. The President's first strike in the war against terror was not with a gun or a missile — the President's first strike was with his pen as he took action to freeze terrorist finances and disrupt their pipelines for raising and moving money in the future.

The world's financial institutions have been put on notice — if you support, sponsor, or do business with terrorists, you will not do business with the United States. Denying terrorists access to funds is a very real success in the war on terrorism. Since September 11, the United States and its allies in the war on terrorism have been winning the war on the financial front:

 

The Military Campaign

"I said to the Taliban, turn them over, destroy the camps, free people you're unjustly holding. I said, you've got time to do it. But they didn't listen. They didn't respond, and now they're paying a price. They are learning that anyone who strikes America will hear from our military, and they're not going to like what they hear. In choosing their enemy, the evildoers and those who harbor them have chosen their fate."

   —President George W. Bush, 10/17/01

Operation Enduring Freedom, the military phase, began October 7, 2001. Since then, coalition forces have liberated the Afghan people from the repressive and violent Taliban regime. As President Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld have said, this is a different kind of war against a different kind of enemy. The enemy is not a nation — the enemy is terrorist networks that threaten the way of life of all peaceful people.

The war against terrorism is the first war of the 21st Century — and it requires a 21st Century military strategy. Secretary Rumsfeld has worked with our coalition allies and the courageous men and women of the U.S. military to craft a cutting-edge military strategy that minimizes civilian casualties, partners with local forces, and brings destruction to the oppressive Taliban who supported the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

The coalition has achieved broad military success while putting fewer than 3,000 U.S. ground troops on the ground in Afghanistan. And Secretary Rumsfeld and the U.S. military have also shown a lightning quick ability to adapt to a distant, harsh and ever-changing battlefield. In some cases, U.S. troops are conquering terrorists by welding together 21st Century technology with 19th Century tactics. Troops have chased terrorists on horseback while using mobile phones and global positioning systems to pinpoint targets for the Air Force. Bombers today use 21st Century targeting technology, and laser-guided and GPS guided smart bombs to destroy specific targets, including centuries-old caves used as terrorist headquarters.

While we've achieved a great deal of military success, much dangerous and difficult work remains to be done before the war on terrorism is won. A few key military successes thus far in the war on terrorism include:

The military action in Afghanistan represents a global coalition effort. In addition to the United States, military assets are being deployed from many other nations, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Russia and Turkey.

 

Law Enforcement

"Terrorists try to operate in the shadows. They try to hide. But we're going to shine the light of justice on them. We list their names, we publicize their pictures, we rob them of their secrecy. Terrorism has a face, and today we expose it for the world to see."

   —President George W. Bush, 10/10/01

The U.S. is leading a global dragnet to help bring terrorists to justice and help prevent future terrorist acts.

Prevention and Investigation:

Civil Rights:


Victim Relief:

 

Humanitarian Relief

"Ultimately, one of the best weapons, one of the truest weapons that we have against terrorism is to show the world the true strength of character and kindness of the American people. Americans are united in this fight against terrorism. We're also united in our concern for the innocent people of Afghanistan."

   —President George W. Bush, 10/11/01

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan remains dire. Millions face the threat of starvation. 70% of the Afghan people and 1/2 of all Afghan children are malnourished. Only 13% of the Afghan people have access to clean water.

Years of civil war — compounded by the rule of the Taliban and the worst drought in 30 years — have made matters worse. The Taliban were clearly more interested in protecting al-Qaeda than feeding the starving, innocent people of Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda and the Taliban have not only failed to provide security, food, and shelter for the Afghan people, but they have also disrupted the efforts of international relief agencies to deliver desperately needed food and medical supplies to the Afghan people. Among other things, the Taliban have seized and looted humanitarian supplies for themselves, and have harassed and beaten Afghan and international aid workers.

The typically harsh Afghan winter is arriving and the U.S., with its international partners, is doing everything it can to help bring hope to the innocent Afghans who have suffered under the brutal and oppressive al-Qaeda and Taliban regime:

 

Respecting Islam

"The Islam that we know is a faith devoted to the worship of one God, as revealed through The Holy Qu'ran. It teaches the value and importance of charity, mercy, and peace."

   —President George W. Bush, 11/15/01

The United States is a nation of religious freedom, and the President has acted to ensure that the world's Muslims — from Dearborn, Michigan to Kabul, Afghanistan — know that America appreciates and celebrates the rich traditions of Islam:

 

Homeland Security

"We face a united, determined enemy. America is going to be prepared."

   —President George W. Bush, 10/8/01

President Bush has taken action to help protect America against terrorist attacks. The government is working around the clock to protect Americans. Among many other steps:

 

The Survivors of September 11

"It is said that adversity introduces us to ourselves. This is true of a nation as well. In this trial, we have been reminded, and the world has seen, that our fellow Americans are generous and kind, resourceful and brave. We see our national character in rescuers working past exhaustion; in long lines of blood donors; in thousands of citizens who have asked to work and serve in any way possible."

   —President's Remarks at National Day of Prayer and Remembrance, 9/14/01

Every one of the victims who died on September 11th was the most important person on earth to somebody. The American people have responded to the tragedies of September 11 with an unprecedented outpouring of support for their fellow Americans who lost so much on September 11:


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: terrorism; wot

1 posted on 12/22/2002 11:51:32 AM PST by Stultis
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To: Stultis
And since then, what?
2 posted on 12/22/2002 1:37:10 PM PST by Grut
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To: Grut
Are you kidding, or have you been living in a cave for the last year?
3 posted on 12/22/2002 2:11:56 PM PST by Stultis
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To: Stultis
Are you kidding, or have you been living in a cave for the last year?

Either he has or he has devoted his information outlets to CNN and NPR!

4 posted on 12/22/2002 2:25:04 PM PST by EGPWS
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To: Stultis
Bookmark for later.
5 posted on 12/22/2002 3:21:59 PM PST by GallopingGhost
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To: Stultis
This is a fine start but the rest of the world hates the U.S.
they dont support Bush Policy on Iraq, The INS has refused
to start deporting every single illegal here, nor has any
politician come forward to suggest that we do, apparently
they dont mind having the enemy close at hand. Bush wants to pay illegals from Mexico Social Security benefits. The Taliban and AlQaida are moving back into Afganistan,
BinLaden apparently moves about with impunity, our intelligence community doesnt seem to be able to find him.
Bush still maintains that Muslims are peace loving oridinary folks, right just as long as you arent an infidel
We never needed a homeland security bill we could have just enforced existing laws this whole report is more fluff!
6 posted on 12/22/2002 3:40:17 PM PST by claptrap
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To: claptrap
This is a fine start

and

this whole report is more fluff!

That uneaten cake you have there, how did it taste?

but the rest of the world hates the U.S.

Good. That's usually a strong indication we are providing wise and necessary leadership.

they dont support Bush Policy on Iraq

Well, that's kinda like the cake thing. They say they don't support the policy, then they say (sometimes, but by no means always, privately) that they do... Sorta... Well, fully... Unless, that is, it doesn't work. But look at what is supposed to be the toughest cases. The main problem the governments of the Gulf States have with us is that the Abrahams M1's aren't already rolling.

The INS has refused to start deporting every single illegal here, nor has any politician come forward to suggest that we do, apparently they dont mind having the enemy close at hand.

While they're at it, why don't you have politicians suggest that it only rain on weekdays? We have no choice but to move forward from where we we find ourselves. There is no disputing that the INS bureaucracy has lost control of immigration, but that being the case we should be, and are, focusing first on the "enemy close at hand."

Apparently you want the INS and other agencies flailing about with some massive mass round-up. Problem is (leaving the politics of immigration aside for the moment) this would be sure to fail, given the inadequacies of bureaucracy just acknowledge. Further it would create a climate of confusion which would be apt to give terror cell operatives greater opportunities to function and to act. I'm glad that, instead, INS regulations and internment/deportation proceedings are being used in a targeted manner, with the guidance of the Justice Dept and intelligence agencies, against thousands of individuals identified as the most likely threats.

Bush wants to pay illegals from Mexico Social Security benefits.

Price check on Alaskan eggs, please!

The Taliban and AlQaida are moving back into Afganistan,

Where we are still fighting them. Your point?

BinLaden apparently moves about with impunity,

On which planet???

our intelligence community doesnt seem to be able to find him.

Ah, you still haven't finished that cake you ate! Which is it? Do we have no idea were he is or has been, which would mean no indication that he has been moving; or do we have indications that he has been moving, which would mean we have some idea about where he is or has been located?

7 posted on 12/22/2002 4:53:05 PM PST by Stultis
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To: Stultis
Are you kidding, or have you been living in a cave for the last year?

I hear a lot of talking; I don't see a lot of doing.

8 posted on 12/22/2002 4:57:16 PM PST by Grut
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To: Grut
I hear a lot of talking; I don't see a lot of doing.

Lil' Tommy, is that you?

Sheesh, we've killed or captured, depending on how you tabulate it, between half and a third of al-Qaeada's top leaders, and we have killed or captured thousands of lessers. Pakistan alone has rounded up over 400 hundred al-qaeada and taliban. Considering the inherent difficulties of combating a stateless, disperse and shadowy force of irregular warriors, I mark this as quite an astounding level of accomplishment in a little over two short years.

9 posted on 12/22/2002 6:07:45 PM PST by Stultis
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To: EGPWS

Are you kidding, or have you been living in a cave for the last year?

Either he has or he has devoted his information outlets to CNN and NPR!

Or DU (I'm beginning to suspect).

10 posted on 12/22/2002 6:10:05 PM PST by Stultis
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To: Stultis
I mark this as quite an astounding level of accomplishment in a little over two short years.

I don't say we haven't hurt al-Qaeada. But most of that was done in the fall of 2001. Since then, we have mostly 'talked tough' and done very little.

Now, maybe wonders are being worked behind the scenes... but as we learned with Ken Starr, sometimes when it looks like nothing much is going on, it's because nothing much is going on.

11 posted on 12/22/2002 9:26:07 PM PST by Grut
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To: Grut
I don't say we haven't hurt al-Qaeada. But most of that was done in the fall of 2001.

That's just not true. There may have been a bit of a "spike" when we had a bunch of 'em all together there in Afghanistan, but the rounding up of "evil doers" has been quite continuous, and we've got several of the biggies this year and even quite recently.

One assumes a freeper reads the news, but maybe that assumption is wrong in your case.

12 posted on 12/22/2002 9:35:29 PM PST by Stultis
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