Address by President George W. Bush
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Appendix 1
Address by President
George W. Bush
Statement by President George W. Bush before the 56th regular session of the
UN General Assembly on November 10, 2001.
Thank you. Mr. Secretary General, band. Those names include a man who
Mr. President, distinguished delegates, supported his wife in Mexico, sending
and ladies and gentlemen. We meet in home money every week. Those
a hall devoted to peace, in a city names include a young Pakistani who
scarred by violence, in a nation awak- prayed toward Mecca five times a day,
ened to danger, in a world uniting for a and died that day trying to save others.
long struggle. Every civilized nation The suffering of September the
here today is resolved to keep the most 11th was inflicted on people of many
basic commitment of civilization: we faiths and many nations. All of the vic-
will defend ourselves and our future tims, including Muslims, were killed
against terror and lawless violence. with equal indifference and equal sat-
The United Nations was founded isfaction by the terrorist leaders. The
in this cause. In a second world war, terrorists are violating the tenets of
we learned there is no isolation from every religion, including the one they
evil. We affirmed that some crimes are invoke.
so terrible they offend humanity itself. Last week, the Sheikh of Al–
And we resolved that the aggressions Azhar University, the world’s oldest
and ambitions of the wicked must be Islamic institution of higher learning,
opposed early, decisively, and collec- declared that terrorism is a disease,
tively, before they threaten us all. That and that Islam prohibits killing inno-
evil has returned, and that cause is cent civilians. The terrorists call their
renewed. cause holy, yet they fund it with drug
A few miles from here, many dealing; they encourage murder and
thousands still lie in a tomb of rubble. suicide in the name of a great faith that
Tomorrow, the Secretary General, the forbids both. They dare to ask God’s
President of the General Assembly, blessing as they set out to kill innocent
and I will visit that site, where the men, women, and children. But the
names of every nation and region that God of Isaac and Ishmael would never
lost citizens will be read aloud. If we answer such a prayer. And a murderer
were to read the names of every person is not a martyr; he is just a murderer.
who died, it would take more than Time is passing. Yet, for the
three hours. United States of America, there will be
Those names include a citizen of no forgetting September the 11th. We
Gambia, whose wife spent their fourth will remember every rescuer who died
wedding anniversary, September the in honor. We will remember every
12th, searching in vain for her hus- family that lives in grief. We will
163United States Participation in the United Nations - 2001
remember the fire and ash, the last across cultures and continents. Upon
phone calls, the funerals of the chil- these commitments depend all peace
dren. and progress. For these commitments,
And the people of my country will we are determined to fight.
remember those who have plotted The United Nations has risen to
against us. We are learning their this responsibility. On then 12th of
names. We are coming to know their September, these buildings opened for
faces. There is no corner of the Earth emergency meetings of the General
distant or dark enough to protect them. Assembly and the Security Council.
However long it takes, their hour of Before the sun had set, these attacks
justice will come. on the world stood condemned by the
Every nation has a stake in this world. And I want to thank you for this
cause. As we meet, the terrorists are strong and principled stand.
planning more murder— perhaps in my I also thank the Arab Islamic
country, or perhaps in yours. They kill countries that have condemned terror-
because they aspire to dominate. They ist murder. Many of you have seen the
seek to overthrow governments and destruction of terror in your own
destabilize entire regions. lands. The terrorists are increasingly
Last week, anticipating this meet- isolated by their own hatred and
ing of the General Assembly, they extremism. They cannot hide behind
denounced the United Nations. They Islam. The authors of mass murder and
called our Secretary General a crimi- their allies have no place in any cul-
nal and condemned all Arab nations ture, and no home in any faith.
here as traitors to Islam. The conspiracies of terror are
Few countries meet their exacting being answered by an expanding glo-
standards of brutality and oppression. bal coalition. Not every nation will be
Every other country is a potential tar- a part of every action against the
get. And all the world faces the most enemy. But every nation in our coali-
horrifying prospect of all: these same tion has duties. These duties can be
terrorists are searching for weapons of demanding, as we in America are
mass destruction, the tools to turn their learning. We have already made
hatred into holocaust. They can be adjustments in our laws and in our
expected to use chemical, biological, daily lives. We’re taking new mea-
and nuclear weapons the moment they sures to investigate terror and to pro-
are capable of doing so. No hint of tect against threats.
conscience would prevent it. The leaders of all nations must
This threat cannot be ignored. This now carefully consider their responsi-
threat cannot be appeased. Civilization bilities and their future. They need the
itself, the civilization we share, is support of a financial infrastructure,
threatened. History will record our and safe havens to train and plan and
response, and judge or justify every hide.
nation in this hall. Some nations want to play their
The civilized world is now part in the fight against terror, but tell
responding. We act to defend our- us they lack the means to enforce their
selves and deliver our children from a laws and control their borders. We
future of fear. We choose the dignity stand ready to help. Some govern-
of life over a culture of death. We ments still turn a blind eye to the ter-
choose lawful change and civil dis- rorists, hoping the threat will pass
agreement over coercion, subversion, them by. They are mistaken. And
and chaos. These commitments— hope some governments, while pledging to
and order, law and life— unite people uphold the principles of the UN, have
164Address by President George W. Bush
cast their lot with the terrorists. They ple of Afghanistan rebuild their coun-
support them and harbor them, and try. Many nations, including mine, are
they will find that their welcome sending food and medicine to help
guests are parasites that will weaken Afghans through the winter. America
them, and eventually consume them. has airdropped over 1.3 million pack-
For every regime that sponsors ter- ages of rations into Afghanistan. Just
ror, there is a price to be paid. And it this week, we airlifted 20,000 blankets
will be paid. The allies of terror are and over 200 tons of provisions into
equally guilty of murder and equally the region. We continue to provide
accountable to justice. humanitarian aid, even while th Tali-
ban tried to steal the food we send.
The Taliban are now learning this
lesson— that regime and the terrorists More help eventually will be
who support it are now virtually indis- needed. The Untied States will work
tinguishable. Together they promote closely with the United Nations and
terror abroad and impose a reign of development banks to reconstruct
terror on the Afghan people. Women Afghanistan after hostilities there have
are executed in Kabul’s soccer sta- ceased and the Taliban are no longer in
dium. They can be beaten for wearing control. And the United States will
socks that are too thin. Men are jailed work with the UN to support a post–
for missing prayer meetings. Taliban government that represents all
The United States, supported by of the Afghan people.
many nations, is bringing justice to the In this war of terror, each of us
terrorists in Afghanistan. We’re mak- must answer for what we have done or
ing progress against military targets, what we have left undone. After trag-
and that is our objective. Unlike the edy, there is a time for sympathy and
enemy, we seek to minimize, not max- condolence. And my country has been
imize, the lost of innocent life. very grateful for both. The memorials
I’m proud of the honorable con- and vigils around the world will not be
duct of the American military. And my forgotten. But the time for sympathy
country grieves for all the suffering the has now passed. The time for action
Taliban have brought upon Afghani- has now arrived.
stan, including the terrible burden of The most basic obligations in this
war. The Afghan people do not new conflict have already been
deserve their present rulers. Years of defined by the United Nations. On
Taliban misrule have brought nothing September 28th, the Security Council
but misery and starvation. Even before adopted Resolution 1373. Its require-
this current crisis, 4 million Afghans ments are clear: every United Nations
depended on food from the United member has a responsibility to crack
States and other nations, and millions down on terrorist financing. We must
of Afghans were refugees from Tali- pass all necessary laws in our own
ban oppression. countries to allow the confiscation of
I make this promise to all the vic- terrorist assets. We must apply those
tims of that regime: the Taliban’s days laws to every financial institution in
of harboring terrorists and dealing in every nation.
heroin and brutalizing women are We have a responsibility to share
drawing to a close. And when that intelligence and coordinate the efforts
regime is gone, the people of Afghani- of law enforcement. If you know
stan will say with the rest of the world: something, tell us. If we know some-
good riddance. thing, we’ll tell you. And when we
I can promise, too, that America find the terrorists, we must work
will join the world in helping the peo- together to bring them to justice. We
165United States Participation in the United Nations - 2001
have a responsibility to deny any sanc- We must press on with our agenda
tuary, safe haven, or transit to terror- for peace and prosperity in every land.
ists. Every known terrorist camp must My country is pledged to investing in
be shut down, its operators appre- education and combating AIDS and
hended, and evidence of their arrest other infectious diseases around the
presented to the United Nations. We world. Following September 11th,
have a responsibility to deny weapons these pledges are even more impor-
to terrorists and to actively prevent pri- tant. In our struggle against hateful
vate citizens from providing them. groups that exploit poverty and
These obligations are urgent and despair, we must offer an alternative
they are binding on every nation with a of opportunity and hope.
place in this chamber. Many govern- The American government also
ments are taking these obligations seri- stands by its commitment to a just
ously, and my country appreciates it. peace in the Middle East. We are
Yet, even beyond Resolution 1373, working toward a day when two states,
more is required, and more is expected Israel and Palestine, live peacefully
of our coalition against terror. together within secure and recognized
We’re asking for a comprehensive borders as called for by the Security
commitment to this fight. We must Council resolutions. We will do all in
unite in opposing all terrorists, not just our power to bring both parties back
some of them. In this world, there are into negotiations. But peace will only
good causes and bad causes, and we come when all have sworn off, for-
may disagree on where the line is ever, incitement, violence, and terror.
drawn. Yet, there is no such thing as a And, finally, this struggle is a
good terrorist. No national aspiration, defining moment for the United
no remembered wrong can ever justify Nations itself. And the world needs its
the deliberate murder of the innocent. principled leadership. It undermines
Any government that rejects this prin- the credibility of this great institution,
ciple, trying to pick and choose its ter- for example, when the Commission on
rorist friends, will know the Human Rights offers seats to the
consequences. world’s most persistent violators of
We must speak the truth about ter- human rights. The United Nations
ror. Let us never tolerate outrageous depends, above all, on its moral
conspiracy theories concerning the authority— and that authority must be
attacks of September 11th; malicious preserved.
lies that attempt to shift the blame The steps I described will not be
away from the terrorists themselves, easy. For all nations, they will require
away from the guilty. To inflame eth- effort. For some nations, they will
nic hatred is to advance the cause of require great courage. Yet, the cost of
terror. inaction is far greater. The only alter-
The war against terror must not native to victory is a nightmare world
serve as an excuse to persecute ethnic where every city is a potential killing
and religious minorities in any coun- field.
try. Innocent people must be allowed As I’ve told the American people,
to live their own lives, by their own freedom and fear are at war. We face
customs, under their own religion. enemies that hate not our policies, but
And every nation must have avenues our existence; the tolerance of open-
for the peaceful expression of opinion ness and creative culture that defines
and dissent. When these avenues are us. But the outcome of this conflict is
closed, the temptation to speak certain: there is a current in history and
through violence grows. it runs toward freedom. Our enemies
166Address by President George W. Bush
resent it and dismiss it, but the dreams of many faiths, and in that assurance
of mankind are defined by liberty— the we gain strength for a long journey.
natural right to create and build and It is our task— the task of this gen-
worship and live in dignity. When men eration— to provide the response to
and women are released from oppres- aggression and terror. We have no
sion and isolation, they find fulfill- other choice, because there is no other
ment and hope, and they leave poverty peace.
by the millions.
We did not ask for this mission,
These aspirations are lifting up the
yet there is honor in history’s call. We
peoples of Europe, Asia, Africa, and
have a chance to write the story of our
the Americas, and they can lift up all
times, a story of courage defeating
of the Islamic world.
cruelty, and light overcoming dark-
We stand for the permanent hopes ness. This calling is worthy of any life,
of humanity, and those hopes will not and worthy of every nation. So let us
be denied. We’re confident, too, that go forward, confident, determined,
history has an author who fills time and unafraid.
and eternity with his purpose. We
know that evil is real, but good will Thank you very much.
prevail against it. This is the teaching
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