PRESIDENT BUSH'S NEWS CONFERENCE
October 11, 2001

In the first part of his news conference, President Bush outlines the state of the investigation, the military action in Afghanistan and the perseverance of the American people.

Online Special Report: Terrorist Attacks International Reaction Afghanistan U.S. State Department Office of Counterterrorism Terrorism Research Center International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism

THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. I would like to report to the American people on the state of our war against terror, and then I'll be happy to take questions from the White House press corps. One month ago today, innocent citizens from more than 80 nations were attacked and killed without warning or provocation in an act that horrified not only every American, but every person of every faith and every nation who values human life. 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. We've accomplished a great deal in one month. Our staunch friend, Great Britain; our neighbors, Canada and Mexico; our NATO allies; our allies in Asia; Russia; and nations from every continent on the Earth have offered help of one kind or of another, from military assistance to intelligence information to crackdown on terrorist financial networks. This week, 56 Islamic nations issued a statement strongly condemning the savage acts of terror and emphasizing that those acts contradict the peaceful teachings of Islam. All is strong and united on the diplomatic front. The men and women of the United States military are doing their duty with scale and success. We have ruined terrorist training camps, disrupted their communications, weakened the Taliban military and destroyed most of their air defenses. We're mounting a sustained campaign to drive the terrorists out of their hidden caves and to bring them to justice. All missions are being executed according to plan on the military front. At the same time, we are showing the compassion of America by delivering food and medicine to the Afghan people, who are themselves the victims of a repressive regime. On the law enforcement front, terrorists are being swept up in an international dragnet. Several hundred have been arrested. Thousands of FBI agents are on the trail of other suspects here and abroad. Working with countries around the world, we have frozen more than $24 million in al-Qaida or Taliban assets. We are aggressively pursuing the agents of terror around the world, and we are aggressively strengthening our protections here at home. This week, we established America's new Office of Homeland Security, directed by former Gov. Tom Ridge. Americans tonight can know that while the threat is ongoing, we are taking every possible step to protect our country from danger. Your government is doing everything we can to recover from these attacks and to try to prevent others. We're acting to make planes and airports safer, rebuild New York and the Pentagon. We must act to stimulate a slow economy, to help laid-off workers. And we must fund our military. This is a time of testing; this time of testing has revealed the true character of the American people. We're angry at the evil that was done to us, yet patient and just in our response. Before Sept. 11, my administration was planning an initiative called Communities of Character. It was designed to help parents develop good character in their children and to strengthen the spirit of citizenship and service in our communities. The acts of Sept. 11 have prompted that initiative to occur on its own in ways far greater than I could have ever imagined. We have shown great love for our country and great tolerance and respect for all our countrymen. I was struck by this that in many cities when Christian and Jewish women learned that Muslim women, women of cover, were afraid of going out of their homes alone, that they went shopping with them, that they showed true friendship and support, an act that shows the world the true nature of America. Our war on terrorism has nothing to do with differences in faith. It has everything to do with people of all faiths coming together to condemn hate and evil and murder and prejudice. One month after great suffering and sorrow, America is strong and determined and generous. I am honored to lead such a country, and I know we are ready for the challenges ahead.