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Skriven 2006-09-11 23:31:34 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0609112) for Mon, 2006 Sep 11
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Fact Sheet: The Fifth Anniversary of September 11, 2001
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For Immediate Release
September 11, 2006

Fact Sheet: The Fifth Anniversary of September 11, 2001


ÿÿÿÿÿ President's Address to the Nation ÿÿÿÿÿ Remembering 9/11

Today, President Bush Remembered The Innocent Who Lost Their Lives And Paid
Tribute To The Courageous Heroes Who Gave Their Lives So That Others Might
Live.

The President Also Discussed The Nature Of The Threat Still Before Us, What
We Are Doing To Protect Our Nation, And The Building Of A More Hopeful
Middle East That Holds The Key To Peace For America And The World. On this
solemn anniversary, we rededicate ourselves to the cause of freedom.
  þ Five Years Ago, 9/11 Was Seared Into America's Memory As Nineteen Men
    Attacked Us With A Barbarity Unequaled In Our History. They murdered
    people of all colors, creeds, and nationalities _ and made war upon the
    entire free world.
  þ Since That Day, America And Her Allies Have Taken The Offensive In A
    War Unlike Any We Have Fought Before. Today, we are safer, but we are
    not yet safe.

What We Saw On September 11, 2001

On 9/11, Our Nation Saw The Face Of Evil _ Yet We Also Witnessed Something
Distinctly American: Ordinary Citizens Rising To The Occasion, And
Responding With Extraordinary Acts Of Courage. We saw courage in office
workers who were trapped on the high floors of burning skyscrapers,
passengers aboard Flight 93, and the Pentagon staff who made it out of the
flames and smoke _ and ran back in to answer cries for help.

Since 9/11, We Have Learned A Great Deal About The Enemy

The War On Terror Is More Than A Military Conflict _ It Is The Decisive
Ideological Struggle Of The 21st Century, And The Calling Of Our
Generation. We have learned that our enemies are evil and kill without
mercy, but not without purpose. They form a global network of extremists
driven by a perverted vision of Islam, and their goal is building a radical
Islamic empire.

Our Nation Is Being Tested In A Way We Have Not Been Tested Since The Start
Of The Cold War. We face an enemy determined to bring death and suffering
into our homes. The War on Terror is not over and will not be over until
either we or the extremists emerge victorious. If we do not defeat these
enemies now, we will leave our children to face a Middle East overrun by
terrorist states and radical dictators armed with nuclear weapons. We are
in a war that will set the course for this century.

On 9/11, We Resolved That We Would Go On The Offense Against Our Enemies

On 9/11, We Resolved That We Would Not Distinguish Between The Terrorists
And Those Who Harbor Or Support Them. We helped drive the Taliban from
power in Afghanistan. We put al Qaeda on the run and killed or captured
most of those who planned the 9/11 attacks _ including the man believed to
be the mastermind, Khalid Sheik Mohammed. He and other suspected terrorists
have provided valuable intelligence that has helped stop attacks in America
and across the world. Now these men have been transferred to Guantanamo
Bay, so they can be held to account for their actions.
  þ Osama Bin Laden And Other Terrorists Are Still In Hiding And Our
    Message To Them Is Clear: No Matter How Long It Takes, America Will
    Find You, And We Will Bring You To Justice.

On 9/11, We Learned That America Must Confront Threats Before They Reach
Our Shores _ Whether Those Threats Come From Terrorist Networks Or
Terrorist States. Saddam Hussein was not responsible for the 9/11 attacks,
but his regime was a clear threat. The Administration, Congress, and the UN
saw the threat _ and after 9/11, Saddam's regime posed a risk the world
could not afford to take. The world is safer because Saddam Hussein is no
longer in power, and now the challenge is to help Iraq build a democracy
that fulfills the dreams of the nearly 12 million Iraqis who voted last
December.

The Stakes In Iraq Are High

Al Qaeda And Other Extremists From Across The World Have Come To Iraq To
Stop The Rise Of A Free Society In The Heart Of The Middle East. They have
joined the remnants of Saddam's regime and other armed groups to foment
sectarian violence and drive us out. Our enemies in Iraq are tough and they
are committed, but so are Iraqi and Coalition forces. We are adapting to
stay ahead of the enemy _ and we are carrying out a clear plan to ensure
that a democratic Iraq succeeds.

We Are Training Iraqi Troops So They Can Defend Their Nation And We Are
Helping Iraq's Unity Government Grow In Strength And Serve Its People _ And
We Will Not Leave Until This Work Is Done. Whatever mistakes have been made
in Iraq, the worst mistake would be to think that if we pulled out, the
terrorists would leave us alone. The safety of America depends on the
outcome of the battle in the streets of Baghdad.
  þ Osama Bin Laden Calls This Fight "The Third World War" _ And He Says
    That Victory For The Terrorists Will Mean America's "Defeat And
    Disgrace Forever." If we yield Iraq to men like Bin Laden, our enemies
    will be emboldened, they will gain a new safe haven, and they will use
    Iraq's resources to fuel their extremist movement. We will not allow
    this.

We Can Be Confident That Our Coalition Will Succeed _ Because The Iraqi
People Have Been Steadfast In The Face Of Unspeakable Violence And Because
Of The Skill And Resolve Of America's Armed Forces. Since 9/11, more than
1.6 million Americans have volunteered to wear our Nation's uniform. Some
have suffered terrible injuries _ and nearly 3,000 have given their lives.
America cherishes their memory, prays for their families, and will never
back down from the work they began.

Five Years After 9/11, America Is Safer _ But We Are Not Yet Safe

We Honor Those Who Toil Day And Night To Keep Our Homeland Safe _ And We
Are Giving Them The Tools They Need To Protect Our People. Thanks to the
hard work of our law enforcement and intelligence professionals, we have
broken up terrorist cells in our midst and saved American lives. Since
9/11, we have:
  þ Created the Department of Homeland Security;
  þ Torn down the wall that kept law enforcement and intelligence from
    sharing information;
  þ Tightened security at our airports, seaports, and borders; and
  þ Created new programs to monitor enemy bank records and phone calls.

Our Enemies Have Not Succeeded In Launching Another Attack On Our Soil, But
They Have Not Been Idle. Al Qaeda and those inspired by its hateful
ideology have carried out terrorist attacks in more than two dozen nations
_ and just last month, they were foiled in a plot to blow up passenger
planes headed for the United States.

We Are Engaged In A Struggle For Civilization

We Are Fighting To Maintain The Way Of Life Enjoyed By Free Nations _ And
One Of The Strongest Weapons In Our Arsenal Is The Power Of Freedom. Given
a choice, people will choose freedom over extremist ideology. So the
terrorists' answer is to deny people this choice by raging against the
forces of freedom and moderation. We are fighting for the possibility that
good and decent people across the Middle East can raise up societies based
on freedom, tolerance, and personal dignity.

Years Of Pursuing Stability In The Middle East To Promote Peace Left Us
With Neither

For 60 Years, Doubts About Whether The People Of The Middle East Wanted
Their Freedom _ And Whether The Forces Of Moderation Could Prevail _ Guided
Our Policies In The Middle East. Then, on 9/11, it became clear that the
"stability" we saw in the Middle East was only a mirage, providing no
protection from the terrorists. We changed our policies, and committed
America's influence in the world to advancing freedom and democracy as the
great alternatives to repression and radicalism.

With Our Help, The People Of The Middle East Are Claiming Their Freedom.
From Kabul to Baghdad to Beirut, there are brave men and women risking
their lives each day for the same freedoms that we enjoy. By standing with
democratic leaders and reformers and by giving voice to the hopes of decent
men and women, we are offering a path away from radicalism and we are
enlisting the most powerful force for peace and moderation in the Middle
East: the desire of millions to be free.

The Source Of America's Strength Is The Spirit Of Our People

The 9/11 Attacks Were Meant To Bring Us To Our Knees, And They Did _ But
Not In The Way The Terrorists Intended. Americans united in prayer, came to
the aid of neighbors in need, and resolved that our enemies would not have
the last word. We go forward with trust in that spirit, confidence in our
purpose, and faith in a loving God who made us to be free.

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