The Federalist Digest -- www.Federalist.com
From Issue #02-11brf

Remembering September 11, 2001

March 11, 2002


Highlights:

President George W. Bush's address to Congress and the American People, September 20, 2001
President George W. Bush's State of the Union address, January 29, 2002
President George W. Bush's address to the National Prayer Breakfast, February 7, 2002

Other Observations

Admiral Thomas H. Moorer
New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani
Benjamin Netanyahu
Charles Krauthammer
Col. David Hackworth
Linda Bowles
Walter Williams
Alan Keyes

 

SEMPER FIDELIS!

At the half-year mark after 9-11, we remember ... and we will not forget.... On this day, American troops and operatives are forward deployed in at least seven nations harboring adherents of our evil adversary without borders — Jihadistan. We ask that God would bless our Commander-in-Chief and those national leaders charged with the defense and security of our Republic. We ask that He would bless all those in harm's way and their families at home. We ask that He would bless the memory of all the victims of the 9-11 attacks and those who have subsequently given their lives for their countrymen. And we humbly ask that God would show mercy on a nation that has not always been faithful in conduct to her founding. —The Federalist Board [Highlights]

 

§ Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's prayer opening the Cabinet meeting at the White House after the September 11th attacks:

Ever faithful God, in death we are reminded of the precious birthrights of life and liberty you endowed in your American people. You have shown once again that these gifts must never be taken for granted.

We pledge to those whom you have called home, and ask of you — Patience, to measure our lust for action; Resolve, to strengthen our obligation to lead; Wisdom, to illuminate our pursuit of justice, and; Strength, in defense of liberty.

We seek your special blessing today for those who stand as sword and shield, protecting the many from the tyranny of the few. Our enduring prayer is that you shall always guide our labors and that our battles shall always be just.

We pray this day, heavenly father, the prayer our nation learned at another time of righteous struggle and noble cause — America's enduring prayer: Not that God will be on our side, but always, O Lord, that America will be on your side. Amen. [Highlights]

 

§ President George W. Bush's address to Congress and the American People, September 20, 2001:

In the normal course of events, Presidents come to this chamber to report on the state of the Union. Tonight, no such report is needed. It has already been delivered by the American people. We have seen it in the courage of passengers, who rushed terrorists to save others on the ground — passengers like an exceptional man named Todd Beamer. .. We have seen the state of our Union in the endurance of rescuers, working past exhaustion. We have seen the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles, the giving of blood, the saying of prayers.... We have seen the decency of a loving and giving people who have made the grief of strangers their own. My fellow citizens, ... the entire world has seen for itself the state of our Union — and it is strong.

Tonight we are a country awakened to danger and called to defend freedom. Our grief has turned to anger, and anger to resolution. Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done.

On September the 11th, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country. Americans have known wars — but for the past 136 years, they have been wars on foreign soil, except for one Sunday in 1941. Americans have known the casualties of war — but not at the center of a great city on a peaceful morning. Americans have known surprise attacks — but never before on thousands of civilians. All of this was brought upon us in a single day — and night fell on a different world, a world where freedom itself is under attack.

Americans have many questions tonight. Americans are asking: Who attacked our country? The evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al Qaeda. They are the same murderers indicted for bombing American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, and responsible for bombing the USS Cole.

Al Qaeda is to terror what the mafia is to crime. But its goal is not making money; its goal is remaking the world — and imposing its radical beliefs on people everywhere.

..Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.

Americans are asking, why do they hate us? They hate what we see right here in this chamber — a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms — our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other.

They want to overthrow existing governments in many Muslim countries, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. They want to drive Israel out of the Middle East. They want to drive Christians and Jews out of vast regions of Asia and Africa.

These terrorists kill not merely to end lives, but to disrupt and end a way of life. With every atrocity, they hope that America grows fearful, retreating from the world and forsaking our friends. They stand against us, because we stand in their way.

We are not deceived by their pretenses to piety. We have seen their kind before. They are the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the 20th century. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions — by abandoning every value except the will to power — they follow in the path of fascism, and Nazism, and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way, to where it ends: in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.

Americans are asking: How will we fight and win this war? We will direct every resource at our command — every means of diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of law enforcement, every financial influence, and every necessary weapon of war — to the disruption and to the defeat of the global terror network.

..Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have ever seen. It may include dramatic strikes, visible on TV, and covert operations, secret even in success. We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or no rest. And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.

Our nation has been put on notice: We are not immune from attack. We will take defensive measures against terrorism to protect Americans.

..The civilized world is rallying to America's side. They understand that if this terror goes unpunished, their own cities, their own citizens may be next. Terror, unanswered, can not only bring down buildings, it can threaten the stability of legitimate governments. And you know what — we're not going to allow it.

And I will carry this: It is the police shield of a man named George Howard, who died at the World Trade Center trying to save others. It was given to me by his mom, Arlene, as a proud memorial to her son. This is my reminder of lives that ended, and a task that does not end.

I will not forget this wound to our country or those who inflicted it. I will not yield; I will not rest; I will not relent in waging this struggle for freedom and security for the American people.

The course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome is certain. Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty, have always been at war, and we know that God is not neutral between them.

Fellow citizens, we'll meet violence with patient justice — assured of the rightness of our cause, and confident of the victories to come. In all that lies before us, may God grant us wisdom, and may He watch over the United States of America. [Highlights]

 

§ President George W. Bush's State of the Union address, January 29, 2002:

Our cause is just, and it continues. ...Our nation will continue to be steadfast, and patient, and persistent in the pursuit of two great objectives. First, we will shut down terrorist camps, disrupt terrorist plans, and bring terrorists to justice. Second, we must prevent the terrorists and regimes who seek chemical, biological or nuclear weapons from threatening the United States and the world.

Our military has put the terror training camps of Afghanistan out of business, yet camps still exist in at least a dozen countries. A terrorist underworld — including groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and Jaish-i-Mohammed — operates in remote jungles and deserts and hides in the centers of large cities.

..My hope is that all nations will heed our call and eliminate the terrorist parasites who threaten their countries and our own. Many nations are acting forcefully.

..Our second goal is to prevent regimes that sponsor terror from threatening America or our friends and allies with weapons of mass destruction.

..We will work closely with our coalition to deny terrorists and their state sponsors the materials, technology and expertise to make and deliver weapons of mass destruction. We will develop and deploy effective missile defenses to protect America and our allies from sudden attack. And all nations should know: America will do what is necessary to ensure our nation's security.

We will be deliberate, yet time is not on our side. I will not wait on events while dangers gather. I will not stand by as peril draws closer and closer. The United States of America will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons.

Our war on terror is well begun, but it is only begun. This campaign may not be finished on our watch, yet it must be and it will be waged on our watch.

We cannot stop short. If we stopped now, leaving terror camps intact and terror states unchecked, our sense of security would be false and temporary. History has called America and our allies to action, and it is both our responsibility and our privilege to fight freedom's fight.

Our first priority must always be the security of our nation.... We will win this war, we will protect our homeland, and we will revive our economy.

Sept. 11 brought out the best in America and the best in this Congress, and I join the American people in applauding your unity and resolve.

..During these last few months, I have been humbled and privileged to see the true character of this country in a time of testing. Our enemies believed America was weak and materialistic, that we would splinter in fear and selfishness. They were as wrong as they are evil.

The American people have responded magnificently, with courage and compassion, strength and resolve. As I have met the heroes, hugged the families, and looked into the tired faces of rescuers, I have stood in awe of the American people.

..None of us would ever wish the evil that was done on Sept. 11, yet after America was attacked it was as if our entire country looked into a mirror and saw our better selves. We were reminded that we are citizens, with obligations to each other, to our country and to history. We began to think less of the goods we can accumulate, and more about the good we can do.

For too long our culture has said, 'If it feels good, do it.' Now America is embracing a new ethic and a new creed: 'Let's roll.' In the sacrifice of soldiers, the fierce brotherhood of firefighters and the bravery and generosity of ordinary citizens, we have glimpsed what a new culture of responsibility could look like. We want to be a nation that serves goals larger than self. We have been offered a unique opportunity and we must not let this moment pass.

..This time of adversity offers a unique moment of opportunity — a moment we must seize to change our culture. Through the gathering momentum of millions of acts of service and decency and kindness, I know: We can overcome evil with greater good.

And we have a great opportunity during this time of war to lead the world toward the values that will bring lasting peace. All fathers and mothers, in all societies, want their children to be educated and live free from poverty and violence. No people on Earth yearn to be oppressed, or aspire to servitude or eagerly await the midnight knock of the secret police.

..America will lead by defending liberty and justice, because they are right and true and unchanging for all people everywhere. No nation owns these aspirations, and no nation is exempt from them. We have no intention of imposing our culture, but America will always stand firm for the nonnegotiable demands of human dignity: the rule of law, limits on the power of the state, respect for women, private property, free speech, equal justice and religious tolerance.

America will take the side of brave men and women who advocate these values around the world, including the Islamic world, because we have a greater objective than eliminating threats and containing resentment. We seek a just and peaceful world beyond the war on terror.

The last time I spoke here, I expressed the hope that life would return to normal. In some ways, it has. In others, it never will. Those of us who have lived through these challenging times have been changed by them.

We've come to know truths that we will never question: Evil is real, and it must be opposed. Beyond all differences of race or creed we are one country, mourning together and facing danger together. Deep in the American character there is honor, and it is stronger than cynicism. Many have discovered again that even in tragedy — especially in tragedy — God is near.

In a single instant we realized that this will be a decisive decade in the history of liberty, that we have been called to a unique role in human events. Rarely has the world faced a choice more clear or consequential.

Our enemies send other people's children on missions of suicide and murder. They embrace tyranny and death as a cause and a creed. We stand for a different choice, made long ago, on the day of our founding. We affirm it again today. We choose freedom and the dignity of every life.

Steadfast in our purpose, we now press on. We have known freedom's price; we have shown freedom's power, and in this great conflict, my fellow Americans, we will see freedom's victory.

Thank you, and may God bless the United States of America. [Highlights]

 

§ President George W. Bush's address to the National Prayer Breakfast, February 7, 2002:

Since we met last year, millions of Americans have been led to prayer. They have prayed for comfort in time of grief, for understanding at a time of anger, for protection in a time of uncertainty. Many, including me, have been on bended knee. The prayers of this nation are a part of the good that has come from the evil of September the 11th, more good than we could ever have predicted.

Tragedy has brought forth the courage and the generosity of our people. None of us would ever wish on anyone what happened on that day. Yet, as with each life, sorrows we would not choose can bring wisdom and strength gained in no other way. This insight is central to many faiths and certainly to the faith that finds hope and comfort in a cross.

..Faith gives the assurance that our lives and our history have a moral design. As individuals, we know that suffering is temporary and hope is eternal. As a nation, we know that the ruthless will not inherit the earth.

..At the same time faith shows us the reality of good and the reality of evil. Some acts and choices in this world have eternal consequences. It is always and everywhere wrong to target and kill the innocent. It is always and everywhere wrong to be cruel and hateful, to enslave and oppress. It is always and everywhere right to be kind and just, to protect the lives of others and to lay down your life for a friend.

The men and women who charge into burning buildings to save others, those who fought the hijackers, were not confused about the difference between right and wrong. They knew the difference, they knew their duty and we know their sacrifice was not in vain.

Faith shows us the way to self-giving, to love our neighbor as we would want to be loved ourselves. In service to others, we find deep human fulfillment and as acts of service are multiplied, our nation becomes a more welcoming place for the weak and a better place for those who suffer and grieve.

.. In this time of testing for our nation, my family and I have been blessed by the prayers of countless of Americans. We have felt their sustaining power and we're incredibly grateful.

Tremendous challenges await this nation and there will be hardships ahead. Faith will not make our path easy, but it will give us strength for the journey. The promise of faith is not the absence of suffering; it is the presence of grace. And at every step, we are secure in knowing that suffering produces perseverance and perseverance produces character and character produces hope and hope does not disappoint.

May God bless you and may God continue to bless America. [Highlights]

And other observations...

"The catastrophe that struck America was the result of a decade of military cuts and the undermining of U.S. intelligence agencies.... Clinton brought the military down and down. He made the military like it was before Pearl Harbor..." —Admiral Thomas H. Moorer [Highlights]

"This is not crime. This is war. One of the reasons there are terrorists out there capable and audacious enough to carry out the deadliest attack on the United States in its history is that, while they have declared war on us, we have in the past responded (with the exception of a few useless cruise missile attacks on empty tents in the desert) by issuing subpoenas...You bring criminals to justice; you rain destruction on combatants. This is a fundamental distinction that can no longer be avoided. The bombings of September 11, 2001, must mark a turning point. War was long ago declared on us. Until we declare war in return, we will have thousands of more innocent victims." —Charles Krauthammer [Highlights]

"Let those who say that we must understand the reasons for terrorism come with me to the thousands of funerals we're having in New York City — thousands — and explain those insane, maniacal reasons to the children who will grow up without fathers and mothers and to the parents who have had their children ripped from them for no reason at all. On this issue — terrorism — the United Nations must draw a line. The era of moral relativism between those who practice or condone terrorism, and those nations who stand up against it, must end." —New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's early October address to the UN: [Highlights]

"Amid the smoking ruins of the twin towers, you could see the silhouette of the Statue of Liberty holding that torch of liberty very proudly and very high. It's that flame of liberty that these people want to extinguish. But it is the United States holding that torch with its allies who can wipe out these terrorists. And we must do nothing short of it. We must wipe them out or they will wipe us out." —Benjamin Netanyahu [Highlights]

"We are all New Yorkers. We are all the target, all under a shared siege, all bonded in spirit and in blood. Each and every American was hit last week — and now we must take the hard steps necessary to protect our democratic way of life from an enemy with absolutely no respect for life, even his own." —Col. David Hackworth [Highlights]

"I hope that in the months and years to come, we will not forget our moment of truth and return to the way we were. I pray we will not allow the lessons of this tragedy to be gradually undermined and chipped away by those among us who secretly consider our national renewal of faith and unity a setback to their agenda." —Linda Bowles [Highlights]

"[I]n thinking we can solve the world's problems by turning our military into peacekeepers and social workers, we've tragically betrayed the wise counsel of our founders. We fail to bring harmony among people who've been trying to slaughter one another for centuries, but we succeed in getting them to hate us." —Walter Williams [Highlights]

"Terrorists exist only through the sanction and support of the governments behind them. Their lethal behavior is that of the regimes that make them possible. Their killings are not crimes, but acts of war. The only proper response to such acts is war in self-defense...." —Leonard Peikoff [Highlights]

"In this moment, we would do well to remember that there is a God. We are not Him, and neither are the terrorist-murderers who are assaulting us. With our prayers, with our hearts and with all our faithfulness, we should commit both will and judgment to the Lord. Let us trust in Him so that, in this time of tragedy and trial, conscience will not falter, nor prudent courage fail. Let us pray that in His mercy, He will bless America beyond all deserving, as we know and believe He seeks to bless all humanity." —Alan Keyes [Highlights]


STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The Federalist is an advocate of individual, family and community governance, rights and responsibilities as espoused by our nation's Founders, and as originally intended by our Republic's Constitution as set forth in the Federalist Papers. The mission of our Editorial Board is to provide Constitutional Conservatives with a brief, timely, informative and entertaining survey and analysis of the week's most significant news, policy and opinion. The Federalist is an antidote to the liberal rhetoric of the mass media.


BACK Terrorism

TYSK eagle
www.tysknews.com

News Depts Articles Library
Lite Stuff Links Credits Home

 

 

12 mar 2002