Thursday, Sept. 20, George W. Bush delivered the State of the Union Address. For five minutes. He then moved on to an outline of the nation’s response to the terrorist attacks. It was only a speech, not an information session. He spoke of a long war against terrorists and their nations, a classified war that will involve little communication with the American people. He related the terrorists to the fascists for whom we created the atomic bomb: Hitler and his allies. He told the military to “be ready” and the civilians to “live their lives” and “be calm.”

Below I have listed his key statements in the mode of preparing America’s response. Between most of the quoted sections, segments of his speech that served to elaborate on his main points were left out. At the beginning of his address he embellished the call to “war on terror” with affirmation of the patient work of Americans and the rest of the world to heal the wounds inflicted September 11.

My message, as editor, to Guilford readers of our President’s soothing words:

Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

***

“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.”

“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 some of the murderers indicted for bombing American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya and responsible for bombing the USS Cole.”

“The terrorists practice a fringe form of Islamic extremism that has been rejected by Muslim scholars and the vast majority of Muslim clerics; a fringe movement that perverts the peaceful teachings of Islam.”

“There are thousands of these terrorists in more than 60 countries.”

“They are recruited from their own nations and neighborhoods and brought to camps in places like Afghanistan where they are trained in the tactics of terror. They are sent back to their homes or sent to hide in countries around the world to plot evil and destruction.”

“(The Taliban) is not only repressing its own people, it is threatening people everywhere by sponsoring and sheltering and supplying terrorists.”

“Deliver to United States authorities all of the leaders of Al Quaeda who hide in your land.”

“The Taliban must act and act immediately.”

“They will hand over the terrorists or they will share in their fate.”

“The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends. It is not our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them.”

“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.”

“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, Nazism and totalitarianism.”

“Americans are asking, ‘How will we fight and win this war?’”

“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.”

“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.”

“Great harm has been done to us. We have suffered great loss. And in our grief and anger we have found our mission and our moment.”

“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.”

“In all that lies before us, may God grant us wisdom and may he watch over the United States of America.”

“Thank you.”

The full transcript is available at cnn.com. Next week, Elizabeth Laird will present in World and Nation Guilford’s reactions to the Address and, in general, Bush’s proclaimed agenda in response to the attacks.