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Treaty Room - Address to the Nation - - 10/07/2001 [06/06/2002]
Address to the Nation
June 6, 2002
Draft #18
Good evening. During the next few minutes, I want to update you on
the progress we are making in our war against terror, and to propose
sweeping changes that will strengthen our homeland against the ongoing
threat of terrorist attacks.
Nearly nine months have passed since the day that forever changed
our country. Debris, from what was once the World Trade Center, has
been cleared away in a hundred thousand truckloads. The west side of the
Pentagon looks almost as it did on September 10th. And as children finish
school and families prepare for summer vacations, for many, life seems
almost normal.
Yet we are a different Nation today: sadder and stronger, less
innocent and more courageous, more appreciative of life - and for many
who serve our country, more willing to risk life in a great cause. For those
who have lost family and friends, the pain will never go away - and neither
will the responsibilities that day thrust upon all of us.
America is leading the civilized world in a titanic struggle against
terror. Freedom and fear are at war - and freedom is winning.
Tonight, over 60,000 American troops are deployed around the world
in the war against terror - more than 7,000 in Afghanistan, others in the
Philippines, Yemen, and the Republic of Georgia, to train local forces. Next
week Afghanistan will begin selecting a representative government, even
as American troops, along with our allies, still continuously raid remote al-
Qaida hiding places. Among those we have captured is a man named Abu
zoo-BAY-duh, al-Qaida's chief of operations. From him, and from
hundreds of others, we are learning more about how the terrorists plan and
operate - information crucial in anticipating and preventing future attacks.
Our coalition is strong. More than 90 nations have arrested or
detained over 2,400 terrorists and their supporters. More than 180
countries have offered or are providing assistance in the war on terrorism.
And our military is strong and prepared to oppose any emerging threat to
the American people.
1
Every day in this war will not bring the drama of liberating a country.
Yet every day brings new information, a tip or arrest, another step or two or
three in a relentless march to bring security to our Nation and justice to our
enemies.
And every day I review a document called the Threat Assessment. It
summarizes what our intelligence services and key law enforcement
agencies have picked up about terrorist activity. Sometimes the
information is very general - vague talk, bragging about future attacks.
Sometimes the information is more specific, as in a recent case when an
al-Qaida detainee said attacks were planned against financial institutions.
When credible intelligence warrants, appropriate law enforcement
and local officials are alerted. These warnings are unfortunately a new
reality in American life and we have recently seen an increase in the
volume of general threats. Americans should continue to do what you are
doing - - go about your lives, but pay attention to your surroundings - - add
your eyes and ears to the protection of our homeland.
In protecting our country, we depend on the skill of our people: the
troops we send to battle intelligence operatives who risk their lives for
bits of information law enforcement officers who sift for clues and search
for suspects. We are now learning that before September 11th, the
suspicions and insights of some of our frontline agents did not get enough
attention.
My Administration supports the important work of the intelligence
committees in Congress to review the activities of law enforcement and
intelligence agencies. We need to know when warnings were missed or
signs unheeded - not to point the finger of blame, but to make sure we
correct any problems, and prevent them from happening again. Based on
everything I have seen, I do not believe anyone could have prevented the
horror of September 11th - yet we now know that thousands of trained
killers are plotting to attack us - and this terrible knowledge requires us to
act differently.
If you are a frontline worker for the FBI, the CIA, some other law
enforcement or intelligence agency, and you see something that raises
suspicions: I want you to report it immediately. I expect your supervisors
2
to treat it with the seriousness it deserves. Information must be fully
shared, so we can follow every lead to find the one that may prevent
tragedy. I applaud the leaders and employees at the FBI and CIA for
beginning essential reforms. They must continue to think and act
differently to defeat the enemy.
The first and best way to secure America's homeland is to attack the
enemy where he hides and plans - and we are doing just that. We are also
taking significant steps to strengthen our homeland protections - securing
cockpits, tightening our borders, stockpiling vaccines, increasing security at
water-treatment and nuclear power plants. After September 11th, we
needed to move quickly, and so I appointed Tom Ridge as my Homeland
Security Advisor. As Governor Ridge has worked with all levels of
government - to prepare a national strategy - and as we have learned
more about the plans and capabilities of the terrorist network - we have
concluded that our government must be reorganized to deal most
effectively with the new threats of the 21st century. So tonight, I ask the
Congress to join me in creating a single permanent department with an
overriding and urgent mission: securing the American homeland and
protecting the American people.
Right now, as many as a hundred different government agencies
have some responsibilities for homeland security. And no one has final
accountability. The Coast Guard has several missions, from search and
rescue to maritime treaty enforcement. It reports to the Transportation
Department, whose primary responsibilities are roads, rails, bridges, and
the airways. The Customs Service, among other duties, collects tariffs and
prevents smuggling - and it is part of the Treasury Department, whose
primary responsibility is fiscal policy, not security.
Tonight, I propose a permanent Cabinet-level Department of
Homeland Security to unite essential agencies that must work more closely
together: among them the Coast Guard, the Border Patrol, the Customs
Service, Immigration officials, the Transportation Security Administration,
and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Employees of this new
agency will come to work every morning knowing their most important job is
to protect their fellow citizens.
The Department of Homeland Security will be charged with four
primary tasks. This new agency will control our borders and prevent
3
terrorists and explosives from entering our country. It will work with state
and local authorities to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies. It
will bring together our best scientists to develop technologies that detect
biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons - and to discover the drugs and
treatments to best protect our citizens. And this new department will review
intelligence and law enforcement information from all agencies of
government, and produce a single daily picture of threats against our
homeland. Analysts will be responsible for imagining the worst - and
planning to counter it.
The reason to create this department is not to increase the size of
government, but to increase its focus and effectiveness. The staff of this
new department will be largely drawn from the agencies we are combining.
By ending duplication and overlap, we will spend less on overhead, and
more on protecting America. This reorganization will give the good people
of our government their best opportunity to succeed, by organizing our
resources in a way that is thorough and unified.
What I am proposing tonight is the most extensive reorganization of
the federal government since the 1940s. During his presidency, Harry
Truman recognized that our Nation's fragmented defenses had to be
reorganized to win the Cold War. He proposed uniting our military forces
under a single Department of Defense; and creating the National Security
Council, to bring together defense, intelligence, and diplomacy. Truman's
reforms are still helping us to fight terror abroad - and now we need similar
dramatic reforms to secure our people at home.
Only the United States Congress can create a new department of
government. So tonight I ask for your help in encouraging your
representatives to support my plan. We face an urgent need, and we must
move quickly, this year, before the end of the congressional session. All in
our government have learned a great deal since September 11th, and we
must act on every lesson. We are stronger and better prepared tonight
than we were on that terrible morning - and with your help, and the support
of Congress, we will be stronger still.
History has called our Nation into action. History has placed a great
challenge before us: Will America - with our unique position and power -
blink in the face of terror, or will we lead to a freer, more civilized world?
4
There is only one answer: this great country will lead the world to safety,
security, peace, and freedom.
Thank you for listening, good night, and may God bless America.
5
Address to the Nation
June 6, 2002
Fleys Certains Honges
Draft #16
Rull prover)
Good evening. During the next few minutes, I want to update you on
the progress we are making in our war against terror, and to propose
sweeping changes that will strengthen our homeland against the ongoing
threat of terrorist attacks. :10
Nearly nine months have passed since the day that forever changed
our country. Debris, from what was once the World Trade Center, has
been cleared away in a hundred thousand truckloads. The west side of the
Pentagon looks almost as it did on September 10th. And as children finish
school and families prepare for summer vacations, for many, life seems
almost normal. 40
Yet we are a different Nation today: sadder and stronger, less
innocent and more courageous, more appreciative of life - and for many
who serve our country, more willing to risk life in a great cause. For those
who have lost family and friends, the pain will never go away - and neither
will the responsibilities that day thrust upon all of us. 1:08/1:02
America is leading the civilized world in a titanic struggle against
terror. Freedom and fear are at war - and freedom is winning. 1:19/1:12
Tonight, over 60,000 American troops are deployed around the world
in the war against terror - more than 7,000 in Afghanistan, others in the
Philippines, Yemen, and the Republic of Georgia, to train local forces. Next
week Afghanistan will begin selecting a representative government, even
as American troops, along with our allies, still continuously raid remote al-
Qaida hiding places. Among those we have captured is a man named Abu
zoo-BAY-duh, al-Qaida's chief of operations. From him, and from
hundreds of others, we are learning more about how the terrorists plan and
operate - information crucial in anticipating and preventing future attacks. 2:08/
Our coalition is strong. More than 90 nations have arrested or 1:59
detained over 2,400 terrorists and their supporters. More than 180
countries have offered or are providing assistance in the war on terrorism.
And our military is strong and prepared to oppose any emerging threat to
the American people. 2:33/2:23
1
Every day in this ongoing war will not bring the drama of liberating a
country. Yet every day brings new information, a tip or arrest, another step
or two or three in a relentless march to bring security to our Nation and
justice to our enemies. 3:00/2:45
And every day I review a document called the Threat Assessment. It
summarizes what our intelligence services and key law enforcement
agencies have picked up about terrorist activity. Sometimes the
information is very general - vague talk, bragging about future attacks.
Sometimes the information is more specific, as in a recent case when an
al-Qaida detainee said attacks were planned against financial institutions.
3:32/3:12
When credible intelligence warrants, appropriate law enforcement
and local officials are alerted. These warnings are unfortunately a new
reality in American life - and we have recently seen an increase in the
volume of general threats. Americans should continue to do what you are
doing - go about your lives, but pay attention to your surroundings - add
your eyes and ears to the protection of our homeland. 4:01/3:35
In protecting our country, we depend on the skill of our people: the
troops we send to battle intelligence operatives who risk their lives for
bits of information law enforcement officers who sift for clues and search
for suspects. We are now learning that before September 11th, the
suspicions and insights of some of our frontline agents did not get enough
attention. 4:05
My Administration supports the important work of the intelligence
committees in Congress to review the activities of law enforcement and
intelligence agencies. We need to know when warnings were missed or
signs unheeded - not to point the finger of blame, but to make sure we
correct any problems, and prevent them from happening again. Based on
everything I have seen, I do not believe anyone could have prevented the
horror of September 11th yet we now know that thousands of trained
killers are plotting to attack us - and this terrible knowledge requires us to
act differently. 5:11 14:48
If you are. a frontline worker for the FBI, the CIA, some other law
enforcement or intelligence agency, and you see something that raises
suspicions: I want you to report it immediately. I expect your supervisors
2
5:B
to treat it with the seriousness it deserves. Information must be fully
shared, so we can follow every lead to find the one that may prevent
tragedy. I applaud the leaders and employees at the FBI and CIA for
beginning essential reforms. They must continue to think differently to face
this new enemy. 5:48/5:26
The first and best way to secure America's homeland is to attack the
enemy where he hides and plans - and we are doing just that. We are also
taking significant steps to strengthen our homeland protections - securing
cockpits, tightening our borders, stockpiling vaccines, increasing security at
water-treatment and nuclear power plants. After September 11th, we
needed to move quickly, and so I appointed Tom Ridge as my Homeland
Security Advisor. As Governor Ridge has worked with all levels of
government - to prepare a national strategy - and as we have learned
more about the plans and capabilities of the terrorist network - we have
concluded that our government must be reorganized to deal most
effectively with the new threats of the 21st century. So tonight, I ask the
Congress to join me in creating a single permanent department with an
overriding and urgent mission: to secure the American homeland.
6:56/6:27
Right now, as many as a hundred different government agencies
have some responsibilities for Homeland security. And no one has final
accountability. The Coast Guard has several missions, from search and
rescue to maritime treaty enforcement. It reports to the Transportation
Department, whose primary responsibilities are roads, rails, bridges, and
the airways. The Customs Service, among other duties, collects tariffs and
prevents smuggling - and it is part of the Treasury Department, whose
primary responsibility is fiscal policy, not security. 7:34/7:05
Tonight, I propose a permanent Cabinet-level Department of
Homeland Security to unite essential agencies that must work more closely
together: among them the Coast Guard, the Border Patrol, the Customs
Service, Immigration officials, the Transportation Security Administration,
and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Employees of this new
agency will come to work every morning knowing their most important job is
to protect their fellow citizens. 17:36
The Department of Homeland Security will be charged with four
primary tasks. This new agency will control our borders and prevent
terrorists or explosives from entering our country. It will work with state and
8.18 7:51
3
local authorities to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies. It will
bring together our best scientists to develop technologies that detect
biołogical, chemical, or nuclear weapons - and to discover the drugs and
treatments to best protect our citizens. And this new department will review
intelligence and law enforcement information from all agencies of
government and produce a single daily picture of threats against our
homeland. Analysts will be responsible for imagining the worst - and
planning to counter it. 8:51/
The reason to create this department is not to increase the size of
government, but to increase its focus and effectiveness. The staff of this
new department will be largely drawn from the agencies we are combining.
By ending duplication and overlap, we will spend less on overhead, and
more on protecting America. This reorganization will give the good people
of our government their best opportunity to succeed, by organizing our
resources in a way that is thorough and unified. 9:23/8:58
What I am proposing tonight is the most extensive reorganization of
the federal government since the 1940s. During his presidency, Harry
Truman recognized that our Nation's fragmented defenses had to be
reorganized to win the Cold War. He united our military forces under a
single Department of Defense; and created the National Security Council,
to bring together defense, intelligence, and diplomacy. Truman's reforms
are still helping us to fight terror abroad - and now we need similar
dramatic reforms to secure our people at home. 10:02
Only the United States Congress can create a new department of
government. So tonight I ask for your help in encouraging your
representatives to support my plan. We face an urgent need, and we must
move quickly, this year, before the end of the congressional session. All in
our government have learned a great deal since September 11th, and we
must act on every lesson. We are stronger and better prepared tonight
than we were on that terrible morning - and with your help, and the support
of Congress, we will be stronger still. 110:11
History has called our Nation into action. History has placed a great
challenge before us: Will America - with our unique position and power -
blink in the face of terror, or will we lead to a freer, more civilized world?
There is only one answer: this great country will lead the world to safety,
security, peace, and freedom. 1035
4
Thank you for listening, good night, and may God bless America.
10:40
Go to Black @ End
5
Rundy
Run #2
Flurs.
10:20
m/v
Address to the Nation
Blue Room
June 6, 2002
wel
X Heal
Draft #15
Good evening. During the next few minutes, I want to update you on
progress we are making in our war against terror, and to propose sweeping
changes that will strengthen our homeland against the ongoing threat of
terrorist attacks. :13 |
Nearly nine months have passed since the day that forever changed
our country. Debris, from what was once the World Trade Center, has
been cleared away in a hundred thousand truckloads. The west side of the
Pentagon looks almost as it did on September 10th. And as children finish
school and families prepare for summer vacations, for many, life seems
almost normal. :42) : 38 | 40
Yet we are a different Nation today: sadder and stronger, less
innocent and more courageous, more appreciative of life - and for many
who serve our country, more willing to risk life in a great cause. For those
who have lost family and friends, the pain will never go away - and neither
will the responsibilities that day thrust upon all of us. 1:08 / 1:10
America is leading the civilized world in a titanic struggle against
terror. Freedom and fear are at war - and freedom is winning. 1:19/1:20
Tonight, over 60,000 American troops are deployed around the world
in the war against terror - more than 7,000 in Afghanistan, others in the
Philippines, Yemen, and the Republic of Georgia, training local forces.
Next week Afghanistan will begin selecting a representative government,
even as American troops, along with our allies, still continuously raid
remote al-Qaida hiding places. Among those we have captured is a man
named Abu Zubaida [zoo-BY-duh], al-Qaida's chief of operations. From
him, and from hundreds of others, we are learning more about how the
terrorists plan and operate - information crucial in anticipating and
preventing future attacks. 2:12/2:10/2:09
Our coalition is strong. More than 90 nations have arrested or
detained over 2,400 terrorists and their supporters. More than 180
countries have offered or are providing assistance on the war on terrorism.
7:27
12:20
1
And our military is strong and prepared to oppose any emerging threat to
the American people. 2:33 / 2:34/2:35
Every day in this ongoing war will not bring the drama of liberating a
country. Yet every day brings new information, a tip or arrest, another step
or two or three in a relentless march to bring security to our Nation and
justice to our enemies. 2:56 / 2:55/2:56
And every day I review a document called the Threat Assessment. It
summarizes what our intelligence services and key law enforcement
agencies have picked up about terrorist activity in every part of the world.
Sometimes the information is very general - vague talk, bragging about
future attacks. Sometimes the information is more specific, as in a recent
case when an al-Qaida prisoner said attacks were planned against financial
institutions. 3:29/3:27
When credible intelligence warrants, appropriate law enforcement
and local officials are alerted. These warnings are unfortunately a new
reality in American life - and we have recently seen an increase in the
volume of general threats. Americans should continue to do what you are
doing - go about your lives, but pay attention to your surroundings - add
your eyes and ears to the (?home) protection of our homeland. 3:36/3:55/3:57
In protecting our country, we depend on the skill of our people: the
troops we send to battle intelligence operatives who risk their lives for
bits of information law enforcement officers who sift for clues and search
for suspects. We are now learning that before September 11th, the
suspicions and insights of some of our frontline agents did not get enough
attention. 4:24 / 4:22/4:
My Administration supports the important work of the intelligence
committees in Congress to review the activities of law enforcement and
intelligence agencies. We need to know when warnings were missed or
signs unheeded - not to point the finger of blame, but to make sure we
correct any problems, and prevent them from happening again. Based on
everything I have seen, I do not believe anyone could have prevented the
horror of September 11th - yet we now know that trained killers are plotting
to attack us - and this terrible knowledge requires us to act differently.
5:01 5:01 /5:05/5:00
2
If you are a frontline worker for the FBI, the CIA, some other law
enforcement or intelligence agency, and you see something that raises
suspicions: I want you to report it immediately. I expect your supervisors to
treat it with the seriousness it deserves. Information must be fully shared,
so we can follow every lead to find the one that may prevent tragedy. I
applaud the leaders and employees at the FBI and CIA for beginning
essential reforms and urge them to continue to think differently to face this
new enemy. 5:39/5:41/5:39
The first and best way to secure America's homeland is to attack the
enemy where he hides and plans - and we are doing just that. But we are
also taking significant steps to strengthen our homeland protections -
securing cockpits, tightening our borders, stockpiling vaccines, increasing
security at water-treatment and nuclear power plants. After September
11th, we needed to move quickly, and so I appointed Tom Ridge as my
Homeland Security Advisor. As Governor Ridge has worked with all levels
of government - federal, state, and local - to prepared a national strategy -
and as we have learned more about the plans and capabilities of the
terrorist network - we have concluded that our government must be
reorganized to deal most effectively with the new threats of the 21ˢᵗ century.
So tonight, I ask the Congress to join me in creating a single permanent
department with an overriding and urgent mission: protecting the American
people from terrorist attack. 6:39 /6:47/6:44 To
to Huched
will must
One department must be in charge of securing the American
(Fireting)
homeland - and held accountable for results. One department must
coordinate homeland security functions now fragmented across the
government. One department must be charged with anticipating attacks,
and acting to address our vulnerabilities.
/
Right now, as many as a hundred different government agencies
have some responsibilities for homeland security. Yet no one has final
accountability. The Coast Guard has several missions, from search and
rescue to maritime treaty enforcement. It reports to the Transportation
Department, whose primary responsibilities are roads, rails, bridges, and
the airways. The Customs Service, among other duties, collects tariffs and
prevents smuggling - and it is part of the Treasury Department, whose
primary responsibility is fiscal policy, not security.
Deit/
3
Tonight, I propose a permanent Cabinet-level Department of
Homeland Security to unite essential agencies that should be working more
closely together: among them the Coast Guard, the Border Patrol, the
Customs Service, Immigration officials, the Transportation Security
Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Employees of this new agency will come to work every morning with an
overriding mission - to defend their fellow citizens from attack, and respond
effectively if they come. 7:58 /
The Department of Homeland Security will be charged with four
primary tasks. This new agency will control our borders and prevent
terrorists or explosives from entering our country. It will work with state and
local authorities to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies. It will
bring together our best scientists to develop technologies that detect
biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons - and to discover the drugs and
treatments to best protect our citizens. And this new department will review
the best intelligence and law enforcement information from all agencies of
government, and produce a single daily picture of the threats against our
homeland. These analysts will be responsible for imagining the worst -
and defending against it. 8:41/8:41
The reason to create this department is not to increase the size of
government, but to increase its focus and effectiveness. The staff of this
new department will be largely drawn from the agencies we are combining.
By ending duplication and overlap, we will spend less on overhead, and
more on protecting America. This reorganization will give the good people
of our government their best opportunity to succeed, by organizing our
resources in a way that is thorough and unified. 2"18 9:18
What I am proposing tonight is the most extensive reorganization of
the federal government since the 1940s. During his presidency, Harry
Truman recognized that our Nation's fragmented defenses had to be
reorganized to win the Cold War. He brought our military forces together
under a unified Department of Defense; and created the National Security
Council, to bring together defense, intelligence, and diplomacy. Truman's
reforms are still helping us to fight terror abroad - and now we need similar
dramatic reforms to secure our people at home. 19:55
Only the United States Congress can create a new department of
government. So tonight I ask for your help in encouraging your
4
10:03
representatives to support it. We face an urgent need, and we must move
quickly, before the end of the congressional session. All in our government
have learned a great deal since September 11th, and we must act on every
lesson. We are stronger and better prepared tonight than we were on that
terrible morning - and with your help, and the support of Congress, we will
be stronger still. 10:15/10:31
10:20
History has called our Nation into action. History has placed a great
challenge before us: Will America - with our unique position and power -
blink in the face of terror, or lead to a freer, more civilized world? There is
only one answer: this great country will lead the world to safety, security,
peace, and freedom. /
Thank you, good night, and God bless America.
11:02
5
,
4 american FLAGS
. 2 - 1 POTUS FLAGS.
Address to the Nation
June 6, 2002
Draft #14
+
Good evening. During the next few minutes, I want to update you on
progress we are making in our war against terror, and to propose sweeping
changes that will strengthen our homeland against the ongoing threat of
terrorist attacks.
Nearly nine months have passed since the day that forever changed
our country. Debris, from what was once the World Trade Center, has
been cleared away in a hundred thousand truckloads. The west side of the
Pentagon looks almost as it did on September 10th. And as children finish
school and families prepare for summer vacations, for many, life seems
almost normal.
Yet we are a different Nation today: sadder and stronger, less
innocent and more courageous, more appreciative of life - and for many
who serve our country, more willing to risk life in a great cause. For those
who have lost family and friends, the pain will never go away - and neither
will the responsibilities that day thrust upon all of us.
America is leading the civilized world in a titanic struggle against
terror. Freedom and fear are at war - and freedom is winning.
Tonight, over 60,000 American troops are deployed around the world
in the war against terror - more than 7,000 in Afghanistan, others in the
Philippines, Yemen, and the Republic of Georgia, training local forces.
Next week Afghanistan will begin selecting a representative government,
even as American troops, along with our allies, still continuously raid
remote al-Qaida hiding places. We have captured a man named Abu
Zubaida [zoo-BY-duh], al-Qaida's chief of operations. From him, and from
hundreds of others, we are learning more about how the terrorists plan and
operate - information crucial in anticipating and preventing future attacks.
Our coalition is strong. More than 90 nations have arrested or
detained over 2,400 terrorists and their supporters. More than 180
countries have offered or are providing assistance on the war on terrorism.
And our military is strong and prepared to oppose any emerging threat to
the American people.
1
Every day in this ongoing war will not bring the drama of liberating a
country. Yet every day brings new information, a tip or arrest, another step
or two or three in a relentless march to bring security to our Nation and
justice to our enemies.
And every day I review a document called the Threat Assessment. It
summarizes what our intelligence services and key law enforcement
agencies have picked up about terrorist activity in every part of the world.
Sometimes the information is very general - vague talk, bragging about
future attacks. Sometimes the information is more specific, as in a recent
case when an al-Qaida prisoner said attacks were planned against financial
institutions.
When credible intelligence warrants, appropriate law enforcement
and local officials are alerted. These warnings are unfortunately a new
reality in American life - and we have recently seen an increase in the
volume of general threats. Americans should continue to do what you are
doing - go about your lives, but pay attention to your surroundings - add
your eyes and ears to the protection of our homeland.
In protecting our country, we depend on the skill of our people: the
troops we send to battle intelligence operatives who risk their lives for
bits of information law enforcement officers who sift for clues and search
for suspects. We are now learning that before September 11th, the
suspicions and insights of some of our frontline agents did not get enough
attention.
My Administration supports the important work of the intelligence
committees in Congress to review the activities of law enforcement and
intelligence agencies. We need to know when warnings were missed or
signs unheeded - not to point the finger of blame, but to make sure we
correct any problems, and prevent them from happening again. Based on
everything I have seen, I do not believe anyone could have prevented the
horror of September 11th yet we now know that trained killers are plotting
to attack us - and this terrible knowledge requires us to act differently.
If you are a frontline worker for the FBI, the CIA, some other law
enforcement or intelligence agency, and you see something that raises
suspicions: I want you to report it immediately. I expect your supervisors to
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treat it with the seriousness it deserves. Information must be fully shared,
so we can follow every lead to find the one that may prevent tragedy.
The first and best way to secure America's homeland is to attack the
enemy where he hides and plans - and we are doing just that. But we are
also taking significant steps to strengthen our homeland protections - -
securing cockpits, tightening our borders, stockpiling vaccines, increasing
security at water-treatment and nuclear power plants. After September
11th, we needed to move quickly, and so I appointed Tom Ridge as my
Homeland Security Advisor. As Governor Ridge has worked with all levels
of government - federal, state, and local - to prepared a national strategy -
and as we have learned more about the plans and capabilities of the
terrorist network - we have concluded that our government must be
reorganized to deal most effectively with the new threats of the 21st century.
So tonight, I ask the Congress to join me in creating a single permanent
department with an overriding and urgent mission: protecting the American
people from terrorist attack.
One department must be in charge of securing the American
homeland - and held accountable for results. One department must
coordinate homeland security functions now fragmented across the
government. One department must be charged with anticipating attacks,
and acting to address our vulnerabilities.
Right now, as many as a hundred different government agencies
have some responsibilities for homeland security. Yet no one has final
accountability. The Coast Guard has several missions, from search and
rescue to maritime treaty enforcement. It reports to the Transportation
Department, whose primary responsibilities are roads, rails, bridges, and
the airways. The Customs Service, among other duties, collects tariffs and
prevents smuggling - and it is part of the Treasury Department, whose
primary responsibility is fiscal policy, not security.
Tonight, I propose a permanent Cabinet-level Department of
Homeland Security to unite essential agencies that should be working more
closely together: among them the Coast Guard, the Border Patrol, the
Customs Service, Immigration officials, the Transportation Security
Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Employees of this new agency will come to work every morning with an
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overriding mission - to defend their fellow citizens from attack, and respond
effectively if they come.
The Department of Homeland Security will be charged with four
primary tasks. This new agency will control our borders and prevent
terrorists or explosives from entering our country. It will work with state and
local authorities to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies. It will
bring together our best scientists to develop technologies that detect
biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons - and to discover the drugs and
treatments to best protect our citizens. And this new department will review
the best intelligence and law enforcement information from all agencies of
government, and produce a single daily picture of the threats against our
homeland. These analysts will be responsible for imagining the worst -
and defending against it.
My intention is not to increase the size of government, but to increase
its focus and effectiveness. The staff of this new department will be largely
drawn from the agencies we are combining. By ending duplication and
overlap, we will spend less on overhead, and more on protecting America.
This reorganization will give the good people of our government their best
opportunity to succeed, by organizing our resources in a way that is
thorough and unified.
What I am proposing tonight is the most extensive reorganization of
the federal government since the 1940s. During his presidency, Harry
Truman recognized that our Nation's fragmented defenses had to be
reorganized to win the Cold War. He brought our military forces together
under a unified Department of Defense; and created the National Security
Council, to bring together defense, intelligence, and diplomacy. Truman's
reforms are still helping us to fight terror abroad - and now we need similar
dramatic reforms to secure our people at home.
Only the United States Congress can create a new department of
government. So tonight I ask for your help in encouraging your
representatives to support it. We face an urgent need, and we must move
quickly, before the end of the congressional session. All in our government
have learned a great deal since September 11th, and we must act on every
lesson. We are stronger and better prepared tonight than we were on that
terrible morning - and with your help, and the support of Congress, we will
be stronger still.
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History has called our Nation into action. History has placed a great
challenge before us: Will America - with our unique position and power -
blink in the face of terror, or lead to a freer, more civilized world? There is
only one answer: this great country will lead the world to safety, security,
peace, and freedom.
Thank you, good night, and God bless America.
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