Speech · 2001

Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People

Nine days after the September 11 attacks, President Bush told Congress and the nation that al Qaeda was responsible, demanded that the Taliban regime in Afghanistan hand over the group’s leaders and close its terrorist camps, and declared that every nation now had a decision to make: “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” He announced a new Office of Homeland Security led by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge and urged Americans to reject bigotry, calling the teachings of Islam “good and peaceful.”

“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.”

George W. Bush, September 20, 2001

Why it matters

The address set out the framework of what Bush called the war on terror; after the Taliban refused his demands, U.S.-led military operations in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001.

Read the full text at georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov

Primary Source

The original record, reproduced or linked from the institution that holds it. Primary sources show what people said and did in their own words.

Subjects

national security terrorism foreign policy september 11

From the library

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