Sep 11 Quotes

World Trade Center: Attack and Aftermath

There are 27 quotations in this topic:

What I can't get out of my mind is the fact that they used our own planes. I grew up in the Cold War, when we always pictured the threat as coming in the form of missiles -- sleek, efficient death machines, unmanned, hurtling over the North Pole from far away. But what came, instead, were our own commercial airliners....They were able to do it in part because our airport security is pathetic. But mainly they were able to do it because we are an open and trusting society that simply is not set up to cope with evil men, right here among us, who want to kill as many Americans as they can. That's what's so hard to comprehend: They want us to die just for being Americans. They don't care which Americans die: military Americans, civilian Americans, young Americans, old Americans. Baby Americans. They don't care. To them, we're all mortal enemies. The truth is that most Americans, until Tuesday, were only dimly aware of their existence, and posed no threat to them. But that doesn't matter to them; all that matters is that we're Americans. And so they used our own planes to kill us. And then their supporters celebrated in the streets.: —Dave Barry, Sep 16, 2001
"Just for being Americans..."
in Miami Herald

Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.: —President George W. Bush, Sep 20, 2001
Address to Congress

Great tragedy has come to us, and we are meeting it with the best that is in our country, with courage and concern for others. Because this is America. This is who we are. This is what our enemies hate and have attacked. And this is why we will prevail.: —President George W. Bush, Sep 15, 2001

In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect....Those who feel like they can intimidate our fellow citizens to take out their anger don't represent the best of America. They represent the worst of humankind. And they should be ashamed of that kind of behavior.: —President George W. Bush, Sep 17, 2001
Address at a Washington, D.C. mosque

Just three days removed from these events, Americans do not yet have the distance of history, but our responsibility to history is already clear: to answer these attacks and rid the world of evil.: —President George W. Bush, Sep 14, 2001
Prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral

Make no mistake, the United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts.: —President George W. Bush, Sep 11, 2001

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.: —President George W. Bush, Sep 20, 2001
Address to Congress

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.: —President George W. Bush, Sep 20, 2001
Address to Congress

This country will define our times, not be defined by them.: —President George W. Bush, Sep 20, 2001
Address to Congress

This is a conflict without battlefields or beachheads, a conflict with opponents who believe they are invisible. Yet, they are mistaken. They will be exposed, and they will discover what others in the past have learned: Those who make war against the United States have chosen their own destruction.: —President George W. Bush, Sep 15, 2001

This is not, however, just America's fight. And what is at stake is not just America's freedom. This is the world's fight. This is civilization's fight. This is the fight of all who believe in progress and pluralism, tolerance and freedom....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.: —President George W. Bush, Sep 20, 2001
Address to Congress

This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others; it will end in a way and at an hour of our choosing.: —President George W. Bush, Sep 14, 2001
Prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral

Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts....These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation....America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.: —President George W. Bush, Sep 11, 2001
Address to the Nation

Tonight, the United States of America makes the following demands on the Taliban: Deliver to United States authorities all the leaders of al Qaeda who hide in your land. Release all foreign nationals, including American citizens, you have unjustly imprisoned. Protect foreign journalists, diplomats and aid workers in your country. Close immediately and permanently every terrorist training camp in Afghanistan, and hand over every terrorist, and every person in their support structure, to appropriate authorities. Give the United States full access to terrorist training camps, so we can make sure they are no longer operating. These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion.: —President George W. Bush, Sep 20, 2001
Address to Congress

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.: —President George W. Bush, Sep 20, 2001
Address to Congress

We're going to find those evil-doers, those barbaric people who attacked our country, and we're going to hold them accountable, and we're going to hold the people who house them accountable. The people who think they can provide them safe havens will be held accountable. The people who feed them will be held accountable. And the Taliban must take my statement seriously.: —President George W. Bush, Sep 17, 2001

Why do [the terrorists] 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.: —President George W. Bush, Sep 20, 2001
Address to Congress

If it is determined that this attack was directed from abroad against the United States, it shall be regarded as an action covered by Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.: —Lord Robertson, NATO Secretary General, Sep 12, 2001

The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.: —Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty ("Treaty of Washington"), 1949

At this critical moment, the United States can rely on its 18 Allies in North America and Europe for assistance and support. NATO solidarity remains the essence of our Alliance. Our message to the people of the United States is that we are with you. Our message to those who perpetrated these unspeakable crimes is equally clear: you will not get away with it.: —NATO North Atlantic Council, Sep 11, 2001

The NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council, meeting in extraordinary session at Ambassadorial level on 13 September 2001, expressed its anger and indignation at the barbaric acts committed against the people of the United States of America. The deepest sympathies of Allies and Russia lie with the victims and their families. While Allies and Russia have suffered from terrorist attacks against civilians, the horrific scale of the attacks of 11 September is without precedent in modern history. NATO and Russia are united in their resolve not to let those responsible for such an inhuman act to go unpunished. NATO and Russia call on the entire international community to unite in the struggle against terrorism. NATO and Russia will intensify their cooperation under the Founding Act to defeat this scourge.: —NATO press statement, Sep 13, 2001

Do not give terrorists the victory a hundred Pentagons and a thousand World Trade Centers could not. Hatred on account of culture or religion is unworthy of us at any time. But in the wake of Tuesday's events, it's tantamount to giving aid and comfort to the enemy....The enemy is not Arab people or the Muslim religion. The enemy is fanaticism, extremism, intolerance, hate. The madmen who commandeered those planes don't represent the followers of Islam any more than the madmen who blow up abortion clinics represent the followers of Christ.: —Leonard Pitts, Jr., Sep 13, 2001
"Hatred is unworthy of us"
in Miami Herald

Human life is the currency of war. We need to be sure we understand that.: —Leonard Pitts, Jr., Sep 16, 2001
"Enemies made us remember our heritage"
in Miami Herald

It's ignorant to think you can judge a man's soul by looking at his face.: —Leonard Pitts, Jr., Sep 13, 2001
"Hatred is unworthy of us"
in Miami Herald

Our enemies don't expect us to understand that this conflict won't be just another video game, don't expect us to have the stomach for the sort of up-close and personal war that looms. They sought to cow us with a single murderous strike. Instead, they did the opposite. They yanked us out of idyll and reverie, forced us to confront the demands of our common heritage. God help them. They made us remember who we are.: —Leonard Pitts, Jr., Sep 16, 2001
"Enemies made us remember our heritage"
in Miami Herald


What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's attack on our World Trade Center, our Pentagon, us? What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was, please know that you failed.: —Leonard Pitts, Jr., Sep 12, 2001
"We'll go forward from this moment"
in Miami Herald

We're Americans; we don't walk around terrified.: —Secretary of State Colin Powell, Sep 12, 2001
on American resolve, following the World Trade Center attack.