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"A Year After..."
Published in El País
newspaper on September 11, 2002 |
Across the United States today and around the globe, we recall with great sadness the brutal and cowardly terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. On that day nearly 3000 people, citizens from over ninety countries, including Spain, woke up, went to work, and never returned home to their loved ones. One year later I am still tormented by the grief and emptiness cast upon the victims' families, friends and, indeed, civilized people around the world. My wife, Julia, and I will participate in several ceremonies today, including one with the staff and families of the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, and in other private and public commemorative services. Through these solemn events, we honor both those who were victims of the terrorist attacks and those whose heroic efforts saved lives. And in so doing we reaffirm on this day our commitment to the fight against terrorism wherever terrorists may seek to destabilize entire nations and regions.
When President Bush announced, during his visit to Spain in June 2001, "We stand shoulder to shoulder with Spain in its fight against terrorism," few imagined that the U.S. would be the next terrorist target. One year has now passed since the start of the war on terror, and I believe it is fitting for us to reflect on what has been accomplished, and what we can do together to further our goal in what will most assuredly be a long struggle waged on many fronts.
The world responded to the tragic events of September 11 by building a mighty and determined coalition to defend itself. Virtually every nation and every organization stood with us. Together we have made significant progress against international terrorist networks that threaten our freedom, prosperity, tolerance, and security. At the start of the war, the people of Afghanistan suffered under a repressive, totalitarian regime known as the Taliban. The Taliban imprisoned women in their homes and denied them access to basic heath care and education. Food sent to help the starving Afghan people was stolen by their leaders. They destroyed the religious monuments of other faiths. They sought to impose their radical views through threats and violence, and they harbored Al-Qaeda, the group we now know to be responsible for the attacks of September 11. Today, the Taliban regime is gone and Al-Qaeda is on the run. In Afghanistan, a country that for so many years was a major hub for international terrorism, there is now a popularly chosen interim government working with the international community to root out the last vestiges of the Taliban's terrorist clients. More than 1.6 million Afghan refugees have returned home, where they are building new lives and participating in the reconstruction of the country. Afghan women are now finding their way into the job market and classrooms, some for the first time in their young lives. They are participating in the political debate about the country's future and some are planning to run for public office.
Over the last year, the U.S. has provided 420 million dollars for reconstruction in Afghanistan, and enough food to feed six million people for seven months. Over 16,000 troops from twenty nations are directly supporting military operations in Afghanistan that will safeguard the country's interim government, the transition to true democracy, and underwrite the will that the Afghan people have expressed through the "Grand Jerga" process. I note with gratitude and pride that Spain has been a leading voice in the anti-terrorist coalition that helped bring down the tyrannical Taliban in the past year. Spain continues working side-by-side with coalition partners to ensure a smooth political transition to democracy in Afghanistan and to help that country cope with its enormous humanitarian crisis. In addition to the united military campaign in Afghanistan, over 60,000 American and Allied troops are deployed around the world to fight terrorism.
Countries such as the United States and Spain are now working closer together to deny terrorists the financial sustenance they require to carry out their evil designs. Following September 11, the United Nations adopted two separate resolutions -- both binding upon member states under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter -- that require U.N. member states to freeze assets of those linked to terrorism: UNSCR 1390 and UNSCR 1373.
Since then, the Financial Action Task Force, created after September 11, has issued eight special recommendations on how to combat terrorist financing and 161 nations have frozen over 100 million dollars of assets associated with terrorist groups and those who support them. And we're not just talking about the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, or Hamas, to name but a few. The global fight to cut off vital funding for terrorism is having an impact on terrorism in Spain and, through increased information sharing between our two countries, the assets of twenty-one ETA affiliates have been frozen as well. In this regard, we strongly support Spain's efforts to fight ETA terrorism. Spain made the fight against terrorism its number one goal during its Presidency of the European Union, paving the way for a formal declaration by the EU designating ETA as a terrorist organizationOne terrorist organization operating anywhere is a threat to liberty everywhere.
We're doing our part as well, at home in the United States, to ensure that the horrific tragedy we all witnessed on September 11 is never repeated. The U.S. Congress authorized the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, which now coordinates information gathered by state and federal government agencies in areas vital to America's security, such as border and transportation security, domestic counter terrorism, intelligence, and emergency preparedness. The new Department is not "Big Brother," as some have dubbed it; it has the backing of the vast majority of Americans, whose liberties and right to privacy remain protected by law.
We have also been engaged in an extensive, ongoing review of visa issuing practices as they relate to the security of our borders and our nation. We have new laws that require exercising closer screening of visa applicants and we have developed better technology and expanded information sharing between the State Department, law enforcement and intelligence agencies
Despite these advances and victories the battle against terrorism is far from won and the threat to the world's security and democratic way of life is far from over. Al-Qaeda operatives and like-minded murderers, although deprived of an unfettered sanctuary in Afghanistan, continue to plan and conduct terrorism. Terrorists thwart hopes for a peaceful settlement to the long, bloody, destabilizing conflict in the Middle East. Terrorists still plague Colombia, the Philippines, Algeria, Spain, and other nations in every region of the world. Extremists claiming to act on behalf of the people of Kashmir have escalated their aggressive use of terrorism, pushing India and Pakistan to the brink of war between nuclear powers that could bring untold suffering to the peoples of the region.
As we strive against terrorism, we must recognize that the enemies we face do not sit idle. The attacks that our allies and we have suffered since September 11, including the June 14 bombing of the U.S. consulate in Karachi, make it painfully clear that terrorists can and do adapt. It is also clear from discoveries made in the United States and elsewhere that some seek to increase the devastation and destruction of their terrorist acts by using weapons of mass destruction. Al-Qaeda and similar-minded groups and individuals continue to use their international networks, which put to use all the tools of globalization for nefarious purposes, to probe and exploit gaps in global counterterrorism defenses.
Much has been accomplished in the first year of the war on terror, but the struggle will require vigilance, perseverance, and sacrifice for many years to come. We must keep the fight against terrorism at the top of everyone's agenda in every region of the globe and remain engaged in furthering its goals. The United States and other countries with counterterrorism skills must assist less experienced coalition partners in building their counter terrorism capabilities. We must maintain and expand the international cooperation that is the prerequisite for success in the campaign against terrorism. No nation can succeed in this campaign without allies and partners in the struggle. We must keep the faith, knowing that what we are doing together is in the interests of a more just, prosperous, and peaceful world.
We will continue to count on the support of our friends, such as Spain, and we will honor the memory of those who perished on this day one year ago. We offer our gratitude to this great nation for its unwavering support on that tragic day and since, and we remain united in this just cause.
When US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Foreign Minister Piqué sign the Protocol of Amendment to the bilateral Agreement on Defense Cooperation on Wednesday, they will take our long and relationship into the twenty-first century. This agreement, together with the Declaration of Principles, will lay out a road map for defense cooperation between our two countries for the next decade, and beyond. At a time when the threat of global terrorism seeks to destabilize, these agreements make sure our countries are prepared to respond to the threats of the future.
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