America Declares War!
George W. Bush Declares War on Terror
The US Code for terrorism § 2339B, makes it unlawful, within the United States, or for any person who is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States anywhere, to knowingly provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization that has been designated by the Secretary of State. See Pub. L. 104-132, § 303, 110 Stat.
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. Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom – the great achievement of our time, and the great hope of every time – now depends on us. Our nation – this generation – will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.”
On September 20, 2001, President George W. Bush demanded that the Taliban stop harboring members of al-Qaeda, and warned that the GWOT would not end until terrorism was eradicated. Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there.
“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.”
-- President George W. Bush, September 20, 2001
On September 24, 2001, the President announced that he had signed an executive order to freeze the assets of terrorist groups and other entities that funded terrorist activity. This was the beginning of efforts to deny financing to terrorists and terrorist groups.
“And, by the way, this list is just a beginning. We will continue to add more names to the list. We will freeze the assets of others as we find that they aid and abet terrorist organizations around the world. We've established a foreign terrorist asset tracking center at the Department of the Treasury to identify and investigate the financial infrastructure of the international terrorist networks.”
-- President George W. Bush, September 24, 2001
Select speech cards used by President George W. Bush to announce the invasion of Afghanistan, October 7, 2001. From the White House Treaty Room, the President informed the nation that military action - Operation Enduring Freedom - would remove the Taliban regime and eliminate al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
The above taken from the George W. Bush Library:
The Bush Doctrine holds that enemies of the US use terrorism as a war of ideology against the nation. The responsibility of the US is to protect itself by promoting democracy where the terrorists are located so as to undermine the basis for terrorist activities.
What is the main reason for terrorism?
Their violent actions are a means to change their situation and the status quo. Their aims are to acquire power. These causes are based on five factors: resistance to colonial rule, ethnic separation, internal political factors, support for external factors, and ideological beliefs.
As terrorists threaten both the state's citizens and the way of life that it protects, a war against particular groups of terrorists is justified in terms of the state's right to preserve itself.
September 11 attacks, also called 9/11 attacks, series of airline hijackings and suicide attacks committed in 2001 by 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda against targets in the United States, the deadliest terrorist attacks on American soil in U.S. history.
The hijacked Flight 11 was crashed into floors 93 to 99 of the North Tower (1 WTC) at 8:46 a.m. The hijacked Flight 175 struck floors 77 to 85 of the South Tower (2 WTC) 17 minutes later at 9:03 a.m. When the towers were struck, between 16,400 and 18,000 people were in the WTC complex.
Flight 93 crashed only 20 minutes flying-time from Washington, D.C.Because of the quick and determined actions of the passengers and crew, Flight 93 was the only one of the four hijacked aircraft that failed to reach the terrorists' intended target that day.
The 9/11 terrorist attacks killed 2,977 people and injured thousands at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Commemorative events are held at all three sites on the anniversary of the attacks.
Immediately following the attacks, massive search and rescue operations were launched, and terrorism investigations led to the declaration of War on Terrorism that launched military engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Following 9/11, the federal government moved quickly to develop a security framework to protect our country from large-scale attacks directed from abroad, while enhancing federal, state, and local capabilities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from threats and disasters at home.
The United States went to Afghanistan in 2001 to wage a necessary war of self-defense. On September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda terrorists attacked our country. They were able to plan and execute such a horrific attack because their Taliban hosts had given them safe haven in Afghanistan.
Following a failed attempt to appeal to the United Nations for a mandate to invade Iraq, the United States, along with forces from Australia, Denmark, Netherlands, Poland, and Great Britain launched Operation Iraqi Freedom on March 19, 2003.
In Operation Enduring Freedom, the United States built a worldwide coalition of 70 countries that destroyed terrorist training camps, dismantled the brutal Taliban regime, denied al Qaeda a safe haven in Afghanistan, and saved a people from starvation.
President Bush makes remarks in 2006 during a press conference the Rose Garden about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and discusses North Korea’s nuclear test.
On March 9, 2006, President Bush Signed The USA PATRIOT Improvement And Reauthorization Act Of 2005. Since its enactment in October 2001, the Patriot Act has been vital to winning the War on Terror and protecting the American people.
The term "USA PATRIOT Act" means the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001 ( Public Law 107–56 ). ( Pub. L. 107–173, §2, May 14, 2002, 116 Stat.
The Patriot Act removed the "wall" that prevented our law-enforcement and foreign counterintelligence investigators from sharing information. The Patriot Act also gives intelligence officials and law-enforcement officers the necessary tools to identify, apprehend, and prosecute terrorists within our borders.
Defenders of the First Amendment contended that the Patriot Act weakened citizens' rights by allowing government access to confidential information and authorizing so-called “sneak and peak” search warrants without probable cause.
The biggest criticism was that the Patriot Act violated the Fourth Amendment by allowing the government to access the private information of US citizens. Critics countered that the Act violated fundamental constitutional rights to free speech, privacy, and due process. Led by the American Civil Liberties Union, the opponents of the Act challenged specific sections of this legislation.
The Patriot Act was written with “sunset” provisions requiring Congress to re-authorize the program every few years. Although the Act expired in March, 2020 without being reauthorized, federal law enforcement agencies retain most of the authorities granted by the act.
The Department of Homeland Security works every day to prevent terrorists and other threat actors from using these weapons to harm Americans.
Although combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have ended, other aspects of the Global War on Terror - such as efforts to prevent the financing of terrorism - continue to this day. So, basically, we are in a new age.
The “War on Terror” will NEVER STOP, and ALL Americans need to remain vigilant!
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https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010920-8.html
https://2001-2009.state.gov/s/ct/rls/wh/6947.htm
https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/infocus/achievement/chap1-nrn.html
https://millercenter.org/president/gwbush/foreign-affairs
https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/george-w-bush/
https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1398&context=jil
https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/war-on-terror-timeline
https://bridge.georgetown.edu/research/factsheet-war-on-terror/
We can’t fix anything until or unless the Democratic Party regains the majority across the board for a consistent period of consecutive terms and the GOP flushes out its fascistic invaders. Voters must recognize the chaos and do something about it. Otherwise, the rest of the coffin nails will be hammered into the Republic.
What if those terrorists are enemies within? I can think of a magafew who could be certified as such, who have an actionable record. This could be addressed and discussed with cause, with deliberation and a course of remedies.