Published: July 21, 2005
United States Fighting Terror by Going on Offensive, Bush Says
President calls terrorist ideology a misinterpretation of Islam
President Bush said that in the War on Terror, the United States and its allies are facing "cold-blooded killers" and that his administration is meeting the threat by going on the offensive, as well as by promoting democracy and freedom.
Speaking July 20 at the Dundalk Marine Terminal in Baltimore, Bush said, "The only way to defeat an ideology of hatred is with an ideology of hope," which is "found in democracy and freedom."
History has shown that democratic countries are peaceful, and that democracy and freedom can convert "enemies into allies," he said.
"[T]hese people believe that there should be no dissent, no freedom, no rights for women, that there only ought to be one religion which is a misinterpretation of the great religion of Islam," the president said.
Recalling the July 7 bombings in London, Bush contrasted the gathering of leaders for the Group of Eight (G8) summit in Scotland who came to "discuss how nations that have been blessed with riches can do our part to save lives," with the terrorists who "murdered in cold blood people from all walks of life," in the midst of the G8 discussions.
The contrast, he said, "should be a vivid reminder about the world in which we live. We will not let down our guard."
Security authorities "have to be right 100 percent of the time" while "the enemy only has to be right one time," Bush said. "[T]herefore, the best way to protect the homeland is to go on the offense, is to find these people in foreign lands and bring them to justice before they come here to hurt us."
He also ruled out negotiating or reasoning with terrorists to try to "convince them to change their ways."
"These are cold-blooded ideologues who will kill. And therefore, we've got to plan for the worst," Bush said.
The president detailed federal spending initiatives to help secure mass transit and other infrastructure projects in the United States, as well methods of improving the security of U.S. seaports, such as improved cargo screening and inspection methods.
He also urged the U.S. Congress to renew the Patriot Act, saying the legislation "closed dangerous gaps in America's law enforcement and intelligence capabilities," which terrorists exploited for the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.
Source: US State Department
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