3.1 |
Development of UK strategy and options, 9/11 to early January
2002
95.
President Bush
stated that the evidence for responsibility for the attacks
on
11 September
pointed to “a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist
organizations” known
as Al
Qaida, which was also linked to “many other organizations in
different countries”.
Al Qaida
had “great influence” in Afghanistan, and supported the Taliban
regime.
96.
President Bush
condemned the Taliban regime for “aiding and abetting
murder”,
and demanded
that it should:
“Deliver to
United States authorities all the leaders of Al Qaida who hide in
your
land …
Release all foreign nationals … Protect foreign journalists,
diplomats and
aid workers
… 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 … The Taliban must act, and
act
immediately.
They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their
fate.”
97.
President Bush
stated:
“Our war on
terror begins with Al Qaida, but it does not end there. It will not
end until
every
terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped, and
defeated.
…
“… How will
we fight and win this war? We will direct every resource at
our
command –
every means of diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every
instrument of
law
enforcement, every financial influence, and every necessary
instrument of war –
to the
disruption and to the defeat of the global terror
network.
“This war
will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago … It will not
look like the
air war
above Kosovo …
“Our
response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated
strikes.
Americans
should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any
other
we have
ever seen … And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe
haven to
terrorism.
Every nation … now has a decision to make. Either you are with us,
or you
are with
the terrorists … From this day forward, any nation that continues
to harbour
or support
terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile
regime.”
98.
The attacks
on 11 September 2001 fundamentally changed the context
within
which the
US Administration and the UK Government viewed policy towards
Iraq.
99.
Secretary
Rumsfeld recorded that President Bush had first asked him to “look
at
the shape
of our military plans on Iraq” on 26 September; and had said that
the options
51
Rumsfeld
D. Known and
Unknown: A Memoir. Sentinel,
2011.
329