1608 Nov. 7 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2001 institutions on notice: If you do business with porters with Internet service, secure tele- terrorists, if you support them or sponsor phone communications, and other ways of them, you will not do business with the sending messages and sharing information. United States of America. They even arrange for the shipment of weap- Today we are taking another step in our ons. fight against evil. We are shutting down two They present themselves as legitimate major elements of the terrorists international businesses. But they skim money from every financial network, both at home and abroad. transaction for the benefit of terrorist organi- Ours is not a war just of soldiers and aircraft. zations. They enable the proceeds of crime It’s a war fought with diplomacy, by the in- in one country to be transferred to pay for vestigations of law enforcement, by gathering terrorist acts in another. intelligence, and by cutting off the terrorists’ The entry point to these networks may be money. a small storefront operation, but follow the I want to thank Secretary Paul O’Neill for network to its center and you discover being here today and for being the leader wealthy banks and sophisticated technology, of this fine organization. I want to thank the all at the service of mass murderers. By shut- Director, Jim Sloan, as well. You’re doing ting these networks down, we disrupt the some imaginative work here at the Financial murderers’ work. Today’s action interrupts Al Crimes Enforcement Network, and I want Qaida’s communications; it blocks an impor- to thank all the fine Americans who are on tant source of funds. It provides us with valu- the frontline of our war, the people who work able information and sends a clear message here. to global financial institutions: You are with I want to thank Secretary Colin Powell for us, or you are with the terrorists. And if being here, as well. He’s doing a magnificent you’re with the terrorists, you will face the job of stitching together one of the greatest consequences. coalitions ever, a coalition of nations that We fight an enemy who hides in caves in stands for freedom. And I want to thank our Afghanistan and in the shadows within in our Attorney General for coming—the man own society. It’s an enemy who can only sur- whose job it is to make sure that any time vive in darkness. Today we’ve taken another we find anybody inside our country who will important action to expose the enemy to the threaten an American, threaten our institu- light and to disrupt its ability to threaten tions, they will be brought to justice. And America and innocent life. that’s exactly what our Nation is doing. I’m proud of the actions of our agencies. Acting on solid and credible evidence, the We’re making a difference. We’re slowly but Treasury Department of the United States surely tightening the noose, and we will be today blocked the U.S. assets of 62 individ- victorious. uals and organizations connected with two Now it’s my honor to welcome the Sec- terror-supporting financial networks, the Al retary of Treasury, Paul O’Neill. Taqwa and the Al Barakaat. Their offices NOTE: The President spoke at 1:52 p.m. in the have been shut down in four U.S. States. And FinCEN office’s Multimedia Room. In his re- our G–8 partners and other friends, including marks, he referred to Shaykh Ahme Nur Jimale, the United Arab Emirates, have joined us in founder, Al Barakaat, and Usama bin Laden, lead- blocking assets and coordinating enforce- er of the Al Qaida terrorist organization. ment action. Al Taqwa is an association of offshore banks and financial management firms that Remarks Following Discussions With have helped Al Qaida shift money around the Prime Minister Tony Blair of the world. Al Barakaat is a group of money-wir- United Kingdom and an Exchange ing and communication companies owned by With Reporters a friend and supporter of Usama bin Laden. November 7, 2001 Al Taqwa and Al Barakaat raise funds for Al Qaida; they manage, invest, and distribute President Bush. The last time we were those funds. They provide terrorist sup- standing here, I was getting ready to give an VerDate 11-MAY-2000 08:21 Nov 14, 2001 Jkt 197250 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 E:\PRESDOCS\P45NOT4.009 pfrm01 PsN: P45NOT4 Administration of George W. Bush, 2001 / Nov. 7 1609 address to the United States Congress. And bit as strong today as it was on September I knew then that the Prime Minister and the the 11th. people he represents were going to be great The cause is just. The strategy is there. friends of the United States in our mutual The determination is there, and there is a struggle against terrorism, and he has cer- complete and total commitment to making tainly proven that over the last weeks. We’ve sure that this is a battle in which we will got no better friend in the world than Great prevail, and we will. I have no doubt about Britain. I’ve got no better person that I would that at all. like to talk to about our mutual concerns than What we’ve discussed already and will Tony Blair. He brings a lot of wisdom and carry on discussing is, obviously, the military judgment as we fight evil. strategy in Afghanistan. We have discussed He also is, like me, determined. Nothing the humanitarian issues to make sure that we will deter us in this all-important goal. We are doing everything we possibly can to help both recognize that we wage a fight to save the plight of people in Afghanistan. And we civilization and that we must prevail and, not should never forget that some 41⁄2 million of only must prevail, will prevail. them were refugees before the 11th of Sep- We’ve had a great discussion about tember. progress in Afghanistan. I fully believe we’re We have discussed, also, the reconstruc- making great progress. I told the American tion of Afghanistan, how we make sure that people many times, and I’ve told the press after the present Taliban regime led by corps many times that this is a struggle that’s Mullah Omar is out of the way, that we con- going to take a while, that it’s not one of struct a broad-based regime that is represent- these Kodak moments. There is no moment ative of all the different groupings in Afghan- to this; this is a long struggle and a different istan and offers some hope of stability and kind of war. But we’re patient, and our close prosperity for that part of the world. friends are patient, which is bad news for And we have, obviously, also discussed the Taliban and the people they harbor. how important it is that at this moment in Secondly, we talked a lot about making time, we carry on building that strong coali- sure that our great compassion for the inno- tion against international terrorism in all its cents in Afghanistan is fulfilled. We must forms. And I believe that that coalition, if feed the people. And the Prime Minister anything, is even stronger today. has—every time I’ve talked to him, which is Certainly, from the discussions I had with a lot, is constantly talking about how we make European leaders just a few days ago, their sure that we fulfill the mission, not only mili- commitment is real, and their determination tary but fulfill the mission of helping people is also absolute to see this thing done. So in need. And also, we continue to discuss the can I once again thank President Bush very vision of a post-Taliban Afghanistan, and how much for his kindness in welcoming me here. do we make sure that all parties involved in President Bush. The Prime Minister has that part of the world have a stake in the consented to take a couple of questions, as future? He’s got a clear vision; he is a strong will I. We are going to enforce the one-ques- friend; and I welcome him back to the White tion rule, however, Fournier [Ron Fournier, House. Associated Press]. And that is, you get to ask Prime Minister Blair. First of all, can I me or him a question. [Laughter] say how pleased I am to be back at the White Q. That’s an Executive order? House in the company of President Bush and President Bush. Well—[laughter]. to have continued the discussions we’ve been Prime Minister Blair. It looks like it. having over these past weeks and continue Are you going to go first, George, or what? them face to face. And can I thank him once again for his leadership and his strength at Progress in the War on Terrorism this time. And can I say to him, on behalf Q. It has been 8 weeks since the Sep- of the people of my country, but I believe tember 11th attacks, and we don’t know people right across the world, that the deter- where Usama bin Laden is. It has been sev- mination to see that justice is done is every eral weeks since the anthrax attacks, but we VerDate 11-MAY-2000 08:21 Nov 14, 2001 Jkt 197250 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 E:\PRESDOCS\P45NOT4.009 pfrm01 PsN: P45NOT4 1610 Nov.