For Immediate Release
August 9, 2004

Global Message

From President Bush's Radio Address, 8/7/04

In the three years since the United States was attacked, President Bush and his Administration have taken important steps to overcome terrorism.

We have pursued terrorists across the world, destroying their leadership and denying them sanctuaries. We are working with other governments to break up terrorist cells, and stop planned attacks, on virtually every continent. We have transformed the FBI to focus on the prevention of terrorist attacks, among many other measures.

The 9/11 Commission is right: because of these steps, at home and abroad, our country is safer than it was on September the 11, 2001. Yet, we are still not safe.

This week, President Bush asked Congress to create the position of a National Intelligence Director. The Director will serve as the President's principal intelligence advisor and will oversee and coordinate the foreign and domestic intelligence community. The CIA will be managed by a separate Director. The National Intelligence Director will assume the broader responsibility of leading the intelligence community across our government -- and he or she will have the resources and authority to meet that responsibility.

President Bush also announced this week that we will establish a new National Counter-Terrorism Center. This center will build on the excellent work of the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, and will become our government's knowledge bank for information about known and suspected terrorists.

We will act on other valuable recommendations made by the 9/11 commission. In coming days, President Bush will issue a series of directives to various departments on essential steps for the U.S. government on the war on terror.