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CNN Live Today
President Bush Makes Remarks on War on Terror
Aired February 09, 2006 - 09:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are very busy indeed. We are following not one, not two, three live events this is hour on CNN LIVE TODAY.
On the left side of the screen, the National Guard Memorial Building in Washington, D.C. President Bush is speaking there any moment now on the war on terror, providing new details about terror plots against the U.S. that may have been thwarted.
In the middle of your screen, Lieutenant General Russell Honore, the man who took charge of the Gulf Coast in the weeks following Hurricane Katrina. He will be among those testifying this morning about the military's response to the disaster and whether it should have come sooner.
And on the right of your screen, Cambridge, Massachusetts, where a news conference on the arrest of Neil Entwistle is about to begin. Now Neil Entwistle is the man, a British man who returned to England around the same time his wife and infant daughter were found murdered just outside of Boston. He was arrested and charged just a couple of hours ago in London.
And this is a story that has captured the attention not just of Boston, but of -- across the U.S. and also into England. To give you a little bit more background, Rachel Entwistle, who was 27, and her 9- month-old daughter Lillian, were found dead on January 22nd...
in their home in a Boston suburb. Neil Entwistle, right after that, was found to have gone back to his native England. And he now faces murder charges. And there had to be cooperation between American and British authorities as well. This took a while to unfold here because police had searched the family's home the day before the bodies were discovered but they didn't see anything wrong. It was only later that they discovered the bodies. Let's go ahead and listen in to the news conference in Boston.
MARTHA COAKLEY, MIDDLESEX COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: District Attorney Martha Coakley from Middlesex. On my right is Hopkinton Detective Scott van Raalten. Next to him is Hopkinton Chief Tom Irvin. On my left is Detective Lieutenant James Conley (ph) from the state police assigned to the district attorney's office. And on his left is Detective John Porter.
Neil Entwistle was arrested this morning just before noon London time, just before 7:00 our time, on two charges of murder, the murder of Rachel Entwistle and Lillian Entwistle, one charge of possession of a firearm and one charge of possession of ammunition.
Yesterday, based upon some investigative information culminating in what's been a 24/7 three-week investigation, authorities from state police and from Hopkinton sought an arrest warrant from the Framingham District Court. In accordance with the appropriate protocol, yesterday afternoon we applied through the Department of Justice in Washington for a provisional extradition arrest warrant for Neil Entwistle. That was sent to British authorities. Once Scotland Yard had that, they applied for a warrant. And having that warrant in hand today, they affected the arrest of Neil Entwistle.
With the assistance, obviously, of Scotland Yard and the Metropolitan Police Extradition Unit, he was placed under arrest without incident at a subway stop in London.
What I want to tell you is background based upon the investigation to date as to what authorities believe happened. And I want to just say that some of the background to this may be that Neil Entwistle, having entered into some debt obligations in England, having moved to this country with his new wife and child, attempting to start businesses which, as many of you know, were not effective on the Internet, on eBay, and also undertaking a lease and other financial obligations may have found himself in financial difficulty.
What we also know is that on Thursday night, Rachel was alive and had spoken with family members. And this is what authorities believe happened. That on some time Friday morning, Neil Entwistle, with a firearm that we believe he had secured at some time before that from his father-in-law Joseph Matterazzo, shot Rachel Entwistle in the head and then proceeded to shoot baby Lillian, who was lying on the bed next to her mother.
We believe possibly that this was intended to be a murder suicide, but we cannot confirm that. Obviously, the murder was affected, the suicide was not. And what we believe happened next is that Neil Entwistle returned the gun to his father-in-law's home in Carver, that he then made preparations to leave the country which, as you know and as we know, he was observed at Logan airport. He purchased a one-way ticket on British Airways at approximately 5:00 a.m. on Saturday morning January 22nd, and that he was on an 8:15 flight to the United Kingdom that day.
He was then in Worksop, England, with his parents. As you know, authorities from Hopkinton and from the state police went to the U.K. to pursue the investigation. We had indicated, obviously, as we would in any case like this, that he was someone of interest to us. They were able to speak with authorities and speak with certain individuals in London and they returned. Meanwhile, the investigation pursued.
We explored motive. We explored with witnesses, with information from searches that we performed, Internet capabilities that, based upon that information, and based upon forensic information late Tuesday afternoon that linked the 22 handgun owned by Joseph Matterazzo both to Neil Entwistle and to Rachel, that we believe we had probable cause to seek an arrest warrant for Neil Entwistle's arrest, which is what we did, which I explained earlier. What I will say is that, as many of you know, as prosecutors, we are very limited in the information that we can release. At the time we filed a complaint and for very good reason. I must explain to you that Neil Entwistle is under arrest, but he is innocent until he is proven guilty by a court in this country.
There will be proceedings in London and we do not have a specific time line on that. As you know, he will face a bail proceedings perhaps today but more likely tomorrow. And after that, we don't have a specific time line yet as to when he might be returned to this country to face these charges. But he is innocent until proven guilty and that is important to understand. Based upon that, I will answer whatever questions I can.
QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).
COAKLEY: There is not.
QUESTION: What was he doing on a subway. Can you explain that process? Because he had been at home with his parents, I'm assuming under police surveillance over the past several weeks. How did he get from there to the subway and was he trying . . .
KAGAN: We've been listening in to a news conference in Boston as prosecutors talk about extradition proceedings for Neil Entwistle in the murder of his wife and baby daughter. We'll have much more on that story in just a moment. Right now to President Bush in Washington, D.C.
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GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... counted on the Guard to protect our land and defend our way of life.
The role of the Guard in our military is unique. It's the only part of the armed forces that serves both the state and the nation.
And in the past year, Americans have witnessed the courage of our guardsmen and -women at home and abroad.
When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast last year, more than 40,000 guardsmen and -women rushed to the impact zone. It was the largest stateside deployment in National Guard history.
They conducted search and rescue operations, distributed food and water, provided emergency medical care, protected communities from criminality, and worked around the clock to repair homes and restore power.
Guard units from all 50 states, three U.S. territories and the District of Columbia provided assistance. And together, they saved lives and helped evacuate over 175,000 people stranded by the storm.
When the Pennsylvania National Guard came to repair the roof of a Louisiana woman, she said this to the soldiers: "That's a long way to come to help us. We're really grateful. You boys are going to Heaven, I tell you."
(LAUGHTER)
When tragedy strikes, Americans know they can count on the men and women of the National Guard.
As you protect your neighbors from natural disasters, you're also protecting the American people from terrorist dangers. Since September the 11th, 2001, more than 260,000 members of the National Guard have been mobilized for various missions in the war on terror.
At this moment, guardsmen and -women are training the Afghan national army, standing watch over the world's most dangerous terrorists in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and taking the fight to the enemy in Iraq.
Across the world and on every front, the men and women of the Guard are serving with courage and determination. And they're bringing us to victory in the global war on terror. This service is vital to the security of the country and the peace of the world. And that service would not be possible without the support of the Guard families.
Guard loved ones miss their husband or wife or son and daughter. They worry when our guardspeople are deployed overseas. By standing behind our guardsmen and -women, the families of the Guard serve our country as well. And America appreciates their service.
Our nation also depends on the commitment of the employers of the guardsmen and -women. In offices and schools and factories across America, organizations do without the talents of some really fine people that have been called upon to protect our nation. Businesses that are putting patriotism ahead of profit deserve the gratitude of all Americans.
Each of the guardsmen and -women have stepped forward to defend our country and our country owes them something in return.
We have taken a number of steps to improve the call-up process so it's more respectful to the guardsmen and -women and the families.
In most cases, we're now giving you at least 30 days' notification before mobilization so that you and your families have time to make arrangements.
We're working to give you as much certainty as possible about the length of mobilizations so you can know when you'll be able to resume civilian life.
We're working to minimize the number of extensions and repeat mobilizations.
We're working to ensure that you and your families are treated with the dignity they deserve.
We're also taking steps to improve the quality of life. We've expanded health care benefits for Guard and Reserve forces and their families, giving them access to the military's TRICARE system.
We're also expanding access to education for America's citizen soldiers.
I was proud to sign legislation providing our Guard and Reserve forces between 40 percent to 80 percent of education benefits available to active-duty forces, depending on the length of their mobilization in the war on terror.
We also tripled the amount that can be paid for re-enlisting in the National Guard or Reserve. For last month, I signed into law a new retention bonus for guardsmen and reservists with critical skills needed in this war on terror.
Our guardsmen and reservists are standing up for America, and you need to know that this administration supports you in your efforts.
We're working to give you the tools and resources you need to prevail in the war on terror and meet state and homeland secures missions, as well.
My 2007 budget that I just submitted to the Congress increases funding for our men and women of armed forces by $28.5 billion. That includes vital funds to help the National Guard meet its responsibilities during this war.
The Army National Guard currently has about 330,000 soldiers and my 2007 budget funds the Guard at that level.
As the Guard recruits above that level, we will make certain that there is funding in place for every citizen who steps forward to wear the uniform.
(APPLAUSE)
And to ensure that the Army and Air National Guard are ready for any challenge, my budget more than doubles funding for equipment and modernization over the next five years.
(APPLAUSE)
Any time we've got folks in harm's way, they deserve the best: the best pay possible, the best training possible and the best equipment possible.
It's a commitment this administration has made since I've been the commander in chief and it's a commitment we will keep.
(APPLAUSE)
We remain a nation at war. I wish I could report a different sentence to you, but my job as the president of the United States is to keep the American people fully informed of the world in which we live.
In recent months I've spoken extensively about our strategy for victory in Iraq.
Today, I'm going to give you an update on the progress that we're making in the broader war on terror, the actions of our global coalition to break up terrorist networks across the world, and plots we've disrupted that have saved American lives, and how the rise of freedom is leading millions to reject the dark ideology of the terrorists and lay in the foundation of peace for generations to come.
On September the 11th, 2001, our nation saw that vast oceans and great distances could no longer keep us safe. I made a decision that day that America will not wait to be attacked again.
(APPLAUSE)
And since that day, we've taken decisive action to protect our citizens against new dangers.
We're hunting down the terrorists using every element of our national power: military intelligence, law enforcement, diplomatic and financial.
We're clarifying the choice facing every nation. In this struggle between freedom and terror, every nation has responsibilities and no one can remain neutral.
Since September the 11th, we've led a broad coalition to confront the terrorist threat. Four weeks after the attacks, America and our allies launched military operations to eliminate the terrorists' principal sanctuary in the nation of Afghanistan.
I told the world that if you harbor a terrorist you're equally as guilty as the terrorists, and when American president says something, he better mean what he said. I meant what I said.
(APPLAUSE)
We removed a cruel regime that oppressed its people, brutalized women and girls, and gave safe haven to the terrorists who attacked America.
Because we acted, the terror camps in Afghanistan have been shut down and 25 million people have tasted freedom, many for the first time in their lives.
Afghanistan now has a democratically elected president, a new national assembly and the beginnings of a market economy. Women are working and starting their own businesses. Boys and girls are back in school. The Afghan people are building the institutions of a lasting democracy and the foundations of a hopeful future for their children and their grandchildren.
Afghanistan still faces serious challenges, from illicit drug trafficking to continued violence from Al Qaida and the remnants of the Taliban regime. So the international community is working together to help Afghanistan's young democracy succeed. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Tony Blair hosted over 40 nations and nine international organizations for a conference in London where they pledged $10.5 billion in aid to Afghanistan.
(APPLAUSE)
With the help of 35 nations, NATO is leading the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
The United States, Britain, Norway, Germany, Italy, Spain, Lithuania, Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand are all leading provincial reconstruction teams. These teams are helping the Afghan government extend its authority and provide security in provinces all across the country.
Our coalition has trained nearly 27,000 Afghan soldiers and more than 56,000 Afghan police so they can take the fight to the terrorists and eventually provide security for this new democracy.
Afghans forces are risking their lives to fight our common enemy. The coalition forces are proud to serve along with such courageous and bold and determined allies.
Our coalition is also working to root out and destroy terrorist networks all around the world. More than 90 nations, nearly half the world, are now cooperating in the global campaign to dry up terrorist financing, hunt down terrorist operatives and bring terrorist leaders to justice.
Some said that an aggressive strategy of bringing the war to the terrorists would cost us international support. It would drive nations from our coalition.
The opposite's happened. Today, more governments are cooperating in the fight against terror than ever before. And in one of the most significant developments of this war, many nations that once turned a blind eye to terror are now helping lead the fight against it.
A little over four years ago, Pakistan was only one of three countries in the world that recognized the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
Today, Pakistan forces are risking their lives in the hunt for Al Qaida. President Musharraf has faced several attempts on his life since his courageous decision to join the war on terror.
Before September the 11th, terrorist supporters were operating with relative ease in Saudi Arabia where fund-raisers and facilitators were providing money and logistical support to Al Qaida.
Since the Riyadh bombings in May of 2003, the Saudi government has recognized that it is a prime target of the terrorists. And in the past two and a half years, Saudi forces have killed or captured nearly all the terrorists on their most wanted list. They've reduced the flow of money to terror groups and arrested hundreds of radical fighters bound for Iraq. These governments are taking important steps to confront terror. And as they do, we'll continue to encourage them to take the path of political reform.
By respecting the rights and choices of their own people, these nations can marginalize the extremists, strengthen their societies and eliminate the conditions that feed radicalism.
These and other governments around the world are stepping forward to fight the terrorists because they know the lives of their citizens are at stake.
President Musharraf said something interesting: "Terrorism threatens to destabilize all modern societies. It cannot be condoned for any reason or cause. The people of Pakistan have suffered from terrorism, and we are making our contribution to the fight against terrorism."
President Musharraf is right: In the war against terror, there is no separate peace, and no nation can stand on the sidelines.
By standing together, the United States and our partners are striking real blows against the enemy.
Since September the 11th, 2001, our coalition has captured or killed Al Qaida managers and operatives in over two dozen countries. That includes many of Al Qaida's operational commanders, the senior leaders responsible for day-to-day planning of terrorist activities across the globe.
In November 2001, our coalition forces killed Mohammed Atef with an airstrike in Afghanistan. March 2003, his replacement, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, was captured in Pakistan. May 2005, the man who took over for him, a terrorist named al-Libbi, was captured in South Asia.
The terrorists are living under constant pressure, and this adds to our security. When terrorists spend their days working to avoid death or capture, it's harder for them to plan and execute new attacks on our country.
By striking the terrorists where they live, we're protecting the American homeland.
(APPLAUSE)
Since September the 11th, the United States and our coalition partners have disrupted a number of serious Al Qaida terrorist plots, including plots to attack targets inside the United States.
Let me give you an example.
In the weeks after September the 11th, while Americans were still recovering from an unprecedented strike on our homeland, Al Qaida was already busy planning its next attack.
We now know that in October 2001, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the September the 11th attacks, had already set in motion a plan to have terrorist operatives hijack an airplane using shoe bombs to breach the cockpit door and fly the plane into the tallest building on the West Coast.
We believe the intended target was Liberty Tower in Los Angeles, California.
Rather than use Arab hijackers as he had on September 11, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed sought out young men from Southeast Asia whom he believed would not arouse as much suspicion.
To help carry out this plan, he tapped a terrorist named Hambali, one of the leaders of an Al Qaida-affiliated group in Southeast Asia called J.I. J.I. terrorists were responsible for a series of deadly attacks in Southeast Asia and members of the group had trained with Al Qaida.
Hambali recruited several key operatives who had been training in Afghanistan. Once the operatives were recruited, they met with Osama bin Laden, and then began preparations for the West Coast attack.
Their plot was derailed in early 2002, when a Southeast Asian nation arrested a key Al Qaida operative.
Subsequent debriefings and other intelligence operations made clear the intended target and how Al Qaida hoped to execute it. This critical intelligence helped other allies capture the ringleaders and other known operatives who'd been recruited for this plot.
The West Coast plot had been thwarted. Our efforts did not end there.
In the summer of 2003, our partners in Southeast Asia conducted another successful manhunt that led to the capture of the terrorist Hambali.
This West Coast plot shows, in the war on terror, we face a relentless and determined enemy. It operates in many nations, so protecting our citizens requires unprecedented cooperation from many nations, as well.
It took the combined efforts of several countries to break up this plot. By working together, we took dangerous terrorists off the streets. By working together, we stopped a catastrophic attack on our homeland.
Across the world, our coalition is pursuing the enemy with relentless determination. And because of these efforts, the terrorists are weakened and fractured. Yet they're still lethal.
We cannot let the fact that America hadn't been attacked in four and a half years, since September the 11th, lull us into an illusion that the threats to our nation have disappeared.
They have not. Just last month, we heard Osama bin Laden declare his intention to attack America again. Our military, law enforcement, homeland security and intelligence professionals take those threats very seriously. And they are working around the clock day and night to protect us.
We are safer for their efforts, but we're not yet safe.
America remains at risk, so we must remain vigilant. We'll stay on the offensive. We will hunt down the terrorists. And we will never rest until this threat to the American people is removed.
(APPLAUSE)
We will continue to take the fight to the enemy. Yet we must also recognize, in the long run, victory will require more than military means alone.
Ultimately, the only way to defeat the terrorists is to defeat their dark vision of hatred and fear by spreading the hope of freedom to troubled regions of the world.
The terrorists have an ideology. They share a hateful vision that rejects tolerance and crushes all dissent, a world where women are oppressed and children are indoctrinated, and those who reject their ideology of violence and extremism are threatened and often murdered.
The terrorists have aims. They seek to impose their heartless ideology of totalitarian control throughout the Middle East and arm themselves with weapons of mass murder.
Their stated goal is to overthrow moderate governments, take control of countries and use them as safe havens to launch attacks against America. When an enemy states a goal and a strategy and tactics, we must take their word seriously.
To achieve their aims, the terrorists need popular support. We know this from the terrorists' own words. In a letter to his chief of operations in Iraq, the terrorist Zawahiri wrote that popular support is, quote, "a decisive factor between victory and defeat."
In the absence of this popular support, the movement would be crushed in the shadows. He went on to say, "Therefore our planning must strive to involve the Muslim masses in the battle."
So a key part of the terrorist strategy is to feed public resentment by convincing people across the Muslim world that the future holds just two choices: one of Islam and holiness and virtue and one of Western decadence, immorality and imperialism.
They use every opportunity to promote this false choice.
Sometimes they spread blatant lies about America. Other times it is American mistakes like the abuses of Abu Ghraib that give them ammunition in their campaign to foment anti-Western sentiment and rally Muslims who support their dark ideology.
The problem for the terrorists is they cannot hide the inhumanity of their ideology.
Because they lack the military strength to challenge us directly, they have turned to the weapon of fear. They seek to break our will with stunning acts of violence.
They don't understand America. They cannot shake our will. We will stay on the hunt. We will never give in. And we will win this war on terror.
(APPLAUSE)
In the terrorist campaign of violence and destruction, the majority of their victims since 9/11 have been innocent Muslims.
When the people in the Arab world see Al Qaida murdering Iraqi children or blowing up mourners in an Iraqi mosque, their outrage grows.
And as the terrorists spread violence in places like Riyadh and Istanbul and Sharm el-Sheikh and Jakarta and Bali, the people of those countries are starting to turn against the terrorists.
After terrorists bombed a Palestinian wedding at a hotel in Amman last November, thousands of Jordanians took to the street and rallied against Al Qaida. One protester carried a sign that read, "Jordan's 9/11." Others chanted, "This is not Islamic. This is terrorism."
The outrage even reached the Jordanian town of Zarqa, the birthplace of the terrorist Zarqawi who heads Al Qaida in Iraq and who was the mastermind of the Jordanian bombing. A cousin standing outside the Al Qaida leader's family home said this: "We hate him even more than other people do now."
Zarqawi was even expelled by his own tribesmen, hundreds of whom declared in a letter to a Jordanian newspaper, quote: "We renounce his actions, pronouncements or whatever he approves of. We disown him until judgment day."
Before the bombings, most Jordanians reportedly sympathized with Al Qaida. Today, only a minority sympathize with Al Qaida, and most Jordanians say its activities are not in conformity with the teachings of Islam.
Similar shifts in public opinion are beginning to appear in other parts of the Muslim world. From Pakistan to Indonesia, to Al Qaida's former home base of Afghanistan, more people now say they oppose the terrorists and their tactics.
These are positive signs. But we still have a long way to go.
So we'll continue to oppose the terrorists' ideology by offering the hopeful alternative of political freedom and peaceful change.
We're working to spread the hope of liberty across the broader Middle East because we've learned the lessons of history. Free nations don't wage wars of aggression. They don't give safe haven to terrorists to attack other democracies. Free nations are peaceful nations. And when democracy takes hold, nations replace resentment with hope, respect the rights of their citizens and their neighbors, and join the fight against the terrorists.
Every step toward freedom in the world makes this country safer, so across the world the United States of America is acting boldly in freedom's cause. We're standing with the brave people of Iraq as they risk their lives to build a strong democracy in the heart of the Middle East.
And their courage is changing their country, and it's changing the region and it's changing the world. Before January 2005 elections, the terrorists threatened anybody who voted with death. The Iraqi people defied the threats and went to the polls in that election and two other elections last year, each with larger and broader participation than the one that came before.
Iraqis are rejecting terror. They're rejecting the violence. And they want to replace terror and violence with openness and democracy.
They have made their decision, and the world saw their decision. They are showing the world that the terrorist ideology cannot compete on a level playing field with the ideology of freedom.
Iraqis still face challenges and they are serious. The terrorists and Saddamists continue to sow violence and terror. And they will continue fighting freedom's progress with all the hateful determination they can muster.
The Iraqis still have to overcome longstanding ethnic and religious tensions. And they must build the institutions of a free society that will serve all the people, not narrow political or religious interests.
These challenges ahead are complex and difficult. Yet the Iraqis are determined to overcome them, and our coalition is determined to help the Iraqi people succeed.
We're carrying out a clear strategy for victory in Iraq.
First, we're helping the Iraqis build an inclusive government, so that old resentments will be eased and the insurgency marginalized.
Second, we're continuing the reconstruction efforts and helping Iraqis build a modern economy, so all Iraqi citizens can experience the benefits of freedom.
And third, we're striking the terrorist targets; we're after the terrorists.
And at the same time, we're training Iraqi forces, which are becoming increasingly capable of defeating the enemy. The Iraqi forces show courage every day. We are proud to be their allies in the cause of freedom.
As Iraqis stand up, American and our coalition will stand down. Many of you are concerned about troop levels in Iraq. Those decisions will be made based upon conditions on the ground, based upon the recommendations of our military commanders, not based upon politics in Washington, D.C.
(APPLAUSE)
The courage of Iraqis is inspiring others across the broader Middle East to claim their freedom as well.
And the message is going forth from Damascus to Tehran that the future of the Middle East belongs to freedom.
As liberty spreads in this vital region and freedom produces opportunity and hope for those that have not known it, the terrorist temptation will start to fall away.
And as more nations claim their freedom, we will gain new allies on the war on terror and new partners in the battle for peace and moderation in the Muslim world.
Before that day comes, there will be more days of testing. The terrorists remain brutal and determined and they still have some resources at their disposal.
The attacks in London and Madrid and other cities are grim reminders of how lethal Al Qaida remains.
Money is still flowing to radical mosques and madrassas which are still turning out new terrorist recruits. Some countries like Syria and Iran still provide terrorists with support and sanctuary. And the terrorists are sophisticated at spreading propaganda and using spectacular attacks to dominate our evening news.
Yet from the vantage point of a terrorist sitting in a cave, the future seems increasingly bleak. Consider how the world looks four and a half years into the war on terror.
The terrorists have lost their home base in Afghanistan and no longer have control of a country where they can train recruits and plot new attacks.
Many of their leaders are dead or in custody and the rest of them are on the run.
They have been reduced to using messengers to communicate.
They are running low on funds and have been forced to beg the terrorists in Iraq to send money.
Countries that once allowed them free rein are now in the hunt.
Their efforts to divide the West have largely failed. And the vast majority of the world's governments are standing firm and working together in the fight against those terrorists. Iraqis are forming a unity government instead of giving into disunity, instead of fighting the civil war that the terrorists hoped to foment. Iraqi Sunnis are joining the political process.
The success of democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan is inspiring calls for change across the region.
And the terrorist strategy of attacking innocent Muslims is beginning to backfire and expose them for what they are: murderers with no respect for human life and human dignity.
Despite the violence and the suffering the terrorists are wrecking, we're winning the war on terror. Yet victory will require more courage and sacrifice.
In this war, we have said farewell to some very good men and women, including more than 360 heroes of the National Guard. We hold their loved ones in our hearts, and we lift them up in our prayers.
These brave Americans gave their lives for a cause that is just and necessary for the security of our country. And their sacrifice is sparing millions from lives of tyranny and sorrow. And now we will honor their sacrifice by completing the mission.
And in this long run, we can be confident in the outcome of this struggle, because we've seen the power of freedom defeat tyranny and terror before, and because we have on our side the greatest force for freedom in the history of the world: the men and women of the United States armed forces.
(APPLAUSE)
One of the great strengths of our military is that it's an all- volunteer army, an all-volunteer force. And since the attacks of September 11, 2001, nearly 1.5 million Americans have stepped forward to put on our nation's uniform, including nearly 290,000 who have joined the National Guard.
Nearly 1.3 million more American troops have made the courageous decision to reenlist and stay in the fight, including more than 350,000 members of the National Guard.
These brave Americans saw the future the terrorists' intend for us, and they said, "Not on my watch."
(APPLAUSE)
Four and a half years into the fight, America's armed forces are determined, experienced and ready for any challenge. And our nation is blessed to have such brave defenders.
All of you are bringing honor to the uniform and pride to our country and security to the American people. America will always be grateful for your service in the cause of freedom.
Thank you for letting me come today. God bless you and your families. And may God continue to bless our country.
(APPLAUSE)
KAGAN: We've been listening to President Bush as he makes remarks on the U.S. global war on terror. He speaks today at the National Guard Memorial Building. So many of his comments focused toward his audience,, heavy with the National Guard.
Mr. Bush talking about a number of ideas, including for the first time acknowledging a plot that had been talked about before in the media, a plot back from 2001 when Khalid Shaikh Mohammad said he was going to have a plane hijacked and the target, the tallest building west of the Mississippi.
Now, President Bush called it Liberty Tower. We think he misspoke. Actually, it used to be called Library Tower. It's in downtown along and now it's called the U.S. Bank Tower. As I said, the tallest building on the West Coast. And if you happen to have seen the movie "Independence Day," in that movie this building was depicted as being blown up.
To talk more about what the president had to say, let me welcome in some of our correspondents. David Ensor. Also our terrorism analyst Peter Bergen and our security analyst Pat D'Amuro. Gentlemen, good morning.
David, let's go ahead and start with you. Other than the reference to the plot, did you hear anything else new in President Bush's speech today?
DAVID ENSOR, CNN NAT'L SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was the level of detail about the plot that I found interesting. It may have been reported somewhere, but I have not seen that the West Coast plot involved a plan to use shoebombers to break through the cockpit doors and get to the pilots of an aircraft that would then be used to attack the Library Tower. Details about how Hambali, the terrorist leader in Southwest Asia -- Southeast Asia, excuse me -- was allegedly involved in this.
And just a level of specificity about that particular plot that was broken up into in 2002 that we hadn't heard before. In the past, the president has talked more general terms about ten or 12 plots being foiled. This is the first time, I believe, that he's gone into one of them in considerable detail and laid out exactly how he thinks it was supposed to take place, and some of the detail about how it was foiled by the U.S. and its allies.
KAGAN: Let's go ahead and listen into, once again, that part of the speech where President Bush talks about this plot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: We now know that in October 2001, Khalid Shaikh Muhammad, the mastermind of the September 11 attacks, had already set in motion a plan to have terrorist operatives hijack an airplane using shoe bombs to breach the cockpit door and fly the plane into the tallest building on the West Coast. We believe the intended target was Liberty Tower (sic) in Los Angeles, California. (END VIDEO CLIP)
KAGAN: And let's go ahead and bring in Peter Bergen. Peter, what do you hear in that sound byte, in talking about this terrorism plot?
PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, I agree with David. I think the president, you may remember, gave a similar speech on the war on terrorism several months back at the National (INAUDIBLE) for Democracy. And he referred in rather vague terms to ten plots that had been averted since 9/11. Very quickly, the media scrambled to find out what the plots were. And I think it kind of overtook the speech that the president had given, because he didn't really layout the specifics of any of the plots in that speech.
I think they learned from that mistake and have offered a very detailed appraisal of this plot, the most detailed I can ever remember the president making about this kind of intelligence. And so I think this is - I think they learned from an earlier -- well, mistake would be overdoing it, but certainly when they -- when the president gave his previous speech and didn't lay out exactly what meant by the ten terrorist plots, that became the story of the day. Of course, now as they have this story, which I think is fascinating, in the level of detail that he gave us.
KAGAN: Pat D'Amuro, if I'm in downtown Los Angeles listening to the speech today, this is all very fascinating to me to know that I'm either renting in a building or perhaps working near a building that could have been the target of a huge terrorist plot.
PAT D'AMURO, FMR. FBI COUNTERTERROR CHIEF: Well that's correct. And I agree with the others that the president did come out with much more information. I believe the individual he's referring to that was picked up in Southeast Asia was Hambali. It was his brother and Hambali that were arrested. J.I. stands for Jemaah Islamiya. We know that J.I. has joined forces with al Qaeda and talked about also attacking U.S. shipping interests in Southeast Asia.
So I think the president is trying to come forward and giving out more information to let the country know that this war on terror is far from over.
KAGAN: And what about this idea that he said included in this plot of using Southeast Asian hijackers instead of people from the Middle East, to throw them off the scent?
D'AMURO: Well, that's correct. The intelligence received by the government was that al Qaeda was considering using individuals of non- Middle Eastern descent to try to avoid detection by our security forces. Padilla was another individual -- there was intelligence collected that he was going to also try to recruit Hispanic individuals.
We know the training camps in Afghanistan would try to solicit recruits that were coming in to learn jihad tactics, and individuals that could access the United States so that they could attack us at home.
KAGAN: Pat D'Amuro, Peter Bergen, David Ensor. Gentlemen, thank you for listening in with us this morning.
And be sure to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.
Before we went to the president, we were listening into a news conference out of Boston, Massachusetts, on Neil Entwistle, a British man who has now been arrested for the murder of his wife and his darling baby girl. That took place just outside of Boston, and extradition proceedings getting underway. From England to the U.S., we'll tell you more about that story and his victims -- alleged victims -- coming up.
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KAGAN: Let's get back to our story that we're paying attention to at the top of the newscast. For weeks, he's been a person of in the killing of his would I have and baby daughter. Now Neil Entwistle is a double-murder suspect. London police arrested Entwistle today. He's expected to appear in court tomorrow. Entwistle returned to his native England about three weeks ago. The bodies of Rachel and Lillian Entwistle were found in their suburban Boston, Massachusetts home last month.
Now earlier this hour, Massachusetts prosecutors gave the timeline of how they think the crime unfolded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTHA COAKLEY, MIDDLESEX CO. D.A.: What we also know is that on Thursday night, Rachel was alive and had spoken with family members. And this is what authorities believe happened: that on sometime Friday morning, Neil Entwistle, with a firearm that we believe he had secured at some time before that from his father-in-law, Joseph Matterazo, shot Rachel Entwistle in the head and then proceed to shoot baby Lillian who was lying on the bed next to her mother.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Our Jason Carroll has been covering the news conference in Massachusetts, and he joins us now.
Jason, hello.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Daryn.
And apparently the Middlesex district attorney believes that Neil Entwistle shot and killed his wife Rachel and baby Lillian because of financial problems. That is one of the reasons they believe that this happened. They say that Neil Entwistle was in financial -- had financial problems in England, had financial problems here.
They also believe that in addition to killing his wife and baby girl, that he had intended to kill himself as well. They would not elaborate in terms of why they believe that. But they do believe that this was a failed murder-suicide.
You heard there Martha Coakley speaking about how the chain of events happened, meaning that it was Friday morning, January 20th. That was the day that the murders, they believe, took place. Apparently then, Neil Entwistle boarded a flight Saturday morning, January 21, the next day, for London Heathrow. And as you know, he has been in seclusion with his family in Worksop, England. He was actually arrested this morning at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time. And he was arrested in London, Central London. He was actually arrested on the tube. Scotland Yard officials caught up with him there. He was arrested without incident.
And now the question, Daryn, becomes what happens next? We know that tomorrow he will be meeting with the magistrate in London tomorrow. The question now becomes, will he waive extradition? Will he fight extradition? If he waives extradition, of course, this will be a speedy process. If he decides to fight extradition, it could be a lengthy process -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Jason Carroll, on the phone from Massachusetts, thank you. Let's get more on the legal angle here and bring in our senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.
Jeff, good morning.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SR. LEGAL ANALYST: Hi, Daryn.
KAGAN: Let's talk more about this extradition process. I know sometimes there is problems with some European countries. They don't want to send somebody back over if they could face the death penalty.
TOOBIN: Well, Massachusetts doesn't have the death penalty, so that issue I think is off the table in this case. But what's important to remember about extradition is that basically what happens, unless it's waived, is that it creates an entire separate legal proceeding in the British court systems, which means even if Neil Entwistle were to lose in an initial stage, would he have the right to appeal all the way through the legal system in England. That means, at least in theory, he could go to the high court, which is like the Supreme Court. He could even go to the House of Lords. He could even go. if his lawyers pushed it all the way, to the European Court of Justice in Strausburg (ph), France. What that means is that could take as long as three years, even if he ultimately loses.
So if he decides to fight extradition, it could be a very long process.
KAGAN: Interesting twist that the prosecutor talked about today. They believe that he borrowed his father-in-law's gun. So the father and grandfather of these victim would have supplied the murder weapon.
TOOBIN: I mean just you can imagine how awful they feel about that. It is also, at least theoretically, an avenue for the defense to explore of who had access to that gun if this case comes to a trial. There are a lot of facts here that the defense, if there is a defense, could work with. The longtime that the mother and daughter were undiscovered, access to this gun. You know, I would hate to be a position of defense attorneys arguing that the father had something to do with this, but certainly that is something the defense is going to want to explore.
However, much in favor of the prosecution their theory of the case is that it explains where the murder weapon might have come from, and it explains what Neil Entwistle did with the gun, if they can prove it.
KAGAN: Well, they did say there was a firearms charge, as well.
TOOBIN: Right.
KAGAN: But he did return the gun back to his father in law they said before.
TOOBIN: Right, that's what they said.
KAGAN: We'll be talking more about this ahead.
Jeff, thank you for the legal insight. We always appreciate that.
We're going to have more on the Entwistle case just ahead.
Also, the president's new details on the terror plot against the U.S.
And Lieutenant General Honore speaking on Capitol Hill. You'll see it all live here on CNN LIVE TODAY.
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