President George W Bush has likened the ongoing war on terror to 'a struggle for civilisation' and said it must be fought to the end.
"The war against this enemy is more than a military conflict. It is the decisive ideological struggle of the 21st century and the calling of our generation," Bush said, in a primetime 17-minute speech from the Oval Office on Monday night, delivered after a day of solemn ceremonies to mark the fifth anniversary of 9/11.
In the address carried live by all networks, he said defeat would surrender West Asia to radical dictators armed with nuclear weapons. "We are fighting to maintain the way of life enjoyed by free nations," he said.
"Islamic radicals are trying to build an empire where women are prisoners in their homes, men are beaten for missing prayer meetings and terrorists have a safe haven to plan and launch attacks on America and other civilised nations," Bush said.
Bush said he was often asked 'why the US is in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was not responsible for the 9/11 attacks', to which he said Saddam was a threat nonetheless and that he needed to be confronted.
His message to Osama bin Laden and other terrorists was - "America will find you and we will bring you to justice."
Earlier on Monday, Bush visited the three major sites which were attacked on September 11, 2001, by the terrorists who had hijacked the aircrafts -- Lower Manhattan in New York, Pentagon, near Washington, and Shanksville in Pennsylvania. He attended ceremonies there and met members of the bereaved families.
At the Pentagon, Vice President Dick Cheney and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld attended a memorial service.
"We have no intention of ignoring or appeasing history's latest gang of fanatics trying to murder their way to power," Cheney said.
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