Senator Feinstein Calls Attacks on New York City
and Pentagon "Declaration of War" on U.S.
September 12, 2001

Washington, DC - In a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today called the attacks on New York City and Washington a "Declaration of War" on the United States and urged Congress to take quick action to address lapses in our counter-terrorism effort. The following is the text of her statement:

"Mr. President, my heart today is filled with a great deal of mixed emotions. On one hand, I want this country to smash back. On the other, I want us to be sure that we are on firm ground, that we know what we are doing, and that we are successful in our mission.

Yesterday was one of the darkest days in our nation's history. Many have speculated that the loss of life may well only be exceeded by the one-day battle at Antietam during the Civil War. It will certainly be more than the loss at Pearl Harbor.

Mr. President, one of the things that I have recognized and what should be abundantly clear to all of us is that there are those out there without a heart, willing to carry out this kind of attack, and to do it with a malevolence and cunning that defies conscience and humanity.

I consider what happened in New York and at the Pentagon to be a declaration of war against the United States, and I believe that we must respond accordingly, in a well-considered military way.

I join President Bush, the Congressional leadership, and particularly Secretary of State Colin Powell, whose remarks this morning shared that same determination.

Let there be no mistake: this attack was deliberately planned to have the largest possible impact and to maximize the loss of innocent human life.

The terrorists deliberately selected the largest planes with the greatest fuel loads to create the biggest explosion, to kill the most people, and to do it at a time of day when that would happen. They deliberately selected important symbols: one, the military headquarters of the United States, and the other, a major center of American entrepreneurism.

What is now emerging is that there were genuine acts of heroism aboard these planes. On UAL Flight 93, which left Dulles International Airport, this heroism may well have prevented Flight 93 from striking either the White House or the U.S. Capitol.

Californians were aboard that plane. One Californian, Thomas Burnett, of San Ramon, phoned his wife. "I love you, honey," were Burnett's last words to his wife. He said, "I know we are all going to die - but there are three of us who are going to do something about it."

He worked for a company called Thoratec Corp. and leaves three children. You might say he and others made the ultimate sacrifice.

Yesterday firmly establishes, in my mind, that the major threat and the number one national security priority facing the United States is the asymmetrical attack, the unconventional and unpredictable horrific act of terrorism.

I don't believe America can be a paper tiger in response.

Whether that entity is a state or an organization, those who harbor them, arm them, train them and permit them must, in my view, be destroyed.

It is interesting to note that three weeks ago, the British press carried articles which said the Bin Laden operation was prepared to launch "an unprecedented attack" against the United States. We know that this organization is wanted as well for two prior major terrorist attacks against the United States.

It seems to me that we will shortly find who is responsible for this act of war against our country and then we must strike back against them, hard.

It is critical also that America lead an international effort that makes clear to all nations that countenance terrorism, that harbor terrorists, that aid and abet their actions are enemies of the United States.

All civilized nations -- our NATO and European allies, Russia, China, the moderate Arab states or anyone else must condemn these acts.

I received a call this morning from the Chinese Embassy saying that the President of China had called our President yesterday to indicate China's solidarity with the United States and to offer any help. Indeed, this is a giant step forward and it is a beginning.

I believe we must create a critical divide between civilized nations that will not sanction terrorists and spell out those that do and we must do something about it.

Presently, the United States spends about $12 billion spread among a number departments in dealing with terrorism. The proposed budget for FY 2002 will shortly be before the Senate.

If we are to engage against this threat, we must also organize and coordinate our government's efforts. I speak now as the chairman of the Technology and Terrorism Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee and also as a member of the Intelligence Committee.

We must see that these dollars are wisely spent, not frittered away among more than 40 departments. I do not believe those dollars are well spent at the present time.

We must also understand that homeland defense should be our highest priority: coherent and carefully balanced with trained personnel in every state and an intelligence network that provides a coordination between all branches of government and each of our states.

America has at its disposal a wide array of tools, but these tools must be directed carefully, within a coherent policy. This is not now the situation and I believe we must remedy it promptly.

We Americans are a resilient, a determined and a patriotic nation. We will not lose the spirit that makes us the greatest democracy on earth by going after terrorists full-scale.

We have always been ready to respond in defense of freedom. And now that challenge is before us in a manner and shape and form that offers unprecedented challenges. We will respond.

Let me also speak for a few moments as a Californian.

The four planes that were hijacked were all going to California: three to Los Angeles, one to San Francisco.

Two-hundred and sixty-six died on the four planes. It is certain that many of them have families in California. To them, I extend my heartfelt sorrow. But I also want to extend a commitment that I will do everything in my power, as one U.S. Senator, to see that these deaths were not in vain.

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