Is there any citizen of the world who can feel as safe as before the September 11th attack? I doubt it. The threat of terrorism knows no borders. Citizens of more than 60 nations are known to be lost in the recent attacks. Innocent people have been murdered by terrorists and there is a rising tide of fear in the world that threatens not only public safety, but also the very foundations of civil society. It is time to act.

Since the unprovoked attacks on Americans and others in the United States, there is a new resolve in my country to defend our nation and our values. As President Bush said, "War has been declared on us," and we will defend ourselves.

This is one of those rare moments in history that change the way people think. It has produced a new consensus for action, an unprecedented willingness to confront a long-festering threat to the peace of the world. At this hour of sorrow in the United States, the spirit of the American people has been buoyed not only by the outpouring of sympathy from ordinary citizens all over the world -- including many of the Islamic faith -- but also by concrete gestures of support from many governments as well as regional and international organisations. I have been heartened by the extraordinary response of the Irish people at this tragic time.

Since just after the attack, as the Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, has stated, the US has received encouraging support from the UN Security Council and General Assembly, the Organisation of Islamic States, the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and many other groups.

NATO members have invoked Article 5, the collective defence principle of its charter, for the first time. We hope this is the beginning of an unprecedented worldwide commitment to fighting terrorists no matter whom they target, no matter what cause they profess, no matter where they hide. I am confident Ireland will stand with us, to contribute to the hard decisions that face the world's leaders in the days and weeks ahead.

I must stress that this is not a conflict between Americans and Muslims, or Arabs, or the faith of Islam. The issue at hand has law and order, stability and security on one side, and terrorism and twisted ideology on the other.

The United States will move swiftly and decisively to build a new international coalition against terrorism, not only to punish those responsible, and those who harbour them, for the death and destruction in New York, in Washington, and in Pennsylvania -- but also to stop those involved in planning future acts of terrorism that could threaten anyone, anywhere the world.

No one should doubt the magnitude of the task ahead. This kind of war will not be won in weeks or months. People across the island of Ireland know this all too well from their own experiences of terrorism. It will be a long, difficult struggle.

My country's goal is total victory -- to defeat those willing to take innocent lives for the sake of extremist ideology. Terrorists have long been able to threaten peace and political stability in countries around the world. But, in this era of modern communications, new technologies, and weapons of mass destruction, terrorists are able to pose new and greater dangers.

In this effort, the United States asks for the support of all governments of goodwill. Most of all, we ask for the support of ordinary men and women around the world. In the short space of a few minutes, the lives of thousands of innocent people were ended. In tribute to those who lost their lives, we ask you to join with us to ensure that what happened on September 11th will never happen again to any people, in any city, in any nation.