Following the attacks, the Bush administration asserted that al-Qaeda attacked the United States because "they hate us for our freedoms". George W. Bush said in a speech to Congress nine days after the attacks that "They hate what we see right here in this chamber — a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms — our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other."[14] Al-Qaeda leadership maintained that United States was targeted in retaliation for its imperialist aggression against the Muslim world. In a speech released in 2004, Osama Bin Laden stated: "free men do not forfeit their security, contrary to Bush’s claim that we hate freedom. If so, then let him explain to us why we don’t strike for example – Sweden?"[15][16][17]
^Cite error: The named reference baud was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Yusufzai, Rahimullah (September 26, 2001). "Face to face with Osama". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on January 19, 2008. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
^Riedel, Bruce (2008). "1: The Manhattan Raid". The Search for Al Qaeda. 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20036, USA: Brookings Institution Press. pp. 5, 6. ISBN978-0-8157-0451-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
^Holmqvist-Jonsäter, Coker, Caroline, Christopher; cooker, christopher (2010). "8: Metrowar". The Character of War in the 21st Century. 270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA: Routledge. p. 128. ISBN978-0-415-49832-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Kepel, Milelli, Gilles, Jean-Pierre (2008). Al Qaeda in its own words. Translated by Ghazaleh, Pascale. Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. p. 291. ISBN978-0-674-02804-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^K. Betts, Richard (2013). American Force. New York, USA: Columbia University Press. pp. 110, 111. ISBN978-0-231-15122-1.
^Bruce Lawrence, ed. (2005). "17: The Towers of Lebanon". Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden. 6 Meard Street, London W1F OEG: Verso. pp. 237–244. ISBN1-84467-045-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)