WASHINGTON — President Bush used Monday's televised address to show the progress made in the five years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks but also to remind the country there is still work to be done, according to Utah's congressional delegation.

In a 17-minute speech, the president said, "Today, we are safer, but we are not yet safe," and that the war in Iraq and the global war on terror are all part of the effort to make the country more secure.

"If we do not defeat these enemies now, we will leave our children to face a Middle East overrun by terrorist states and radical dictators armed with nuclear weapons," Bush said. "We are in a war that will set the course for this new century — and determine the destiny of millions across the world."

Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, said Bush got the message across that it will take a long time for the United States to prevail in the war but that this is still the ultimate goal.

"I think he needed to make it clear to the American people that this war is going to be a long one," Bennett said.

Bennett said the country is safer now because there is an awareness of the threat against the United States and stronger security policies have been put in place during the last five years.

Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah was glad the president had the chance to take his "compelling case" straight to viewers, without interruption from pundits or the political press.

"This is a somber anniversary, but, as the president reminded us, the terrorists have not had — and will not have — the last word," Bishop said. "We do not hear frequently enough about the things the president discussed — the good news and the important progress that is being made in the war on terror."

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said Bush knows this is "a war unlike any we have ever faced."

"Yet he's a leader that believes deeply that we will not fail, that even the darkness of terror must pass," Hatch said. "That's a message that often gets lost by partisans in Congress. He reminded us of the true enemy we face in the War on Terror."

Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, and Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, could not be reached for comment.

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