Author: Ian Christopher McCaleb
Publication: CNN
Date: September 13, 2001
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush
will travel to New York on Friday afternoon to offer his condolences to
the families of those injured or killed in Tuesday's terrorist attack and
to thank rescue workers.
Bush, in a televised conference
call with New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Gov. George Pataki, said
he would travel to New York City immediately after a late-morning memorial
service at Washington's National Cathedral.
The president has designated Friday,
Sept. 14, a day of "National Prayer and Remembrance," and will call on
Americans to use their lunch breaks to go to places of worship to pray
for victims and their families. .... Bush's anger takes hold
The president's tone changed markedly
as he promised Giuliani and the citizens of the New York area that anti-terrorism
efforts will now become the main focus of his administration. ...
"But make no mistake about it. My
resolve is steady and strong about winning this war that has been declared
on America. It is a new kind of war, and this government will adjust. People
who conducted these acts, and those who harbor them, will be held accountable
for their actions."
Bush said the United States would,
with the understanding and cooperation of an international coalition he
is trying to build, "rout out and whip" the terrorists.
Speculation continues to focus on
Saudi fugitive billionaire Osama bin Laden, who is thought to be hiding
out in the treacherous, mountainous terrain of Afghanistan. Bin Laden,
leader of the al Qaeda group, is suspected of involvement in a number successful
attacks against U.S. interests, including the 1998 bombings of the U.S.
embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, and 2000 waterborne attack on the guided
missile destroyer USS Cole in a Yemeni harbor.
Bin Laden is also suspected of either
financing or masterminding several attacks that have been thwarted, including
planned bombings in the United States and abroad, set to be carried out
on New Year's Eve 2000.
Bin Laden has been residing in Afghanistan
since 1996, with the full blessing of war-ravaged country's Islamic fundamentalist
Taliban regime. The Taliban have urged the United States not to attack,
saying that they are not responsible in any way for Tuesday's assault,
and that their populace has already suffered greatly through more than
a decade of civil war.
Bin Laden, too, has denied responsibility
through spokesmen, though he has expressed congratulations to the attackers
- many of whom have been pegged by investigators as Arabs, and some of
whom carried passports from Middle Eastern countries.
Bush has been consulting with military
and national security advisers regularly since Tuesday's events, but he
refused to tip his hand Thursday when pressed by reporters, saying only
that the United States planned to act.
"We will not discuss in intelligence
matters," he said. "When our government acts, you'll be informed."
He also spoke of a second day of
telephone conversations with world leaders, many of whom, he said, have
expressed full solidarity with the United States. These leaders, Bush said,
understand the same could happen to them.
"We have just seen the first war
of the 21st Century," Bush said. "And, there is universal approval of the
statements I have made."
He took particular care to highlight
recent comments by Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf, who has pledged full
cooperation with the United States. Pakistan is one of only three countries
worldwide to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
"I would refer you to statements
the Pakistani leader made ? about his willingness to work with the United
States. We'll see what that means, won't we?"
Should the United States choose
to launch an attack on any bin Laden holdings in Afghanistan, or on Taliban
forces, Pakistan would likely play a vital role, perhaps by clearing its
airspace for U.S. military air traffic. ... He will meet with congressional
leaders later in Thursday afternoon.
