 |
News Home - Yahoo! - My Yahoo! - News Alerts - Help |
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
| Top Stories - Reuters - updated 5:28 PM ET Sep 12 |
|
Reuters | AP | AP U.S. | The New York Times | ABCNEWS.com |  Photos |  Videos
|
Bush Vows to Hunt Terrorists, Says Thousands Died
By Randall Mikkelsen WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) said on Tuesday he would ``make no distinction'' between terrorists and their hosts in the hunt for those responsible for killing thousands in attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon (news - web sites). ``We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them,'' Bush said in a televised speech to the nation from the Oval Office. The vow signaled Bush would pursue any country or government believed to have aided the terrorists. ``America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time,'' said Bush, who headed into a meeting with his National Security Council after his brief remarks. Giving the first official estimate of the death toll in the attacks -- in which hijacked airplanes destroyed the twin 110-story towers of the World Trade Center and set the Pentagon ablaze -- Bush said, ``Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror.'' ``None of us will ever forget this day,'' he said of the worst attack on American soil since the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Images of the destruction had filled Americans with a ''quiet, unyielding anger'' but would not deter them, he said. ``These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat, but they have failed. Our country is strong. Terrorist acts can shake the foundation of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America,'' he said. SEARCH UNDERWAY The search for those responsible was under way, he said. ''I've directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and bring them to justice.'' A U.S. official said there were indications the attackers may have links to Saudi-exile Osama bin Laden (news - web sites), who is based in Afghanistan (news - web sites), or his organization. The hijackers were believed to be have operated in teams of three to five, armed with knives. Bush made the speech after crisscrossing the country in secret on his way back to Washington from a political trip to Florida. He first learned about the attacks while appearing at an elementary school in Sarasota, Florida.
The president stopped at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, where he taped a statement to the nation delivered shortly after. He flew to Offut Air Force Base, Nebraska and met his security team for 65 minutes at the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Command, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer (news - web sites) said. The White House had been evacuated shortly after the attacks out of concern a plane attack was also headed its way. At Offut, Fleischer said, ``He (Bush) made it clear he wanted to get back to Washington as quickly as possible.'' Bush returned by helicopter to the White House on Tuesday evening and strode grim-faced into the Oval office to prepare his address. In his five-minute speech, Bush sought to reassure the public that the government and economy would continue to operate. ``The functions of our government continue without interruption. Federal agencies in Washington which had to be evacuated today are reopening for essential personnel tonight and will be open for business tomorrow. ``Our financial institutions remain strong, and the American economy will be open for business as well,'' he said. Bush urged prayers for the victims of the attacks and those whose lives and sense of security were shattered by them. ``This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace,'' he said. Bush was likely to meet on Wednesday morning with congressional leaders, Fleischer said. Bush's travel plans were on hold and he would remain in Washington for the time being, he said. ``The president's focus now is on the events in New York City and the Pentagon,'' he said. Earlier Stories
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Full Coverage
| Search News |
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Copyright © 2001 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Questions or Comments Privacy Policy - Terms of Service |