Bush Calls Attacks 'Acts of War,' Vows to Win

Photos Reuters Photo Audio/Video Clinton Believes Americans Must Back Bush (ABCNEWS.com)

By Deborah Charles

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush (news - web sites) on Wednesday called the terror attacks in New York and Washington ``acts of war'' and vowed America would prevail as he asked Congress for emergency authority to spend whatever it takes to recover from the worst attack on U.S. soil.

``The deliberate and deadly attacks, which were carried out yesterday against our country, were more than acts of terror. They were acts of war,'' Bush said, just 26 hours after coordinated attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon (news - web sites) that are likely to have killed thousands.

``The United States of America will use all our resources to conquer this enemy,'' Bush said. ``This battle will take time and resolve, but make no mistake about it, we will win.

``America is united. The freedom-loving nations of the world stand by our side,'' he said. ``This will be a monumental struggle of good versus evil, but good will prevail.''

Bush, flanked by Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) and Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites), made the comments in the White House Cabinet room after meeting with his national security team.

He also said he was sending to Congress a request for emergency funding authority to spend whatever it takes to rescue victims, help citizens of New York and Washington and to protect the country's national security.

'WHATEVER IT TAKES'

Rep. Bill Young, chairman of the House of Representatives appropriations committee, said he would support ``whatever it takes to prove to the rest of the world that Americans are not going to be intimidated by this kind of cowardice.''

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer (news - web sites) said Bush, who was in Florida when Tuesday's attacks occurred and crisscrossed the country due to security fears before returning to Washington, got some sleep overnight and arrived early at the Oval Office.

Bush began the morning with intelligence briefings and met later with leading lawmakers from both parties.

After the meeting lawmakers said both parties stood together in their desire to move forward on Bush's requests.

``On a bipartisan basis I think it is accurate to say that we literally and figuratively stand shoulder to shoulder in our appreciation of the job ahead,'' said Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, a South Dakota Democrat.

``We will work with the administration to allocate the resources and to dedicate whatever strategy may be required to fulfill our obligations. It is our strong desire to do this, not as Republicans or Democrats but as Americans,'' he said.

In addition to wrestling with a response to the attacks, Bush was likely questioning how there could have been such a massive intelligence failure and breach of security.

Analysts see the events of Tuesday morning as a turning point in Bush's young presidency, challenging the foreign policy neophyte to prove he can handle such a crisis.

BUSH VOWS REVENGE

Bush has vowed to avenge the attacks, saying Tuesday he would ``make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.''

Powell said in a television interview earlier in the day that Washington was not about to launch any military operation and did not yet know who was behind the attacks.

Fleischer said the White House believes those responsible for the terror attacks had completed the execution of their plan and further risks to public safety were reduced.

Although Bush said ``we will not not allow this enemy to win the war by changing our way of life'', he admitted it was not ''business as usual'' in the United States, due to a heightened security alert. The White House also said Bush would not be traveling in the near-term, although he wants to visit the sites of the attacks.

The world watched to see how the president would react.

As they waited, Americans and politicians from all parties -- besieged by television images of collapsing and burning buildings and people fleeing the carnage -- offered support.

Former President Bill Clinton, in Australia on vacation, said the United States needed to send a clear message to the world that it stood united behind Bush.

``We should not be second-guessing. We should be supporting him,'' Clinton told reporters in northeastern Australia.

``We must send a clear and unambiguous message to the world that the people of America are completely 100 percent united and we're going to follow our leaders and support whatever action he takes,'' Clinton said.

A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll showed 78 percent of the 619 people interviewed before Bush's Tuesday night address expressed confidence in him, while 11 percent were ``not too confident'' and 4 percent had no opinion.

Earlier Stories
White House Says Risks to Safety Reduced (September 12)
President Bush Wrestles with Response to Attacks (September 12)

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