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Bush warns of 'sustained' war to sweep away an elusive enemy
Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times, WASHINGTON -- President Bush convened the National Security Council at Camp David on Saturday and told the nation, "Those who make war on the United States have chosen their own destruction." As he prepared to sign a law giving him new authority to conduct a broad international campaign against terrorism, approved overwhelmingly by Congress, he said in his weekly radio address that it would be "a conflict without battlefields or beachheads" and that "the conflict will not be short." In his clearest statement to date that he intends to order military action, Bush warned Americans to prepare for the possibility of a long and difficult struggle against an elusive enemy. Although the president identified Saudi exile Osama bin Laden as "the prime suspect" behind Tuesday's attacks, he said U.S. retaliation will go far beyond the plot's ringleader. "We will find those who did it, we will smoke them out of their holes, we will get them running and we'll bring them to justice," Bush told reporters in a brief appearance with Secretary of State Colin Powell, Vice President Dick Cheney and other advisers before meeting with his national security team at the Camp David presidential retreat. "We will not only deal with those who dare attack America, we will deal with those who harbor them and feed them and house them." "I will not settle for a token act," he said in his radio speech, taped shortly before he began his Camp David meetings. "Our response must be sweeping, sustained and effective." Bush declined to discuss his timetable for action, but he assured Americans who want revenge that they will get it. Administration officials said Bush has not ruled out the use of ground troops. White House aides declined to offer anything more specific. "There's an enemy who wants to know," said spokesman Ari Fleischer. "Let them fret it and worry about it, but patience will be required in many ways from the American people." After passing the resolution authorizing the use of force, Congress was out of session for the weekend. Members predicted that when they returned, they would swiftly resolve the remaining budget issues before the fiscal year ends in September. Many predicted that Congress would put aside most of the domestic agenda until next year so as not to engage in partisan debate over issues like health care and campaign finance revisions. In the skies over Washington and New York, F-15 and F-16 fighter jets continued to fly patrols they began on Tuesday, supported by AWACS surveillance aircraft. Air National Guard units were on alert to fly over other major cities if needed. Coast Guard cutters cruised ports and waterways on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, where only essential cargo vessels were allowed to dock. The biggest question continues to be the nature of the military campaign that the administration is putting together. "Victory against terrorism will not take place in a single battle but in a series of decisive actions against terrorist organizations and those who harbor and support them," Bush said. "We are planning a broad and sustained campaign to secure our country and eradicate the evil of terrorism." The United States has not specifically asked Pakistan to allow the deployment of American troops on Pakistani soil, but it is understood by the Pakistani leadership that it might have to do so, the New York Times reported, quoting unnamed senior administration officials. Such a move is likely to be opposed by Pakistan's military, Pakistani officials said.
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From the Times wire desk
From the AP |
