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Bush adds might to counterterrorism force©Washington Post
© St. Petersburg Times, WASHINGTON -- President Bush plans to name a retired Army general to a new counterterrorism post, and declared Saturday that his war preparations are gaining momentum but are unlikely to produce quick results. Bush has asked retired Army Gen. Wayne Downing, a career specialist in counterterrorism, to join the staff of the National Security Council as assistant to the president and national director for combating terrorism, the Washington Post has reported. Downing wrote a scathing 1996 study of security lapses by U.S. commanders in the Middle East after a bomb in June 1996 killed 19 members of the Air Force in a barracks in Saudi Arabia called Khobar Towers. The report criticized the entire military chain of command from the Air Force wing commander up to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and concluded that the U.S. government should stop regarding terrorism as an intermittent problem and begin treating it as "undeclared war against the United States." As investigators into the attacks worked through the weekend, the Post quoted a government official as saying the FBI has divided its targets into three groups of perpetrators: those who arranged the financing, those who planned the logistics of weaponry and access to planes, and those who carried out the attacks. Bush spent the weekend at Camp David and met by a secure video link with his National Security Council. He planned to take a break by watching Saturday night's football game between the University of Texas and Texas Tech. The president used his weekly radio address to give a report on what he called "a different kind of war, which we will wage aggressively and methodically to disrupt and destroy terrorist activity." "We did not seek this conflict, but we will win it," he said. Officials said Bush's message was designed both to begin the process of prolonging the patience of citizens at home and to assure allies and potential allies that the United States plans a sustained effort and will not be deterred even if frustrating setbacks occur. "This war will be fought wherever terrorists hide or run or plan," Bush said. "Some victories will be won outside of public view, in tragedies avoided and threats eliminated. Other victories will be clear to all. Our weapons are military and diplomatic, financial and legal. And in this struggle, our greatest advantages are the patience and resolve of the American people." Bush said the U.S. government respects the people of Afghanistan. "But we condemn the Taliban, and welcome the support of other nations in isolating that regime." Listing the progress he has made, Bush said troops are being sent around the globe so they will be "ready to answer when their country calls." "International cooperation is gaining momentum," Bush added, mentioning meetings this week with leaders of Canada and Japan and promises of support from Russia and Indonesia. He then pointed to what the administration is calling the first shot in the war: his order freezing U.S. assets of 27 individuals and groups accused of funding terrorists. Democrats offered support, not a rebuttal, in their radio address. Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn, who took office in July, said, "The Democratic Party stands 100 percent behind President Bush as he prepares the appropriate military response. "The time is also right to resume the business of democracy," Hahn added. Pointing to November's gubernatorial contests in Virginia and New York, he said: "What better way to demonstrate American resolve, what better way to reaffirm American values, than to engage vigorously in these upcoming contests? I encourage everyone to register to vote if they haven't already done so." Downing is a former commander of Special Forces troops in combat in Panama and the 1991 Persian Gulf War, and later was chief of the Special Operations Command. The NSC already has a counterterrorism adviser, but the Post quoted an administration official as saying Downing will be part of "an increased focus and more division of responsibility." The upcoming appointment was first reported by U.S. News and World Report.
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From the Times wire desk
From the AP |
