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U.S. Military Retaliation Will Be 'Sustained'
| AP |
The United States will respond to the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington with a sustained military campaign, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said Thursday, and Secretary of State Colin Powell said in the "last 24 hours we've been building our coalition" to do so.
"It's going to unfold over time," Wolfowitz told reporters at the Pentagon. "One thing that is clear is you don't do it with just a single military strike, no matter how dramatic."
When asked what U.S. military strikes might target, Wolfowitz answered "it will be a campaign, not a single action. And we're going to keep after these people and the people who support them until this stops."
Powell, speaking to reporters at the State Department, said that "we will continue a global assault against terrorism," however he admitted that "we haven't publicly identified the perpetrator" of Tuesday's attacks.
He said, "We're going to have a responsible talk with the Pakistani government" because "if you look at the list of [possible suspects] it is prudent to have talks in that region." Asked whether he was referring to Usama bin Laden, the Saudi expatriate who runs a terrorist network from Afghanistan, Powell said "yes."
A Pakistani intelligence source said Thursday that bin Laden changed locations within Afghanistan just minutes after reports of the attacks.
Powell described Pakistan as a friend of the United States, but also said the relationship has had its "ups and downs." In Islamabad, Pakistan's leader has pledged "unstinted cooperation."
Wolfowitz said a portion of the $20 billion in emergency funds President Bush has asked Congress to approve will be used to strengthen U.S. military readiness for the fight against terrorism. He could not specify how much.
"A significant piece of this is going to be used to bring our armed forces to the highest level of preparedness to do whatever the president may ask them to do," he said.
Wolfowitz would not discuss specific military options. "The president has a whole range of options in front of him," he said.
Another portion of the extra money sought by the president would pay for air patrols that have been flying over major American cities since the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
"There are costs already incurred with the combat air patrols that have been maintained over a significant number of American cities, including Washington," he said. "The costs mount rapidly and they will mount more rapidly as this campaign develops."
Congress Continues Action, Deliberation
Meanwhile, lawmakers continue to mull issuing a declaration of war. There is some uncertainty as against whom the declaration would be made. Some advocates of a declaration have suggested an open-ended declaration would suffice, to reveal the seriousness with which the Congress and the administration view the situation.
Others have suggested a declaration against Usama Bin Laden and his acolytes and a declaration against those states that harbor and assist terrorists, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, and others.
Further, congressional leaders said they intended to begin pushing an emergency anti-terrorism package through Congress on Thursday with a price tag that could exceed $20 billion.
They said they also wanted quick approval this week of a separate measure stating Congress' support for the use of force by Bush against the terrorists who crashed airliners into the landmarks.
Top lawmakers and White House officials were hoping to nail down final details of both bills by late Thursday.
Bush sent House Speaker Dennis Hastert a formal request Thursday for $20 billion and suggested he could request more money. Quick passage "will send a powerful signal of unity to our fellow Americans and to the world," Bush said.
"If additional resources are necessary, I will forward another request for additional funding," he said.
Background documents say the money is needed to provide assistance to victims and address other consequences of the attack, including "support to counter, investigate or prosecute" terrorism and increase money for transportation.
Emerging from a meeting of Congress' top Democrats and Republicans, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., told reporters:
"There is a unanimous understanding that whatever we do this week is a very minimal down payment to what will be required and what we will do in the days and weeks ahead."
House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, said $20 billion was "very clearly designed to fund the initial response to this horrible act."
Among the final details to be worked out on the spending bill were the leeway Bush would have to disperse the money to specific programs without congressional approval.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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