Posted at 12:05 p.m., Wednesday, October 10, 2001
The September 11 attack | America strikes back
Bush says terrorism fight is 'our calling'
• U.S. raises pressure on terrorists with 'Most Wanted' list
• U.S. jets pound Kabul in heaviest bombing yet
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President Bush proclaimed the worldwide campaign against terrorism to be America's calling today and pledged to "shine the light of justice" on the culprits behind the attacks of Sept. 11. Administration officials expressed concern that Osama bin Laden may order fresh strikes through the news media.
Nearly one month after attacks in New York and Washington killed thousands, American warplanes stepped up their bombing of targets in Afghanistan, the State Department said 111 nations had taken steps to choke off funding for terrorists worldwide and the White House floated a two-pronged proposal for tax rebates to help stimulate the economy.
Taxpayers who did not qualify for rebates earlier in the year would receive checks for $300 or $600, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. People who had received rebates already this year would receive new checks for half the amount of their old ones.
In an ever-present reminder that officials fear another terrorist attack, Vice President Dick Cheney worked at an undisclosed secure location for the fourth day. He has not been seen in public since the bombing campaign began on Sunday, an unprecedented security caution.
With the skies over Afghanistan deemed generally safe for American warplanes, Pentagon officials said they intended to drop "bunker-buster" bombs on underground facilities maintained by the nation's Taliban rulers. Special forces were also deployed to the region and ready to join the effort on the ground.
Bush made scant mention of the conventional military action during the day as he made his rounds as commander in chief of the monthlong war on terrorism.
"Now is the time to draw the line in the sand against the evil ones," he said, stopping by the FBI to unveil a new list of 22 Most Wanted Terrorists." Bin Laden, believed responsible for orchestrating last month's attacks, was among them. "They must be found. They will be stopped, and they will be punished," said the president.
"This is our calling. This is the calling of the United States of America," he said of the anti-terrorism campaign. Terrorists live in the shadows under the cover of darkness," he added. "We will shine the light of justice on them."
Bin Laden has released two videotaped messages since the American bombing began on Sunday, one in which he spoke, and a second in which a spokesman delivered fresh threats against American targets.
An administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said CIA analysts studying the broadcasts detected no specific hidden message. Even so, this official said the analysts made a strong enough case about the risk of coded messages that National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice telephoned television networks with a request not to air such videotaped remarks immediately or in their entirety.
"At best, Osama bin Laden's message is propaganda, calling on people to kill Americans. At worst, he could be issuing orders to his followers to initiate such attacks," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer. "One way to communicate outside Afghanistan to followers is through Western media," he added.
ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox agreed that they would cease broadcasting transmissions from bin Laden's al-Qaida group without first screening them and possibly editing them.
Bush began his day with the four senior leaders of Congress at a White House breakfast. Together, they smoothed over a controversy over a presidential decision to curtail the distribution of classified information to lawmakers. Upset over a leak several days ago, Bush cracked down over the weekend and delivered a stern lecture to lawmakers yesterday. He relented somewhat during the day, agreeing to expand the circle of lawmakers to be kept informed, and the leaders said they would make sure no classified information was compromised.
The bipartisanship that flourished in Congress in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks sputtered as lawmakers grappled with the details of legislation to stimulate the economy, strengthen anti-terrorism laws and bolster airline security.
House Republican leaders gave the go-ahead for the drafting of legislation to cut the capital gains tax as part of an economic stimulus package, a favorite proposal of conservatives but not on the outline Bush suggested last week.
At the State Department, spokesman Richard Boucher said 111 nations had heeded a request to take steps against financial resources of suspected terrorists, modifying their banking regulations, reviewing accounts or freezing assets.
