Capitol evacuated, security widened

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Thursday September 13 6:20 PM ET

Capitol Evacuated, Security Widened

By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) - Two days after the worst terrorist attack in American history, officials widened the security buffer around the White House, moved Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) to Camp David and closed New York's three airports to incoming flights.

The Capitol was evacuated as well, lawmakers and aides streaming down the front steps in haste.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer (news - web sites) declined to describe the reasons behind the change at the White House.

Cheney's spokeswoman, Juleanna Glover, said the vice president had been moved as a ``purely precautionary measure.''

The president remained in the White House, according to Fleischer.

Federal Aviation Administration (news - web sites) spokesman William Shumann said planes scheduled to fly to LaGuardia, Kennedy or Newark could not take off from their departing airports. He cited FBI (news - web sites) activity as the reason.

The Capitol was ordered evacuated during the middle of a Senate vote, and as lawmakers in the House were receiving a briefing from FBI and CIA (news - web sites) officials about the terrorist attacks that hit New York and Washington on Tuesday. It was not clear whether the Capitol evacuation was connected to the other steps, since members of Congress said they had been told that police dogs had picked up a suspicious scent inside the Capitol.

In a further sign of concern, the Lincoln Memorial and Jefferson Memorial also were closed after being reopened earlier in the day for the first time since terrorist attacks earlier in the week.

The events unfolded in a capital still reeling from the attacks that leveled the World Trade Center twin towers and left the Pentagon (news - web sites) badly damaged - and as Bush was just beginning his efforts to marshal a worldwide campaign against terrorism.

Fighting back tears, the president vowed earlier in the day to ``lead the world to victory'' in a struggle that he termed the first war of the 21st century.

Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) identified Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) as the prime suspect in Tuesday's attacks.

``There is a quiet anger in America,'' Bush said, adding he would travel Friday to New York, site of the World Trade Center twin towers obliterated in fearsome attacks earlier in the week.

Some 4,763 people were unaccounted for in New York, where terrorists on Tuesday flew hijacked jetliners full of fuel into first one tower and then the other. The death toll was likely to reach 190 at the Pentagon, which took a similar hit.

The nation's anger rising as the death count climbed, Congress hastened to vote $20 billion as a first installment on recovery and anti-terrorism efforts. There also was discussion about passage of legislation authorizing a military response to the attacks, although administration officials made clear they believed the president already had the authority he needed.

Two days after the terrorists hit, officials said they believed there had been 18 hijackers in all on four planes - one crashed in a field in Pennsylvania - and were pursuing thousands of leads in the investigation.

A few hours after Bush spoke, Powell confirmed publicly what other officials had been saying privately. He said bin Laden, linked to the bombing of the World Trade Center and attacks at American embassies in Africa in the 1990s, was the prime suspect in Tuesday's attacks. Bin Laden uses Afghanistan (news - web sites) as his base of operations.

``We are looking at those terrorist organizations who have the kind of capacity that would have been necessary to conduct the kind of attack that we saw,'' Powell said Asked later whether he was pointing to bin Laden, he said, ``yes.''

The president and Powell both said the United States had been in diplomatic contact with Pakistan, and wanted to give the government there an opportunity to cooperate. Pakistan has close ties with the Taliban government of Afghanistan.

One senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said some of the military options under consideration by Bush would go beyond the low-risk unmanned cruise missile strikes that have been deployed in past anti-terrorist operations. Among them: bombings from manned aircraft and the deployment of special troops on the ground.

At a midday briefing, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said the administration would mount a ``broad and sustained campaign'' in retaliation for the attacks. ``It's not just simply a matter of capturing people and holding them accountable, but removing the sanctuaries, removing the support systems, ending states who sponsor terrorism,'' he said.

Asked later to amplify on that statement, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said, ``The U.S. will use all our resources to conquer the enemy. Anybody who chooses to be America's enemy will have to think about what that means.''

For all the planning of retaliation, the nation was struggling to return to business three days after the attacks.

The Transportation Department began giving clearance for airports to open for the first time since Tuesday. The New York financial markets remained closed until Monday. The National Football League canceled a full slate of games scheduled for this weekend.

``My resolve is steady and strong about winning this war that has been declared on America,'' the president said. ``It's a new kind of war. ... This government will adjust and this government will call other governments to join us.''

He spoke first in a telephone conference call with New York Gov. George Pataki and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (news - web sites), then later answered questions from reporters.

``We have just seen the first war of the 21st century,'' he said. He said he had consulted a broad range of foreign leaders, had found ``universal support'' for the United States and expected there would be backing for whatever retaliation he ordered. ``I'm pleased with the outpouring of support - Jiang Zemin, Vladimir Putin (news - web sites),'' he said, referring to the leaders of China and Russia.

His eyes were red and wet as he ended his news conference, his head and hands trembling slightly as he made his remarks.

His eyes still moist, Bush walked a few minutes later into Washington Hospital Center with the first lady to visit victims. Mrs. Bush held her husband's right arm.

In earlier comments to reporters, Bush said firmly, ``Now that war has been declared on us, we will lead the world to victory. Victory.''

Bush started work in the Oval Office at 7:10 a.m. Thursday with another round of calls to world leaders as part of his effort to build a multinational coalition. Leaders of Japan, Italy, Saudi Arabia and NATO (news - web sites) ``have all said they will stand together with the United States to combat terrorism,'' White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said.

http://us.news2.yimg.com/f/42/31/7m/dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010913/us/attacks_washington_5.html

-- Cave Man (Caves@are.us), September 13, 2001


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