President calls for unity

President George W. Bush announced to a joint session of Congress last Thursday the creation of a Cabinet-level position to fight terrorism, the latest dimension in the U.S. response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The President appointed Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge to lead the newly-created Office of Homeland Security, aimed to develop a “comprehensive strategy against terrorism.”

The President said American demands to hand over terrorists and uncover networks “are not open to negotiation or discussion.”

In a clear sign of a full military engagement, Bush said he called the armed forces to alert for a reason.

“The hour is coming when America will act, and you will make us proud,” he said.

Americans can expect “dramatic strikes and covert operations,” Bush said.

The military response would be unlike the Gulf War and involve a much more concentrated ground approach, he said.

Netanyahu joins House committee to examine attacks

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a House committee Thursday the U.S. must respond swiftly to terrorist threats.

“What is at stake today is nothing less than the survival of our civilization,” an adamant Netanyahu testified before the Government Reform
committee. “Our values are hated with an unmatched fanaticism.”

He called the Sept. 11 terrorist hijackings a “wake-up call from hell.”

Representatives were adamant in their desire to punish terrorists.

“We must penetrate the terrorist organizations,” Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) said. “We’ve retaliated before, but not eliminated.”

Netanyahu warned that terrorists groups are not beyond using biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, something the U.S. intelligence community has long explored.

“We must dismantle the entire terrorist network,” Netanyahu said. “Nothing justifies terrorism.”

Pentagon to send forces abroad

The Pentagon secured plans last Wednesday to shift an arsenal of combat and supply aircraft to the Persian Gulf, the first clear sign that an organized military response could be soon underway.

The decision by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was considered an integral first move in preparing for the arrival of combat forces.

The orders add to an already sizable U.S. military presence in the region. Air controllers are expected to depart first and lay the groundwork for refueling operations along the way, according to the Associated Press. The Air Force would likely send F-16, F-15 and B-1 bombers to the region.

“You simply cannot batten down the hatches and try to cope with every conceivable thing any terrorist could imagine to do,” Rumsfeld told reporters. “I mean, they’re already done some unimaginable things. The only answer is to take the effort to them where they are.”

Bush lobbied international leaders last week to join the U.S. in its fight against terrorism.

Bush met with leaders of France, Indonesia and Great Britain. He also held discussions with a foreign ministers in an attempt to unite them in the U.S. cause.

-Zeb Eckert