With the words "we're at war," President Bush this morning continued to prepare the country for what may be an extended campaign against those responsible for Tuesday's terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Bush met with his national security advisers at the presidential retreat Camp David and afterward for the first time singled out suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden as a "prime suspect" in Tuesday's attacks that killed hundreds, left as many as 5,000 still missing and struck at the heart of the nation.
Bush, who yesterday visited the scene of devastation in downtown Manhattan, this morning described the carnage as "the signs of the first battle of war." He went on to say--echoing a phrase his father used during the Persian Gulf War--"this act will not stand; we will find those who did it; we will smoke them out of their holes. . . . Make no mistake about it: Underneath our tears is the strong determination of America to win this war. And we will win it."
The president used his weekly radio address to the nation to prepare Americans for what may be coming: "You will be asked for your patience, for the conflict will not be short. You will be asked for your resolve, for the conflict will not be easy. You will be asked for your strength, because the course to victory may be long."
Meeting with Bush at Camp David were Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Henry Shelton, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and Attorney General John Ashcroft.
Speaking with reporters, Powell said that the Pakistani government had been given a list of specific proposals and that the Pakistanis had agreed to all the items on the list. "I'm not prepared to announce today what those specific items are, but the Pakistani government was very forthcoming and we're appreciative," he said.
But from Pakistan today came reports that the Taliban, the Islamic militia that now controls 95 percent of Afghanistan and harbors bin Laden as a Muslim "guest," was prepared to declare war on Pakistan if it helped the United States in any way. Airports in Pakistan were shut down yesterday because of a threat of an air assault; they reopened several hours later.
Meanwhile, 25 people have been detained nationwide on immigration violations as part of the ongoing terrorism investigation, a government official said today. FBI agents have interviewed many of those being held, trying to determine if they had any connection with Tuesday's four hijackings.
Ashcroft, speaking from Camp David, said that the investigation was progressing. "We are beginning to understand the ways in which this terrible crime was committed," he said.
The grim work of recovering the bodies of victims of the attacks continued in New York and at the Pentagon.
"We are now getting into the heart of the crash site," said Arlington County Fire Chief Ed Plaugher, who reported that a large number of bodies both from the airliner and from the military complex were recovered overnight. "I would not be able to describe it in words."
Today, Pentagon officials cut to 188 the number of people missing as a result of the Pentagon attack, 124 who were working at the building and 64 passengers and crew on American Airlines Flight 77. They said that Herbert Homer, a Defense Department employee, had mistakenly been placed on the Pentagon missing list, but was actually a passenger on United Airlines Flight 175, which crashed into the World Trade Center.
In New York, city workers operated through the night to resume most train and bus service, including to most of the financial district. The around-the-clock recovery effort continues, and New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik said they have not lost hope that there may still be some survivors buried in the rubble.
"If you look at the site, there are a number of vacuum areas that could still exist. It's possible that people could still be alive," Kerik said. "If you look at other disasters around the world, people have been pulled out from these things five, six, seven days later, still alive. It is possible. So, we're not going to give up hope. We're going to keep doing what we're doing until it's over."
So far, the number of people pulled out alive remains at five, he said.
Officials also released the latest casualty numbers: 4,972 missing, 92 identified victims and 60 unidentified victims.
Across the nation and in the Washington area, there were signs of people trying to return to something resembling a normal life.
In Washington, many of the nation's monuments reopened to the public after plans to keep them closed through the weekend were reconsidered. The Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials as well as the Vietnam Veterans, Korean War Veterans and the FDR memorials were all open, but the Washington Monument and White House remained closed.
U.S. Park Police met at 9 a.m. Saturday to reevaluate their weekend closure of the capital's parks and monuments, a move that "was precautionary to begin with," said U.S. Park Police spokesman Sgt. Rob MacLean.
Vigilance and security remained high around the parks, however, and MacLean said police are ready to shut down and evacuate the areas quickly if necessary.
In New York, some of the city's most famous art museums opened free of charge to visitors seeking "respite and contemplation" amid the horror and devastation, according to a letter signed by the directors of 11 museums in the city.
The New York Stock Exchange tested its computer and communications systems today, clearing the way for trading to resume on Monday.
"Based on today's evaluation of our systems ... at 9:30 Monday morning trading will resume," NYSE chairman Richard A. Grasso said.
New York City firefighters and police officers will be present, he said, and traders will observe two minutes of silence in honor of the victims of the disaster.
Boston's Logan International Airport, where hijackers on Tuesday boarded the planes that destroyed the trade center, reopened with SWAT team officers and police dogs patrolling the concourses.
But in a sign that air travel may not return to anything resembling normal any time soon, Continental Airlines announced this morning that it was cutting its flight schedule by 20 percent and laying off 12,000 employees. The nation's fifth-largest carrier said that many corporations have instructed employees to avoid flying on U.S. carriers. "These actions are a direct result of the current and anticipated adverse effects on the demand for air travel caused by this week's terrorist attacks," the company said in a statement.
This afternoon, Northwest Airlines also announced that it was cutting back on its flight service and would review its staffing needs. The Continental and Northwest announcements came days after American Airlines said it would resume operations at 80 percent of its capacity. Delta Airlines said it will build its flight schedule back to about 75 percent of what it was before Tuesday's attacks.
Many analysts say that there is no way the airlines can operate only 80 percent of their routes but retain 100 percent of their employees, leading many airline officials to predict that there could be "tens of thousands" more jobs to be lost. Other airlines are expected to announce cutbacks next week.
Washington Post staff writers David Cho, Petula Dvorak, Molly Moore, Guy Gugliotta, Paul Blustein, Elaine Rivera and Frank Swoboda and wire services contributed to this report.
