Combating Terrorism: 'It Starts Today'

He turned to the military component. "We'll attack with missiles, bombers and boots on the ground," he said, choosing the most extensive of the three options presented to him by Gen. Henry H. Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "Let's hit them hard. We want to signal this is a change from the past. We want to cause other countries like Syria and Iran to change their views." Syria and Iran had been connected to previous terrorist attacks, going back decades.

"We want to hit as soon as possible," the president said.

The Pentagon should develop and present a detailed plan, he said, but it was clear some basic questions about the operation -- raised six days before by Rumsfeld -- had not been resolved. He repeated those questions once more:

What targets can we do, and how soon? What allied forces do we want? When? How? What's in the first wave? What's later?

Putting boots on the ground before bombing in Afghanistan would be a good idea, he said, adding, "We are going to rain holy hell on them."

Bush had vowed that the U.S. military response would not be a tentative one. He made that point again. "You've got to put lives at risk. We've got to have people on the ground."

Protocol dictated that the secretary of state speak first after the president, so Powell took the floor. He had been slightly taken aback that Bush wanted to give the Taliban an immediate ultimatum. Powell said he would need time to work on it. It was night in South Asia, about 10 hours ahead. Since the United States did not have diplomatic relations with the Taliban, any private ultimatum would have to be issued through Pakistan's government.

There were additional complications. First, Powell had to write it. Second, everyone had to understand the consequences. Powell was still deeply concerned about what might happen in Pakistan. Third, they would have to button up their embassies, talk to the allies. "I'd like an hour to think it through, whether we should delay until tomorrow morning," Powell said.

The president said he agreed, but he wanted the language to be as tough as possible. "I want to have them quaking in their boots," he said.

Discussion turned to whether bin Laden had weapons of mass destruction -- chemical, biological or nuclear. Intelligence showed that over the years he had made a substantial effort to get them, but the CIA and other intelligence agencies really didn't know -- and certainly had no proof -- that he had succeeded.

"It's a wild card that could change the dynamics in ways that could alter our calculus," Rumsfeld said, in a bit of management-speak that left some in the room shaking their heads.

Bush said he wanted a plan to stabilize Pakistan and protect it against any adverse consequences of giving such strong support to the United States.