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The war will continue: Bush

By Javed M Ansari

WASHINGTON sept. 11. America commemorated the victims of the terrorist attacks on September 11 through observance ceremonies at the three main centres targeted last year. The day began at the Pentagon, the nerve-centre of the U.S. defence establishment, with the President, George Bush, the Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and the entire top brass of the armed forces in attendance.

Though the ceremony was meant to be a commemorative event for the victims, Mr. Bush, riding the renewed wave of patriotism, pledged to continue the war against terror. "We will not give up, the war will continue, long and hard and in distant lands.'' Though he refrained from directly referring to Iraq, he left little room for ambiguity about the way he intends to move forward on Iraq. "As long as dictators and fascists continue to plot against (the U.S.), they will be stopped, not by their own conscience but by our armed forces.'' Mr. Bush's strong words appeared to have struck a chord and he was repeatedly cheered everytime he spoke of the war on terror and his determination to "deal with the enemies'' of America.

Mr. Bush appeared to have deliberately chosen the Pentagon to deliver the grim warning. It is the heart of the American defence establishment and symbolises the muscle and sinew of the U.S. military might.

Most observers believe Mr. Bush was yet again trying to underscore the seriousness of his intentions to go after Saddam Hussein. At the Pentagon, the authorities were taking no chances. In keeping with the unprecedented nationwide security blanket, the Pentagon resembled a virtual fortress. Fighter planes guarded the skies, and helicopters circled overhead. Batteries of high tech air defence missiles ringed the perimeter. Heavily armed security personnel patrolled the area.

A year ago, the Pentagon took a severe blow as the flight number 77 crashed into it.

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