U.S. forces asked to be on the ready

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

NEW YORK, SEPT. 13. In what appears to be the preparation for a major military retaliation for the terrorist attacks of Tuesday, the Defence Secretary, Mr. Donald Rumsfeld, has called on troops to be prepared ``in the days ahead'' for the battle against terrorism.

In a videotaped message to American troops worldwide, Mr. Rumsfeld said, ``We face powerful and terrible enemies, enemies we intend to vanquish. The task of vanquishing these terrible enemies - and protecting the American people and the cause of freedom - will fall to you''.

But in a news conference and remarks to reporters, Mr. Rumsfeld did not specifically talk about military retaliation but left no doubt as to where the Bush administration was heading.

``Time will tell. I'm kind of old fashioned. I am inclined to think if you're going to cock it, you throw it,'' Mr. Rumsfeld remarked, meaning that if there is the threat to retaliate, it should be gone through.

The Defence Secretary's comments come at a time when the administration has made a pointed reference to the fact that Tuesday's targets included the White House and Air Force One. This partly explains why it took the President some nine hours to return to the nation's capital, with his Air Force One touching down at secure military installations in Louisiana and Nebraska.

The thinking is that either the American Airlines plane that ploughed into the Pentagon or the United Airlines flight that went down near Pittsburgh may have been intended for striking the White House. But details as to how the Air Force One could have been targeted has not been revealed.

Venturing out of the White House for the first time since the deadly terrorist attacks of Tuesday, the President, Mr. George W. Bush, said he was both sad, angry and overwhelmed at the destruction of the Pentagon.

``I am overwhelmed by the devastation... Coming here makes me sad on the one hand. It also makes me angry'', he remarked while surveying the badly damaged building and talking to rescue workers at the site.

The Bush administration, in spite of all the tough words from senior officials and Cabinet members, has been measured in the manner in which it has gone about the whole thing. The thinking is that retaliation for Tuesday's attacks will be very much there, but that the U.S. is perhaps looking at a much broader base of support before unleashing its military might.

While the solid support from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation has been widely welcomed in Washington, senior law makers are hoping that any strikes against Osama bin Laden will also include some participation by Russia. The Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Mr. Carl Levin, has expressed the hope of a ``joint action'' involving Russia against Osama bin Laden.

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Section  : International
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