12 September 2001
Bush Seeks to Build International Coalition Against Terrorism
(Calls foreign leaders, meets with members of Congress) (620)
By Wendy S. Ross
Washington File White House Correspondent
Washington -- President Bush spent a busy day at the White House
meeting with his national security advisers and with leaders of
Congress to discuss the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and
Washington, as well as phoning world leaders, White House Press
Secretary Ari Fleischer told the reporters at an afternoon briefing
September 12.
Bush spoke with Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair, Canada's Prime
Minister Jean Chretien, France's President Jacques Chirac, Germany's
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, China's President Jiang Zemin and twice
with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Fleischer said.
Bush is rallying an international coalition to combat terrorism,
Fleischer said and "will continue to reach out to leaders throughout
the world" to develop a coalition of the world's freedom-loving
countries against terrorism.
Bush's thanked Putin in the two phone calls -- the first lasted five
minutes, the second seven minutes - "for his call and for the message
of condolence that President Putin sent yesterday," Fleischer said.
Putin informed Bush that he had signed a decree that there be a moment
of silence throughout Russia at noon September 13, with flags at
half-mast to express the outrage and solidarity of the Russian people
with the American people, Fleischer said. "The two Presidents agreed
that they would work closely together in the coming weeks to fight
those responsible for yesterday's acts of terrorism."
Bush's phone call with President Jiang lasted for approximately 10
minutes, Fleischer said. Bush thanked Jiang "for his condolences and
concern for the American people as well, and the two agreed to work
together also to combat terrorism."
"This is another indication," Fleischer said, of the coalition Bush
"is seeking to form as the world unites in the fight against
terrorism."
President Bush "is going to continue to have conversations throughout
the world," as is Secretary of State Colin Powell, Fleischer said.
In a related development, Fleischer said Bush is "gratified" by the
action of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization September 12 to
invoke Article 5 of its charter that says an attack on one NATO nation
is an attack on all NATO nations.
The President "is also gratified" that the United Nations Security
Council passed a resolution September 12 "condemning the attacks on
the United States, "and saying that it was a threat to international
peace and security," Fleischer said.
Fleischer also told reporters that "we have specific and credible
information that the White House and Air Force One were also intended
targets of these attacks."
It appears, he said, that the plane that crashed into the Pentagon
"was originally intended to hit the White House."
And when Bush had left Florida on Air Force One there were still
reports of airplanes in the air that had not yet been brought to the
ground per the (Federal Aviation Administration) FAA's order,
Fleischer said, and that is a reason the White House and the president
operated in the secure manner that they did.
Air Force One first landed at a military base in Louisiana, then flew
to a military base in Nebraska, before finally returning the president
to Washington.
The information we had about Air Force One was "real and credible,"
Fleischer said. "The manner in which Air Force One operated maintained
the security of Air Force One at all times."
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
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