Bush says war on terror entering second phase
Monday, 11 March 2002 16:36
US President George W Bush has been leading commemorations to mark the six months since the 11 September attacks. In a speech in Washington, Mr Bush said that the war on terror was entering its second phase following the campaign in Afghanistan. He said no state would be allowed to harbour terrorists.
"Every terrorist must be made to live as an international fugitive, with no place to settle or organise, no place to hide, no governments to hide behind and not even a safe place to sleep."
President Bush was speaking at a gathering for over 1,000 people in the rose garden of the White House. Guests include relatives of the dead, members of congress, and ambassadors from 150 countries.
"In preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction, there is no margin for error and no chance to learn from mistakes. Our coalition must act deliberately but inaction is not an option," he said.
Ceremonies are being held in New York and Washington, in remembrance of the victims of the 11 September attacks. The attacks occurred exactly six months ago. More than 3,000 people were killed.
At ground zero in New York tonight, twin beams of light will be shone from the site where the twin towers of the World Trade Centre stood. A large gathering of people has attended the unveiling of a memorial at the site.
Over 2,800 people are now thought to have been killed when two hijacked planes slammed into the towers. Only 753 have so far been confirmed dead.
As the criminal investigation continues, hundreds have been arrested in and outside the US but few have been charged. However, over a dozen terrorist plots around the world have allegedly been uncovered and $100m in Al Qaeda funds have been frozen.
Six months on, America remains on high alert. This week, a new colour coded system for announcing warnings is to be unveiled. This will let the American public know how serious a threat they are under at any given time.
- News At One: Aine Brazil, an Irish engineer who has been at the centre of the recovery effort at the Twin Towers in New York, describes her experiences over the last six months
- Morning Ireland: Captain Paul McCormack, from Ballybofey in Co Donegal, now a commanding officer in the NYPD, says life has changed dramatically since the day when many of his colleagues were killed
- 9.00 News: Carole Coleman, Washington Correspondent, reports that recovery and healing in Lower Manhattan has been slow
- 6.01 News: Carole Coleman, Washington Correspondent, looks at the ceremonies held to mark the six-month anniversary of the attacks
- 6.01 News: Brian O'Connell, London Editor, reports on US Vice President Dick Cheney's meeting with Tony Blair
- 6.01 News: Carole Coleman, Washington Correspondent, reports on the quest for compensation by victims of the attack
- 1.00 News: Roisín Ní Eadhra reports on the planned remembrance ceremonies
