12 September 2001

Bush Seeks to Build International Coalition Against Terrorism

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."