World Leaders React To Attacks

Taliban Asks U.S. To Refrain From Attack

WASHINGTON -- Afghanistan's ruling Taliban condemned the hijacking attacks against the United States for a second time Wednesday and urged the U.S. not to attack them in retaliation, reports CNN.

According to CNN, Taliban officials called the attack a "sad humanitarian catastrophe."

The Taliban appealed to the U.S. not to attack Afghanistan because the Afghan people are already in a great deal of misery, reports the national news network.

Powell: We Must Go On

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says the United States will find out who is responsible for acts of terror and make them pay. But for now, he says, people have to get back to their lives.

While saying that "acts of war" have been committed against the United States, Powell also says life has to go on. He says people cannot be afraid to live their lives.

At the same time, Powell says the Bush administration will undertake a worldwide effort to stamp out terrorism. He says he has spoken to many foreign leaders and that the president has spoken with the four other permanent members of the UN Security Council as part of that effort.

Powell says he expects other nations to cooperate in the investigation, including Pakistan and Muslim countries. And he says countries that provide support to terrorists will be held accountable.

Pope, Blair React To Attacks

LONDON -- World leaders are standing by America in its hour of need.

At his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul said "those who believe in God know that evil and death do not have the final say."

Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair says he had consulted leaders in Russia, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union, and they all agreed that these were not just attacks on America, but on the "free and democratic world."

Blair says world leaders are united in their condemnation and determination to bring those responsible to justice.

The president of the European Commission says America has stood by Europe in its darkest hours, and "today we stand close by America."

A columnist in Jordan's second-largest newspaper cautioned against jumping to conclusions about who was responsible, noting that Americans were responsible for the bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer says President Bush spoke this morning by phone with Prime Minister Blair and Canadian Prime Minister Jacques Chretien.

He says they both expressed their resolve to "stand strong" against terrorism."

Fleischer says the president thanked Chretien for Canada's help diverting and landing American planes amid Tuesday's chaos.

The calls came as the president met with his national security council.

The president arrived in the Oval Office at 7 a.m. EDT and received his national security briefing.

Later this morning, he'll hold what's being billed as a unity meeting with a bipartisan group of congressional leaders.

Congress Reconvenes In Show Of Unity

There was a strong show of unity Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol.

Democrats and Republicans are standing together in their outrage and disgust at the terrorism that struck the nation Tuesday.

Both the House and Senate have reconvened a day after they had to evacuate the Capitol because of terror concerns.

Lawmakers are devoting the day to giving speeches and passing resolutions condemning the attacks in New York and Washington.

House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt says the U.S. is "determined to show the world that America will not be defeated by anyone."

Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott sounded a similar theme -- saying it is "so important that we show that even these terrible acts cannot stop America from going forward."

U.S., Wealthy Allies Pledge To Stabilize Economy

WASHINGTON -- The United States and its wealthy allies pledged that their central banks would engage in a coordinated effort to keep the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history from destabilizing the global economy.

"We are committed to ensuring that this tragedy will not be compounded by disruption to the global economy," the Group of Seven nations said in a joint statement.

The statement, issued in the name of the finance ministers and central bank presidents of the world's seven wealthiest nations said their central banks would make sure that sufficient money was supplied to major banks to prevent disruptions.

Germany Suspects bin Laden, Expects U.S. Retaliation

The German, French, British and Israeli secret services view Osama bin Laden as the prime suspect behind the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, a senior German government official said Wednesday.

"The way it was carried out, the choice of targets, the military approach, the highly professional preparation and the presumably large financial resources ... (all) mean there are many points that indicate we should look for the perpetrators among those around Osama bin Laden," Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's chief of staff Frank-Walter Steinmeier said.

The four intelligence services were all in agreement, he said, adding that Germany expects the United States to retaliate for the attacks Tuesday on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

"I expect that the United States will not leave these attacks unanswered," Steinmeier told a Berlin news conference.

Bin Laden, a millionaire Saudi exile who is living in Afghanistan, is a key suspect in the bombing of two U.S. embassies in East Africa in August 1998 that killed 224 people, including 12 U.S. citizens.

World Reacts

The terrorist attacks on the United States have had an impact felt around the world.

Many countries added extra security at American embassies. In Oslo, Norwegians left bouquets of flowers in a park near the U.S. Embassy. In Istanbul, Turkey, officials lowered the U.S. flag at the consulate to half-mast. In other countries, flags were lowered and offices closed in recognition of the tragedy.

Even though Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said he was "horrified" by the attack, The Associated Press reports indicted that thousands of Palestinians celebrated in the streets, chanting "God is great," and even passing out candy to passersby.

Iraqi television played a patriotic song that begins with the words "Down with America!" as images of the World Trade Center's towers falling played across the screen.

From all around the world, leaders spoke out about the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

Britain

Queen Elizabeth II said she was watching developments in "growing disbelief and total shock" and offered her thoughts and prayers to Americans. Prime Minister Tony Blaire vowed Britain's support to bring the terrorists to justice. He said, "This mass terrorism is the new evil in our world today. It is perpetrated by fanatics who are utterly indifferent to the sanctity of human life."

Canada

"It is impossible to fully comprehend the evil that would have conjured up such a cowardly and depraved assault," said prime minister Jean Chretien.

China

In reports by the official news source the Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Jiang Zemin did not specifically express sympathy but said he has "grave concern for the safety of Chinese in the U.S."

European Union Commission

President Romano Prodi offered his sympathy: "Europeans stand together with the U.S. and all peace-loving peoples of the world in condemning and resisting terrorism in the strongest possible terms."

France

President Jacques Chirac called the attacks "monstrous".

Germany

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder publicly condemned the attacks as "a declaration of war."

Greenland

Premier Jonathan Motzfedt expressed his "deepest condolences on the terrible tragedy".

Italy

Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi told Bush in a telegram. "Italy is at the side of the U.S. …The international community must respond together to this abhorrent act."

Iraq

Iraqi TV played a patriotic song that began "Down with America!" as it showed the World Trade Center's towers falling, according to Independent Online News.

Japan

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said, "This outrageous and vicious act of violence against the United States is unforgivable."

Russia

President Vladimir Putin expressed his sympathy for the American people and called the attacks "terrible tragedies".

Another Point Of View

Sometimes journalists in other countries write in a style that is more emotionally evocative than typical American news. Click here to read an Australian reporter's description of the tragedy.

Former President Clinton Reacts

Former President Clinton, who led the nation through the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, urged Americans to rally behind President Bush in the aftermath of Tuesday's terrorist attacks.

"We should not be second-guessing. We should be supporting him," Clinton said in a telephone interview while traveling in Australia.

Clinton, who left office in January after serving two terms, said he was stunned and angered by the attacks in New York and Washington.

"The most important thing is, we all have to be strong, calm good Americans now and rally behind the president and support the actions he will doubtlessly take . . . in the days ahead -- in both rescue and reconstruction of the area and especially in investigating and taking whatever action is necessary" against those responsible, Clinton said.

"The main thing is, we must send a clear and unambiguous message to the world that the people of America are completely 100 percent united and we're going to follow our leaders and support whatever action (Bush) takes," he said.

Clinton had been president for only a few weeks when terrorists blew up a truck bomb in the World Trade Center's basement in February 1993, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000.

He also dealt with the April 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, where 168 people died. Timothy McVeigh was executed this year for the crime and conspirator Terry Nichols faces the death penalty.

On Bush and his team, the former president said: "We're going to have to give them some time. They're going to have to work on this. During my time, (authorities) forwarded any number of these potential attacks. I know they're going to work overtime. I know they're going to do a good job."

Gore Supports Former Opponent

Former Vice President Al Gore, who has kept a low profile since losing the 2000 presidential election to Bush, also threw his support behind Bush's terrorism-fighting efforts.

"Like all Americans, I strongly support President Bush's statement that we will use every resource at our disposal to find out who did this and hold them accountable," Gore said in a statement to a high-tech group he was to address in Vienna, Austria. He canceled the talk.

"It is an unspeakable tragedy, and my heart goes out to the victims and their families," Gore said.

Clinton praised Bush for flying from Florida, where he was wrapping up a two-day trip, to secure military bases in Louisiana and Nebraska before returning to the White House.

"He needs to take every conceivable precaution in the event there are more attacks planned," Clinton said. "I'm sure he wants to return to Washington as soon as possible. He is doing what makes sense from a security point of view based on what he has been advised. I'm almost positive of that."

"Nobody should be questioning any decisions he makes," Clinton said. "We ought to be hanging in there, giving his national security team the time it takes."

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