Retaliation: A new kind of
warSUMMARY:
President Bush declared the September 11 attacks "acts of war" and promised retribution against "evil."
UPDATE:
While investigators try to determine who was behind the attacks, the president has vowed retribution. The Senate and House passed resolutions authorizing Bush to use force.
The Defense Department said the United States is preparing for a campaign against terrorist organizations and the people, organizations and countries that harbor and support them.
NATO has rallied behind the United States. For the first time in its 52-year history, NATO invoked Article 5 of its charter, which states that an armed attack against any of the member nations is considered an attack against all of them.
KEY QUESTIONS:
Whom will the United States retaliate against?
What form will the retaliation take?
Will the retaliation include an immediate response and a long-term plan to root out terrorists?
Is the United States willing to violate the sovereignty of other nations to get at terrorist networks?
How will retaliation affect Americans at home and abroad?
Will the United States seek military support from NATO?
WHO'S WHO:
George W. Bush:
U.S. presidentOsama bin Laden: A wealthy Saudi exile living in Afghanistan who U.S. authorities cite as the prime suspect in masterminding the attacks. (See also Backgrounds)
Colin Powell: U.S. secretary of state. A former Army general, Powell also served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
Condoleezza Rice: U.S. national security adviser
Gen. Richard B. Myers: chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff
Donald Rumsfeld: U.S. secretary of defense
George Tenet: CIA director
Lt. Gen. Michael V. Hayden: Director of the U.S. National Security Agency, responsible for gathering intelligence on terrorist cells.
Gen. Pervez Musharraf: The military ruler of Pakistan, one of three countries that officially recognizes the Taliban, the ruling militia of Afghanistan harboring bin Laden. The others are Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Mullah Mohammed Omar: The Muslim cleric who leads Afghanistan's ruling Taliban.
IMPACT: The attacks on the nation's landmarks of power and security signal the start of a protracted battle on terrorism that could permanently alter core U.S. military and diplomatic strategies.
