The United States has launched cruise missiles at terrorist training camps in Afghanistan and a chemical plant in Khartoum, capital of Sudan, in retaliation for the recent bombing of the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and to prevent further attacks on US citizens.
President Clinton gave the order for the strikes from his vacation residence on Martha's Vineyard and flew back to Washington to address the country on the reasons for the military action.
Speaking from the Oval Office, he said: "The countries that persistently host terrorism have no right to be safe havens." Denying that the US was attacking Islam, Mr Clinton said: "No religion condones the murder of innocent men, women and children."
The President said US intelligence had indicated that "a gathering of key terrorist leaders" was planned at the camps in Afghanistan for yesterday.
Some political opponents queried the timing of this action and asked if it was not an attempt to distract attention from his domestic troubles following his admission last Monday of a sexual affair with former White House intern, Ms Monica Lewinsky.
This was strongly denied by the Secretary of Defence, Mr William Cohen, who insisted that the "only motivation driving this action today was our absolute obligation to protect the American people from terrorist activities".
Mr Clinton said the attack in Afghanistan was "on one of the most active terrorist bases in the world". It is operated by groups affiliated with Osama bin Laden.
Mr bin Laden is a Saudi millionaire businessman who has long been accused by the US of funding and organising terrorist attacks against Americans abroad. A spokesman for the Taliban, Mullah Abdullah, said after the strikes at the camps that "Bin Laden is safe and no damage has been done to any of his companions".
The President said the attack on Sudan was on a "chemical weapons-related facility". But the Sudanese government denied it had any chemical weapons facility and said the attack was on a pharmaceutical factory for medical supplies.
The Pentagon confirmed the attacks took place at 6.30 p.m. Irish time which would have been at night in Sudan and Afghanistan but at first refused to say how they were carried out. Later it was confirmed the attacks were by up to 100 cruise missiles launched from US ships and a submarine in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea. US intelligence is said to have received convincing evidence that Mr bin Laden had a role in the truck bombings of the embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam on August 7th. The bombings killed 257 people including 12 Americans and injured about 5,000.
A Palestinian who was arrested in Pakistan the same day after he had flown from Nairobi is reported to have admitted involvement in the bombings and to have named Mr bin Laden as being behind them.
Mr Clinton last night telephoned the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, and the Egyptian President, Mr Hosni Mubarak. He also sent messages to the leaders of China, Russia and France explaining the US action.
Leading Republican politicians supported the President for taking military action against Mr bin Laden and publicly dissociated themselves from criticism that the attacks were designed to distract attention from Mr Clinton's present troubles.
Mr Blair said in a statement issued by Downing Street that he "strongly" supported the US strikes in Afghanistan and Sudan.