As the United States today prepared for war, allies worldwide offered support but injected a note of caution about US plans to retaliate against those responsible for the horrific terror attacks on New York and Washington.
"We're at war. There has been an act of war declared upon America by terrorists, and we will respond accordingly," President Bush told reporters in a break from a meeting with his national security team at the presidential retreat of Camp David in the Maryland mountains.
After approving yesterday a mobilization of the nation's 35,500 military reserves - for the first time since the 1991 Gulf War - President Bush advised uniformed personnel to be at the ready for homeland defense and to provide support for port operations, medical needs, engineering and general civil support.
"My message is for everybody who wears the uniform: Get ready. The United States will do what it takes to win this war. And I ask patience of the American people," President Bush said.
The president has not ruled out using US ground troops in his planned war on global terrorism in the wake of the strikes, his spokesman said, "preparing the public for all eventualities."
"The president has not ruled anything out," Mr Ari Fleischer said in a conference call with reporters.
But though an unprecedented coalition of countries - including such allies as Britain and Germany but also frequent adversaries Algeria and Syria - have lined up to support the United States, leaders urged caution when the wounded giant hits back.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has offered Bush his full support, but insisted Friday that any retaliation "must and will be based on hard evidence."
France's Prime Minister Lionel Jospin has said his government's "solidarity does not deprive us of our freedom of judgment" and Germany's Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder admitted: "I will have to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life next week."
Russia's Vladimir Putin, someone with whom President Bush has developed a respectful if shallow relationship in his brief tenure as president, agreed "evil must be punished," but joined his Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov in a warning that any attack must be carefully thought through.
"We must not let ourselves be provoked by terrorists," Mr Putin said.
And in a move unprecedented in NATO's 52-year history, all 19 allies solemnly declared Wednesday that Article Five of the North Atlantic Treaty would apply if it emerged the attacks were masterminded abroad.
"What Article Five means is that members of the alliance must assist the ally that's been attacked. There's a binding commitment there," NATO spokesman Mr Yves Brodeur said, though member countries "are free to choose the means to employ for that purpose."
AFP