"Our prayers are with our brave men and women in harm's way and our British allies. They, along with President Bush and his national security team, have our nation's full support.

"The effort underway is the start of a different and difficult battle which requires patience and perseverance. The strikes and operations ordered by the President are aimed at the terrorists, their hiding places, and their protectors. Their day of reckoning has arrived. As President Bush has made clear, our quarrel is not with the Afghan people or Islam. Indeed, the relief efforts simultaneously underway seek to alleviate the suffering of the Afghan people under Taliban rule."