The speech was feverishly prepared over the last couple of days with help from top aides like counselor Karen Hughes. In the audience were five men from the police, fire departments and military who dug through rubble trying to save victims at the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Bush warned Americans that the war would be lengthy and involve far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes. He said it may include dramatic strikes visible on television as well as covert operations that would remain secret. Congress united behind Bush.
Tonight there is no opposition party.
We stand here united, not as Republicans and Democrats, not as Southerners or Westerners or Midwesterners or Easterners, but as Americans.'' Trying to explain why Islamic militants want to harm America, Bush called them a fringe movement that perverts the peaceful teachings of Islam. In a striking display of Washington's continuing security concerns since the attacks, Vice President Dick Cheney did not sit behind Bush as usual at such occasions and in fact did not attend Bush's speech so that the two top U.S. officials would be kept apart in case of any further incidents. Bush made clear the fight is not with Islam itself. This reflects U.S. concerns that retaliation could be seen as a broader campaign against Muslims and undermine efforts to get Muslim countries to cooperate in fighting what the United States considers terrorism. There are also fears of creating a backlash against Muslims in the United States.