America intensifies threats toward Taliban

America intensifies threats toward Taliban and gets back to business

By CHRISTOPHER NEWTON

Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- The nation's political and financial leaders tried to rally Americans back to their routines Monday even as an extraordinary effort mounted to crush the terrorists who ripped that normalcy apart. "The best way to fight terrorism is to not let terrorism intimidate America," President Bush said.

Wall Street and the White House pledged a swift comeback. "We're going to stick our thumb in the eye of the murderers," Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill said from the flag-bedecked New York Stock Exchange before it, too, returned to work, after two minutes of silence and a rendition of "God Bless America."

The Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate by one-half point Monday, to 3 percent, to try to spark the economic engines. That could not overcome investor jitters, however, and the Dow Jones industrial average was down more than 600 points in the first hour of trading before rebounding. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer declined comment on the Fed action but said the economy is basically sound.

In the heart of Afghanistan's Taliban territory, Pakistani officials pressed their diplomacy, demanding the turnover of Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the attacks on the United States. Taliban leaders said earlier they would not surrender him.

U.S. officials are threatening to unleash America's "full wrath" if bin Laden is not given up.

Bush greeted White House workers as they returned to their jobs and sought to reassure Americans elsewhere that they can safely go back to their routines. He was going to Pentagon later Monday to discuss the activation of reservists and preparations for military strikes against terrorists.

Bush also scheduled meetings with his advisers on the state of the economy in general, and the blow suffered by the aviation industry in particular. Fleischer said Bush planned to meet with Islamic leaders at a local Muslim center as well, to remind the public "that Arab-Americans, Muslim Americans, love their flag too."

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said the United States was getting "overwhelming support from all across the globe" for its battle against terrorism.

"The only conceivable way that the United States can be protected against terrorist acts of this type ... is if we attack the problem of terrorism at its roots and go after the people who are doing it," he said.

As an expression of Bush's declaration that everyone in uniform must get ready, commanders of elite airborne and assault troops sent out orders alerting troops to potential changes of mission and movements that could come on short notice.

"What people have to recognize ... is America is preparing for war," Fleischer said. "That does include the risks and the possibilities of harm to Americans wherever they may be, including at home."

Bush went to a cafeteria in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House and shook hands with employees as they streamed in.

"We're setting a good example," Bush said. "We're showing we will not be intimidated."

His national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, said the promised war on terrorism is not just against bin Laden.

"We're going to follow the evidence trail," she said. "It's not just a single person. It's a large network. Clearly, the trail points in that direction, but we aren't saying that that's all. There may be others. We want to be sure what we're looking at."

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the hosed-off New York Stock Exchange just blocks from the ruins of the World Trade Center reopened for the first time since the attacks -- its opening bell a loud statement of life going on. Officials were mindful of the potential for panic among investors.

"Our markets will rise, our economy is strong," stock exchange Chairman Richard Grasso said. "The human factor will be restored."

O'Neill said: "We're going to show the world resilience."

Bush vowed Sunday, "We will rid the world of the evildoers. We will call together freedom-loving people to fight terrorism."

The Mercantile Exchange was also reopening Monday, as were City Hall and other government buildings and courthouses in New York.

Baseball was returning Monday night with a flurry of U.S. flags adorning players' caps and uniforms. "God Bless America" was set to replace "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" as the traditional crowd sing-along during the seventh-inning stretch.

The investigation pressed ahead.

Authorities arrested a second man as a witness in connection with the plot. They have detained 25 people in the investigation for possible immigration violations.

Many of the men have links to bin Laden, according to U.S. officials. On Sunday, bin Laden denied having anything to do with the attacks.

Bush shrugged off the denial and said, "No question, he is the prime suspect."

Hope of finding survivors in the smoldering ruins of the World Trade Center was dying.

By Sunday, 180 were confirmed dead in New York; the number of missing was 5,097. In the Pentagon attack, 188 were believed dead.

Federal emergency workers at both sites were trying to balance the need to move quickly through the rubble with their duty to pluck out any evidence they came across.

The U.S. warnings to Afghanistan intensified as the administration zeroed in on bin Laden and the Taliban.

"The government of Afghanistan has to understand that we believe they have, indeed, been harboring a man who committed and whose organization committed this most egregious act," Vice President Dick Cheney said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"They have to understand, and others like them around the world have to understand, that if you provided sanctuary to terrorists, you face the full wrath of the United States of America."

Secretary of State Colin Powell used the same "full wrath" language in his TV appearances. Powell said the Taliban faces a straightforward choice: Deliver bin Laden or face near-certain retaliation.

Bin Laden, an exiled Saudi, has been indicted in the 1998 bombing of two U.S. embassies in east Africa and linked to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.