TOLEDO, Ohio, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry said in reaction to a new Osama bin Laden tape that Americans would not be intimidated by terrorists.
"Let me make this very clear: Americans will not be intimidated or influenced by an enemy of our country," Bush said while campaigning in Ohio. "I also want to say to the American people that we're at war with these terrorists, and I am confident that we will prevail."
Kerry, speaking in Florida, said Americans were determined to hunt down bin Laden and al-Qaida and "I will stop at absolutely nothing to hunt down, capture or kill the terrorists wherever they are, whawever it takes. Period."
Bin Laden, for the first time, admitted carrying out the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He said they were in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli policies towards Palestinians and in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli actions in Lebanon in the 1980s.
The outcome of the election would not protect Americans, he said, only a change in policies..
Neither candidate appeared ready to try to capitalize on the tape in their campaigns, but before its release Kerry had again accused Bush of allowing bin Laden to escape capture in Afghanistan by relying on Afghan forces.
