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Bush: No let up in bin Laden hunt

By KATHY A. GAMBRELL, White House reporter

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush on Friday said the United States remained in pursuit of Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden, whom authorities have identified as the prime suspect in the Sept. 11 terrrorist attacks on New York and Washington that killed nearly 5,000 people.

"We're on the hunt," Bush said in an impromptu Rose Garden news conference. "We're going to chase him down. And the American people fully understand that we're in for a long struggle. And I appreciate the patience of American people."

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Bush made his comments after a meeting with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, a member of the international anti-terror coalition that has supported the U.S.-led bombing campaign in Afghanistan.

Shelling over Kabul and other key sites is in response to the Taliban government's refusal to surrender bin Laden, who has taken refuge within the country's borders.

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"We still have the same objective, and that is for the Taliban to hand over al Qaida, the leaders; to release those who are being detained; and to destroy any terrorist training camps. And they've been given ample time to meet those demands, and now they're paying a price for not having met the demands," Bush said.

Bush said he and Obasanjo spent time talking about the fact that war against terror requires strong military, diplomatic and financial action, but that it still recognizes the need to share a message that governments respect tolerance and different points of view.

Obasanjo praised Bush for his efforts and pledged his continuing support even as political strife and civil unrest have erupted in his own country.

"I want to particularly commend your effort, Mr. President, for the way you have built up a coalition, because the tendency and the feeling will be to do something quickly," Obasanjo said. " ... We are part of that coalition, and we will remain steadfastly part of that coalition," Obasanjo said.

Since Obasanjo, a retired general, assumed office three years ago, thousands of people have been killed in clashes between ethnic groups and with military forces in the region.

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Later on Friday, Bush will leave Washington for Camp David, the Maryland presidential retreat, where he has spent every weekend since the Sept. 11 attacks.

Next week he begins a weeklong offensive to shore up what has been seen as waning support for the war in Afghanistan. He is also preparing for his first address before the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Nov. 10.

"He will talk about the importance of world leaders and coalition allies; he will define the nature of the global response to terrorism; and update the progress on the war on terrorism, talking about the responsibilities of those who have joined the coalition," said national security advisor Condoleezza Rice in a Thursday briefing with reporters.

The meetings are being held as speculation grows that the airstrikes and limited ground campaign were not reaching the levels of success expected by the White House or defense officials.

Reports from the region have said U.S. military forces have missed targets, mistakenly bombed civilian installations and been forced to back away from attacking Taliban positions set up in residential areas.

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