Bush: ‘Justice Will Be Done’

W A S H I N G T O N, Sept. 20 -- President Bush rallied Congress, the nation and the world behind a war against terrorism tonight, vowing "justice will be done" to the people who have attacked "freedom itself."

In his speech to a heavily guarded joint session of Congress, Bush pronounced the nation "awakened to danger and called to defend freedom" following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that left 6,736 people either missing or dead. The fight will be coordinated in a new Cabinet-level post with sweeping powers.

"Our grief has turned to anger, and anger to resolution," Bush said, putting terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden and his "loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al Qaeda" in the crosshairs of the largest investigation in U.S. history. "Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done." Transcript of Bush's speech.

Investigators believe al Qaeda was behind the bombing of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, as well as the bombing of the USS Cole.

Bush's speech capped off a busy day at home and abroad in the search for those responsible for the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. In other developments today:

A council of Afghan clerics recommended bin Laden leave Afghanistan voluntarily. But the council also said a holy war should be declared if an attack is launched on the country.

Federal officials warned of a possible second wave of terrorist strikes. See story.

The number of people believed missing or dead in the attack on theWorld Trade Center swelled by more than 900 to 6,333. See story.

Peace groups at colleges across the country held rallies calling for a nonmilitary response. See story.

‘Found, Stopped and Defeated’

With rescue workers and the wife of a man killed in one of the doomed planes watching him from the House gallery, Bush ticked off a series of demands to Afghanistan, where bin Laden is thought to be hiding.

Tops on the list: "Hand over every terrorist." Issuing an ambitious promise to root out terrorism throughout the world, the president also pointed to threats from radical Islamic organizations linked to bin Laden in 60 nations, including Egypt and Uzbekistan.