President: Don’t judge war on terrorism on bin Laden’s whereabouts

By Sonya Ross

Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – President Bush said Friday he does not know whether Osama bin Laden is dead or alive but cautioned Americans against judging the success of the war on the fate of the terrorist mastermind.

“Those who are preoccupied with one individual do not understand the struggle. We fight terror wherever terrorism exists and those people who say one person matters, they elevate that person to a status he does not deserve,” Bush said three days before the six-month anniversary of the Sept. 11 suicide attacks.

Bush will observe the anniversary Monday with a White House ceremony attended by 1,300 people, including the families of victims and more than 100 ambassadors representing U.S. war allies.

He spoke to reporters at a Florida semiconductor business as U.S. and Afghan soldiers waged a pitch battle in Gardez against al-Qaida militants vowing to fight to the death.

“We’re fighting fierce fighters,” Bush said. Noting that the enemy may not surrender, the president said, “That’s OK. If that’s their attitude, we’ll just have to adjust.”

He didn’t say how the U.S.-led coalition would adjust.

Bush said he didn’t know whether bin Laden or al-Qaida leadership were in the combat zone. “I don’t know of a ny specific names. I do know we’re making great progress. I do know that any time we find al-Qaida bunched up like that we’ll get them,” Bush said. “And there’s going to be more battles like this.”

The White House is trying to keep American rallied behind the president and the war, thus Monday’s ceremonies. Bush said he has been impressed by the public’s patience, and said he is not disappointed that bin Laden has not been found.

Asked what he expectations were six months ago regarding bin Laden’s capture, Bush said, “I knew that we were in four very different kind of war and on 9-12 and the days following we put the war plans in place. I wasn’t sure how long it would take. I knew it was going to take a while.”

“I’m please with the progress we have made in a quick period of time,” he said. “Six months is not a very long period of time when you think about the enemy we’re fighting.”

He said he doesn’t know whether bin Laden is dead or alive, “I do know we haven’t heard from him in a long time.”

Bush spoke as he made an eighth visit to Florida, this time aiding his brother’s re-election campaign and promoting new corporate responsibility proposals he announced Thursday in part because of the collapse of Enron Corp., a longtime donor to Bush’s political campaigns.

He mixed the corporate-citizenship message with a fund-raiser expected to net $500,000 for the Florida Republican Party. The bash is at the elegant Don CeSar Beach Resort and Spa in St. Pete Beach.

Eventually, the proceeds will help finance advertising for Gov. Jeb Bush, who is seeking a second term. The president headlined a Washington fund-raiser in January that raised $500,000 for his brother.

The president also was meeting with families of two Army Rangers who were killed in combat Monday: Sgt. Bradley Crose, 22, of Orange Park, Fla., and Spc. Marc Anderson, 30, of Brandon, Fla.

“I’m sure your heart aches,” Bush said. “The price of freedom is high, no doubt about it.”

Bush said he would continue to focus on creating jobs to boost the economy, even though it has shown signs of gaining strength. He cheered Congress’ passage of an economic recovery package as good news and vowed to sign it.

The Enron scandal touched the Bush family politically and personally. Enron has been the single largest contributor to the president’s political career; Jeb Bush invested about $91,000 and turned a small profit in 1995 from an Enron partnership, tax records show.

The president’s mother-in-law, Jenna Welch, lost about $8,000 on an investment in Enron stock.

The company Bush visited, America II Electronics, sells chips and other electronic equipment. It has survived hard times, and Bush was holding it up as a model of determination amid recession. Bush also was closely watching February unemployment figures, to be released Friday, aides said.

Appearances with workers are becoming a fixture of Bush’s travels on days when the government releases economic reports, an aide said. Bush wouldn’t say Thursday whether he believes the nation has emerged from recession, but his team is determined not to let a flagging economy sink his re-election fortunes as it did his father’s.

Friday’s trip was Bush’s eighth to Florida, making it the No. 1 state for presidential visits since Bush took office last year. Florida was the decisive state in the presidential election, and Bush’s political advisers view it as critical to his re-election prospects.