Responding to Taliban requests for negotiation, President Bush said "I have only two words for them: goodbye."
Nearly one month after the deadly terrorist attacks on the United States, American forces in the Mid East launched long-range bombs into Afghanistan on Sunday and Monday.
Initial reports indicate that the bombings have been successful, targeting terrorist training camps and a scattering of Afghan military targets meant to curtail the ruling Taliban party's means of defense.
It was the opening salvo in what President Bush has called "warfare of the 23rd century", where there is a lack of conventional military targets such as ground forces and command centers.
Instead, the Bush administration is hoping to create an atmosphere that will lead to the downfall of the Taliban regime and the installation of a ruling body that will not harbor terrorists within it's borders.
After the first bombs fell on Sunday, a videotaped message from Osama bin Laden was broadcast. It appears the tape was previously recorded and does not seem to be a direct answer to the military action by the U.S.
Instead, bin Laden threatened Americans that they shall never again dream of safety while U.S. forces remain in the Middle East and/or aide the Israeli government.
Latest reports from the region indicated that bin Laden was still alive following the attacks, but there has been no direct confirmation of this.
Response by the American public was overwhelmingly supportive of the bombings, though concerns over a terrorist "response" within the U.S. borders remains a grim possiblity.
Vice President Dick Cheney has been secured in a safe and secret location, according to White House sources.
"We don't want people to worry that the brains and backbone of this administration is in harms way," claims the anonymous source, "so people can just go on about their business as usual."
