“Make no mistake, the United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts,” President Bush said. “The resolve of our great nation is being tested...we will show the world that we will pass this test.”

After a morning of chaos and confusion, speculation over who was responsible for the worst instances of terrorism ever committed on American soil quickly centered on Osama bin Laden, the Saudi millionaire exile who has been accused of masterminding past acts of terrorism against the U.S., including last year’s bombing of a U.S. navy ship near Yemen, as well as the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa. Islamic terrorists targeted the World Trade Center in 1993, killing six and injuring more than 1,000 others.

But while terrorists in the Middle East were the immediate focus of speculation, several groups—including bin Laden’s Al Quaida group and officials of the Taliban government in Afghanistan—denied taking any part in the attacks, saying they do not have the ability to mastermind such a large-scale operation.

Mullah Muhammad Omar, the Taliban’s supreme leader, issued a denial through a spokesperson, Abdul Hai Mutmain, who said, “Mullah Omar condemns this act. Mullah Omar says Osama is not responsible. We have brought peace to this country and we want peace in all countries.”

U.S. officials have said the full force of the U.S. military will be used to punish those responsible for yesterday’s attacks, as well as those who countries who have protected terrorists, such as Afghanistan. Early last night, explosions were reported in Kabul, Afghanistan, but the U.S. government has denied any role in those incidents.

After returning to Washington, President Bush addressed the country from the Oval Office at 8:30 p.m., providing a strong statement that America would seek retribution.

“The search is under way for those who are behind these evil acts,” Bush said. “I’ve directed the full resources for our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.”

While the country’s attention will now turn to rescuing and caring for those who survived the New York and Washington attacks, as well as grieving for those who lost their lives yesterday, President Bush said that the U.S. would not let the attacks “frighten our nation into chaos and retreat.”