He also warned the nation again of sacrifices ahead, pointing to the 35,000 members of military reserves and the National Guard that he is calling to active duty.

"We're talking about somebody's mom or somebody's dad, somebody's employee, somebody's friend or somebody's neighbor," Mr. Bush said at the Pentagon, where he had gone for war briefings.

But he added, "The world will see that the strength of this nation is found in the character and courage of everyday citizens."

Later, people in a Pentagon cafeteria began singing "God Bless America" when the president walked in. And he joined in.

On the first Monday after last Tuesday's terrorist attacks, Mr. Bush set out to welcome a reeling nation back to work, bolster its stunned economy and rally its military for what he has vowed will be a long, difficult war against terrorism.

He also visited Washington's Islamic Center to denounce discrimination against Muslims in America.

"In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect," he said.

Meanwhile, Attorney General John Ashcroft offered armed guards for the nation's airlines and pressed Congress to provide new tools to better track terrorists.

"With the advances in technology," he said, "we need to make sure that our laws are also advancing."

The president, who has become increasingly angry and strident in his remarks since Tuesday's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, said the "prime suspect" remained Mr. bin Laden, the Saudi-born terrorist who has long operated from the rugged terrain of Afghanistan.

"There's an old poster out West ... "Wanted – Dead or Alive,' " Mr. Bush said, recalling his days growing up in West Texas.

"America wants him brought to justice," he said. "That's what we want."

But Mr. Bush reminded reporters at the Pentagon that Mr. bin Laden is but one leader of a terrorist network.

"Our mission is not just Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaeda organization. Our mission is to battle terrorism and to join with freedom-loving people," the president said.

From the beginning of the crisis, Mr. Bush and his secretary of state, Colin Powell, have been telephoning world leaders, seeking their support for a far-reaching campaign to root out terrorists and those who support them.

Talks with leaders

At the State Department, Mr. Powell welcomed additions to the coalition against terror that the Bush administration is assembling.

He particularly praised Pakistan for sending emissaries to Afghanistan with an urgent appeal to Taliban leaders to expel Mr. bin Laden and other terrorists.

"We mean no ill will toward the people of Afghanistan," Mr. Powell said. "They are a suffering people. They are a poor people. And for that reason alone, they should not allow these invaders to put their society at risk and to connect themselves to the government of Afghanistan."

The secretary of state, however, said he didn't expect much.

"The Taliban, of course, is responding the way that it always has – that Osama bin Laden and his associates are guests in their country," he said. "Well, it's time for the guests to leave."

At the Pentagon, where at least 188 people died in Tuesday's attack, the president opened with a new barrage of war words against Mr. bin Laden and those who harbor him.

Serving notice

"The people who think they can provide them safe havens will be held accountable. The people who feed them will be held accountable," he said, urging the Taliban to take his words seriously.

The president would not discuss the war planning or other diplomatic and political actions that he has undertaken. But he emphasized that he was committing the nation for the long haul, and there would be sacrifices.

"Freedom has a cost," he said, looking ahead to new kind of war with terrorists.

'Barbaric behavior'

The military reserve and National Guard units being called up will provide police, engineers, intelligence experts and added logistics and airlift support.

And Mr. Bush was quick to thank not only their families but also their employers, whom he said "understand that there is more to corporate life than just profit and loss."

As the stock markets reopened Monday, the president said he was well aware "it's tough right now," that "business is hurting."

But he said, "I've got great faith in the economy," noting the "underpinnings for growth" remain sound.

He emphasized that Congress already had approved a $40 billion emergency appropriation, which he said would not only help rebuild New York but also provide some economic stimulus.

And he said that he stood ready to work with Congress for more, "if need be."