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President Bush was pleased with the progress that had been made. “On the 
other hand,” he says, “I wanted to clarify plans and I went around the 
room and I asked everybody what they thought ought to happen.”

When he left that meeting on Saturday night, he still had not told the 
cabinet what he was planning.

“I wanted to just think it through,” Mr. Bush remembers. “Any time you 
commit troops to harm’s way, a president must make sure that he fully 
understands all the consequences and ramifications. And I wanted to just 
spend some time on it alone. And did.”

What were his reservations?

Mr. Bush says, “Could we win? I didn’t want to be putting our troops in 
there unless I was certain we could win. And I was certain we could win.”

Nine days after the attacks on America, before a joint session of 
Congress the president committed the nation to the war on terror.

“Each of us will remember what happened that day and to whom it 
happened,” Mr. Bush told the Congress and the nation. “We’ll remember 
the moment the news came, where we were and what we were doing. Some 
will remember an image of a fire or a story of rescue. Some will carry 
memories of a face and a voice gone forever. And I will carry this. It 
is the police shield of a man named George Howard, who died at the World 
Trade Center trying to save others. It was given to me by his mom, 
Arlene, as a proud memorial to her son. It is my reminder of lives that 
ended and a task that does not end.”

A year has passed since then, but the president says his job is still to 
remind Americans of what happened and of the war that is still being 
waged, a war he reminds himself of every day in the Oval Office, 
literally keeping score, one terrorist at a time.

In his desk, the president says, “I have a classified document that 
might have some pictures on there, just to keep reminding me about who’s 
out there, where they might be”

And as the terrorists are captures or killed? “I might make a little 
check there, yeah,” Mr. Bush admits.

But there is no check by the name that must be on the top of that list – 
Osama bin Laden.

(CBS) A lot has happened in the year since Sept. 11. One year ago, the 
president was new on the job, with little experience in foreign policy. 
He had wanted to pull the military back from foreign entanglements. Now, 
on his orders, U.S. forces are engaged around the globe in a war he did 
not expect, in a world completely changed. In the Oval Office last week, 
CBS News Correspondent Scott Pelley asked the president about Iraq, 
about whether Americans are safe at home and about Osama bin Laden.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


Scott Pelley: You must be frustrated, maybe angry. After a year, we 
still don’t have Osama Bin Laden?

President Bush: How do you know that? I don’t know whether Osama bin 
Laden is dead or alive. I don’t know that. He’s not leading a lot of 
parades. And he’s not nearly the hero that a lot of people thought he 
was. This is much bigger than one person anyway. This is — we’re slowly 
but surely dismantling and disrupting the al Qaeda network that, that 
hates America. And we will stay on task until we complete the task. I 
always knew this was a different kind of war, Scott. See, in the old 
days, you measure the size and the strength of the enemy by counting his 
tanks or his airplanes and his ships. This is an international manhunt. 
We’re after these people one at the time. They’re killers. Period.

Pelley: But have you won the war before you find Osama bin Laden dead or 
alive?

Mr. Bush: If he were dead, there’s somebody else to replace him. And we 
would find that person. But slowly but surely, we will dismantle the al 
Qaeda network. And those who sponsor them and those who harbor them. And 
at the same time, hopefully lay the seeds for, the conditions necessary 
so that people don’t feel like they’ve got to conduct terror to achieve 
objectives.

Pelley: Do you look back on the Afghan campaign with any doubts? 
Certainly, we’ve overthrown the Taliban government. Certainly, al Qaeda 
has been scattered. But some of the Taliban leaders appear to have 
gotten away. And there have been many civilian casualties as well.

Mr. Bush: Uh huh. Well, you know, I am sad that civilians lost their 
life. But I understand war. We did everything we can to — everything we 
could to protect people. When civilians did die, it was because of a 
mistake. Certainly not because of intention. We liberated a country for 
which I’m extremely proud. No, — I don’t second guess things. It’s — 
things never go perfect in a time of war.

Pelley: Are you committed to ending the rule of Saddam Hussein?

Mr. Bush: I’m committed to regime change.

Pelley: There are those who have been vocal in their advice against war 
in Iraq. Some of our allies in the Gulf War, Saudi Arabia, Turkey for 
example. Even your father’s former national security advisor, Mr. 
Scowcroft has written about it in the paper. What is it in your 
estimation that they don’t understand about the Iraq question that you 
do appreciate?

Mr. Bush: The policy of the government is regime change, Scott, hasn’t 
changed. I get all kinds of advice. I’m listening to the advice. I 
appreciate the consultations. And we’ll consult with a lot of people but 
our policy hasn’t changed.

Pelley: On Air Force One you described the terrorists as evil.

Mr. Bush: Yeah.

Pelley: I don’t think anyone would disagree with that, but at the same 
time, many in the Arab world are angry at the United States for 
political reasons because of our policy in Israel or our troops in the 
oil region of the Middle East. Is there any change in foreign policy 
that you’re considering that might reduce Arab anger against the United 
States.

Mr. Bush: Hmm. Well, I’m working for peace in the Middle East. I’m the 
first president that ever went to the United Nations and publicly 
declared the need to have a Palestinian state living side-by-side with 
Israel in peace. I’ve made it clear that in order for there to be peace 
the Palestinians have gotta to get some leadership that renounces terror 
and believes in peaces and quits using the Palestinian people as pawns. 
I've also made it clear to the other Arab nations in the region that 
they’ve got responsibilities. If you want peace they gotta work toward 
it. We’re more than willing to work for it, but they have to work for it 
as well. But all this business isn’t going to happen as long as a few 
are willing to blow up the hopes of many. So we all gotta work to fight 
off terror.