Bush Warns of Long War on Terrorism

President Bush brought his antiterrorism campaign to California on Wednesday as he prepared the nation for a war that he warned could last for years.

“Our campaign will be difficult, and it’s going to take time,” he said. “But I can promise you this: It will be waged with determination, and it will be waged until we win.”

In an interview with journalists from Asian media that was released by the White House on Wednesday, Bush acknowledged the political consequences of a long siege. “You mark my words, people are going to get tired of the war on terrorism,” he said. “And by the way, it may take more than two years.”

Bush stopped in Sacramento en route to China for his first overseas mission since the Sept. 11 attacks. Bush explained the need to attend this weekend’s annual meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, where he will meet with the heads of Russia, China and 18 other Pacific Rim economies.

“The terrorists attacked the World Trade Center,” he said. “We will defeat them by expanding and encouraging world trade.

“Obviously, I leave at a very difficult time in my country, because of these terrorist attacks, the recent anthrax [scare] that has made it in the news,” he told the journalists. “On the other hand, I think it is very important for me to go to not only discuss our economic interests and our bilateral interests, but to continue to talk about the war on terrorists, terrorism.”

On his stopover in Sacramento, Bush also spoke to U.S. troops and their families at Travis Air Force Base, where personnel have been involved in the recovery efforts in New York and Washington, and in the military response against Afghanistan.

At Travis, Bush struck a bellicose tone while addressing several thousand troops and their families, saying of the Taliban at one point:

“They’re learning that anyone who strikes America will hear from our military, and they’re not going to like what they hear.”

Bush also gave a general update on the air assault on Osama bin Laden and his followers.

“We’re making progress. The terrorist camps are being destroyed. The enemy’s air force and air defenses are being demolished. We’re paving the way for friendly troops on the ground to slowly but surely tighten the net to bring them to justice.”

During his remarks, the president also referred approvingly to a 4-year-old boy here who reportedly said that his father, a cargo specialist at Travis, “is saving the world.”

“The boy is right,” Bush said. “The future of the world is at stake. Freedom is at stake. But I want to tell that boy his daddy has got plenty of help. There are a lot of people like his daddy fighting this war.”

And in the interview with the journalists, Bush warned North Korea’s Kim Jong Il not to use the conflict in Afghanistan “as an opportunity to threaten our close friend and ally, South Korea.”

In between his public appearances, Bush met for about 20 minutes with Gov. Gray Davis. They last met in a far more confrontational setting in Century City--at the height of the energy crisis earlier this year.

But Davis described their meeting Wednesday as very positive, saying: “All of California stands united behind the president in his effort to root out terrorism around the world.”

The Democratic governor said he suggested that the federal government consider enlisting state and local police to help provide security during commercial airline flights, and also a more concerted federal effort to inform people about measures they can take to guard against anthrax infection.

“I particularly thanked him,” Davis said, “for coming to California to remind us that we are one people, we are one America, we are united in our opposition against terrorism, whose purpose is to steal from us our way of life and cause us to turn against one another. By and large, they have been unsuccessful.”

Davis lauded Bush for focusing on the economy, including more tax cuts to jump-start the economy, although the governor declined to say whether he is considering state tax breaks as a way to boost California’s faltering economy. Davis also said he agreed with “most of the president’s efforts to increase supply” of energy, including more natural gas drilling in California, more refinery construction nationally, and more conservation, although Davis added that he disagrees with Bush’s call for drilling in the Alaska wilderness.

“We should be more supportive of more supply, and we should be supportive of more conservation,” Davis said.