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Q. Ari, I have a follow-up. My other one, my second one, Ari –

ARI FLEISCHER: How can you follow up when I didn’t answer your first question? (Laughter.)

Q. With another.

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Q. The President and others in this administration keep asking for not only hunkering down for the long-term, but patience. And yet polls show that the American public is angry and wants some sort of immediate military retaliation. Without getting into operational details, can you tell us if that military strike or retaliation, or whatever, is coming within hours, days, weeks or months? Can you give us some kind of time frame?

MR. FLEISCHER: Of course not. (Laughter.)

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Q. To follow on one other point. As we sit here now, does the President believe that the window of opportunity has closed in terms of the Taliban responding to his demands?

ARI FLEISCHER: I think he’s put them on notice, and he is preparing to do what must inevitably come next.

Q. But the clock is ticking. How long will the clock tick?

MR. FLEISCHER: I’m not going to define clocks.

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Q. There’s a guy in the back that has had his hand up for 20 minutes.

ARI FLEISCHER: Well, Mr. Kinsolving, when you’re the press secretary, you will be able to call on anybody in any order.

Q. No, no, I’m just suggesting, because he’s had his hand up for 20 minutes, Ari.

MR. FLEISCHER: As far as I can tell, everybody in this room has had their hand up since I got here.

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Q. Ari, when the President said, “wanted dead or alive,” did he have a preference as to whether — (laughter.)

ARI FLEISCHER: I did not hear him express any preference.

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Q. Hey, Ari. Continental Airlines announced this morning that it’s cutting 20 percent of its flight schedule, laying off 12,000 people, which is about one-fifth of its work force. Is the President concerned that the country is inevitably headed for a recession, at least in the short term?

ARI FLEISCHER: You know, that’s a question that I think only economists can answer.

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Q. Ari, just one more. Can there be war without a formal national enemy?

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, as the President has indicated, this is a different type of enemy in the 21st century. The President said, this enemy is nameless; this enemy is faceless; this enemy has no specific borders. This enemy does not have airplanes sitting on tarmacs and it does not have ships that move from one port city to the next. It is a different kind of enemy. Having said that, the President also knows that our nation’s military is capable of carrying out whatever mission is assigned to it to conquer any enemies.

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Q. Ari, Secretary Powell is saying bin Laden is a prime suspect. Is the administration, the U.S. confident, or does the U.S. know of his whereabouts, where he is?

ARI FLEISCHER: I’m not going to give any answers to that question.

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Q. Now, at this teleconference meeting with these — his national security team, was heprojected on a wide-screen TV or did someone videotape him? Was he alone? Can we get some more details on him?

ARI FLEISCHER: People could see each other, that’s how these tele-conferences work.

Q. Did he sit in a room before a single, solitary camera? Was he in that room alone or was he with his aides and advisors?

MR. FLEISCHER: No, there were other people in the room with him. And he was visible. And he could see the people who were talking to him from the White House.

Q. They were?

MR. FLEISCHER: It was two-way.

Q. — imposed on a video screen for him, at his location?

MR. FLEISCHER: It was two-way.

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Q. And does the President feel hunted or in jeopardy? I mean, he is kind of trying to stay out of?

ARI FLEISCHER: The President is looking forward to returning to Washington. He understands at a time like this, caution must be taken; and he wants to get to back to Washington.

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