The US political class and public has rallied strongly behind the attacks on Afghanistan, with the leadership of Congress demonstrating a rare degree of unity in a statement of support. Polls recorded over 90 per cent public approval of the strikes.
"We strongly support the operation President Bush ordered our military forces to carry out today," according to the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Tom Daschle, a Democrat from South Dakota, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Trent Lott, a Mississippi Republican, Speaker of the House, Mr Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican, and House Minority Leader, Mr Richard Gephardt, a Missouri Democrat.
"The administration has properly made it clear that today's action and any future action are directed against those who perpetrated the heinous attacks on the United States on September 11th, not against Islam or the people of Afghanistan," the leaders said.
"We stand united with the President and with our troops, and will continue to work together to do what is necessary to bring justice to these terrorists and those who harbour them."
In Congress there is an expectation that the attacks will strengthen the bipartisan spirit which has been somewhat eroded in recent days while debating the scope of emergency legislation. Other divisive issues have been federal employee status for airport security staff, and whether the economic stimulation package should simply come in the form of tax cuts, largely to the wealthy.
A Democrat from Illinois, Senator Richard Durbin, expects "there will be more pressure for Congress to reach bipartisan compromises". Many leading politicians have reported strong support from their home states for the Administration's approach but considerable apprehension about reprisals.
Senator Joe Lieberman, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate from Connecticut, said constituents find the situation unsettling. "There is a whole new level of insecurity in people, but most of them believe we have to try to destroy the enemy, or it will destroy us," he said.
Small numbers of anti-war groups, particularly in the colleges, were mobilising protests and teach-ins throughout the country. "We remain horrified and heartbroken by the tragedy of September 11th, and we want to ensure that no more innocent people are killed," said one of the organisers, Ms Natalie Fasnatch, a university student.
A peace march in New York on Sunday that grew to 10,000-strong was led by religious and community leaders and the Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner, Ms MairΘad Maguire, who said "feel this protest can be solved peaceably; we don't need to use more violence. As I saw in Northern Ireland it only begets more violence."
But opinion polls show strong support. Ninety four per cent of respondents in a Washington Post/ABC News poll said they supported the strikes, 83 per cent "strongly", that is 20 percentage points higher than support in January 1991 which marked the beginning of the Gulf War. Eight out of 10 favour sending in ground troops to Afghanistan, while 70 per cent said that the US should mount a broad war against terrorism
A USA Today/Gallup poll found 90 per cent support for the attacks, with 48 per cent believing military action may take over a year. Two thirds would favour additional action even if that meant civilian casualties among Afghanis. Eighty three percent expect further terrorist attacks in the US.