US President Mr George W. Bush warned US troops today "the most difficult" part of the fight against the al-Qaeda terror network was still to come.
"The most difficult steps in this mission still lie ahead," Mr Bush told some 10,000 troops gathered here of the war in Afghanistan aimed at flushing out the al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden.
"We've made a good start in Afghanistan, yet there is still a lot to be done," he added, vowing to find the terrorists believed to be behind the September 11th attacks and "destroy their network piece by piece".
"We will not be secure as a nation until these threats are defeated," he said to the soldiers' cheers.
Commander of US military operations in Afghanistan, Mr Tommy Franks, said today Washington would deploy ground troops as needed, putting continued pressure on the Taliban militia.
Following his speech Mr Bush, joined by his wife Laura, was to celebrate an early traditional Thanksgiving meal with 200 troops chosen from among those stationed here at Fort Campbell, which boasts a strip named "Desert Storm" after the US military operation in the 1991 Gulf War.
More than 10,000 paratroopers and airmen were to congregate on the parade grounds to hear the president's address.
AFP