President Bush, launching a personal campaign for international support in his war on terrorism, has won a show of unity from French President Jacques Chirac at the White House.
"I wanted to tell President Bush, who is my friend, that we stand in total solidarity ... it is a solidarity of the heart and I also wanted to say we are completely determined to fight by your side this absolute evil which is terrorism," Mr Chirac said as he sat beside the US leader in the Oval Office.
The French president's visit was planned before hijacked aircraft destroyed the 110-story twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and damaged part of the Pentagon in Washington, leaving nearly 6,000 people missing or dead.
"We are naturally prepared to work in complete solidarity with the United States and do everything that is necessary, in consultation with them, to reach this target, which is the elimination of terrorism," Mr Chirac said before the two men held talks with senior advisers over a two-hour working dinner.
Mr Chirac, however, stopped short of endorsing Bush's description of the campaign as war.
"I don't know whether we should use the word 'war,' but I would say that now we are faced with a conflict of a completely new nature. ... I believe everything must be done to protect and safeguard the values of civilization," Mr Chirac said.
Late on Tuesday, Bush signed a congressional resolution authorising military action against those responsible for the attacks, saying he was "unalterably committed to a direct, forceful and comprehensive response." He also put his signature on a $40 billion aid package for relief work in the aftermath of the attacks.
"I feel confident that we are going to work in a collaborative way," he said. "People who love freedom, such as Jacques Chirac and the people of France, will join us, I'm confident of that." Mr Bush said.
With Chirac at his side, Bush said "make no mistake about it" the United States would hunt down those responsible and laid down his goal "to rally the world toward a campaign to find terrorists, to smoke them out of their holes and to get them, to bring them to justice."