Mike Pence: “as we were reminded with a thudding explosion on the streets of New York City at 3 a.m. this morning, we are a Nation at…”

“as we were reminded with a thudding explosion on the streets of New York City at 3 a.m. this morning, we are a Nation at war. And so it is with particular pleasure that I rise to extol the arrest of Abu Farraj al-Libbi by Pakistani authorities yesterday in Pakistan. The capture of the third-ranking operative in al Qaeda is a momentous and significant event in the war on terror. The President said, ``His arrest removes a dangerous enemy who was a direct threat to America and a critical victory in the war on terror.'' Stephen Hadley, the national security adviser, said he was not only doing operations, but was also into finance and administration; and he calls it a ``real accomplishment.'' As I learned when I visited Pakistan last December, and let us be clear on this point, while Pakistani authorities are to be commended for the third-ranking member of al Qaeda, let us make sure that we know as Americans it was a cooperation with American forces and American intelligence personnel on the ground in Pakistan that made that possible. A joint effort with Pakistan is winning the war on terror. ____________________”