By Reuters, 09/19/01

WASHINGTON -- President said Wednesday he would make an address to a joint session of the Congress Thursday to discuss the Sept. 11 attacks on Washington and New York.

Speaking to reporters as he met the leaders of Congress in the Oval Office, Bush also said the attacks had affected the U.S. economy "in a big way" but that he had faith it would recover and that the U.S. Congress would take action to help.

Knife-wielding hijackers commandeered four aircraft last week, slamming one each into the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center. A third aircraft gashed the Pentagon and a fourth crashed into the Pennsylvania countryside in coordinated attacks that left nearly 6,000 people dead or missing.

"I owe it to the country to give an explanation," Bush said. "I look forward to the opportunity to explain to the American people who ... would do this to our great country and why."