Bush terms Iran terror sponsor: Syria asked to open 'door to freedom'
By Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON, Feb 3: In the first state of the union address of his second term, President George Bush called Iran "the world's primary state sponsor of terror" and urged it to give up its nuclear programme.
Mr Bush also used his Wednesday night speech to warn Syria to stop "sponsoring terrorism" and refused to give a deadline for withdrawing his troops from Iraq. Outlining the policies he intends to pursue during the next four years, Mr Bush sent a mixed message to the Muslim world, combining threats with inducements for democracy and freedom.
For Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and seven other Muslim allies, he had praises for arresting Al Qaeda suspects and for staying the course in the fight against terrorism. Elated by a large voter-turnout in the Iraqi elections, Mr Bush was in a triumphant mood on Wednesday night, exchanging playful nods and winks with the audience.
But his manners changed while talking about Iran and Syria. "Today, Iran remains the world's primary state sponsor of terror - pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its people of the freedom they seek and deserve," he warned in a harsh tone.
The United States, he said, was working with European allies to make clear to "the Iranian regime that it must give up its uranium enrichment programme and any plutonium reprocessing, and end its support for terror."
He also sent a message to Iranian dissidents, which would be interpreted as urging them to rise against the government. Mr Bush said: "And to the Iranian people, I say tonight: As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you."
The Syrians, he said, still allow their territory, and parts of Lebanon, "to be used by terrorists who seek to destroy every chance of peace in the region." "We expect the Syrian government to end all support for terror and open the door to freedom," he added.
His critics said that Mr Bush's hard-line approach toward Iran and Syria is bound to raise anxieties in European capitals concerned that he is too inclined to resolve disputes by force.
In his first State of the Union address, Mr Bush had stunned the world with his denunciation of Iraq, Iran and North Korea as an "axis of evil," and his warning that he would "not wait on events while dangers gather."
His warning to Iran seemed particularly menacing in the backdrop of recent media reports that America has sent its agents inside Iran to gather information about Iranian weapon sites and may launch preemptive strikes on Iranian nuclear installations.
Mr Bush also vowed to stay firm in Iraq and refused to give a deadline for withdrawing his troops from that country. "All Iraqis can be certain: while our military strategy is adapting to circumstances, our commitment remains firm and unchanging.
We are standing for the freedom of our Iraqi friends, and freedom in Iraq will make America safer for generations to come," declared Mr Bush. Urging the American people and Congress to resist calls for a precise deadline for troop withdrawal, he said: "We will not set an artificial timetable for leaving Iraq, because that would embolden the terrorists and make them believe they can wait us out," he said.
"We are in Iraq to achieve a result: A country that is democratic, representative of all its people, at peace with its neighbours, and able to defend itself. And when that result is achieved, our men and women serving in Iraq will return home with the honour they have earned."
He said the United States would "continue to build" the coalitions to defeat dangers but gave little idea how he would persuade those nations who rejected the invasion of Iraq, including strong allies.
In his long, and much applauded, speech Mr Bush made it obvious that he would be anything but timid in implementing his policies, claiming that the November election conferred upon him a mandate to do so.
His soaring praise for the people of Iraq, voting at risk to their lives, emphasized the administration's belief that the election had vindicated its Iraq policy. Several Iraqi voters, who still had the voting ink on their fingers, were flown to Washington to attend the address and Mr Bush also recognized one of them, Safia Taleb al-Suhail, who received a warm applause from the audience.
"The victory of freedom in Iraq will strengthen a new ally in the war on terror, inspire democratic reformers from Damascus to Tehran, bring more hope and progress to a troubled region, and thereby lift a terrible threat from the lives of our children and grandchildren," he said.
Later, while responding to Mr Bush's victory claims, several Democratic lawmakers said that the president forgot to mention the unfulfilled claims and promises of the past -- his 2003 contention that war was urgently necessary because of Saddam Hussein's mass weaponry; his 2002 vow that US troops would get the best equipment and that the war would be over quickly.
Perhaps tempered by these experiences, Mr Bush avoided grand promises on Wednesday night. When he lauded the Iraqi election, he did not declare "mission accomplished," as he did in 2003.
He also spoke of US efforts to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians, fight the global war on terror and, although he didn't mention the name, bring Osama bin Laden to justice. "The beginnings of reform and democracy in the Palestinian territories are now showing the power of freedom to break old patterns of violence and failure," he said.
Mr Bush said his Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was going to Israel and the West Bank for meetings with Prime Minister Sharon and President Abbas and will discuss with them how American and its friends can help the Palestinian people end terror and build the institutions of a peaceful, independent, democratic state.
"To promote this democracy, I will ask Congress for $350 million to support Palestinian political, economic, and security reforms. The goal of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace, is within reach - and America will help them achieve that goal," he said.
In requesting aid to the Palestinian government, Mr Bush responded to critics in Europe and America who have accused him of missing opportunities to promote peace with Israel.
