BBC (with additional material by AP). 29 January 2002. Bush speech focuses on terror.
WASHINGTON -- US President George W Bush has used his first State of the Union address to warn Americans that the war against terrorism is only just beginning. "What we have found in Afghanistan confirms that, far from ending there, our war against terror is only beginning," Bush told Congress and the nation. Seeking to justify continued American action overseas, Bush warned that "tens of thousands" of people had been trained in terrorist camps in Afghanistan and that these people were still at large. "Thousands of dangerous killers, schooled in the methods of murder, often supported by outlaw regimes, are now spread throughout the world like ticking time bombs," he said. Bush, outlining his post-Afghanistan battle plans, vowed to unearth "a terrorist underworld" existing in a dozen countries, including the Philippines, Bosnia and Somalia. He said nations will be given a chance to wipe out terrorists themselves, and the United States is willing to assist their efforts. But, he warned: "If they do not act, America will." In his strongest terms yet, Bush called North Korea, Iraq and Iran part of an "axis of evil," warning that their pursuit of weapons of mass destruction will not be tolerated. "I will not wait on events, while dangers gather. I will not stand by, as peril draws closer,'' Bush said. "The United States of America will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons." The president has previously announced that he would be asking for a $50bn increase in Pentagon spending, the biggest rise in 20 years, and a doubling of government spending on homeland security to $38bn, using the money to focus on areas like bio terrorism and airport security. Bush said the war in Afghanistan had cost more than $1bn a month. Increased government spending, combined with lower tax revenues because of economic slowdown, are expected to push the federal budget into deficit for the first time in four years. Bush seemed determined to deflect Democratic Party efforts to blame his policies for economic woes ahead of vital mid-term congressional elections in November. He says that his economic proposals will revitalise the economy and end recession. Bush also challenged Americans to commit two years or 4,000 hours to community service in an effort to tap the surge in patriotism since the Sept. 11 attacks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews
