arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Anti-terror war is only starting, Bush tells US

State of union speech names states which pose big threat

Julian Borger in Washington
Wednesday January 30, 2002
The Guardian

In his first state of the union address, President George Bush told Americans early this morning that the war against terrorism had only just begun, and warned Iraq, Iran and North Korea that the US would not allow itself to be threatened by weapons of mass destruction.

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Bush to promote State of the Union proposals


WASHINGTON (CNN) --After seeking to rally Americans with his State of the Union address, President Bush set out Wednesday to push his agenda in a two-day tour of three Southeastern states.

Traveling to North Carolina, Florida and Georgia, the president is expected to promote education, security, health and volunteerism initiatives that he announced Tuesday night.

In his first State of the Union address, Bush urged Americans to be patient with the war on terrorism, to be steadfast in the protection of the United States and to know that creating new jobs is the best cure for the U.S. economy wounded by September 11.

Despite the nation being at war and struggling in a recession, "the state of our union has never been stronger," Bush told a joint session of Congress.

The president also warned that "our war against terror is only beginning." And he emphasized that homeland security must be strengthened because thousands of terrorists remain at large.

"Most of the 19 men who hijacked planes on September 11 were trained in Afghanistan's camps, and so were tens of thousands of others," Bush said.

"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 -- set to go off without warning," he said.

The president saluted Afghan interim leader Hamid Karzai, who was present in the House of Representatives gallery, saying Afghanistan and the United States are now "allies against terror."

Bush also acknowledged the widow of CIA operative Johnny Micheal "Mike" Spann, the first American killed in combat in Afghanistan. Shannon Spann was sitting with first lady Laura Bush.

"Shannon, I assure you and all who have lost a loved one that our cause is just, and our country will never forget the debt we owe Micheal and all who gave their lives for freedom," he said.

The president pledged America would continue to be "steadfast, patient and persistent" in completing two objectives of the war on terror:

-- Shutting down terrorists' camps, disrupting their activities and bringing them to justice.

-- Preventing terrorists and regimes "who seek chemical, biological or nuclear weapons from threatening the United States and the world."

The president singled out North Korea, Iran and Iraq for seeking weapons of mass destruction.

"States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world," he said, adding the civilized world must act because the "price of indifference would be catastrophic."

Increase in military, homeland security spending
Vice President Dick Cheney, who often has not appeared with the president since the September 11 attacks for security concerns, took his traditional seat behind the president.

House Republican Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas, was not in the Capitol for the address as a matter of "continuity in government" -- in case something "untoward" happened during the speech, DeLay press secretary Stuart Roy said.

Roy said DeLay was flown by helicopter to a "secure location" more than an hour away.

Saying his first priority was the security of the nation, Bush said he would ask for the "largest increase in defense spending in two decades."

He said the money would buy more precision weapons, replace aging aircraft and make the military more mobile.

To prevent a future terrorist attack in the United States, the president called for doubling funding for a "sustained strategy of homeland security" focusing on bioterrorism, emergency response, improved intelligence, and border and airport security.

Bush praised the actions of two flight attendants who spotted and subdued alleged shoe bomber Richard Reid during a trans-Atlantic flight this month. The president said American security depended on the "eyes and ears of alert citizens."

Promise to 'defeat this recession'
Bush vowed to "defeat this recession" and provide "economic security for the American people."

"When America works, America prospers, so my economic security plan can be summed up in one word: jobs," he said.

He noted, however, that it would be up to Congress to make sure "reliable and affordable energy" was available, to approve legislation for expanded trade and make his tax cuts permanent.

Bush warned that because the war on terrorism and homeland security would cause a budget deficit, Congress would have to "act in a fiscally responsible way" to ensure the deficit would be small and temporary.

He said health and retirement security were important components of economic security and said he would call for "the same spirit of cooperation we have applied to our war on terrorism" to the work on domestic issues.

The president avoided mentioning Enron Corp.'s collapse, but he said Congress needed to pass legislation to make corporate America "more accountable to employees and shareholders and held to the highest standards of conduct," so that workers who saved all their lives will not risk losing everything if their employer fails.

Bush challenged Americans to volunteer to help their neighbors and country, suggesting everyone commit to two years or 4,000 hours of voluntary service over their lifetime.

He invited people to join the USA Freedom Corps, which would focus on three areas: responding to crises in the United States, rebuilding communities and extending compassionate aid in other countries.

In helping others, Bush said, "We can overcome evil with greater good."

"Our enemies send other people's children on missions of suicide and murder. They embrace tyranny and death as a cause and a creed," Bush said. "We stand for a different choice. We choose freedom and the dignity of every life."

Dozens of time applause interrupted Bush's 48-minute speech in the packed House chamber.

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A cartoon

Hagelin Looks Ahead To 2004

In a conference call to Washington, DC this morning, Dr. John Hagelin stressed the ?crucial need for a strong, independent political movement,? and pledged his commitment to build it.

?There has never been a more urgent need for innovative solutions?or a more urgent need to restore integrity to government,? Hagelin said. ?And receptivity to new approaches from outside the two-party system has never been greater.?

Hagelin said the September 11 terrorist attacks had tragically confirmed the inability of conventional defense strategies to protect the American people. He cited the recent strong bipartisan support in Washington for his Proposal to Prevent Terrorism as a sign of a new openness among government leaders.

?Republicans and Democrats alike have been incorporating the language and vision of the Natural Law Party into their legislative proposals and policy statements,? he said. He praised in particular U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who has proposed a bill to create a U.S. Department of Peace and two other bills that mandate the labeling and safety testing of genetically engineered foods.

?We must keep up this momentum of success, which has been quietly transforming our nation for the better,? he said.

But Hagelin castigated Washington politicians for knuckling under to special interests and allowing corporate funding to dictate the direction of national policy.

?What the Republican and Democratic parties have gotten away with while our national attention has been diverted by 9-11 is unprecedented?utterly astounding,? he said. ?Yet despite an overwhelming mandate from the American people to overhaul the system?to clean up the corruption?year after year, meaningful campaign finance reform banning PACs and soft money is cynically sabotaged by Congress.?

Hagelin praised U.S. Senator Zell Miller for his recent ?candor in lambasting both major parties for ?money politics, partisanship and bribery.??

As reported in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sen. Miller had commented, ?Soft money?big money?from special interests to both parties controls things in a way that is nothing short of bribery. One of these days someone . . . is going to get through to the American people just how really messed up it has become. And when that happens, the American people are going to rise up like that football crowd in Cleveland and run both teams off the field.?

Hagelin said the only solution to the corruption in Washington is the powerful resurgence of the independent political movement.

?I've dedicated the last ten years to building an independent political movement, bringing commonsense solutions, and giving a voice to the people. Millions of other Americans?Greens, Natural Law Party supporters, Reformers, Libertarians, Independents?have shown their commitment to independent politics with their activism and their votes,? Hagelin said.

?But if we don't achieve something massive by 2004?if we don?t take charge of our nation?I believe our democracy will have been stolen irreversibly. Then I will fear for the future of the world

?I, for one, intend to be a part of this new politics?this independent political movement ?as a coalition builder, as a candidate, or in whatever role I am called upon to play. And I will do whatever it takes.

?Our time is coming. I urge you, all of you, to get ready.?