US News
Terrorists seeking to unravel US economy, Bush says (Roundup)
By DPA
Sep 5, 2006, 19:00 GMT

Washington - The United States will not retreat from al- Qaeda terrorists led by Osama bin Laden intent on ruining the US economy and wreaking havoc in the world, US President George W Bush said Tuesday.

Bush accused al-Qaeda and other individuals of seeking to create a totalitarian state throughout the Middle East that would resemble the 'nightmare' in Afghanistan under the leadership of the Taliban before the US military ousted the militants in 2001.

'We will not rest, we will not retreat, and we will not withdraw from the fight until this threat to civilization is removed,' Bush said.

'They are driven by a radical and perverted vision of Islam that rejects tolerance, crushes all dissent, and justifies the murder of innocent men, women and children in the pursuit of political power,' he said.

'They believe our nation is weak and decadent and lacking in patience and resolve, and they're wrong,' Bush said.

Bush was speaking in Washington as part of a series of addresses days before the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and two months before crucial congressional elections.

Opposition Democrats are hoping that the falling popularity of the president and the Republican party will help them win control of the House and Senate.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said worldwide terrorists attacks during Bush's tenure have increased and his government has failed to stop Iran and North Korea from seeking nuclear weapons.

'The facts do not lie. Under the Bush administration and this Republican Congress, America is less safe, facing greater threats and unprepared for the dangerous world in which we live,' Reid said.

Earlier, the White House released a report saying substantial progress has been made in the war on terrorism, but there are still 'serious challenges' ahead.

'While America is safer, we are not yet safe. The enemy remains determined, and we face serious challenges at home and abroad,' the report said.

Since the attacks on New York and Washington, 'we have made substantial progress in degrading the al-Qaeda network, killing or capturing key lieutenants, eliminating safe havens, and disrupting existing lines of support,' the report said.

The report also emphasized the importance of spreading freedom and democracy as essential to defeating terrorism in the long term.

Bush, facing slumping support for the war in Iraq, said the ongoing conflict there is the central front in the war on terrorism and vowed to not abandon Iraqis committed to building a democratic state.

'These evil men know that a fundamental threat to their aspirations is a democratic Iraq that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself,' Bush said.

Bush also accused Iran of spreading terrorism around the world and seeking to gain control of the Middle East, saying Islamic Shiite extremists were as equally dangerous as their Sunni counterparts.

'Like al-Qaeda and the Sunni extremists, the Iranian regime has clear aims. They want to drive America out of the region, to destroy Israel, and to dominate the broader Middle East,' Bush said.

Bush also warned that Iran will not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. The UN Security Council resolution requiring Iran to halt uranium enrichment expired last week without Tehran's compliance.

Washington was seeking to persuade members of the council that the time had come to place sanctions on Iran.