President Bush took a conciliatory tack Tuesday in laying out his vision for the U.S. war on terror. In a speech to world leaders before the United Nations General Assembly, Bush addressed Muslims directly to assure them that the United States is not waging war against Islam.
“My country desires peace,” Bush said. “Extremists in your midst spread propaganda claiming that the West is engaged in a war against Islam. This propaganda is false and its purpose is to confuse you and justify acts of terror. We respect Islam, but we will protect our people from those who pervert Islam to sow death and destruction.”
He was speaking to reassure anxious Americans as much as angry Muslims.
It was a far cry from the speech Bush delivered in 2002 during the waning days of world unity that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Then he accused Saddam Hussein of having stockpiles of deadly chemical and biological weapons and challenged the U.N. to confront him. Six months later, the United States invaded Iraq based on that false premise and without world support.
With less than two months before the midterm elections, President Bush’s remarks tried to set a campaign tone for November, focusing on the war against terrorism and away from the unpopular war in Iraq.
Still, his reassurances were welcome – seeking to rebuild bridges with people and nations disgusted with the 2003 invasion. Bush addressed remarks to the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria, Darfur and Iran, only a partial list of hotspots where hostilities seem to defy easy resolution. He covered each one, calling on Iran to abandon its nuclear-weapons aspirations, assuring Iraqis the U.S. would not abandon them in their “struggle to build a free nation,” and warning both the government of Sudan and the U.N. to take action now to quell the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. He said he was committed to “two democratic states – Israel and Palestine – living side-by-side in peace and security.” In each case, he outlined policy objectives that should resonate at the U.N.
To Iranians, Bush said, “… your rulers have chosen to deny you liberty and to use your nation’s resources to fund terrorism, and fuel extremism, and pursue nuclear weapons.” He said the U.S. had no objection to a peaceful nuclear power program and emphasized, “We’re working toward a diplomatic solution to this crisis.”
Bush had no contact with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was scheduled to speak later in the day. Bush met with French President Jacques Chirac before his address, and spoke cautiously afterward. “Now is the time for the Iranians to come to the table. Time is of the essence,” Bush said.
Chirac has been a frequent critic of Bush policy, and indeed the French government this week began backing off its support of sanctioning Iran if it fails to stop enriching uranium. The U.N. Security Council has demanded that Iran halt its uranium enrichment as a condition for holding nuclear disarmament talks. The U.S. has said it would not come to the table until Iran has suspended enrichment. Bush was quoted as telling Chirac, “Should they continue to stall, we will then discuss the consequences of their stalling,” which could include sanctions.
With so much turmoil in the world, it was good to hear Bush offer measured remarks meant to defuse the suspicions of, well, most of the world (and voters at home).
