President Bush said on Tuesday that he wouldn't be deterred by global protests against war with Iraq, saying "I respectfully disagree" with those who doubt that Saddam Hussein is a threat to peace.
He added such a war remains a final resort, but "the risk of doing nothing is even a worse option as far as I'm concerned."
Amid heavy opposition at the United Nations and protests around the world, the Bush administration faced a decision whether to push ahead with Britain for a new Security Council resolution to support war to disarm Iraq.
Senior Bush advisers are considering whether it was worth risking defeat in the council and how to phrase a new resolution in a bid for support, a U.S. official told The Associated Press.
Bush said that the size of the protests against a possible U.S.-led war against Iraq was irrelevant. "Size of protest, it's like deciding, 'Well I'm going to decide policy based up on a focus group.' The role of a leader is to decide policy based upon the security — in this case — security of the people."
"Democracy is a beautiful thing, and that people are allowed to express their opinion," Bush said. "Some in the world don't view Saddam Hussein as a risk to peace," he added. "I respectfully disagree."
Bush said that Saddam Hussein continued to pose a very real threat to Americans and to the world. The president expressed confidence that the United States would come up with an acceptable aid package for Turkey.
Bush said Turkey has "no better friend than the American government" and that Washington and Ankara were still working out details of an aid package.
Bush indicated that he was running out of patience. Asked if he planned to set an ultimatum for Saddam's compliance, Bush suggested that would be pointless, like extending "another, another, another last chance."
"He knows my feelings, and that is, he needs to disarm — completely and totally disarm. He's a fellow that likes to buy time and buy it through deception and delay." (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
