Bush praises Indonesia in terror battle
US President George Bush stood just miles from the scene of last year’s deadly nightclub bombings in Bali, Indonesia, and praised the world’s most populous Muslim nation for battling back against terrorism.
He also issued firm words for “axis of evil” members North Korea and Iran.
Before flying to the Australian capital, Canberra, Bush dismissed North Korea’s rejection of a US plan to end a nuclear stalemate and challenged Iran to prove it is not making nuclear weapons.
Under massive security, Bush spent three hours on the Indonesian resort island, pressing his clampdown on terrorists before heading to Canberra to meet Australian Prime Minister John Howard, a key ally in the war on terrorism.
“One year ago … Indonesia suffered the worst terrorist attack in its history, when over 200 innocent men and women lost their lives,” Bush said at a news conference in Bali.
“Today we pay tribute to the victims … and we reaffirm our commitment to win the war on terror.”
Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri pledged cooperation with the United States in the pursuit of peace, while acknowledging that many of her citizens were suspicious of the United States.
“Despite the fact we do not always share common perspective, we must continue to hold mutual understanding that it is to the interest of the two countries to maintain consultation and cooperation in the pursuit of global peace,” Megawati said.
Bali was the fifth stop on Bush’s six-nation tour of Asia and Australia.
The trip has been shadowed by the Korean nuclear crisis. On Wednesday, Pyongyang branded as “a laughing matter” Bush’s offer of a written pledge from five countries not to attack if the communist nation scraps its nuclear weapons programme.
Bush reacted to Pyongyang’s dismissal with a shrug. “This requires a degree of patience,” Bush said during a 35-minute session with reporters aboard Air Force One.
Bush spoke a day after Iran agreed to suspend uranium enrichment and give inspectors unrestricted access to its nuclear facilities as demanded by the UN atomic watchdog agency, a step that could ease another nuclear weapons standoff.
“The Iranians, it looks like they’re accepting the demands of the free world, and now it’s up to them to prove that they’ve accepted the demands. It’s a very positive development,” Bush said in Bali.
Bush insisted that Iran allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors into the country. “It would help our relations with Iran, obviously, if they do abandon their nuclear weapons program,” Bush said. “It also would help if we end up reaching an agreement on the al-Qaida that they hold.”
