As the United States continues hot pursuit of terrorists in Pakistan's northwest, President George W Bush on Tuesday said sovereign states have an 'obligation' to prevent their territory from being used as a sanctuary for terrorism.
Bush, in his farewell address to UN General Assembly, also said multilateral bodies like the UN are 'needed more urgently than ever' to confront extremists.
With the financial crisis at the back of his mind, he assured world leaders that the US Congress would approve an emergency financial bailout 'in the urgent timeframe required'.
Emphasising the role of international and multilateral bodies in the fight against terror, Bush argued that terror, like slavery and piracy, has no place in the world and slammed countries like Syria and Iran for 'sponsoring' terrorism.
"The ideals of the charter are now facing a challenge as serious as any since the UN's founding: a global movement of violent extremists... these extremists defy the fundamental principles of international order," Bush said.
"As sovereign states, we have an obligation to govern responsibly and solve problems before they spill across borders. We have an obligation to prevent our territory from being used as a sanctuary for terrorism, and proliferation, and human trafficking, and organised crime," he said.
Bush told the gathering of world leaders that for the last eight years of his presidency, he saw the nations in the assembly working together to confront the extremist threat and experiencing 'successes and setbacks'.
"And through it all, a clear lesson has emerged: the United Nations and other multilateral organisations are needed more urgently than ever," Bush said, adding, to be effective, these bodies 'must look beyond just passing resolutions'.
"Multilateral organisations have responsibilities," the US President said.
Apparently referring to the criticism of the US war on terror, he said, "Some suggest that these men would pose less of a threat if we had only leave them alone bringing the terrorists to justice does not create terrorism; it's the best way to protect our people."
"Like slavery and piracy, terrorism has no place in the modern world," Bush said.
"Members of the UN are sharing intelligence with one another, conducting joint operations, and freezing terrorist finances. Libya has renounced its support for terror and its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Nations like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are actively pursuing terrorists," he said.
"A few nations, regimes like Syria and Iran, continue to sponsor terror. Yet their numbers are growing fewer, and they are growing more isolated from the world," Bush said.
Bush also made the linkage between terrorism and democracy, harping on yet another theme he has visited in the last several years at the White House -- that the free world must win the battle of the ideas over terrorists.
"Terrorists envision a world in which religious freedom is denied, women are oppressed, and all dissent is crushed. The nations of this chamber must present a more hopeful alternative," Bush said.
"Some question whether people in certain parts of the world actually desire freedom. For all the suggestions to the contrary, the truth is that, whenever or wherever people are given the choice, they choose freedom," Bush said, pointing to 'young democracies' around the world and going on to take a swipe at Russia over the crisis on Georgia.
"We must stand united in our support of the people of Georgia. The United Nations' charter sets forth the equal rights of nations large and small. Russia's invasion of Georgia was a violation of those words."
The President also touched on the issue of multilateral trade negotiations, saying that the impasse at Doha is indeed 'disappointing'.
"One of the most powerful engines of development and prosperity is trade and investment. The most effective step of all would be an agreement that tears down trade barriers at the global level," Bush told world leaders.
"A recent impasse in the Doha Round is disappointing, but that does not have to be the final word. I urge every nation to seize this opportunity to lift up economies around the world and reach a successful Doha agreement as soon as possible. Beyond Doha, our nations must renew our commitment to open economies and stand firm against economic isolationism," he added.
Bush brought up the issue of financial markets crisis in the United States, assuring not only Americans but the world at large that his administration is working on the problem which in the process has promoted stability in the markets.
"I can assure you that my administration and our Congress are working together to quickly pass legislation approving this strategy. And I am confident we will act in the urgent timeframe required," Bush said.
Image: US President George W Bush addressing the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Text: PTI | Photograph: Don emmert/AFP/Getty Images
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