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`I loathe war`, says Bush
London, Nov 14: Affirming that he `loathed` war, US President George W Bush has said that he has no intention of rushing into war against North Korea or Iran but the battle against terrorism would continue.
London, Nov 14: Affirming that he "loathed" war, US President George W Bush has said that he has no intention of rushing into war against North Korea or Iran but the battle against terrorism would continue.
"War is the last choice an American President should take and military action is not the only way to curb the spread of weapons of mass destruction," the US President, who is embarking on a three-day state visit to Britain from Tuesday said in an interview to a British daily.
"I understand people loathe war. So do I. And yet America was now at war. "That's what September 11, taught us. It's a different kind of war. And I intend to, so long as I'm the President, wage that war vigorously to protect the American people," he said.
He said there were many different ways to wage that war. "The best way to win, in the long run though, is the spread of freedom. And that's what's happening. But, sure, I can understand people not agreeing with the decision I made."
The US President's comments appeared direct at the thousands of anti-war demonstrators expected when he arrives in Britain next week. Bush said he did not expect everyone to agree with him, and understood the dislike of war.
Bush was noticeably conciliatory towards Iran and North Korea, which he has grouped with Iraq as part of an "axis of evil". He said a multilateral approach appeared to be working with North Korea and praised a recent European initiative on Iran.
Bush said that during his visit he would meet families of British casualties of the Iraq conflict to assure them that they did not "die in vain" and that he was praying for them.
He stressed that America would not back down in pursuing its war on terrorism. "I will do all I deem necessary to ensure an atrocity such as September 11 never happened again."
He heaped praise on British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Asked what was Blair's "pay-off" for Downing Street's unwavering support over Iraq, he said, "Freedom and peace. Tony Blair is making decisions for the right reasons, he is the least political person I've dealt with." Bureau Report
"I understand people loathe war. So do I. And yet America was now at war. "That's what September 11, taught us. It's a different kind of war. And I intend to, so long as I'm the President, wage that war vigorously to protect the American people," he said.
He said there were many different ways to wage that war. "The best way to win, in the long run though, is the spread of freedom. And that's what's happening. But, sure, I can understand people not agreeing with the decision I made."
The US President's comments appeared direct at the thousands of anti-war demonstrators expected when he arrives in Britain next week. Bush said he did not expect everyone to agree with him, and understood the dislike of war.
Bush was noticeably conciliatory towards Iran and North Korea, which he has grouped with Iraq as part of an "axis of evil". He said a multilateral approach appeared to be working with North Korea and praised a recent European initiative on Iran.
Bush said that during his visit he would meet families of British casualties of the Iraq conflict to assure them that they did not "die in vain" and that he was praying for them.
He stressed that America would not back down in pursuing its war on terrorism. "I will do all I deem necessary to ensure an atrocity such as September 11 never happened again."
He heaped praise on British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Asked what was Blair's "pay-off" for Downing Street's unwavering support over Iraq, he said, "Freedom and peace. Tony Blair is making decisions for the right reasons, he is the least political person I've dealt with." Bureau Report