Bush vows global terrorist hunt

2004-09-11 16:48

Washington - US President George W Bush on Saturday vowed an unrelenting hunt against terrorists around the world as he marked the third anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

"The United States is determined to stay on the offensive and to pursue the terrorists wherever they train or sleep or attempt to set down roots," Bush said in a live radio address to the nation from the Oval Office, where he was joined by some relatives of victims of the attacks on New York and Washington.

"We have conducted this campaign from the mountains of Afghanistan, to the heart of the Middle East, to the Horn of Africa, to the islands of the Philippines, to hidden cells within our own country," he said.

Bush gave the speech soon after a moment of silence was staged at the White House to honour September 11 victims.

"Three years ago, the struggle of good against evil was compressed into a single morning. In the space of only 102 minutes, our country lost more citizens than were lost in the attack on Pearl Harbour," Bush said.

"Time has passed. But the memories do not fade. We remember the images of fire and the final calls of love and the courage of rescuers who saw death and did not flee.

"We remember the cruelty of enemies who murdered the innocent and rejoiced in our suffering."

The US leader said Al-Qaeda's attacks on America, which left almost 3 000 dead, were a turning point for the United States.

"We saw the goals of a determined enemy, to expand the scale of their murder and force America to retreat from the world. And our nation accepted a mission. We will defeat this enemy," he said.

With national security a central theme of the November 2 presidential election, in which Bush is under strong pressure from Democratic challenger John Kerry, the president emphasised changes implemented since September 11 but also noted that the country still faces risks.

- AFP