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Bush
Expands “War On Terror” To Include “Tyrants”
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Bush
tells West Point graduates U.S. will bring the war on terror
to its enemies |
with
additional reporting by Niveen A. Salem
WEST
POINT, New York, June 1 (IslamOnline and News Agencies) – Speaking
to the first class to graduate the prestigious West Point Military
Academy since September 11, U.S. President George W. Bush used his
commencement speech to expand his war on terror to include what he
called “tyrants”.
Bush
also went on to state that Americans would “fight resentment with
hope and progress.”
“You
graduate during a time of war…Our war on terror has only begun,”
Bush asserted.
“
You must protect American freedom at a time when terrorism puts it in
jeopardy.”
He
went on to say that “deterrents” would not work and that the U.S.
would have to “bring the war to the enemy.”
As
many as 40 West Point graduates from this year will be sent to the
“front lines” in the current U.S. war.
Bush’s
statements alluded to a possible U.S. attack on Iraqi President Saddam
Hussein’s regime, which the U.S. has openly said it would
“topple.”
However,
while recent Bush Administration statements have lowered the fire on a
possible attack on Iraq, officials speaking on the condition of
anonymity have stated that “war plans” are in place for an attack
on Iraq in January.
Asked
further about the claim, the official stated that several factors have
come into play for the possible delay, including the deadly heat of
the summer months in the Iraqi desert as well as the fact that much of
the U.S.’ military cache went into the war on Afghanistan and more
must be manufactured before a war in Iraq.
Shortly
after delivering his speech to West Point, Bush urged Americans in his
weekly radio address to volunteer their time at home and abroad in
service to their country.
"Whatever
your talent, whatever your background, each of you can do
something," Bush said.
Stating
that Americans "have always believed in an ethic of
service," Bush said that "government does not create this
idealism, but we can do a better job of supporting and encouraging an
ethic of service in America."
He
urged Congress to pass recently-introduced bills expanding AmeriCorps
and Senior Corps, two government-sponsored domestic volunteer
programs.
And
he said he was expanding the 1960s era Peace Corps program that sends
young Americans abroad on service projects, aiming to double the
number of its volunteers over the next five years "and asking it
to expand its efforts to foster education and development in the
Islamic world."
"We
will fight resentment and hatred with hope and progress," Bush
stressed. 
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