Though
only Britain among U.S. allies has publicly endorsed Bush's thinly
veiled threats to undertake military action with or without U.N.
approval, Bush once again vowed he would act against Iraq alone if
need be, said AFP.
"By
heritage and by choice, the United States of America will make that
stand. Delegates to the United Nations, you have the power to make
that stand as well," he said in closing.
Unless
a U.S.-led war is launched against Iraq now, "the first time we
may be completely certain he has nuclear weapons is when, God forbid,
he uses one," said the U.S. President of Iraq’s President
Saddam Hussein.
Bush
insisted Saddam's so-called nuclear program could allegedly produce an
atomic weapon "within a year" if he acquires the right
radioactive materials.
Bush
also reiterated that Saddam supports international terrorism, but
offered no direct connection to the September 11 attacks. Instead, he
accused Baghdad of having allegedly praised the devastation, claiming
that members of Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network had allegedly found
refuge in Iraq.
Bush
also told the U.N. General Assembly that the U.S. will rejoin the U.N.
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) after an
18-year absence.
"As
a symbol of our commitment to human dignity, the United States will
return to UNESCO," said Bush, who is clearly preparing to launch
war on 12-year-sanction-hit Iraq.
"This
organization has been reformed and America will participate fully in
its mission to advance human rights, tolerance and learning," he
added.
The
administration of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan pulled the
United States out of UNESCO in 1984 to protest the way the
organization was managed.
On
Palestine, Bush said the Palestinian people deserve a responsive
leadership, echoing his call for elected Palestinian President Yasser
Arafat to be replaced, as desired by the current far-right Israeli
government.
He
said the United States remained committed to an "independent and
democratic" Palestine and pledged to work to broker a peace deal
between Israel and the Palestinians.
Without
naming President Arafat, he described, as he did in a June speech on
the Middle East, the current Palestinian leadership as flawed.
"In
the Middle East, there can be no peace for either side without freedom
for both sides," Bush said, quoted by AFP.
"America
stands committed to an independent and democratic Palestine, living
beside Israel in peace and security. Like all other people,
Palestinians deserve a government that serves their interests and
listens to their voices.
In
reaction, a senior Palestinian official said that Washington should
translate its backing for Palestinian statehood into actions, and stop
backing "Israeli aggression", AFP reported.
"We
are asking President Bush to translate his words into actions as soon
as possible," Local Minister and chief Palestinian negotiator
Saeb Erakat told AFP.
"This
is the only way to security, peace and calm in the Middle East, by
implementing U.N. resolutions, especially on Israeli withdrawal from
all Palestinian territories," Erakat said.
"We
also ask for the United States to stop its support for Israel, in
order to stop Israeli aggression," he said.
Arab
analysts noted Thursday that Bush failed to present the evidence he
pledged earlier that the Iraqi regime is a threat to the security of
its neighbors just as he failed to present any evidence against
President Arafat.
"The
U.S. President said nothing new in his U.N. speech," Abdul-Bary
Atwan, editor-in-chief of Al-Quds Al-Araby, told Qatari
Al-Jazeera Television. "Bush merely reiterated his earlier
accusations against Palestinian President Yasser Arafat of failure to
respect international legitimacy and complicity in terrorism without
presenting any proof to support his accusations."
