WASHINGTON, December 2 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - U.S. President George W. Bush fully supports Australia's threat to launch preemptive strikes overseas to thwart possible “terrorist” attacks, the White House said Monday, December 2.

Asked whether U.S. President George W. Bush backed Australian Prime Minster John Howard, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer replied: "The president of course supports preemptive action," reported Agence France-Presse (AFP) said.

"September 11 changed everything, and nations must respond and change their doctrines to face new and different threats. That's the way of the world, it always has been. And a nation that remains in the status quo after an event like September 11th can only endanger its own people," he added.

Amid a storm of protest from Australia's outraged Asian neighbors, Fleischer specified that preemption was appropriate only "in the shadowy war against terror ... not all threats."

Howard's comment in a televised interview Sunday, December 1, drew immediate condemnation by the governments of the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, which warned against the use of military action in another country.

Asian nations Monday, slammed “arrogant” Australia after Howard threatened pre-emptive strikes against foreign-based terrorists to prevent an attack on his country.

The Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand all condemned Howard’s weekend televised comments, saying Australia must respect other nations’ sovereignty.

Howard told the Nine Network on Sunday that the most likely threat to a nation’s security was from non-state terrorist groups, and international law could no longer cope with the changed circumstances confronting the world.

Asked if he would be prepared to act if he knew terrorists in a neighboring country were planning to attack Australia, he said: “Oh yes, I think any Australian prime minister would.”

He said any prime minister who had the capacity to prevent an attack against Australia would be failing the most basic test of office if he did not use it, as long as there was no alternative.

Opposition politicians also attacked Howard, urging him to withdraw the remarks and accusing him of a major diplomatic gaffe certain to worsen Australia's difficult relations with its neighbors.