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Bush used the chance to defend his controversial anti-terror measures. (Reuters)
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GREEN BAY, Wisconsin — US President George Bush said Thursday, August 10, the foiled London terror plot confirms America was at war with "Islamic fascists," seizing the opportunity to defend his controversial anti-terror record and make political gains.
"The recent arrests that our fellow citizens are now learning about are a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation," he said in hastily arranged remarks, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"We've taken a lot of measures to protect the American people. But obviously, we're still not completely safe, because there are people that still plot and people who want to harm us for what we believe in."
US authorities have issued their highest-level terrorism alert for the first since the system was created following the 9/11 attacks.
British police arrested 21 people overnight allegedly involved in planning to bomb multiple US airliners over the Atlantic in an operation US officials rushed to say bore the imprint of Al-Qaeda.
Defending Policies
The embattled president exploited the chance to defend his record on terrorism amid fears in his Republican party that his handling of the unpopular Iraq war, which has dragged down his approval ratings, may hurt them in November 7 congressional elections.
"It is a mistake to believe there is no threat to the United States of America," he said.
"And that is why we have given our officials the tools they need to protect our people."
Since 9/11 the Bush administration has authorized several controversial measures that, when leaked to the media, drew immediate rebuke from politicians and human rights advocates.
Bush has secretly authorized the super-secret National Security Agency to intercept communications without the court approval requited under the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
The New York Times disclosed that the NSA has "directly" tapped the country’s main communications systems without court-approved warrants.
The administration has secretly been tapping into a vast global database of confidential financial transactions, involving millions of records, under the pretext of terror combat.
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