Iraq War Was Right, Bush Tells Un

President George Bush today used his speech to the United Nations general assembly to defend the US-led mission in Iraq as having "enforced the demands of the world".

Mr Bush was speaking five days after the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, described the decision to go to war in Iraq without the security council's approval as "illegal".

In a strongly-worded speech that could be seen as a direct response to Mr Annan's comments - and perhaps as an implicit critique of the UN's reluctance to support military action - Mr Bush said there was a need to "fight radicalism and terror with justice and dignity".

He said the US-led coalition had helped rid Iraq of a "criminal dictator" who flouted UN resolutions for more than a decade. Despite the hopes of peaceful nations, he said, "eventually, there is no safety in looking away, seeking the quiet life by ignoring the struggles and oppression of others".

The president, in an address that also sought to highlight his security credentials ahead of next month's national elections, said terrorists believe that "suicide and murder are justified ... and they act on their beliefs".

Citing recent atrocities, such as the death of dozens of children held hostage in a school in Beslan, southern Russia, Mr Bush said "civilised nations are in this struggle together, and all must fight the murderers".

In the face of criticism from his Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry, who said Mr Bush's policies had made the world a more dangerous place, he said that "a free Iraq in the heart of the Middle East will be a decisive blow against [the terrorists'] ambitions in that region".

Ahead of Mr Bush's speech, Mr Annan opened the meeting of the 191-nation gathering with a warning that "the rule of law" is at risk around the world.

"No one is above the law. Again and again, we see fundamental laws shamelessly disregarded - those that ordain respect for innocent life, for civilians, for the vulnerable - especially children," he said.

He condemned the taking and killing of hostages in Iraq, but also reminded delegates that Iraqi prisoners had been "disgracefully abused", an implicit criticism of the treatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad.

Mr Bush made no reference to the prisoner abuse scandal, but he called on the UN to help with the reconstruction of Iraq, a mission that has been severely hampered by a growing insurgency and the deaths of more than 1,000 US troops.

"The people of Iraq have regained sovereignty," he said, noting that the prime minister of Iraq's interim government, Ayad Allawi, was among those attending the session.

"The UN and its member nations must respond to Prime Minister Allawi's request and do more to help build an Iraq that is secure, democratic, federal and free.

As elections approach in both Afghanistan and Iraq, "we can expect terror attacks to escalate", Mr Bush said. But "the proper response to difficulty is not to retreat, it is to prevail".

In comments that could have significant implications for the stalled Middle East process, President Bush also called on Israel to impose a freeze on Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza and to dismantle "unauthorised outposts".

He issued a direct challenge to the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, saying: "Israel should impose a settlement freeze, dismantle unauthorised outposts, end the daily humiliation of the Palestinian people, and avoid any actions that prejudice final negotiations."

He added that world leaders should "withdraw all favour and support from any Palestinian ruler who fails his people and betrays their cause".

Mr Bush's speech, lasting just under 20 minutes, included an appeal for more humanitarian involvement, ranging from helping to end the bloody conflict in Sudan to fighting Aids in Africa. His remarks drew applause only once - at the end of his speech.

He also told the gathering that he would support a resolution sponsored by Costa Rica calling for a comprehensive ban on human cloning, and said he would be proposing a "democracy fund" to help countries develop "the rule of law and independent courts, a free press, political parties and trade unions".