US President George W. Bush declared that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is a menace "and we're going to deal with him," and said Osama bin Laden -- a man he once wanted dead or alive -- has been reduced to a marginal figure in the war on terrorism.
"He's the ultimate parasite who found weakness, exploited it and met his match," Bush said of the suspected mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks. "I truly am not that concerned about him."
In his first full-blown news conference in five months, the US leader produced strong rhetoric on the war and America's enemies. Bush said he is leaving "all options on the table" as the Pentagon reworks its nuclear weapons policy to deter any attack on the US -- including from non-nuclear states such as Iraq, Iran, Libya and Syria.
Critics say the Pentagon's plans to produce less-powerful nuclear weapons make it more likely that the US will eventually launch a nuclear attack. But Bush said a modern nuclear arsenal is "a way to say to people who would harm America: `Don't do it.' ... that there is a consequence."
"The president must have all options available to make that deterrent have meaning," he said.
Bush's eyes grew red and moist as he talked about slain US servicemen in Afghanistan. "I feel responsible" when troops are harmed, he said. "I'm not very good about concealing my emotions."
In a slap at one of the closest US allies, Bush criticized Israel for escalating military action against Palestinians. "It's not helpful what the Israelis have recently done," he said.
Still, the president said Israel has a right to protect itself and expressed optimism that US envoy Anthony Zinni would be able to reduce violence during his Middle East trip.
Bush drew a sharp distinction between his war on terrorism and the Middle East conflict: "Unlike our war against al-Qaeda, there is a series of agreements in place that will lead to peace."
NO-LIMITS PARTNERSHIP: ‘The bottom line’ is that if the US were to have a conflict with China or Russia it would likely open up a second front with the other, a US senator said Beijing and Moscow could cooperate in a conflict over Taiwan, the top US intelligence chief told the US Senate this week. “We see China and Russia, for the first time, exercising together in relation to Taiwan and recognizing that this is a place where China definitely wants Russia to be working with them, and we see no reason why they wouldn’t,” US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told a US Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on Thursday. US Senator Mike Rounds asked Haines about such a potential scenario. He also asked US Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse
INSPIRING: Taiwan has been a model in the Asia-Pacific region with its democratic transition, free and fair elections and open society, the vice president-elect said Taiwan can play a leadership role in the Asia-Pacific region, vice president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) told a forum in Taipei yesterday, highlighting the nation’s resilience in the face of geopolitical challenges. “Not only can Taiwan help, but Taiwan can lead ... not only can Taiwan play a leadership role, but Taiwan’s leadership is important to the world,” Hsiao told the annual forum hosted by the Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation think tank. Hsiao thanked Taiwan’s international friends for their long-term support, citing the example of US President Joe Biden last month signing into law a bill to provide aid to Taiwan,
China’s intrusive and territorial claims in the Indo-Pacific region are “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive,” new US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo said on Friday, adding that he would continue working with allies and partners to keep the area free and open. Paparo made the remarks at a change-of-command ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, where he took over the command from Admiral John Aquilino. “Our world faces a complex problem set in the troubling actions of the People’s Republic of China [PRC] and its rapid buildup of forces. We must be ready to answer the PRC’s increasingly intrusive and
STATE OF THE NATION: The legislature should invite the president to deliver an address every year, the TPP said, adding that Lai should also have to answer legislators’ questions The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday proposed inviting president-elect William Lai (賴清德) to make a historic first state of the nation address at the legislature following his inauguration on May 20. Lai is expected to face many domestic and international challenges, and should clarify his intended policies with the public’s representatives, KMT caucus secretary-general Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said when making the proposal at a meeting of the legislature’s Procedure Committee. The committee voted to add the item to the agenda for Friday, along with another similar proposal put forward by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). The invitation is in line with Article 15-2