US Democrats nominated Senator John Kerry for president late Wednesday, setting the tone for his campaign with sharp attacks on the Republican security record that is President George W. Bush's main claim to re-election.
The party's national convention gave Kerry the nod after hearing a vibrant tribute from running mate John Edwards, who hailed him as a battle-tested warrior bent on wiping out years of Bush's "hateful, negative politics."
The nearly unanimous vote by more than 4,300 delegates set the stage for Kerry's acceptance speech yesterday, which could be a defining moment for his White House ambitions.
PHOTO: REUTERS
With polls showing voters still unclear about the character and policies of the four-term Massachusetts lawmaker, Kerry, 60, must make the speech of his life to counter Republican charges he is weak and waffling, analysts said.
Edwards, a smooth-talking populist senator from North Carolina, did his best Wednesday to build up his new boss, mixing high praise for Kerry with biting broadsides against their opponents in the Nov. 2 election.
Edwards, 51, also capped a concerted, day-long Democratic effort in Kerry's hometown here to boost the decorated Vietnam war hero's credentials as a determined and tough leader.
Drawing the contrast between Kerry and Bush, who never saw combat, Edwards said, "When a man volunteers to serve his country, and puts his life on the line for others -- that's a man who represents real American values.
He said Kerry's navy comrades "saw up close what he's made of. They saw him reach down and pull one of his men from the river and save his life.
"And in the heat of battle, they saw him decide in an instant to turn his boat around, drive it straight through an enemy position, and chase down the enemy to save his crew.
"Decisive. Strong. Aren't these the traits you want in a commander in chief?" asked Edwards, who was to be formally anointed to the number two slot on the ticket yesterday.
He chided the Bush administration for failing to take prompt action to shore up homeland defenses after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and swore to heed the conclusions of the national panel that probed the disaster.
"We will build and lead strong alliances and safeguard and secure weapons of mass destruc-tion," he said. "We will always use our military might to keep the American people safe.
"And we will have one clear unmistakable message for al-Qaeda and the rest of these terrorists. You cannot run. You cannot hide. And we will destroy you."
A fire caused by a burst gas pipe yesterday spread to several homes and sent a fireball soaring into the sky outside Malaysia’s largest city, injuring more than 100 people. The towering inferno near a gas station in Putra Heights outside Kuala Lumpur was visible for kilometers and lasted for several hours. It happened during a public holiday as Muslims, who are the majority in Malaysia, celebrate the second day of Eid al-Fitr. National oil company Petronas said the fire started at one of its gas pipelines at 8:10am and the affected pipeline was later isolated. Disaster management officials said shutting the
DITCH TACTICS: Kenyan officers were on their way to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch suspected to have been deliberately dug by Haitian gang members A Kenyan policeman deployed in Haiti has gone missing after violent gangs attacked a group of officers on a rescue mission, a UN-backed multinational security mission said in a statement yesterday. The Kenyan officers on Tuesday were on their way to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch “suspected to have been deliberately dug by gangs,” the statement said, adding that “specialized teams have been deployed” to search for the missing officer. Local media outlets in Haiti reported that the officer had been killed and videos of a lifeless man clothed in Kenyan uniform were shared on social media. Gang violence has left
US Vice President J.D. Vance on Friday accused Denmark of not having done enough to protect Greenland, when he visited the strategically placed and resource-rich Danish territory coveted by US President Donald Trump. Vance made his comment during a trip to the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, a visit viewed by Copenhagen and Nuuk as a provocation. “Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance told a news conference. “You have under-invested in the people of Greenland, and you have under-invested in the security architecture of this
Japan unveiled a plan on Thursday to evacuate around 120,000 residents and tourists from its southern islets near Taiwan within six days in the event of an “emergency”. The plan was put together as “the security situation surrounding our nation grows severe” and with an “emergency” in mind, the government’s crisis management office said. Exactly what that emergency might be was left unspecified in the plan but it envisages the evacuation of around 120,000 people in five Japanese islets close to Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has stepped up military pressure in recent years, including
RSS