The Hindu : Allies too face terror threat: Bush

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 23, 2002

International

International

Allies too face terror threat: Bush

The U.S. President, George W. Bush, waves as he leaves the White House on Wednesday for a week-long trip to Europe and Russia. — AP

WASHINGTON May 22. Seeking to counter European doubts about the U.S.-led war on terrorism, the U.S. President, George W. Bush, opened his weeklong trip on Wednesday by warning allies they too could face attacks and urging their continued support for military action.

"Even though we've had some initial successes, there's still danger for countries which embrace freedom, countries such as ours, or Germany, France, Russia or Italy," Mr. Bush said as he departed the White House for a four-nation tour. "As an alliance, we must to continue to fight against global terror. We've got to be tough."

Mr. Bush flew to Berlin, where he was to use an address to the German Parliament on Thursday to underscore the need for continued co-operation against terrorism. "I know America can't win the war on terror alone," he told the German TV station ARD. But a stark reminder of European scepticism awaited him: Some 100 protests were planned across Germany on Wednesday and Thursday to coincide with his visit, and a demonstration in Berlin on the eve of his arrival drew as many as 100,000 people, most opposing any expansion of the war.

Mr. Bush has not fielded questions from White House reporters in a week, a period in which it was disclosed that he learned last August that Osama bin Laden wanted to hijack U.S. airplanes, and did not answer queries after his brief statement on Wednesday morning. But Mr. Bush submitted to a series of interviews from European journalists on Tuesday, eager to win hearts and minds there in advance of his trip to Germany, France, Italy and Russia.

Looking across a table at the White House at reporters from all four countries, Mr. Bush told them he surveys a threat-assessment report each morning, and added: "I am confident that I've read threats that were directed to the countries represented here.

"The best way to secure our homeland, the best way for Italy to be secure, and other countries, is to find these killers, is to hunt for them, is to chase them down," Mr. Bush later told Italy's RAI television. Throughout the sessions with European journalists, Mr. Bush moulded his answers to fit his message on terrorism. — AP

Batuk Gathani reports from Brussels:

Nearly 17,000 protestors and 10,000 police are gathering in Berlin ahead of Mr. Bush's arrival, in what is rated as the largest police operation in Berlin since World War II.

Mr. Bush will fly into the German capital tomorrow on his first-ever visit as the U.S. President. According to local observers, Mr. Bush faces a mixed reception as scepticism grows over widely perceived American unilateralism. For his 20-hour visit, demonstrators are planning three days of protests.

For the average German, Mr. Bush is neither a John F. Kennedy nor a Ronald Reagan — both of whom expressed important themes of German-U.S. ties in the past. Today, Mr. Bush has yet to inspire confidence in his trans-Atlantic credentials.

"Every trip by a U.S. President to Europe matters, both in symbolism and substance. This week's visit by President George W. Bush to Germany, Russia, France and Italy matters more than most. It comes at a time when trans-Atlantic dialogue is in danger of being distorted by mutual misunderstanding ... They need to learn to listen to each other again," a Financial Times writer states.

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