Iran pursuing radical agenda, Bush warns (Roundup)

By Mike McCarthy Sep 5, 2006, 22:34 GMT

Washington - The Iranian government, run by Shiite extremists, is pursuing a radical agenda in the Middle East and uses its resources to spread terrorism, US President George W Bush said Tuesday.

Since taking control of Iran in 1979, Shiite extremists have subjugated 'its proud people to a regime of tyranny and using that nation's resources to fund the spread of terror and to pursue their radical agenda,' Bush said.

Bush also reiterated his determination to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

'We'll continue to work closely with our allies to find a diplomatic solution. The world's free nations will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon,' he said.

Bush was speaking in Washington as part of a series of addresses days before the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and two months before crucial congressional elections. Bush defended his policies and his decision to topple Saddam Hussein's regime.

The United States will not retreat from al-Qaeda terrorists led by Osama bin Laden intent on ruining the US economy and wreaking havoc in the world, Bush said.

Bush accused al-Qaeda and other individuals of seeking to create a totalitarian state throughout the Middle East that would resemble the 'nightmare' in Afghanistan under the leadership of the Taliban before the US military ousted the militants in 2001.

'We will not rest, we will not retreat, and we will not withdraw from the fight until this threat to civilization is removed,' Bush said.

'They are driven by a radical and perverted vision of Islam that rejects tolerance, crushes all dissent, and justifies the murder of innocent men, women and children in the pursuit of political power,' he said.

'They believe our nation is weak and decadent and lacking in patience and resolve, and they're wrong,' Bush said.

Opposition Democrats are hoping that the falling popularity of the president and the Republican party will help them win control of the House and Senate.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said worldwide terrorists attacks during Bush's tenure have increased and his government has failed to stop Iran and North Korea from seeking nuclear weapons.

'The facts do not lie. Under the Bush administration and this Republican Congress, America is less safe, facing greater threats and unprepared for the dangerous world in which we live,' Reid said.

Earlier, the White House released a report saying substantial progress has been made in the war on terrorism, but there are still 'serious challenges' ahead.

'While America is safer, we are not yet safe. The enemy remains determined, and we face serious challenges at home and abroad,' the report said.

Since the attacks on New York and Washington, 'we have made substantial progress in degrading the al-Qaeda network, killing or capturing key lieutenants, eliminating safe havens, and disrupting existing lines of support,' the report said.

The report also emphasized the importance of spreading freedom and democracy as essential to defeating terrorism in the long term.

Bush, facing slumping support for the war in Iraq, said the ongoing conflict there is the central front in the war on terrorism and vowed to not abandon Iraqis committed to building a democratic state.

'These evil men know that a fundamental threat to their aspirations is a democratic Iraq that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself,' Bush said.

Bush also accused Iran of spreading terrorism around the world and seeking to gain control of the Middle East, saying Islamic Shiite extremists were as equally dangerous as their Sunni counterparts.

'Like al-Qaeda and the Sunni extremists, the Iranian regime has clear aims. They want to drive America out of the region, to destroy Israel, and to dominate the broader Middle East,' Bush said.

Bush emphasized the need to promote democracy in the Middle East and free the region of tyrannical regimes, saying the United States must play a role in changing the region.

'This is the great ideological struggle of the 21st century, and it is the calling of our generation,' Bush said.