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From the boy who cried "wolf"...

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Frank S.
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From the boy who cried "wolf"...

Post by Frank S. »

... and whacked a Chihuahua, I find this worrisome indeed...

http://www.spacewar.com/2004/040214200632.vpu7prri.html

Bush says US still faces catastrophic threat from weapons of mass destruction

WASHINGTON (AFP) Feb 14, 2004
President George W. Bush warned Saturday that the United States still faces a the threat of a catastrophic attack with nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, even as he fought off criticism of the US failure to find such weapons in Iraq.
"The possibility of secret and sudden attack with weapons of mass destruction is the greatest threat before humanity today," Bush said as he highlighted his security credentials in a weekly radio address geared to his campaign for this year's election.

"Terrorists and terrorist states are in a race for weapons of mass murder, a race they must lose. They are resourceful -- we must be more resourceful. They are determined -- we must be more determined."

The September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States had shown what hijackers "could inflict upon our country, armed with box cutters, mace and 19 airline tickets," he added.

"America faces the possibility of catastrophic attack from ballistic missiles armed with weapons of mass destruction, so we are developing and deploying missile defenses to guard our people. The best intelligence is necessary to win the war on terror and to stop proliferation. So we are improving and adapting our intelligence capabilities for new and emerging threats."

Though under attack over the US-led campaign in Iraq, Bush this week proposed tighter international regulation of nuclear equipment and expertise that could be used for atomic weapons.

Bush raised the case of A.Q. Khan the Pakistani nuclear scientist accused of selling sensitive nuclear secrets and technology.

"Khan and his associates sold nuclear technology and knowhow to rogue regimes around the world, such as Iran and North Korea," said Bush.

He praised the work of US and British intelligence in dismantling the network and urged the United Nations to toughen anti-proliferation laws.

"We must expand the international cooperation of law enforcement organizations to act against proliferation networks, to shut down their labs, to seize their materials, to freeze their assets and to bring their members to justice," he said.

In his proposals this week, Bush said a loophole in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty allowing countries to seek nuclear weapons under the cover of civilian nuclear power programs should be closed.

He has said the Nuclear Suppliers Group, an association of nearly all the main nuclear powers, should refuse to sell enrichment and reprocessing equipment and technologies to any state that does not already possess full scale, functioning enrichment and reprocessing plants.

Bush said the International Atomic Energy Agency must have additional powers to police banned nuclear activity.
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