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Bush tells U.N. the Iraqi invasion was justified
September 21, 2004

President George W. Bush addresses the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City Tuesday. Bush defended the war in Iraq, saying the U.S.-led coalition had enforced "the just demands of the world" that Baghdad disarm. (Photo by TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images)

New York, N.Y. — (AP) - President Bush defended his decision to invade Iraq in a speech on Tuesday to the United Nations, urging the world community to turn its attention to the fighting the war on terrorism and humanitarian concerns.

He told a subdued U.N. General Assembly session that the U.S.-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein delivered the Iraqi people from "an outlawed dictator."

Two years after he told the world body that Iraq was a "grave and gathering danger" and challenged delegates to live up to their responsibility, Bush did not dwell on his decision to invade without the consent of the U.N. Security Council.

	Bush and Kofi Annan

Instead, he urged the world community to "fight radicalism and terror with justice and dignity."

Bush said that terrorists believe that "suicide and murder are justified ...And they act on their beliefs." And he cited recent terror acts, including the death of children in their Russian school house.

"This month in Beslan, we saw once again how the terrorists measure their success in the deaths of the innocent and in the pain of grieving families," the president said. "The Russian children did nothing to deserve such awful suffering."

Ahead of Bush's speech, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan opened the meeting of the 191-nation gathering with a warning that "the rule of law" is at risk around the world.

"No one is above the law," Annan said. "Again and again, we see fundamental laws shamelessly disregarded - those that ordain respect for innocent life, for civilians, for the vulnerable - especially children," he said.

He condemned the taking and killing of hostages in Iraq, but also said Iraqi prisoners had been disgracefully abused, an implicit criticism of the U.S. treatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad.

Last week, Annan said in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corp. that the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq "was illegal" because Washington and its coalition partners never got Security Council backing for the invasion.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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