Bush rules out compromise with terrorists

Washington, Sep 6 (UNI) Ruling out the possibilities of any compromise or dialogue with terrorists, US President Bush said ''These radicals have declared their uncompromising hostility to freedom." ''It is foolish to think that you can negotiate with them," he said, addressing a group of military officers and dignitaries here yesterday.

With the fifth anniversary of the September 11,2001 terrorist attacks approaching, he spelt out his administration's updated strategy on dealing with international terrorism, defending his handling of the war on terror saying ''America is safer but not safe enough.'' He spoke of the changing nature of the terrorist threat and said, "there will be no negotiations with the enemy." He said the al-Qaida terrorist group had been weakened, but remained angry and determined. He said the movement had become less centralized, with small dispersed groups plotting violent acts.

Bush said, "some of these groups are made up of home grown terrorists -- militant extremists who were born and educated in Western nations or doctrinated by radical Islamists or attracted to their ideology and joined the violent extremists cause." He, however, said "whether these radicals were Sunni or Shi'ite, Western born or from the Middle East, there could be no appeasement, and no middle ground. " Referring to some of the statements made by the Iranian leaders, President Bush said, "Like al-Qaida and the Sunni extremists, the Iranian regime has clear aims. They want to drive America out of the region, destroy Israel and dominate the greater Middle East." Earlier, the White House released an updated version of its 2003 report on the administration's strategy for winning the war on terrorism.

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