Bush to urge world support for West Asia moderates

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 19: President George W Bush, locked in a test of wills with Iran and facing tough going in Iraq, will urge the United Nations today to ''stand up for peace'' by supporting West Asia moderates over extremists.

Bush takes center stage at the U.N. General Assembly for an annual address to world leaders, the same venue where four years ago he made the case for the world to stand firm against Saddam Hussein on charges that he possessed weapons of mass destruction.

Now, with post-Saddam Iraq embroiled in sectarian violence and a fight brewing with Iran over its nuclear ambitions, Bush planned to make the last in a series of speeches stressing his desire that democracies turn back Islamic extremism.

One object of his speech is the government of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose expected presence at the United Nations could provide a compelling exchange of views with Bush, although the White House ruled out any direct contact.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Bush will say ''the world must stand up for peace,'' and that it is important for moderates to choose the future of the region, not the extremists.

''Every nation in the civilized world has a stake, and especially the Muslim nations have a stake in the outcome of this struggle,'' Perino said.

While Bush will talk about the broader West Asia, including Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinians, he will in particular be addressing the case of Iran.

Bush believes Ahmadinejad, despite his denials, is determined to develop a nuclear weapon and is resisting demands to halt uranium enrichment by stalling for time and trying to divide Europe and the United States.

Amid signs of a split between Europe and Washington, Bush will start his day by meeting French President Jacques Chirac, who said yesterday that talks with Iran on its nuclear ambitions should be pursued since U.N. sanctions have never worked well.

Bush and his secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, are talking to allies about pursuing a U.N. resolution that could ultimately lead to sanctions given Iran's refusal to suspend enrichment.

Bush said last week that part of his objective in New York was to make the point that Iran should not be allowed to stall on the nuclear issue.

''We need to move the process, and they need to understand we're firm in our commitment, and if they try to drag their feet or get us to look the other way, that we won't do that -- that we're firmly committed in our desire to send a common signal to the Iranian regime,'' Bush said on Friday.

Bush will also meet Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a day after U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Iraq was in grave danger of descending into civil war if present trends continue.

Bush also had his eye on November congressional elections in which control of the U.S. Congress by his fellow Republicans could hang in the balance. Last night he headlined a Republican National Committee reception that raised 1.4 million dollars from 80 guests for party candidates.

Reuters