Bush invokes grisly spectre of Ceausescu

BUCHAREST - United States President George W. Bush says the courage of Romanians who rose up to topple dictator Nicolae Ceausescu should inspire others to tackle aggressive dictators such as Saddam Hussein.

At the end of his five-day visit to Europe, Bush used a speech to tens of thousands of rain-soaked Romanians in Bucharest's Revolution Square to beat the drum once more for action against Saddam.

"An aggressive dictator now rules in Iraq ... The dictator of Iraq threatens the security of every free nation, including the free nations of Europe," Bush said.

Romania's experience of the violence of Ceausescu's rule had shown it the face of evil, the President said. "The people of Romania understand that aggressive dictators cannot be appeased or ignored, they must always be opposed."

In other developments in the move against Saddam: A United Nations aircraft carrying equipment for the inspectors flew into Baghdad, to be followed tomorrow by an 18-strong team to start their search for weapons of mass destruction.

The US military said Western planes bombed a mobile radar system 265km southeast of Baghdad.

Bush used speeches in Lithuania and Romania yesterday to fete the two countries and five other former communist East European states on winning invitations to Nato, saying they could inspire the Atlantic alliance to take a tougher stand against evil.

"Every nation must confront danger. Every free nation has a responsibility to play its full and responsible role," he said in Bucharest.

Throughout this week's Nato summit in Prague and at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Bush has pressed the urgency of ridding Saddam of his suspected arsenal of weapons of mass destruction, by force if necessary.

He won only guarded backing from Nato allies and Russia, with Moscow and many West European states troubled at going to war with Iraq. They have so far endorsed only a UN-led drive to seek out banned weapon programmes.

But White House officials have cast the trip as a success for Bush's goals of building support against Iraq, softening Russian opposition to Washington's policies and expanding and reforming Nato to enable the alliance to tackle terrorist threats.

Putin told Bush the US should not wage war alone against Iraq, and he put Bush on the spot by questioning whether White House allies such as Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are doing enough to fight terrorism.

"Where has Osama bin Laden taken refuge?" the Russian said at a news conference with Bush.

The sharply worded question, though not a direct criticism of Bush, touched a nerve with the US delegation and underscored the frustration felt by US officials since the al Qaeda leader resurfaced, after months of silence, in an audiotape praising recent terrorist attacks.

Bush spoke in Bucharest from a podium that faced the balcony where Ceausescu made his fateful last appearance in December 1989. The crowd shouted the dictator down, starting a bloody revolt that led to his execution.

By inviting Romania and Bulgaria into Nato the alliance gets a land bridge through the Balkans to Greece and Turkey.



"I told President Putin a Russia that is fully a part of Europe needs no buffer zone separating it from Europe. America and Romania are friends to the Russian people, and so is the Nato alliance," said Bush.

- REUTERS


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