- WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President
Bush next week will launch an offensive to rally support for the U.S.-led
war on terrorism, with major addresses to U.S. and foreign audiences and
meetings with key allies, the White House said on Thursday.
-
- U.S. national security adviser Condoleezza Rice told
a news conference Bush will make a national address on "homeland defense
and security" and meet the leaders of Britain, France, India, Brazil,
Ireland and Algeria.
-
- He is to give another speech on financial efforts to
shut down terrorism networks and address via satellite an audience in Warsaw,
Poland, to discuss the importance of the international coalition he has
assembled, Rice said. Finally, he is to make his first speech to the U.N.
General Assembly a week from Saturday.
-
- The public relations blitz comes as the Bush administration
faces criticism over its handling of an anthrax outbreak and its warnings
to the public of potential new attacks, and questions abroad over civilian
deaths in the bombing of Afghanistan.
-
- "It's going to be a very busy week, both in talking
about the home front and in talking with members of coalition about the
progress in the war on terrorism," Rice said.
-
- Referring to Bush's address to the nation, she said,
"He will speak to the American people about the ways in which our
everyday lives have changed necessarily since the horrific events of Sept.
11 and his optimism and resolve that despite these changes American values
are constant and impermeable."
-
- "The president thinks it's vitally important to
make certain that the American people are kept informed about the nature
of the threats that we face and the progress of our response," she
said.
-
- The audience in Warsaw will consist of representatives
of central European states assembled by the Polish government to discuss
ways they can help the coalition.
-
- "He will talk about the importance of world leaders
and coalition allies. He will define the nature of the global response
to terrorism and update the progress on the war in terrorism, talking about
the responsibilities of those who have joined the coalition," she
said.
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- Bush will also meet French President Jacques Chirac,
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee,
Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Irish Prime Minister Bertie
Ahern and Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
-
- The United States has launched a military campaign in
Afghanistan against Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, suspected mastermind of
air attacks on America last month, and the ruling Taliban that protects
him.
-
- On the home front, the Bush administration is struggling
to contain an outbreak of the germ warfare agent anthrax that has killed
four people and spread fear across the nation.
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