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-- (duuuh @ dey is. da emeny), August 10, 2002

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Bush Calls Iraq an 'Enemy Until Proven Otherwise'

Sat Aug 10,10:20 AM ET

By Steve Holland

WACO, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush ( news - web sites) on Saturday described Iraq as an "enemy until proven otherwise" but said he had no timetable for deciding whether to use military force to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein ( news - web sites).

"I described them as the 'axis of evil' once. I describe them as an enemy until proven otherwise," Bush told reporters after teeing off at the Ridgewood Country Club Golf Course.

The president, who is on a four-week vacation at his Crawford, Texas, ranch, sought to play down expectations of any imminent attack on Iraq, which the United States accuses of seeking chemical, biological and possibly nuclear weapons.

Asked if Americans were prepared for casualties in a war with Iraq, Bush -- whose stated policy is to seek Saddam's ouster -- replied: "That presumes there is some kind of imminent war plan. As I have said, I have no timetable.

"But I do believe what the American people understand is that weapons of mass destruction in the hands of leaders such as Saddam Hussein are very dangerous for ourselves," he said. "They understand the concept of blackmail.

"They know that when we speak of making the world more safe we do so not only in the context of al Qaeda and other terrorist groups but nations that have proved themselves to be bad neighbors and bad actors," he added.

Bush launched the U.S. war on terrorism after the Sept. 11 attacks by toppling the Taliban regime in Afghanistan ( news - web sites) that Washington accused of harboring the al Qaeda network that it blames for the attacks against the United States. There has been considerable speculation Iraq may be his next target.

Under increasing pressure from some members of Congress and many foreign allies not to launch an unprovoked attack on the longtime Gulf foe, Bush said he was consulting with the U.S. legislature and foreign governments.

"I have no timetable for any of our policies with regards to Iraq," he said, saying "the consultation process is a positive part of really allowing people to fully understand our deep concerns about this man and his regime and his desires to have weapons of mass destruction."

Asked if he was surprised he had not built more support for action against Saddam, Bush said: "Most people understand he is a danger, but as I have said in speech after speech I have a lot of tools at my disposal. I have also said I am a deliberate person."

In his State of the Union speech at the start of the year Bush described Iraq, Iran and North Korea ( news - web sites) as an "axis of evil" seeking weapons of mass destruction. In a June 1 speech at the U.S. military academy at West Point, Bush outlined a new U.S. policy of preemptive strikes against emerging threats.

Against a backdrop of Iraq's consistent refusal to readmit international weapons inspectors, Bush told reporters on Saturday: "They obviously desire weapons of mass destruction. I presume that he still views us as an enemy."

-- (dumbya @ simple-minded. neanderthal), August 10, 2002.

Uuuuuuh, datsrite, uuuuuuuh, make no muhsteak bout it, uuuuuuuh, I mean wuts I sez. Uuuuuuuuuh, Irack is duh ehmunny, an uuuuh, we's gunna show um, uuuuuuh, yuh dohnt mess wit Texuss, heh-heh! If dey iddunt fer us, dey id agint us, uuuuuuuh, and uuuuh, dey kin run but dey cant hide, yuk-yuk!

-- Dumbya (I wants @ dat. oil), August 11, 2002.

Hillary is cackeling over your "wit" trollboy.

-- (space@space.space), August 11, 2002.

Duhh, Dumbya iss duh ememy. Muh yunin hall tolld mah soo..

-- demecratic erudite (llike@cherri.andTrollboy), August 11, 2002.