Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 21, 2001
SHANGHAI, China -- President Bush challenged Asian leaders Saturday to help "save the civilized world" by joining his war against terrorism. But in a sign of unease, Russia sided with China and other nations seeking a quick end to U.S. attacks on Afghanistan.
Bush was to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this morning after the conclusion of an Asian-Pacific summit that brought 20 leaders to this port city. Bush, in a speech to international business leaders, warned that terrorists "cannot be ignored, cannot be appeased."
"Every nation must oppose this enemy or be, in turn, its target," Bush said in defense of his antiterrorism campaign. "There is no isolation from evil."
Bush addressed the business leaders on the opening day of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, shortly after U.S. commandos returned from their first raid on southern Afghanistan. He mourned two U.S. soldiers killed in a helicopter crash while supporting the mission in neighboring Pakistan.
"The soldiers died in a cause that is just and right," Bush said during a picture-taking session with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
Japan is a leader in the fragile coalition of countries that Bush hopes will share intelligence, cut off financing to terrorists and support U.S. military action -- even if their troops do not fight alongside Americans.
The traditional goal of the two-day summit, strengthening the world economy, gave way to talks about the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington. Tying the two themes together, Bush warned that terrorism threatens Asia's hard-won economic vitality.
The APEC leaders were expected to approve a statement today that condemns terrorism, but pointedly does not mention the Afghanistan bombings. The omission reflects concerns of Malaysia and Indonesia, both Muslim-dominated countries that object to the U.S.-led aerial bombardments that began Oct. 7.
Bush tried to ease Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's opposition.
"He is concerned about the death of innocent people in Afghanistan, and I assured him I am, too," Bush said after their closed-door meeting.
The president said he told Mohamad that the United States had been "as careful as we possibly could" to avoid killing civilians.
Mohamad was unswayed. "I explained to (Bush) the anger and frustration of the Muslim world," he said. U.S. officials believe the al-Qaida group of Osama bin Laden, the top suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, has ties to Malaysia.
In an interview Friday, Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said that she has been involved in discussions with Indonesia and Malaysia about creating a Southeast Asian subgroup of the antiterrorism coalition that would "make us stronger in fighting terrorism in our part of the world."
The three countries, and perhaps others, would share intelligence and help identify terrorist cells.
-- Information from the New York Times was used in this report.