U.S. President George W. Bush bid farewell to the United Nations on Tuesday as he slammed Syria and Iran for continuing to sponsor terrorism and called for sanctions against North Korea and discussed the financial crisis. In his final address to the annual U.N. General Assembly, Bush said nations such as Syria and Iran "continue to sponsor terrorism, yet their numbers are growing fewer and they are growing more isolated."The vastly unpopular
Bush warned that failure to act would be "devastating." "I can assure you that my administration and our Congress are working together to quickly pass legislation approving this strategy, and I'm confident we will act in the urgent timeframe required," said the U.S. president.
Just four months before the end of his eight-year run at the White House, Bush leveled some of his toughest-yet criticism at Moscow over its war with Georgia. "The United Nations charter sets forth the equal rights of nations large and small. Russia's invasion of Georgia was a violation of those words," he said, vowing to keep supporting the former Soviet republic's territorial integrity.
"Young democracies around the world are watching to see how we respond to this test," he said, naming Georgia, Ukraine, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Liberia and Iraq. "We must stand united in our support of the people of Georgia."
With hope ebbing for a Middle East peace deal before he leaves office, Bush pressed for U.N. support of Lebanon and for "the people of the Palestinian territories, who deserve a free and peaceful state of their own."
Bush also touched on Pakistan and expressed his "deepest condolences" over Saturday's devastating suicide attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, which left at least 60 people dead. "Pakistan is an ally, and I look forward to deepening our relationship," he said after offering condolences to the families of the deceased.