Military

DATE=FEBRUARY 1, 2002

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-285933

TITLE=BUSH TERRORISM (L)

BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS

DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE

CONTENT:

VOICED AT:

INTRO: President Bush met with Jordan's King Abdullah Friday at the White House, where they discussed the threat of terrorists gaining weapons of mass destruction. V-O-A's Scott Stearns reports, the Jordanian King said it is time for all countries to decide which side they have chosen in the war against terrorism.

TEXT: King Abdullah backed the president's warning to Iran, Iraq, and North Korea that they not help terrorists gain access to chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons.

/// ABDULLAH ACT ///

After the September 11th tragedy, I think, it's very obvious that there are those that are on the side of good, those that are on the side of bad, and there's some countries in the middle that haven't made up their minds. I think that the policy of the United States, and the rest of us, has been to be very clear to everybody on: Which side do you want to choose?

/// END ACT ///

In his State of the Union address this week, President Bush called Iran, Iraq, and North Korea an "axis of evil" that could threaten world peace by supplying terrorists with weapons of mass destruction. All three countries deny the allegation. Iran's president, Mohammad Khatami, denounced Mr. Bush's speech as an insult to the Iranian nation.

The U-S warning follows reports of Iranian support for groups working against the interim government in Afghanistan and last month's discovery of a shipload of weapons allegedly bound from Iran for the Palestinian Authority and Hezbollah guerillas in Lebanon.

President Bush says it is time for Iran, Iraq, and North Korea to "get their house in order," or face what he called U-S "justice."

/// BUSH ACT ///

I hope nations hear our call, and make right decisions. A wrong decision would be to continue to export weapons of mass destruction.

/// END ACT ///

U-S officials say the president is not signaling imminent military action against any of the countries. They say Washington remains open to talks with Iran and North Korea, but will not have contact with Iraq until it agrees to the return of U-N weapons inspectors. President Bush said all options are still on the table about how to make the United States and its allies more secure.

/// BUSH ACT ///

All the three countries I mentioned now are on notice that we intend to take their development of weapons of mass destruction very seriously. It's not just we, I'm talking about other nations that respect rule of law and freedom.

/// END ACT ///

Before their Oval Office meeting, King Abdullah said President Bush is right to force nations to choose which side they are on in the fight against terrorism.

/// ABDULLAH ACT ///

The president has been very articulate from the beginning of the 11th of September that, there's a new world, there is a new expectation of how countries are suppose to react, and those countries better make up their minds pretty quickly; and I endorse tremendously that view and that position

/// END ACT ///

It was an important endorsement of the president's warning on weapons of mass destruction, because Jordan borders Iraq. King Abdullah was one of the first Arab leaders to back the U-S fight against terrorism, in contrast to the Persian Gulf war, when Jordan sided with Iraq against the U-S campaign to liberate Kuwait. (SIGNED)

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