Bush urges renewed campaign on terror

President Bush hopes to strengthen the coalition

The war on terror is entering its second phase, US President George W Bush said in a ceremony to mark the six months since the 11 September attacks.

"Every terrorist must be made to live as an international fugitive with no place to settle or organise, no place to hide, no governments to hide behind, and not even a safe place to sleep," he told an audience at the White House.

The terror that targeted New York and Washington could next strike any centre of civilisation

George W Bush

In a sombre speech, Mr Bush outlined the success of the international coalition in Afghanistan and said he expected the world's governments to help remove what he called "the terrorist parasites that threaten world peace".

At a ceremony in New York City on Monday evening, two powerful beams of vertical lights were switched on at the World Trade Center site.

The Tribute of Light symbolises the two destroyed towers and should be visible up to 32 kilometres (20 miles) away.

Early in the day other ceremonies to mark the past six months were held at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania.

In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, a candle was lit for each of those who died when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field.

Allies represented

Mr Bush linked international terrorism with states that were developing weapons of mass destruction.

He did not identify any such states, but the BBC's Washington correspondent, Paul Reynolds, says the president is preparing the way for action against Iraq.

First he has to repair a gap in the American argument, that no evidence has been found connecting Iraq to the 11 September attacks.

The American case for action is that no evidence is needed, the threat is sufficient.

"The terror that targeted New York and Washington could next strike any centre of civilisation," said Mr Bush.

Foreign dignitaries joined Mr Bush in paying tribute to the victims

"Against such an enemy there is no immunity, and there can be no neutrality."

Present at the White House commemoration were victims' relatives, members of Congress and the ambassadors of America's main allies.

US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld took part in the ceremony at the Pentagon.

He said the current campaign in eastern Afghanistan was yielding new information about the al-Qaeda network, which is blamed for the 11 September attacks.

In New York, firefighters, survivors and relatives of victims of the attacks gathered near the remains of the World Trade Center to see the unveiling of a memorial to those who died.

The commemoration began with a moment of silence at 0846 local time (1346 GMT) - the exact time hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 was crashed into the north tower of the WTC.

	A changed world World Trade Center death toll about 2,800; Pentagon 125 At least 3,600 civilian deaths in Afghanistan US military spending increased by 14% US forces deployed to Central Asian countries - including former Soviet republics  War on Terror: Six months on

A second silence was held 17 minutes later, in memory of the moment United Airlines Flight 175 ploughed into the south tower.

About 3,000 people lost their lives in the plane crashes and the collapse of the twin towers.

Many more died in the attack on the Pentagon and in another hijacked airliner that crashed in rural Pennsylvania.

A 45,000lb (2,041 kg) sculpture called The Sphere survived the destruction at the World Trade Center and has now become part of a temporary memorial in Battery Park, lower Manhattan, near the remains of the building.

The New York ceremony closed with the ringing of the bell from the New York Fire Department, which lost 343 members in the twin towers.