Bush invokes resolve of Cold War

Mr Bush told graduates the US would never back down
President George W Bush has likened the US "war on terror" to the Cold War fight against communism after World War II, at a military graduation ceremony.

Speaking to cadets at West Point military academy in New York state, Mr Bush said the US would not rest until the threat of terror had been removed.

The 861 new graduates must fight a war against terror that knew no boundaries, the president told them.

"The war began on my watch but it's going to end on your watch," he said.

In a wide-ranging speech, Mr Bush talked of his aim of spreading peace through the Middle East, saying repression there was creating conditions for global terrorism.

"We will complete the mission"
George W Bush

"We're still in the early stages of this struggle for freedom and, like those first years of the Cold War, we've seen setbacks and challenges and days that have tested America's resolve, yet we've also seen days of victory and hope," he said.

He commended former President Harry Truman, whose administration lacked popularity but who he said had laid the groundwork of success against communism.

Mr Bush drew parallels between Mr Truman's Cold War efforts and his own in fighting global terrorism.

The cadets were the first to arrive at the academy after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US.

The president noted that more than 50 of their fellow cadets had already seen combat, and 34 former cadets had died in the "war on terror".

"We will honour the memory of those brave souls. We will finish the task for which they gave their lives. We will complete the mission," he said.

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