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Bush chides Syria and Iran at UN Bush chides Russia in UN speech
(about 1 hour later)
George W Bush has used his final speech to the United Nations as US president to accuse Iran and Syria of continuing to sponsor terrorism. George W Bush has accused Russia of violating the UN's charter by invading Georgia, in his final speech to the world body as US president.
Mr Bush said the two countries were growing more isolated and urged the UN to enforce sanctions on North Korea and Iran over their nuclear programmes. Mr Bush urged world leaders gathered at UN in New York to "stand united in our support of the people of Georgia".
He also said the US was taking decisive steps over the global financial crisis. In a wide-ranging speech, Mr Bush also urged the international community to continue the fight against terrorism.
Correspondents say the annual meeting will be dominated by recent turbulent events in the world economy. He also gave an assurance that the US was taking decisive action over the current global economic crisis.
Mr Bush said terrorism was one of the greatest threats the UN had ever faced. Mr Bush's speech touched on the themes of his presidency.
"The ideals of the [UN] Charter are now facing a challenge as serious as any since the UN's founding - a global movement of violent extremists," he said. He accused Iran and Syria of continuing to sponsor terrorism, saying they were growing more isolated.
Economic crisis He also urged the UN to enforce sanctions on North Korea and Iran over their nuclear programmes.
Referring to the current global economic crisis, Mr Bush assured world leaders that the US was acting decisively to contain the situation. 'Equal rights'
He said he was confident that his plan to buy up the bad debt blocking the flow of credit would be passed by Congress "in the urgent timeframe required". On terrorism, the president warned that the world's leaders could not simply pass resolutions condemning terrorist acts after they had happened.
The US president also used his speech to criticise Russia's recent military action in Georgia, saying it was a violation of the UN charter. He said that instead, terrorism should be confronted with a "clarity of vision".
"We must stand united in our support of the people of Georgia," he said. Referring to Russia's recent military action in Georgia, he said: "We must stand united in our support of the people of Georgia.
Economic issues are expected to dominate this year's assembly
"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.""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."
Mr Bush addressed the meeting shortly after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned that the economic crisis endangered efforts to reduce world poverty. Mr Bush also assured world leaders that the US was acting decisively to contain the current global economic crisis.
He said he was confident that his plan to buy up the bad debt blocking the flow of credit would be passed by the US Congress "in the urgent timeframe required".
World financial problems were also a major theme of the address by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon when he opened the annual assembly.
He said the financial turmoil put at risk the achievement of the UN-agreed Millennium Development Goals set in 2000 to halve global poverty by 2015.He said the financial turmoil put at risk the achievement of the UN-agreed Millennium Development Goals set in 2000 to halve global poverty by 2015.
He also said the crisis demanded a new approach with less "uncritical faith in the 'magic' of markets". He added that the crisis demanded a new approach with less "uncritical faith in the 'magic' of markets".
"The global financial crisis endangers all our work - financing for development, social spending in rich nations and poor, the Millennium Development Goals," he told world leaders. "The global financial crisis endangers all our work - financing for development, social spending in rich nations and poor, the Millennium Development Goals," he told the meeting.
There is an unusual air of anxiety at the UN this year, the BBC's Bridget Kendall reports.
Leaders have been hastily rearranging meetings so that they can focus on the financial crisis.
African leaders are concerned that the crisis means less funding for fighting poverty.
Friction between Russia and the West, mounting violence in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and concerns over nuclear work in North Korea have all added to a sense of crisis, our correspondent says.