Bush defends his presidency, hails "historic partnership" with

Washington, Jan 16 (PTI) Defending his tumultous
eight-year Presidency, George W Bush said all his decisions
were in the "best interest" of the country and listed US' "new
historic and strategic partnership" with India as one of his
foreign policy successes.

The outgoing president also cautioned that another
terrorist attack remained the "gravest threat" for the US.

Five days before handing the reins to Barack Obama,
President Bush (62) made a sweeping defence of his foreign
policy and said he was willing to make "tough decisions"
leaving his legacy to be largely defined by the wars in
Afghanistan and Iraq and his terror fighting initiatives.

"We opened a new historic and strategic partnership
with India," Bush told officials of the State Department at
Foggy Bottom hours before his farewell address to the Nation
yesterday in the backdrop of the successful conclusion of
the historic Indo-US civilian nuclear deal after a tortuous
journey that ended decades of India's nuclear apartheid.

Conscious of the criticism he has faced for some of his
foreign policy initiatives, Bush told a national television
audience,"I have followed my conscience and done what I
thought was right. You may not agree with some tough decisions
I have made. But I hope you can agree that I was willing to
make the tough decisions."

"Like all who have held this office before me, I have
experienced setbacks. There are things I would do differently
if given the chance. Yet I have always acted with the best
interests of our country in mind," Bush said in a 13-minute
swan song in the last public appearance at the White House
yesterday before handing over power to Obama on January 20.

Besides partnership with India, Bush, the country's
43rd President listed other highlights of his foreign policy
like in the Middle East where he said the US stood with
dissidents and young democracies.

"Sometimes that was not easy to do. But we stood
strong with those young democracies. We outlined a vision of
two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by
side in peace and security," he said.

In Asia, the Bush Administration deepened the US's
alliances with its friends, Japan and South Korea, and
strengthened ties with China, the President said.

"I'm not so sure if this is historically accurate, but
we may be the only administration that has had really good
ties with Japan, South Korea and China all at the same time,"
he said.

Bush said America continues to face grave threat from
terrorists, who are not only determined but also are patiently
waiting to strike back.

"While our Nation is safer than it was seven years ago,
the gravest threat to our people remains another terrorist
attack," he said

"Our enemies are patient and determined to strike
again," Bush said recollecting the 9/11 attack and the
decisions he took in its aftermath to protect the US from
terrorists.

"America did nothing to seek or deserve this conflict.
But we have been given solemn responsibilities, and we must
meet them. We must resist complacency. We must keep our
resolve. And we must never let down our guard," he said.

Recollecting the immediate aftermath of the terrorist
attack on US, the outgoing president said, "This evening, my
thoughts return to the first night I addressed you from this
house – September 11, 2001." PTI LKJ
PMR