Bush urges Asia to join terror fight

MANILA — In a visit filled with symbolism of the war on terror, President Bush pledged Saturday in the Philippines to root out terrorism in Southeast Asia and urged Asian nations to join the battle.

With both protesters and flag-waving children filling the streets outside and a small group of dissident politicians staging a walkout inside, Bush told a joint session of the Philippine Congress that the United States would help modernize the Philippine military in its battle against the Abu Sayyaf separatist group. The group is thought to be affiliated with al-Qaida.

"Every nation in Asia and across the world now faces a choice," Bush said. "Nations that try to ignore terror and hope it will only strike others are deluding themselves, undermining our common defense and inviting a future of catastrophic violence."

Security was extraordinarily tight. Jet fighters accompanied Air Force One as it arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and Bush's arrival at the Philippine Congress was delayed for an hour so police could move thousands of protesters away from his motorcade's route. Protesters burned Bush in effigy and waved signs calling him a terrorist.

Inside the congressional chamber, a handful of lawmakers walked out of Bush's speech to protest the U.S. invasion of Iraq and other U.S. policies. Others wore lapel pins with blue ribbons and peace doves to symbolize their opposition. There was no indication that Bush was aware of the walkout.

Bush's visit lasted only eight hours before he departed for Thailand to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, where, gathering with Asian leaders, he said the United States has no intention of invading North Korea yet is not interested in signing a non-aggression treaty with Pyongyang.

On Saturday, North Korea reiterated it is not interested in new international talks about its nuclear program and other controversies unless the United States discusses a nonaggression treaty.

However, "We have no intention of invading North Korea," Bush said during a meeting with Thailand's prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. "We expect North Korea to get rid of her nuclear weapons ambitions."

In Thailand, Asian foreign ministers agreed to a U.S. proposal that would impose new limits on the production, export and brokering of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft rockets. Such weapons, formally known as Man-Portable Air Defense System or MANPADS, were used by al-Qaida-linked terrorists in an attempt to shoot down an Israeli airliner in Mombasa, Kenya, and there were reports of similar attempts planned during the summit in the Thai capital.