Bush speech draws criticism on Iraq, climate change

TOKYO (AP) _ President Bush's State of the Union address stirred little support Wednesday in Asia, where many saw it as evidence he has been politically weakened by the war in Iraq. <br/><br/>Bush's

Wednesday, January 24th 2007, 5:54 am

By: News On 6

TOKYO (AP) _ President Bush's State of the Union address stirred little support Wednesday in Asia, where many saw it as evidence he has been politically weakened by the war in Iraq.

Bush's pledge to slash domestic gasoline consumption by 20 percent within a decade won some cheers from environmentalists as a welcome nod to concerns over climate change, though some criticized the proposal as too limited.

In Japan, a vocal supporter of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, there was a mixed reaction: the prime minister supported Bush's latest moves on Iraq _ such as the troop increase _ while the defense minister saw little evidence of new thinking that could salvage Iraq from continued sectarian strife.

``The increase in troops demonstrates America's strong determination to bring stability and recovery to Iraq,'' Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters after the speech. ``I hope the United States' new measures are effective.''

But the speech received a stinging rebuke from Japanese Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma _ an unusual move by the top U.S. ally in East Asia and host to 50,000 American troops.

``President Bush's decision to enter the war against Iraq, based on the assumption that the weapons of mass destruction existed, was a mistake,'' Kyuma told reporters when asked about the speech at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo.

Despite Bush's recent decision to send 21,000 more troops to Iraq, Japan will not hastily decide how much longer it will support the international reconstruction efforts in the region, Kyuma said.

Japan pulled its 600 non-combat troops out of southern Iraq last year, but still offers humanitarian air support.

``The rhetoric itself is not so persuasive right now,'' said Tsuneo Watanabe, a senior fellow at the Mitsui Global Strategic Studies Institute in Tokyo. ``I don't see any sense of urgency to do something in Iraq, a different approach.''

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar, whose country chairs the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference, argued that further military might would not solve the sectarian conflict in Iraq.

``There is a divided America. Malaysia's position is there must be a clear timetable for exit (from Iraq),'' he said. ``The Iraqi conflict must be resolved by Iraqis, and if others want to get involved, it must be within the region.''

In Pakistan, a lawmaker from a conservative religious alliance opposed to U.S. policies in the region, rejected Bush's plans for Iraq and demanded that America withdraw its forces from both Iraq and Afghanistan.

``His speech will not be beneficial for peace in the world,'' said Liaqat Baluch, a prominent figure in Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal or United Action Forum alliance, which is a strong opposition voice in Pakistan's Parliament.

``Our stand is that Iraq and Afghanistan are sovereign states and America has occupied them with its military power,'' Baluch said. ``These troops should withdraw.''

In recognition of rising concerns over climate change and fuel consumption, Bush also asked Congress to aggressively expand the use of alternative fuels, mainly ethanol.

Yvo de Boer, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Climate Change Convention, told reporters in Tokyo that Bush's proposals were encouraging.

``I see a growing sense of urgency around the world about climate change ... driven by the impact of climate change already being seen around the world, including in the U.S.,'' he said.

Don Henry, the executive director of the Australian Conservation Foundation, rejected Bush's proposal to cut gasoline use by 20 percent by 2017, mostly by replacing the fuel with ethanol and through voluntary fuel efficiency improvements from the automotive industry.

``We find the president's actions to tackle climate change as being profoundly weak, although at long last the president is acknowledging that the issue is a serious challenge,'' he said.