Bush: Al-Qaida wants Islamic empire
WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush says al-Qaida is seeking a vast "empire" dominated by totalitarian Islamist ideas.
The president used the upcoming anniversary of the 2001 terror attacks to lay out his view of the war between the United States and radical Islamists.
Addressing an audience of retired military officers at a Washington hotel, Bush said al-Qaida and its allies are seeking a "totalitarian Islamic empire encompassing all current and former Muslim lands, stretching from Europe to North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia."
In his speech, Bush tied the struggle against terrorism and the conflict in Iraq together by quoting Osama bin Laden, al-Qaida's founder and the apparent mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks. Bin Laden described Iraq as "the capital of the caliphate" and the war there as a "war of destiny between infidelity and Islam," Bush said.
Earlier Tuesday, the government released its annual report on the war on terror. Bush's speech included a summary of that report, which claims progress.
Democrats held a news conference to release their own report, which said that the number of al-Qaida operatives has more than doubled since 2001 to 50,000. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called the opposition report "a stunning indictment of Bush foreign policy," The New York Times said.
Townsend: Al-Qaida still focused on murder
WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- A White House official Tuesday said Osama bin Laden is still a major threat to the United States, even though he is not mentioned in the latest assessment.
Frances Townsend, assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, told a press briefing the Saudi dissident "remains the No. 1 target, in terms of our efforts, but he's only the target."
Earlier, the White House released its latest National Strategy for Combating Terrorism, saying U.S. strategy no longer focuses on al-Qaida, but rather is more concerned with Iran and small guerilla cells.
But though the strategy has shifted, al-Qaida and bin Laden remain a major threat.
"I think it would be fair to say to you that there should be no question in anybody's mind that they continue to this day to obsess about killing mass amounts of Americans and mass amounts of our allies around the world," Townsend said. "So their commitment to murder and their commitment to terrorist acts is not any diminished."
Mexico: Court rules Calderon is president
MEXICO CITY, Mexico, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Mexico's highest electoral court made official Tuesday the outcome of the July presidential election, declaring Felipe Calderon the winner.
The court was widely expected to confirm the center-right candidate Calderon defeated leftist former Mexico Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador by a slim margin, El Universal reported Tuesday.
Obrador, however, has contested the results, leading several days of protests in the capital against the results, alleging widespread fraud, and promised to create a parallel government.
Last week federal deputies shouted their opposition to the election results during a state of the union address by President Vicente Fox, forcing him to halt his speech.
Castro says his health no longer critical
HAVANA, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Cuban leader Fidel Castro said in a statement Tuesday he is recovering "at a satisfactory rhythm" from abdominal surgery, and he has lost 41 pounds.
The 80-year-old startled his country July 31 when he announced he was handing power to his brother, Raul Castro, while he had surgery.
While the details of what was wrong and what was done were never released, Castro told the Communist Party daily Granma Tuesday he had abdominal stitches removed recently after 34 days of convalescence, and said the "most critical moment has been left behind."
"Today I am recovering at a satisfactory rhythm," his newspaper statement said, accompanied by 10 photographs of Castro, the Basque EITB news service reported.
He said he expected to participate in next week's meeting of 116 non-aligned nations in Havana, but cautioned against expecting much public exposure on his part.
"In the coming days I will be receiving distinguished visitors," he said. "This doesn't mean that every activity will be immediately accompanied by video or photographic images, although news will be provided of every one."
Princess bears male heir to Japan's throne
TOKYO, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- The Chrysanthemum Throne acquired a male heir Wednesday when Princess Kiko, wife of the younger son of Emperor Akihito of Japan, gave birth to a boy.
The Imperial Household Agency said the baby weighed 5 pounds 7 ounces and was delivered by Caesarean section, The New York Times reported.
The newborn becomes the heir presumptive to Crown Prince Naruhito. He and his wife Crown Princess Masako have one daughter, Princess Aiko, while Prince Akashino and his wife Kiko already have two daughters.
The lack of a male heir had led to proposals to change Japan's succession law. But conservatives were adamantly opposed -- not to Princess Aiko succeeding her father but to her children inheriting, breaking the male line of Japanese emperors.
The country has had some ruling empresses, but they were succeeded by male relatives from the imperial family.
