Washington: Asserting that the September 11 strikes have made the US determined to act in the name of peace and freedom, President George W Bush has said he believed that peace in South Asia and Middle East will be the outcome of those attacks.

"This country (US), instead of stepping back (after September 11 attacks) and say 'oh gosh, we're going to be terrorised, and so fearful we won't act', made the absolute decided effort to act in the name of peace and freedom," Bush said at a fund-raiser in Knoxville, Tennessee on October 9.

However, he said, "Out of the evil done to our country is going to come some good. And one of the good is going to be peace. I believe that by remaining strong and focused and determined and unrelenting in our desire to wipe out terror, we can achieve peace for ourselves, and we can achieve peace in the Middle East, peace in South Asia. I believe it is possible," he said.

Bush said, "I believe the enemy has handed us an unbelievable opportunity to make the world a more peaceful place, an opportunity which I intend to seize."

On Iraq, he said "the fundamental question facing the world is, do we deal with this guy (Saddam Hussein), or not. It is the world's choice to make. We will see whether or not the United Nations has the desire, has the backbone necessary to uphold its own resolutions and help keep the peace.

"But if they are unable to act, and if Saddam Hussein can't do what he said he would do, which is disarm, this country will lead a coalition and disarm him, for the sake of peace".

However, he said military option is the last option.

PTI