President George W. Bush told the nation's future military leaders the US must be ready to launch a preemptive strike in the war on terrorism, warning of an unprecedented threat of chemical, biological or nuclear attack from terrorists and tyrants.
The dangers have not passed ... because we know the terrorists have more money and more men and more plans, Mr Bush told the first class to graduate from the US Military Academy at West Point since the September 11th attacks.
Previewing the daunting challenges ahead, Mr Bush said the cadets would be asked to hunt down terrorists hiding around the world, and prevent America's enemies from acquiring nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
"Our enemies have declared this very intention and have been caught seeking these terrible weapons," Mr Bush told the graduates.
Without mentioning Iraq by name, Mr Bush declared: "We cannot put our faith in the words of tyrants who solemnly sign nonproliferation treaties and then systematically break them."
"If we wait for threats to fully materialize, we will have waited too long. We must take the battle to the enemy, disrupt his plans and confront the worst threats before they emerge."
Mr Bush has denounced Iraq as part of an axis of evil threatening to spread weapons of mass destruction, suggesting it could be the next US target in the war against terrorism.
In the face of concerns among European allies that an attack against Baghdad would be rash and destabilizing, Bush said last week he had no war plans on my desk.