Washington - President George W Bush, trying to dampen worries of a recession, said during his State of the Union address Monday the long-term prospects economy are solid even though it faces a "period of uncertainty."Bush urged Congress to act quickly on proposed legislation for a temporary 150-billion-dollar tax relief package to counter the predicted economic slowdown during the next year, while dedicating the bulk of his final State of the Union to calming fears fuelled by the crisis in the housing market, high energy prices and a spike in the unemployment rate.
"In the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth," Bush said. "But in the short run, we can all see that growth is slowing."
Bush's speech came as he tries to show that he is still relevant as Republican and Democratic candidates scramble for control of the White House in the November 4 election. The economic woes in the United States have dominated the political landscape amid the campaign, and have overshadowed the significant progress that has been made in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Economists have said that any temporary tax relief would have to reach consumers quickly to offset a recession, and Bush urged the Senate to avoid the temptation to "load up" the already agreed stimulus package with additional measures.
"That would delay or derail it, and neither option is acceptable," he said. "This Congress must pass it as soon as possible."
For the first time in recent State of the Union addresses, Bush was able to cite real security gains in Iraq. The buildup of troops last year has sharply reduced violence in the country, giving the Iraqi government some breathing room to work through a political process fractured along ethnic lines to move toward reconciliation.
"While the enemy is still dangerous and more work remains, the American and Iraqi surges have achieved results few of us could have imagined just one year ago," Bush said.
Bush cited the sharp decline in violence that has taken place since last year, when he ordered an additional 30,000 troops to Iraq to quell growing violence, raising the US presence there to 160,000 soldiers.
The lack of political progress in Iraq, however, has prevented Bush from convincing Democrats to support the mission. Despite the improvement in security cited by Bush, Democrats still want US troops to come home.
"Our capable and dedicated soldiers can't solve the political disputes where they are, and can't focus on the real enemies elsewhere," said Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, who responded to Bush's speech on behalf of the Democrats.
Bush credited the decision by tribal leaders in the once tumultuous al-Anbar region to help combat al-Qaeda operating there as a key reason why violence is down in the province, and he described it as a sign that Iraqis largely reject the efforts by terrorists.
Bush said that the troop surge has led to the killing or capture of hundreds of terrorists and militants, repeating accusations that some of them have been armed by Iran.
Bush said the United States will not back down from Iranian- backed extremism in the Middle East and vowed to protect US interests and allies in the region against the Islamic state's growing influence in the region.
"America will confront those who threaten our troops, we will stand by our allies, and we will defend our vital interests in the Persian Gulf," Bush said.
Bush accused Iran of financing terrorist groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and vowed to continue isolating Iran until it complies with UN Security Council demands to halt uranium enrichment.
The United States is backing a third resolution on the Security Council that would deepen sanctions on Iran for its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment. The West suspects Iran will use the process to develop nuclear weapons, while Tehran says its nuclear ambitions are limited solely to producing civilian energy.
Bush also reiterated his determination to bring the Israelis and Palestinian to a peace deal by the end of this year that includes the creation of a Palestinian state. Bush re-launched peace negotiations between the two sides for the first time in seven years at a November 27 conference in Annapolis, Maryland.
Bush also called on Congress to pass free-trade deals with Colombia, Panama and South Korea, telling legislators that the growth of the sputtering United States economy was dependent on selling goods abroad.
Bush urged Congress to double US aid to fight HIV/AIDS and malaria to 30 billion dollars over the next five years as he prepares for a February 15-21 trip to Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia.
"We are working to cut by half the number of malaria-related deaths in 15 African nations," Bush said. "We can bring healing and hope to many more."
Bush first launched his five-year, 15-billion-dollar Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 2003. He said the programme had so far helped change behaviour and treated 1.4 million people.
