MONTERREY, Mexico - The U.S. war on terrorism will include an offensive against world hunger, George W. Bush, the U.S. President, told world leaders yesterday, but warned he will only support countries that overhaul their governments and economic policies.
"We will challenge the poverty and hopelessness and lack of education and failed governments that too often allow conditions that terrorists can seize and try to turn to their advantage," Mr. Bush told a UN conference on Financing for Development.
Mr. Bush has offered to increase U.S. development aid by 15% per year, but said the new money would be reserved for countries that respect the rule of law, allow free elections and follow pro-market economic policies.
"By taking the side of liberty and good government, we will liberate millions from poverty's prison," he said.
Jean Chrétien, the Prime Minister, said development will be a priority at the G8 meeting he will host in Kananaskis, Alta., in June, where the wealthiest countries are expected to craft a response and provide money for a plan proposed by a group of African leaders that emphasizes accountability and measurable results.
"It's been quite a good conference. There is a better understanding of the need for growth and the need to work to alleviate poverty, and making sure that economic growth will be in the poorest countries. [There was] lot of talk about good governance, respect for the rule of law, human rights, and so on," Mr. Chrétien said.
The Prime Minister declined to link poverty to terrorism.
"You cannot in my judgment make a link between poverty and terrorism because bin Laden apparently was very rich. So it's other things that come into play.
"But of course, poverty could be an element of it," he said.
Wealthy countries participating in the conference were denounced by some participants for supplying only half of the $100-billion per year the UN estimates to be necessary to halve poverty in the developing world.
But Mr. Bush warned the focus should be on achieving results, not on "debating arbitrary levels of inputs from the rich."
"For decades, the success of development aid was measured only in the resources spent, not the results achieved. Yet pouring money into a failed status quo does little to help the poor, and can actually delay the process of reform," he said.
Though the United States is the world's second-largest aid donor, behind Japan, it has been criticized for devoting only 0.1% of its gross domestic product to official development aid, about one-third the world average, and a fraction of the 0.7% industrialized countries pledged to achieve by 2015.
lchwialkowska@nationalpost.com
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