US President George W Bush has called on the world community to bury its past disagreements and unite in the war on terror.
President Bush also said that peace in the Middle East was crucial to global stability. When told of unconfirmed reports that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has been declared clinically dead, President Bush said 'God bless his soul'.
He was speaking at his first news conference of his second term at the White House following his victory over Senator John Kerry.
The US President also revealed that he plans to begin working on reforming America's social security system.
'We will start on Social Security now. We will start bringing together those in Congress who agree with my assessment that we need to work together,' he said.
Earlier, Mr Bush met his cabinet to discuss his agenda for the next four years. He said there would be changes to his administration line-up but that no decisions have yet been reached.
Global leaders congratulate Bush
World leaders have been congratulating Mr Bush on his re-election.
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, said he looked forward to working with Mr Bush to ensure that US-Irish connections continue to develop and flourish in the years ahead.
The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said that he hoped the 'unique bond' between their two countries would prosper over the next four years but added that he also plans to pressure the US over the Middle East.
The French President, Jacques Chirac, expressed hope that Mr Bush's second term 'will provide an opportunity to reinforce Franco-American friendship'.
The German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, said he hoped that his country would continue its 'good cooperation' with the US.
The UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, said that he was committed to working with the Bush administration on the whole range of issues facing the UN and the world.
