US President George W Bush has strongly defended his policy on Iraq in a UN address.
Speaking at the General Assembly's annual debate in New York, he said the world had to tackle violence and oppression, as there was no safety in looking away.
Mr Bush asked world leaders to end all support for any Palestinian leader who 'fails his people and betrays their cause'. The remarks were seen as a slightly veiled reference to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Mr Bush called on Palestinian leaders and Arab states to renounce ties to terrorism, but also urged Israel to impose a freeze on settlements in Palestinian territories.
The president did not explicitly name Mr Arafat, whom he has tried to exclude from the peace process.
Speaking on the current crisis in Sudan, Mr Bush urged the Sudanese government to honour the ceasefire in Darfur and stop the killing in the western region of the country where a 19-month conflict has claimed an estimated 50,000 lives.
Mr Bush also told the United Nations that the war in Iraq was justified, and demanded that the world body do more to help the fledgling government there.
He said that the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi ‘has earned the support of every nation that believes in self-determination and desires peace’.
‘The UN and its member nations must respond to Prime Minister Allawi's request and do more to help build an Iraq that is secure, democratic, federal and free,' he added.
Earlier, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who has called the Iraq conflict illegal, urged leaders to respect the rule of law.
Kerry criticises Bush’s Iraqi policy
With six weeks to go to the US presidential election, the Democratic Party candidate, Senator John Kerry, has strongly criticised Mr Bush over what he called a colossal failure of judgement in handling the war in Iraq.
He said the decision to go to war had divided America's allies, united its enemies and weakened national security.
However, Mr Bush accused Mr Kerry of again changing his policy on the war for political reasons.
