WASHINGTON, Oct 9 (AFP) - President George W. Bush renewed his assault against Senator John Kerry on Saturday accusing his Democratic rival of seeking to "paralyse America" by putting all US security decisions up to global scrutiny.
Following up from Friday's second televised debate between the two main contenders in the November 2 presidential election, Bush used his weekly radio address for a new attack on Kerry.
"In the middle of a war, Senator Kerry is proposing policies and doctrines that would weaken America and make the world more dangerous," said Bush.
"He's proposed the Kerry doctrine, which would paralyse America by subjecting our national security decisions to a global test."
Kerry has accused Republicans of "pathetic" scaremongering by seizing on a comment he made during the first presidential debate on September 30.
The Massachusetts senator stated that he would never cede the presidential right to protect the United States, but went on to criticise the way war was launched in Iraq.
"You've got to do it in a way that passes the, the test, that passes the global test where your countrymen, your people, understand fully why you're doing what you're doing, and you can prove to the world that you did it for legitimate reasons."
Kerry has gained support, partly because of his attacks on the president's Iraq strategy, but Bush, in his radio address, played up fears that Kerry would allow greater foreign interference into US affairs.
"He supports the International Criminal Court, where unaccountable foreign prosecutors could put American troops on trial in front of foreign judges," said Bush.
"And after voting to send our troops into combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, he voted against the body armor and bullets they need to win.
"For all of Senator Kerry's shifting positions on Iraq, one thing is clear: If my opponent had his way, Saddam Hussein would be sitting in a palace today, not a prison, and Iraq would still be a danger to America."
Bush again sidestepped the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq which was highlighted by a new report released this week.
Bush chose to emphasize testimony by the chief US weapons inspector Charles Duelfer who said Iraq planned to resume its quest for biological, chemical and nuclear weapons once UN sanctions had been ended.
"Instead, because our coalition acted, Iraq is free, America is safer, and the world will be more peaceful for our children and our grandchildren," said the US president.
"I will keep this nation on the offensive against terrorists, with the goal of total victory," he added.