Freedom, liberty ... just don’t mention the war: Bush sworn in

US President George W Bush made a resounding call for worldwide freedom yesterday but did not mention Iraq once in his second inaugural speech.

As he was sworn in for a second four-year term in Washington, Mr Bush warned that for as long as whole regions of the world simmered in tyranny, violence would gather and raise a mortal threat. But in the first wartime inauguration for more than 30 years, the 43rd President did not specifically mention the war that has cost the US $150 billion and claimed at least 1,300 American lives.

“There is only one force of history that can break the reign of history and resentment, and that is the force of human freedom,” he said.

Half a world away from the bloody battle triggered by a US-led invasion of Iraq, Mr Bush pledged that those living in despair should know the US would not ignore their oppression or excuse their oppressors.

In an indirect acknowledgement of the war, he said: “Because we have acted in the great liberating tradition of this nation, tens of millions have achieved their freedom. And as hope kindles hope, millions more will find it.

“We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands.”

Mr Bush used the word freedom 27 times in his 2,000-word speech, delivered on the steps of the Capitol Building.

At home, he urged a divided nation to find the unity it felt after the September 11, 2001, attacks. Recognising the splits that war has generated, Mr Bush, who has the lowest approval rating of a second-term president for more than 50 years, called on America to heal divisions and move forward.

Thousands thronged into the city to witness Mr Bush take the oath before the traditional parade along Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House. Military bands played and a deafening cheer rose into the frosty air as he made his way to the front of the Capitol.

As the clock struck noon he placed his hand on the family bible, the same he used in 2001, and was sworn in for a second term.

The speech, beamed to millions worldwide, was delivered under unprecedented security.