Bush, Toledo vow common fronts on poverty, terrorism

Bush, Toledo vow common fronts on poverty, terrorism

Olivier Knox, Agence France-Presse, Lima

U.S. President George W. Bush was to depart Lima for El Salvador
early on Sunday (Sunday night in Jakarta), after vowing to stand
shoulder-to-shoulder with Peru's Alejandro Toledo in the battle
against terrorism and poverty.

Three days after a bombing killed nine people and injured 30
more near the U.S. embassy here, Bush, on a day-long visit here,
expressed "deep sympathy" for the loss of life and said he and
his host "share a common perspective on terrorism: We must stop
it."

Toledo said Peru and the United States were allies in "a war
without quarter against terrorism and drug trafficking" and said
he and Bush shared "the energy and the stubbornness" required to
achieve victory.

Bush stops in San Salvador on Sunday to talk trade with
Central American leaders before heading back to Washington.
Peruvian authorities deployed an unprecedented security arsenal
during the visit, placing its MIG-29 fighters on highest alert to
intercept any wayward planes, while snipers patrolled the
rooftops along the route and near Bush's hotel.

Helicopters tracked Bush's motorcade from the moment it left
the military airport of Callao and also patrolled the skies above
Lima, while 22,000 policy deployed to the city's streets --
including 2,000 special operations forces, 70 members trained for
rapid intervention force.

"We have experienced the effects of terrorism here for 20
years. The United States, on September 11th," said Toledo, who
noted he learned of the attack on the United States over
breakfast here with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Bush and Toledo put their back-slapping friendship on display
during the first visit here by a US head of state. The smiling
leaders bantered easily about more trivial qualities they shared
-- like their almost identical blue ties, or their age -- as they
announced a series of agreements in the cavernous hall of the
Presidential Palace.

"I know you seem younger than I am, but we are both 55 years
old," Toledo said through an interpreter. "We may be the same
age, but el tiene pelo negro. Yo tengo pelo gris. (he has black
hair. I have grey hair.)," countered Bush.

"President Bush has very good taste with regard to color in
ties ... he's also taller than I am," rejoined Toledo.

Marshalling his visit's symbolic power to help the politically
struggling Toledo, Bush praised him as a "leader who symbolizes
Peru's revitalization" and touted Peru's institutions as "a
beacon for democracy."

The visiting president announced a resumption of Peace Corps
missions here, with the first volunteers expected here in August
after a 27-year hiatus; and a tripling of U.S. counter-narcotics
aid to Peru, the world's second-largest source of cocaine.

Bush said he had not decided whether to renew anti-drug
surveillance flights over Peru, suspended last year after a
Peruvian military jet, acting on intelligence provided by a U.S.
surveillance plane, shot down a civilian aircraft, killing a U.S.
missionary and her infant daughter.

"We are reviewing all avenues toward an effective policy of
interdiction," Bush declared, noting the incident had cause
Washington to "step back" from the policy.

Bush also reaffirmed his administration's commitment to renew
and extend the Andean Trade Preferences Act, which has been
approved by the US House of Representatives but is still
lingering in the Senate.

Bush later discussed ATPA renewal with Toledo and leaders of
Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia, one of whom said "the Senate is
manana-ing this to death," White House officials said, declining
to identify the speaker.

U.S. lawmakers allowed the 1991 accord, which eliminates
tarriffs on some of those nations' exports provided they battle
the drug trade, to lapse last December.

The U.S. leader also announced a high-level trade mission to
Peru and other Andean nations in order to promote commerce,
economic development, as well as a viable alternative to local
peasants who currently live on cultivating coca.

The mission, to take place later this year, will be led by
Commerce Secretary Donald Evans.