US President George W Bush has told the Republican National Convention he will do "whatever it takes" to defend the United States in his speech accepting the party's nomination to contest the presidential election.
His vigorous defence of the invasion of Iraq and his leadership in the "war on terror" last night drew a rapturous response at the Madison Square Garden centre in New York.
"We are staying on the offensive - striking terrorists abroad - so we do not have to face them here at home. "We will build a safer world and a more hopeful America - and nothing will hold us back," Mr Bush said in an address broadcast on prime-time television.
He also sharply criticised his main opponent - Democrat, Mr John Kerry. "His policies of tax and spend ... are the policies of the past," said Mr Bush, who mentioned Mr Kerry by name once but made at least 10 other references to him.
Mr Kerry quickly fired back - surprising Republicans by holding a mini-convention where he said he would make the United States more respected in the world and stronger at home.
He also strongly defended his credibility as a war president after scathing attack by Mr Bush's running mate, Vice President Dick Cheney the previous night where he described Mr Kerry as being unfit for office.
"I'm not going to have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who have refused to serve when they could have and by those who have misled the nation into Iraq," the decorated Vietnam War veteran said at a midnight appearance in Ohio.
Mr Bush, speaking less than four miles from the site of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre, reminded Americans of the grim days afterwards.
"Do I forget the lessons of September 11 and take the word of a madman, or do I take action to defend our country? Faced with that choice, I will defend America every time," Mr Bush said of the war in Iraq, where nearly 1,000 US troops have died.
"Because we acted to defend our country, the murderous regime of Saddam Hussein and the Taliban are history, more than 50 million people have been liberated and democracy is coming to the Middle East."
He was interrupted at least twice by shouting protesters who were led out of the hall. Republican delegates drowned out the protesters' shouts with chants of "Four more years."
Recent polls show Mr Bush and Mr Kerry running neck-and-neck but candidates traditionally receive a significant bounce after their party convention. The election campaign which culminated on November 2nd is regarded as the most important in the past 40 years.
Anti-Bush protests continued around the city with a crowd estimated by police at 10,000 gathering outside the convention site before the president spoke.
Many in the crowd which stretched about three blocks south of Madison Square Garden wore black or white "Stop Bush" armbands and headbands. Mr Bush is due in the crucial battleground state of Pennsylvania at a rally later today.