Below are some samples of international response to the State of the Union address. We also have tips for exploring foreign opinion online. If you want to learn more about the history of the State of the Union address, and view past speeches, visit the History News Network's special feature.

	The Build-Up During the days before the State of the Union address the foreign press was anticipating the President's message, and its effect. Just the day before came the much-anticipated report from the U.N. weapons inspectors. THE TIMES OF LONDON prepared an online feature, "The Blix report: reaction from North America." In it writer Alex Hawkes sampled reports from noted American newspapers to give the British reading population a taste of U.S. reportage on the issue. The TIMES also provides its readers with an online daily timeline called "Iraq: The Road to War." The Extent of Coverage President Bush's speech made headlines worldwide. The BBC Monitoring Service, which analyzes radio, print, and television news throughout the globe, carried hundreds of related stories on January 29th and 30th. The Azerbaijani newspaper EKHO's report illustrates the main concern of some: Bush's address allows us to presume that there will be no active military action in Iraq at least till 5 February, if, of course, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein does not decide to attack Kuwait, Qatar or Turkey. Commenting on Bush's address, US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz later said that this was not a declaration of war. Most of observers, however, believe that this was the last warning to Baghdad. --EKHO, January 30, 2003 translated by BBC Monitoring Service. The Japanese news agency Kyodo focused on a different kind of State of the Union fallout: Tokyo stocks plunged Wednesday 29 January , bringing the Nikkei average down 2.28 per cent to near a 19-year low, after US President George W. Bush pledged Tuesday to use "full force" if necessary to disarm Iraq, casting a shadow over the near future of the US and Japanese economies. --Mie Sakamoto, in English, Kyodo, January 29, 2003 The BBC Monitoring Service's Bulgaria station noted that all Thursday papers carried the State of the Union story and quoted extensively from the text. A glance at the headlines offers and sense of what is preoccupying the Bulgarian press — the effect of war on their own land: "Authorities Promise to Protect Us in Case of War," "Bush Presses for Strike on Iraq, Bulgaria Not Yet Decided on How to Help States," "Our Politicians Hope for Peace," "Interior Ministry Tightens Security along Turkish Border," "Hospitals Ready with Beds, Medicines." Swedish Sveriges Radio P1, from Stockholm took another tack, compiling State of the Union responses from all major papers and politicians. The political outlook of each paper is carefully noted — responses ranged from strong support from the Independent KVAELSPOSTEN and moderate NORRKOEPINGS TIDNINGAR, wariness from the Social-Democrat FOLKET to dismay from the Social Democratic VAESTERBOTTENS-FOLKBLAD. Headlines Newspapers use headline to sell the story. A quick glance at the front pages of papers across the world also sheds light on the reception of the President's speech. THE TIMES OF LONDON led with "Bush vows to 'fight with full force.'" The Italian paper CORRIERE DELLA SERA, headlined Prime Minister Berlusconi's discussions of the Iraq situation with Tony Blair. The SABC News, a South African State Television network labeled Bush's "State of the Nation address belligerent, firm." Austria's DER STANDARD commented on the hints of a timeline to war in the Presidents speech with "Irak-Konflikt "Bush gibt das Tempo in Irakkonflick." The English-language THE JORDAN TIMES' headline read "Bush readies nation for war; Russia hints at tougher stance." THE TIMES OF INDIA took a more informal tone with "Dubya gives Iraq a week to disarm."