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Bush signs abortion ban law Nov 6 2003

President George Bush has signed US legislation banning a certain type of abortion, handing the disputed procedure's opponents a long-sought victory even as a judge questioned the constitutionality of the new law.

"For years, a terrible form of violence has been directed against children who are inches from birth while the law looked the other way," Bush said as he signed the ban on a procedure called partial-birth abortion by its critics.

"Today at last the American people and our government have confronted the violence and come to the defence of the innocent child."

The White House staged the ceremony last night, before about 400 cheering MPs and abortion opponents.

An "Amen" was heard from the audience as Bush sat down at a desk, before a row of American flags, to sign the Bill passed last month by Congress.

Less than an hour later, a judge in Nebraska blocked the ban from applying to four doctors.

District Judge Richard Kopf issued a temporary restraining order against the law after a three-hour hearing in Nebraska brought by abortion-rights supporters.

The order applies only to the doctors in the suit, who are licensed in 13 states: Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and New York.

The judge cited concerns that the law did not contain an exception for preserving the health of the woman seeking the abortion.

Besides Nebraska, hearings were also held in San Francisco and New York City on similar challenges.

Fully aware of the impending legal obstacles, Bush said, to a standing ovation: "The executive branch will vigorously defend this law against any who would try to overturn it in the courts."

The president's signature represented an end to a legislative crusade that began after Republicans captured the House in 1995. Former president Bill Clinton twice vetoed similar bills, arguing that they lacked an exception to protect the health of the mother.

The law, approved by the House and Senate late last month, prohibits doctors from committing an "overt act" designed to kill a partially delivered foetus and allows no exception if the woman's health is at risk, or if the child would be born with ailments. The procedure, which usually involves puncturing the foetus's skull, is generally performed in the later stages of pregnancy.

Aware of its backing among the religious conservatives that make up a key portion of his base of political support, the president declared himself pleased to sign legislation he said would help him and others "build a culture of life" in America. To that end, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the president supports additional legislative moves - which he did not specify - to further restrict abortion.

"This right to life cannot be granted or denied by government, because it does not come from government - it comes from the creator of life," the president said, receiving another lengthy standing ovation.

But Bush is also mindful of the more moderate voters he cannot afford to alienate, and last week repeated a position he offered during his 2000 campaign. He said he would not seek a total ban on abortion because public opinion had not yet shifted to support such a move.