An American Congressman with strong Bermudian links has spoken of the need for the Island to stand firm with the US against the scourge of terrorism.

Democrat George Kenneth Butterfield?s father and grandfather both hailed from St. George?s.

And the senior-ranking Congressman, a life-long resident of North Carolina, often returns to these shores to visit numerous relatives.

Mr. Butterfield took time out from voting in the House of Representatives to speak with during the Government?s recent two-day tour of Washington.

He said it was vital that Bermuda did not let its guard down on terror because it is a small country.

?Both the US and Bermuda are concerned with the global war on terrorism.

?Bermuda is not insulated from it,? warned the former Supreme Court judge who now serves on the powerful House Armed Services Committee. ?Terrorists want to take down any country perceived to be weak, so they need to be strong.?

The Congressman, 58, also said US tourists needed to be aware of the ?beauty? of the Island, and he said educational links between the two countries should be boosted.

Outlining his family history, the Democrat said his grandfather, James Peter Butterfield, was a tailor from St. George?s.

?He had 12 children and my father was the ninth of 12.

?He left Bermuda in 1916 and came to the US looking for work.?

Mr. Butterfield said his dad struggled to find a job and when the First World War broke out he volunteered to join the Army.

After serving in the trenches, he went to college before setting up a dental business in North Carolina while becoming a respected civil leader in Wilson during racially turbulent times.

He soon became the first black official elected in eastern North Carolina in the 20th Century.

?He was a political activist in the South and that was unheard of in that era,? the Democratic representative told .

The Congressman said he returned to Bermuda every year or two. His most recent visit was for the funeral of his aunt, Enid Darrell, from Somerset.

?I would love to go back one day,? he admitted. ?I have lots and lots of relatives in Bermuda.?

Republicans and conservative officials with close links to the current Bush administration dominated the Government?s DC schedule.

But with mid-term elections around the corner, and Presidential elections looming ever closer, firm diplomatic relationships with both sides of the US political divide could prove crucial in future years for Bermuda, if voters unhappy with the war in Iraq turn against Republicans in the polls.

?I want to strengthen the relationship between Bermuda and the US,? added Mr. Butterfield, whose legal work with poor residents in his hometown saw him labelled the ?people?s lawyer?.

?It?s always been a friend and it?s in our strategic interest to maintain that relationship.

?I?m delighted that the Premier and his Ministers have seen fit to open up that conversation.? Meanwhile, Premier Alex Scott and the Bermuda delegation joined members of the Congressional Black Caucus as they met Mr. Butterfield.

And Black Caucus members also welcomed the visiting politicians.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters, representing a Los Angeles district, said she was a friend of Tourism Minister Ewart Brown.

?The last time I was in Bermuda I spoke at the conference of his party.

?We all love Bermuda. It?s great to see them here in Washington.?

Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, from Ohio, said: ?I?ve not been to Bermuda, but I?m looking forward to having the opportunity.?