US Secretary of State Colin Powell (C) arrives at a military airport in Banda Aceh, capital of the tsunami-ravaged Indonesian province of Aceh, Jan. 5, 2005. (Xinhua Photo)

US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Tuesday rejected criticism of the US response as being slow after the tsunami, pledging to offer aid to the tsunami-hit Asian countries.

"I don't accept the criticism that some in the media have givento the United States that we were slow," said Powell here after meeting with his Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirayuda.

He said he called the foreign ministers of the devastated countries right away and US President George W. Bush spoke to heads of government and state within 48 hours.

The United States has faced criticism that it was slow to respond to the Dec. 26 disaster. Other countries were quicker to commit large amounts of aid money.

The US response to the tsunami disaster has grown as the world has learned the scale of the devastation, said Powell. "The UnitedStates has made a significant financial contribution, but we have done much more than that."

He said he wanted a firsthand look before recommending to the president what the United States should do next.

He also said that he hopes Muslim countries see the wide range of US aid and involvement around the world, of which the disaster relief is only the latest example.

"We are supporting these activities because we believe it is inthe best interest of those countries and it's in our best interest,and it dries up those pools of dissatisfaction, which might give rise to terrorist activity," he added.

Earlier in Bangkok, Powell declared that the United States "will certainly not turn away from those in desperate need" as he works with Asian leaders to speed up relief efforts in the tsunamidisaster.

The secretary of state stressed a two-prong commitment of US financial and military support to help the region recover.

Thailand's foreign minister, Surakiart Sathirathai, said the Thai government would welcome US technical assistance to build an early warning system to guard against tsunamis.

Powell will attend a conference of donor nations and countries affected by the earthquake-tsunami disaster in Jakarta on Thursday.