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Tuesday, June 28, 2005 5:47:39 AM
Bush firm on Iran nuclear program
Bush firm on Iran nuclear program
Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - ©2005 IranMania.com
Archived Picture - US President George W Bush said that he would keep working with Britain, France and Germany to send Iran the message that getting a nuclear weapon or the means to acquire one was unacceptable," according to AFP. ©2004 IranMania.com
LONDON, June 28 (IranMania) - US President George W Bush said that he would keep working with Britain, France and Germany to send Iran the message that getting a nuclear weapon or the means to acquire one was unacceptable," according to AFP.
"The message hasn't changed," he said in talks with visiting German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder after Iranian hardliner Mahmood Ahmadinejad won the Islamic republic's presidency in a shock landslide victory.
"We continue working with Great Britain, France and Germany to send a focused, concerted, unified message that says the development of a nuclear weapon is unacceptable, and a process which would enable Iran to develop a nuclear weapon is unacceptable," Bush told reporters.
The European powers, reluctantly backed by a skeptical Bush administration, have been trying to convince Iran to abandon such activities altogether in return for a package of economic and security incentives.
The US president also cast doubt on Ahmadinejad's election, saying: "It's never free and fair when a group of people, unelected people, gets to decide who's on the ballot."
Bush -- who in 2002 labeled Iran part of an "axis of evil" with North Korea and Saddam Hussein's Iraq -- was referring to the tough vetting process that sidelined more than 1,000 candidates, including all of the women hopefuls.
Washington accuses Tehran of using a civilian atomic energy program to seek nuclear weapons and seeks a permanent halt to uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities that could be used in an arms program.
Iran denies the charge and says its nuclear program is peaceful and designed to generate electricity and that is is cooperating fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog agency.
"I couldn't agree more with his message," Schroeder said of Bush. "We're going to continue being tough and firm on all of that. The message must stay very crystal clear, and it is."
"And, secondly, the new president has emphasized that he wants to talks to continue. So here we are," the chancellor said through an interpreter during a brief joint public appearance in the Oval Office.
Iran has sought to ease international fears that Ahmadinejad's victory spells the end of the delicate diplomacy with the European powers.
"The wider principles of our foreign policy will not change," said Ali Agha Mohammadi, a spokesman for Iran's top national security body that is handling the negotiations.
The next round of talks is expected for late July, when the Europeans are due to unveil a proposal for a deal.
Britain and France have said that the talks must go on, with British Prime Minister Tony Blair saying Monday that the international community was not about to "go soft" on Tehran.
Earlier, White House spokesman Scott McClellan had said Washington supported the European effort but was "skeptical" that it would bear fruit.
"We will see on the negotiations. We have reason to be skeptical, we've stated that before," said McClellan. "It remains to be seen what the true intentions of the unelected few that run (Iran) really are."
LINK: http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=32977&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs
Bush firm on Iran nuclear program
Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - ©2005 IranMania.com
Archived Picture - US President George W Bush said that he would keep working with Britain, France and Germany to send Iran the message that getting a nuclear weapon or the means to acquire one was unacceptable," according to AFP. ©2004 IranMania.com
LONDON, June 28 (IranMania) - US President George W Bush said that he would keep working with Britain, France and Germany to send Iran the message that getting a nuclear weapon or the means to acquire one was unacceptable," according to AFP.
"The message hasn't changed," he said in talks with visiting German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder after Iranian hardliner Mahmood Ahmadinejad won the Islamic republic's presidency in a shock landslide victory.
"We continue working with Great Britain, France and Germany to send a focused, concerted, unified message that says the development of a nuclear weapon is unacceptable, and a process which would enable Iran to develop a nuclear weapon is unacceptable," Bush told reporters.
The European powers, reluctantly backed by a skeptical Bush administration, have been trying to convince Iran to abandon such activities altogether in return for a package of economic and security incentives.
The US president also cast doubt on Ahmadinejad's election, saying: "It's never free and fair when a group of people, unelected people, gets to decide who's on the ballot."
Bush -- who in 2002 labeled Iran part of an "axis of evil" with North Korea and Saddam Hussein's Iraq -- was referring to the tough vetting process that sidelined more than 1,000 candidates, including all of the women hopefuls.
Washington accuses Tehran of using a civilian atomic energy program to seek nuclear weapons and seeks a permanent halt to uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities that could be used in an arms program.
Iran denies the charge and says its nuclear program is peaceful and designed to generate electricity and that is is cooperating fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog agency.
"I couldn't agree more with his message," Schroeder said of Bush. "We're going to continue being tough and firm on all of that. The message must stay very crystal clear, and it is."
"And, secondly, the new president has emphasized that he wants to talks to continue. So here we are," the chancellor said through an interpreter during a brief joint public appearance in the Oval Office.
Iran has sought to ease international fears that Ahmadinejad's victory spells the end of the delicate diplomacy with the European powers.
"The wider principles of our foreign policy will not change," said Ali Agha Mohammadi, a spokesman for Iran's top national security body that is handling the negotiations.
The next round of talks is expected for late July, when the Europeans are due to unveil a proposal for a deal.
Britain and France have said that the talks must go on, with British Prime Minister Tony Blair saying Monday that the international community was not about to "go soft" on Tehran.
Earlier, White House spokesman Scott McClellan had said Washington supported the European effort but was "skeptical" that it would bear fruit.
"We will see on the negotiations. We have reason to be skeptical, we've stated that before," said McClellan. "It remains to be seen what the true intentions of the unelected few that run (Iran) really are."
LINK: http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=32977&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs
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