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Bush drops the World War III bomb (and calls Russians mazochists at the same time)
Nuclear-armed Iran risks 'World War III,' Bush says
By Brian Knowlton
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
WASHINGTON: President George W. Bush said Wednesday that he thought Russia still wanted to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. But stepping up his own rhetoric, the president warned that for Tehran to possess such a weapon raised the risk of a "World War III."
That comment, made during a 45-minute news conference, came as reporters probed for the president's reaction to a warning Tuesday by President Vladimir Putin of Russia against any military strikes on Iran to halt the nuclear work it has continued in defiance of much of the world. Iran says the program is purely peaceful.
"If Iran had a nuclear weapon, it'd be a dangerous threat to world peace," Bush said. "So I told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested" in ensuring Iran not gain the capacity to develop such weapons.
"I take the threat of Iran with a nuclear weapon very seriously," he said.
The United States has said it is pursuing a diplomatic approach to Iran, including the threat of a new round of United Nations sanctions, but has refused to rule out military action to halt Iran's nuclear program, which it believes might be used covertly to develop nuclear weapons.
But in Tehran on Tuesday, Putin said, "Not only should we reject the use of force, but also the mention of force as a possibility."
Asked Wednesday about photos that showed a seemingly cordial meeting in Tehran between Putin and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Bush said he was loath to read too much into photographs and wanted to hear Putin's own "readout" of the meeting.
Proposed new UN sanctions against Iran, pressed in particular by the United States and France, have so far been blocked by Russia, which holds a veto on the Security Council and wants further dialogue with Tehran.
But Putin has gone further, questioning what evidence the Americans and French have for asserting that Iran intends to make nuclear weapons.
When President Nicolas Sarkozy of France visited Putin in Moscow early this month, Putin said: "We don't have information showing that Iran is striving to produce nuclear weapons. That's why we're proceeding on the basis that Iran does not have such plans."
Sarkozy said the two might "not have quite the same analysis of the situation."
France has argued that aggressive moves toward multilateral sanctions against Iran are the best way to avoid military against Iran.
And while Putin says that Russia is taking Iran's descriptions of its program at face value, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently asserted that Iran was lying to UN inspectors.
Bush, seeking to explain his relationship with a man whom he once said he viewed as a trusted ally against terrorism - but who has since led his country in steadily more authoritarian directions - said that he and Putin "don't agree on a lot of issues."
Still, he said, it was vital to maintain an open and candid relationship that allowed each man to speak his mind.
The president nonetheless acknowledged American frustrations at trying to influence Russia.
"In terms of whether or not it's possible to reprogram the kind of basic Russian DNA, which is a centralized authority," Bush said, "that's hard to do."
The best he could do, the president said, was to try to make it clear that it is in Moscow's interests to have good relations with the West, and an open and democratic government.
By Brian Knowlton
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
WASHINGTON: President George W. Bush said Wednesday that he thought Russia still wanted to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. But stepping up his own rhetoric, the president warned that for Tehran to possess such a weapon raised the risk of a "World War III."
That comment, made during a 45-minute news conference, came as reporters probed for the president's reaction to a warning Tuesday by President Vladimir Putin of Russia against any military strikes on Iran to halt the nuclear work it has continued in defiance of much of the world. Iran says the program is purely peaceful.
"If Iran had a nuclear weapon, it'd be a dangerous threat to world peace," Bush said. "So I told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested" in ensuring Iran not gain the capacity to develop such weapons.
"I take the threat of Iran with a nuclear weapon very seriously," he said.
The United States has said it is pursuing a diplomatic approach to Iran, including the threat of a new round of United Nations sanctions, but has refused to rule out military action to halt Iran's nuclear program, which it believes might be used covertly to develop nuclear weapons.
But in Tehran on Tuesday, Putin said, "Not only should we reject the use of force, but also the mention of force as a possibility."
Asked Wednesday about photos that showed a seemingly cordial meeting in Tehran between Putin and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Bush said he was loath to read too much into photographs and wanted to hear Putin's own "readout" of the meeting.
Proposed new UN sanctions against Iran, pressed in particular by the United States and France, have so far been blocked by Russia, which holds a veto on the Security Council and wants further dialogue with Tehran.
But Putin has gone further, questioning what evidence the Americans and French have for asserting that Iran intends to make nuclear weapons.
When President Nicolas Sarkozy of France visited Putin in Moscow early this month, Putin said: "We don't have information showing that Iran is striving to produce nuclear weapons. That's why we're proceeding on the basis that Iran does not have such plans."
Sarkozy said the two might "not have quite the same analysis of the situation."
France has argued that aggressive moves toward multilateral sanctions against Iran are the best way to avoid military against Iran.
And while Putin says that Russia is taking Iran's descriptions of its program at face value, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently asserted that Iran was lying to UN inspectors.
Bush, seeking to explain his relationship with a man whom he once said he viewed as a trusted ally against terrorism - but who has since led his country in steadily more authoritarian directions - said that he and Putin "don't agree on a lot of issues."
Still, he said, it was vital to maintain an open and candid relationship that allowed each man to speak his mind.
The president nonetheless acknowledged American frustrations at trying to influence Russia.
"In terms of whether or not it's possible to reprogram the kind of basic Russian DNA, which is a centralized authority," Bush said, "that's hard to do."
The best he could do, the president said, was to try to make it clear that it is in Moscow's interests to have good relations with the West, and an open and democratic government.
so Iran is leading the world to WWIII and Russians like to be ruled by dictators
Quoted for the Ugly Truth 
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