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Bush: America will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon
By News Agencies
Tags: Iran, Israel News, Iraq 

U.S. President George W. Bush reiterated his pledge that the United States will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons in a wide-ranging speech on the Middle East Friday.

"For the safety of our people and the peace of the world, America will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon," Bush said at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution.

Bush called the Israeli-Palestinian conflict the most vexing problem in the region, but offered a hopeful tone, saying "on the most vexing problem in the region - the Israeli- Palestinian conflict - there is now greater international consensus than at any point in recent memory."
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He noted that he was the first U.S. president to call for a Palestinian state and said he sees progress toward reaching a two-state solution.

The Israelis and Palestinians agreed last November at a meeting in Annapolis, Maryland, to reach some agreement by the end of the year. But after months of publicly insisting that an agreement could still be forged, the Bush administration has conceded that it will hand the fragile, unfinished U.S.-backed peace effort to Obama.

Bush offered a defense of the Iraq War, suggesting the U.S. invasion of Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein prompted Iran to slow its nuclear ambitions, only to resume them after the election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2006.

"The defeat of Saddam also appears to have changed the calculation
of Iran," Bush said.

U.S. intelligence officials in a report released in December 2007
said Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 but was still
seeking the capability to develop the weapons. Iran has continued to
enrich uranium in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions.

The United States and its European partners have offered Iran diplomatic and economic incentives to suspend uranium enrichment. Iran maintains it has the right to continue and that it is merely for civilian reactors.

Bush also said following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States could not allow Saddam to bully the region and rebuff Security Council demands to surrender weapons of mass destruction.

"In a world where terrorists armed with box cutters had just killed 3,000 people, America had to decide whether we could tolerate a sworn enemy that acted belligerently, that supported terror, and that intelligence agencies around the world believed had weapons of mass destruction," he said.

Weapons were never found, and Bush conceded in November that the
failure of the intelligence community on Saddam's alleged weapons was
the "biggest regret" of his presidency.

In his speech, Bush proclaimed that the Mideast was a freer, more hopeful place today than it was when he took office in 2001. He cited examples: The Lebanese are free from Syria's military occupation; Libya's nuclear weapons equipment is lockedaway in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are emerging as centers of commerce; Iran is facing greater pressure from the international community than ever before; and the threat from terrorist organizations like al-Qaida has been curtailed.

Administration critics say Bush's view of the region is rosier than reality.

"If you look down the challenges that President Obama will face, he will have to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process almost from the ground up," said Anthony Cordesman, a former Pentagon analyst now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

"He will be dealing with an unstable Iraq, subject to growing Iranian influence, and an al-Qaida, which has been sharply weakened, but not defeated."

"I can't think of a public opinion poll that does not show a sharp deterioration in the U.S. position in the Middle East, Cordesman said, characterizing Bush's remarks as an attempt at spinning a foreign policy legacy from Hell."

More than 180 people attended Bush's speech, including Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice; Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; and members of Congress.

Mofaz: A nuclear Iran is not an option

Transportation Minister and Kadima MK Shaul Mofaz also gave a speech at the Saban Center Friday, where he said a nuclear Iran is not an option and Israel won't allow a second Holocaust.

Mofaz added that the world must pose additional sanctions and "leave all options on the table" in dealing with the Islamic Republic's nuclear weapons program.

In regard to the Hamas, Mofaz said that Israel "is ready to speak with Hamas if they implement Quartet requirements" but that Israel cannot allow "Hamas to threaten Israeli civilians from Gaza.

Mofaz also addressed talks with Syria, saying "it's important to negotiate with Syria, without any preconditions," but that "Syria has to decide if it's a part of the problem or a part of the solution."

Mofaz praised Barack Obama saying he has "no doubt that the President-Elect Barack Obama will face the challenges with courage and determination, and that we're moving towards a better future."

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      1.   Bush said a lot of things during his presidency 00:57  |  Hakha 06/12/08
      2.   Bully the region 01:08  |  Brod 06/12/08
      3.   100,000 Iraqis??? 01:19  |  BigBird 06/12/08
      4.   Iran does not want nuclear weapons 01:25  |  Manny Goldstein 06/12/08
      5.   Well, not in the next 5 weeks anyway 01:39  |  Peter Williams 06/12/08
      6.   Another one Peter 01:54  |  David James Vickery 06/12/08
      7.   Iran 02:14  |  farrokh 06/12/08
      8.   Manny Goldstein 02:17  |  rich 06/12/08
      9.   We Erred Big Time In Invading Iraq 02:36  |  Dav Lev 06/12/08
      10.   Rich, Ahmadinejad does not control nukes... 03:31  |  BBSNews 06/12/08
      11.   David Vickery 04:12  |  Peter Williams 06/12/08
      12.   quack quack 05:18  |  POP 06/12/08
      13.   WITH OR WOTHOUT BUSH PERMISSION 05:20  |  indrajaya 06/12/08
      14.   Indrajaya 06:02  |  Yosemite 06/12/08
      15.   Indrajaya Sorry Wrong Address 06:05  |  Yosemite 06/12/08
      16.   No Need For Iran To `Wipe Israel off the Map" with nukes . 07:07  |  Joseph.E 06/12/08
      17.   We are running out of time. 07:22  |  Mario Sala 06/12/08
      18.   PErhaps a new censor 07:49  |  Mark Lincoln 06/12/08
      19.   In just two months 07:59  |  Mark Lincoln 06/12/08
      20.   Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer Kharrazi : 08:03  |  Mario Sala 06/12/08
      21.   "Well, not in the next 5 weeks anyway" - Wrong. 08:05  |  Zed 06/12/08
      22.   But the truth is:.... 08:06  |  MiddleStanian 06/12/08
      23.   Why is this guy still talking and promising!! 08:06  |  An Arab Neighbor 06/12/08
      24.   Dhimmi Joseph E. on " Washington racists"... 08:21  |  BBSNews 06/12/08
      25.   Bush and Irans nuclear 08:25  |  DT 06/12/08
      26.   yosemite - real jews! 08:41  |  BigBird 06/12/08
      27.   To #13 09:16  |  Thinker 06/12/08
      28.   #21 Zed: where he gona get the money 09:27  |  Alpha 06/12/08
      29.   19 Mark Lincoln - Keeping Up 10:18  |  Mark of Lewiston 06/12/08
      30.   The big, bad, silly wolf manages one last huff and puff 10:26  |  Clickfool 06/12/08
      31.   Indrajaya & BBS News 10:31  |  J in Oregon 06/12/08
      32.   #8 Rich 10:33  |  Manny Goldstein 06/12/08
      33.   `U.S. couldn`t let Saddam bully region. ` 10:41  |  Colin Wright 06/12/08
      34.   For Mark Lincoln # 18 10:48  |  Clickfool 06/12/08
      35.   The propaganist Jean van Daem/Mario Sale gets frantic # 17 10:54  |  Clickfool 06/12/08
      36.   With one single exception, all 28 posts are anti-American. 11:16  |  S 06/12/08
      37.   how can he be so sure us wont allow iran to develop nukes ? 11:46  |  paulo2005 06/12/08
      38.   # 30, CLICKFOOL 11:58  |  indrajaya 06/12/08
      39.   #26 BigBird: amazing friends, really... 11:59  |  Daniel 06/12/08
      40.   For S # 36 12:08  |  Clickfool 06/12/08
      41.   MANNY GOLDSTEIN IS RIGHT Nº4 12:13  |  Neutered Observer 06/12/08
      42.   Thats OK then 12:18  |  Chris Linthwaite 06/12/08
      43.   For Mark Lincoln 12:20  |  Neutered Observer 06/12/08
      44.   May all false houses fall. 12:27  |  Ben 06/12/08
      45.   Clickfool is becoming gradually more embarrassing. 13:15  |  Zed 06/12/08
      46.   To Clickfool #40 13:28  |  S 06/12/08
      47.   #4 Manny Goldstein 13:28  |  MR 06/12/08
      48.   I don`t believe in one happy new world. 13:40  |  Akram Zekaria 06/12/08
      49.   and,what will you do,Bush? 15:30  |  Siad 06/12/08
      50.   Bush, what will YOU do about it? 15:53  |  Petra 06/12/08
      51.   # 48 Akram Zekaria THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED W/ GOOD INTENTIONS. 15:59  |  Petra 06/12/08
      52.   # 26 Big Bird, hate to break this to you but, 16:04  |  Petra 06/12/08
      53.   # 28 Bankrupt? We still have an army next door 16:07  |  Objective 06/12/08
      54.   Bush is not a liar, only an inadequate and dysfunctional person! 16:55  |  David Turner 06/12/08
      55.   Stronger ties for Israel and EU. 16:59  |  Charles Smyth 06/12/08
      56.   Will not allow ??? 17:35  |  Dani 06/12/08
      57.   Saddam, terror 17:41  |  M.E. 06/12/08
      58.   The perfidy that is, and will remain the Bush legacy 18:07  |  David Turner 06/12/08
      59.   # 53 objective 18:11  |  Axel 06/12/08
      60.   #47 MR Who is responsible - Iran or Israel? 18:40  |  Manny Goldstein 06/12/08
      61.   Bush won`t be in any shape to stop Iran... 19:07  |  Dutch 06/12/08
      62.   Bush 19:29  |  Steve Gure 06/12/08
      63.   Iran will eventually have nuclear weapons! 19:31  |  Tom Clark 06/12/08
      64.   Bush - Iran - Nuclear weapon 20:03  |  dv 06/12/08
      65.   Irans partners against sanctions 20:33  |  Gary Tomasch 06/12/08
      66.   Your state is backward Mark of Lewiston 20:36  |  Mark Lincoln 06/12/08
      67.   Bush x Iran 23:17  |  Jose Marcio 06/12/08
      68.   # 65 Hope You Realise That This Is Not 2000BC 23:48  |  SUNDAY 06/12/08
      69.   America will not allow Bush any authority in 44 days 00:03  |  Yaakov 07/12/08
      70.   Bush 01:21  |  Harry 07/12/08
      71.   Petra : The road of hell is paved with those who are 01:45  |  Akram Zekaria 07/12/08
      72.   response to Petra 02:37  |  Daniel 07/12/08
      73.   Big Deep Yawn! 03:06  |  IRAN#1 07/12/08
      74.   Notice the ignorant grin in the picture attached to the article? 03:06  |  Tom Clark 07/12/08
      75.   There are only 6 weeks left, Mr. President 03:08  |  Ronald 07/12/08
      76.   To # 71 Bushes actions in Iraq! ="Terrorism" 03:24  |  Tom Clark 07/12/08
      77.   Iran already crossed the point of no return. 06:01  |  Fortuna Benmayor 07/12/08
      78.   response to #3... 06:21  |  sandra chitayat 07/12/08
      79.   response #9. 06:28  |  sandra chitayat 07/12/08
      80.   no answers, just questions 08:18  |  Capt Ahab 07/12/08
      81.   BUSH CREATED PROBLEMS W/ `TWO STATE SOLUTION 13:52  |  Petra 07/12/08
      82.   69 Yaakov 16:12  |  Jose Marcio 07/12/08
      83.   iran nukes 22:35  |  rich 08/12/08
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