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United States President George W. Bush. (Reuters) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 20:33 04/12/2007 Bush: World must continue to pressure Iran despite nuke report By The Associated Press Tags: George W. Bush, United States  United States President George W. Bush said Tuesday that the international community should continue to pressure Iran on its nuclear programs, saying a new U.S. intelligence report finding that Tehran halted its development of a nuclear bomb provides an opportunity. "I view this report as a warning signal that they had the program, they halted the program," Bush said. "The reason why it's a warning signal is they could restart it." Bush spoke one day after a new national intelligence estimate found that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in the fall of 2003, largely because of international scrutiny and pressure. That finding is in stark contrast to the comparable intelligence estimate of just two years ago, when U.S. intelligence agencies believed Tehran was determined to develop a nuclear weapons capability and was actively continuing its weapons development program. Advertisement Channel 2 news reported Tuesday that Bush was planning a trip to Israel early next year, to discuss with Israeli leaders the issue of Iran's nuclear program. The report added that the American leader's visit to the region will also include diplomatic talks, begun at the Annapolis peace summit last week, regarding peace between Israel and the Palestinians. U.S. embassy officials refused to confirm or deny the report. The new intelligence pertaining to Iran's nuclear program stood in marked contrast to Bush's rhetoric on Iran. At his last news conference on October 17, for instance, he said that people interested in avoiding World War III should be working to prevent Iran from having the knowledge needed to make a nuclear weapon. Bush said the findings of the National Intelligence Estimate would not prompt him to take a U.S. military action against Tehran off the table. "The best diplomacy - effective diplomacy - is one in which all options are on the table," he said. Bush said Tuesday that he only learned of the new intelligence assessment last week. But he portrayed it as valuable ammunition against Tehran, not as a reason to lessen diplomatic pressure. "To me, the NIE provides an opportunity for us to rally the international community - to continue to rally the community - to pressure the Iranian regime to suspend its program," the president said. "What's to say they couldn't start another covert nuclear weapons program?" He also asserted that the report means that nothing has changed, focusing on the previous existence of a weapons program and not addressing the discrepancy between his rhetoric and the disclosure that weapons program has been frozen for four years. "I still feel strongly that Iran is a danger," he said. "I think the NIE makes it clear that Iran needs to be taken seriously as a threat to peace. My opinion hasn't changed." In Kabul, Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates reinforced the U.S. position that the new U.S. intelligence assessment shows that Tehran remains a possible threat. He said it shows that Iran has had a nuclear weapons program and that as long as the country continues enriching uranium, Iran could always renew its weapons program. "The U.S. intelligence assessment validated the administration's strategy of bringing diplomatic and economic efforts to bear on Iran," Gates said Tuesday, speaking at a news conference with Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai. The president also said that the world would agree with his message that Iran shouldn't be let off the hook yet. In fact, Europeans said the new information strengthens their argument for negotiations with Tehran, but they also said that sanctions are still an option to compel Iran to be fully transparent about its nuclear program. European officials insisted that the international community should not walk away from years of talks with an often defiant Tehran that is openly enriching uranium for uncertain ends. The report said Iran could still build a nuclear bomb by 2010-2015. China, for its part, said on Tuesday it had no information to confirm the report, and urged further negotiations to resolve the continuing crisis. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said that the report had been noted, but that he cannot confirm the reality of this report. "However China's position is quite consistent," Qin told reporters at a regular briefing. "I have nothing new to add." Qin did not directly respond to questions about whether China would back new Security Council sanctions against Iran, or the significance of the report in the negotiating process. Related articles: PM: Report shows need for tight sanctions on Iran U.S.: Iran halted nuclear weapons development in 2003 PM: Report shows need for tight sanctions on Iran Iranian minister: Israel is the 'real nuclear danger' in Mideast Bookmark to del.icio.us Muslim about-face A key U.K. Muslim group ends its boycott of Holocaust Memorial Day. Calling all Aleppo Jews Yad Ben-Zvi is calling for the return of centuries-old Aleppo Codex fragments.   1.   The logic of Bush 19:01  |  Mark B. 04/12/07   2.   Unfortunately for Bush 19:17  |  Chris Linthwaite 04/12/07   3.   The Human Rights Debate in Washington 19:21  |  George 04/12/07   4.   A lunatic President. 19:38  |  Atoo Landarv 04/12/07   5.   Secret deal 20:07  |  ari 04/12/07   6.   Celebrating Report? 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Today Online PM: Report on Iran nukes justifies tighter sanctions Responses: 210 Colleagues back Israeli Arab lecturer who threw out soldier Responses: 170 Rosner and Benn: Iran nuke study pulls military option off table Responses: 79 Editorial: Bring home the settlers east of the West Bank fence Responses: 74 Palestinians slam Israeli plan for new E. Jerusalem homes Responses: 26 Rosner's Domain Israel Factor: the panel wants a 'Clinton' but votes Giuliani Poll: Do you trust the new intelligence on Iran? The Jewish post denominational reality Palestine as a disincentive-free zone (WTR) More Headlines 20:33 Bush: World must continue to pressure Iran despite nuke report 20:35 Olmert: Nuke report on Iran shows need for tighter Iran sanctions 20:05 Pines-Paz: Ethiopians must be allowed a secular education 18:11 Palestinians slam Israeli move to build new homes in E. Jerusalem 15:31 Jewish leaders seek info on Bosnians who aided Jews in Holocaust 16:21 PA deploys hundreds of security officers in West Bank crackdown 20:29 Exam shows Israel ranks 39th out of 57 in scholastic performance 12:13 Peace Now: IDF carried out only 3% of settlement demolition orders 16:41 Finance Ministry announces budget surplus of NIS 7.7 billion for 2007 15:38 Alleged crime boss Abutbul convicted for aiding buying of arms Previous Editions Select Day 03 dec 02 dec 30 nov 29 nov 28 nov 27 nov 26 nov 25 nov 23 nov 22 nov 21 nov 20 nov

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