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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Bush says Iran remains a threat | Bush says Iran remains a threat |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Iran remains a threat to the world despite new intelligence saying the country may not be building nuclear weapons, the US president says. | Iran remains a threat to the world despite new intelligence saying the country may not be building nuclear weapons, the US president says. |
| Mr Bush said the report released on Monday was a "warning signal" and his view that a nuclear Iran would be a danger "hasn't changed". | Mr Bush said the report released on Monday was a "warning signal" and his view that a nuclear Iran would be a danger "hasn't changed". |
| The president stressed that Iran was still trying to enrich uranium and could restart its weapons programme. | The president stressed that Iran was still trying to enrich uranium and could restart its weapons programme. |
| Tehran has denied continued accusations that it is developing nuclear weapons. | Tehran has denied continued accusations that it is developing nuclear weapons. |
| Mr Bush said the new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) was "an opportunity for us to rally the international community" to pressure the Iranian regime to suspend its efforts to enrich uranium - a key part of the process in making a nuclear bomb. | Mr Bush said the new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) was "an opportunity for us to rally the international community" to pressure the Iranian regime to suspend its efforts to enrich uranium - a key part of the process in making a nuclear bomb. |
| "I view this report as a warning signal that they had the program, they halted the program," Mr Bush told a news conference. "The reason why it's a warning signal is they could restart it." | "I view this report as a warning signal that they had the program, they halted the program," Mr Bush told a news conference. "The reason why it's a warning signal is they could restart it." |
| "Iran was dangerous, Iran is dangerous and Iran will be dangerous if they have the know-how to make a nuclear weapon," Mr Bush said. | "Iran was dangerous, Iran is dangerous and Iran will be dangerous if they have the know-how to make a nuclear weapon," Mr Bush said. |
| Military option | Military option |
| Monday's report said with "high confidence" that it believed Iran had halted its nuclear weapons programme in 2003, but that it was continuing to enrich uranium. | Monday's report said with "high confidence" that it believed Iran had halted its nuclear weapons programme in 2003, but that it was continuing to enrich uranium. |
| href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7127404.stm">Nuclear game goes on class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7126429.stm">US report cools crisisShould US change policy? | |
| The declassified summary of the combined assessment of the US's 16 intelligence agencies said that Iran was believed to have halted its nuclear weapons programme four years ago. | |
| But it said the country was keeping its options open on developing nuclear weapons and could have enough highly enriched uranium to build a bomb within three to eight years' time. | |
| The assessment overturned the previous view that Iran was pushing ahead with a weapons programme. Concern about Iran's nuclear ambitions has seen the country punished with UN Security Council and unilateral US sanctions. | |
| Analysts say the latest intelligence report will make it harder for proponents of military action against Iran to argue their case. | |
| When asked if military action was a possibility, Mr Bush said: "The best diplomacy - effective diplomacy - is one in which all options are on the table." | When asked if military action was a possibility, Mr Bush said: "The best diplomacy - effective diplomacy - is one in which all options are on the table." |
| Rethink call | |
| A BBC correspondent in Washington says there has been a dramatic shift in President Bush's rhetoric on Iran. | A BBC correspondent in Washington says there has been a dramatic shift in President Bush's rhetoric on Iran. |
| "It's a good thing that we caught this before we marched headlong into another military conflict" Jon Wolfsthal, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/7126615.stm">In quotes: Report reaction He says Mr Bush has gone from raising the spectre of World War III, to saying that Iran could be a danger to the world if it had the knowledge to develop nuclear weapons. | |
| Iran welcomed the report and the US Democrats called for a major policy rethink in the light of its conclusions. | |
| The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, said the new intelligence "should help to defuse the current crisis" but called on Iran to clarify some aspects of its past and present nuclear activities. | |
| In his comments to journalists, Mr Bush also discussed recent developments in Russia and Venezuela. | In his comments to journalists, Mr Bush also discussed recent developments in Russia and Venezuela. |
| He said the Venezuelan people had "rejected one-man rule" in Sunday's referendum on constitutional changes proposed by President Hugo Chavez. | He said the Venezuelan people had "rejected one-man rule" in Sunday's referendum on constitutional changes proposed by President Hugo Chavez. |
| The vote was a "very strong vote for democracy," Mr Bush said. | The vote was a "very strong vote for democracy," Mr Bush said. |
| And the US president said he had personally expressed concern over the conduct of Russia's parliamentary election - also on Sunday - in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. | And the US president said he had personally expressed concern over the conduct of Russia's parliamentary election - also on Sunday - in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. |