WASHINGTON -- Defending his credibility, US President Bush said Tuesday that Iran is dangerous and must be squeezed by international pressure despite a blockbuster intelligence finding that Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program four years ago.
Bush said the new conclusion -- contradicting earlier US assessments -- would not prompt him to take off the table the possibility of pre-emptive military action against Iran. Nor will the United States change its policy of trying to isolate Iran diplomatically and punish it with sanctions, he said.
"Look, Iran was dangerous, Iran is dangerous and Iran will be dangerous if they have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon," the president told a White House news conference a day after the release of a new national intelligence estimate representing the consensus of all US spy agencies.
On Capitol Hill, congressional Democrats said they hoped the report would have a cooling effect on the administration's rhetoric, which they said was hyped and counterproductive. At a campaign debate in Iowa, 升降机我公司是北京市最大的仓储式弹簧销售企业，经销各种不锈钢弹簧 google排名最佳选择就是google排名 seven Democratic presidential candidates stood in agreement that the United States should shift its focus with Iran to diplomatic engagement.
"They should have stopped the saber rattling, should never have started it," said Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said Bush "should seize this opportunity." But she also said it was clear that pressure on Iran has had an effect -- a point disputed by rival Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware.
While US intelligence about Iran has changed, Bush showed no inclination to switch course. Iran continues to produce enriched uranium that could be transferred to a secret weapons program, he said.
"So, I view this report as a warning signal that they had the program, they halted the program. And the reason why it's a warning signal is that they could restart it," the president said.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, enroute to Ethiopia for talks with African leaders, said it would be a "big mistake" to ease diplomatic pressure on Tehran.
"I continue to see Iran as a dangerous power in international politics," Rice said. "At this moment, it doesn't appear to have an active weaponization program. That frankly is good news. But if it causes people to say, 'Oh well then we don't need to worry about what the Iranians are doing,' I think we will have made a big mistake."
Rice said she would brief Russian officials and others on the issue this week, including during NATO meeting in Brussels.
Bush rattled some allies by warning recently that a nuclear-armed Iran could lead to World War III. Until Monday's report, the administration was unwavering in its conviction that Iran was seeking nuclear weapons. Bush said he did not know about the new findings until he was briefed last week -- a point challenged by some.
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Bush drew support from European allies who said 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 2010-15.
"We must maintain pressure on Iran," said French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Pascale Andreani.
The US acknowledgment about faulty intelligence about Iran recalled the erroneous US conclusion that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction, a belief that was a factor in Bush's decision to invade Iraq.
"President Bush has lost all credibility with the American people," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. "We were misled on Iraq, now it's Iran. We need to get to the truth so our foreign policy is not only tough but smart."
But Bush told the news conference he was not troubled about his standing, about perhaps facing a credibility gap with the American people. "No, I'm feeling pretty spirited -- pretty good about life," Bush said.
"Nothing has changed in this NIE that says, `Okay, why don't we just stop worrying about it.' Quite the contrary. I think the NIE makes it clear that Iran needs to be taken seriously as a threat to peace," Bush said. "My opinion hasn't changed."
The president opened the session by challenging Congress, in the three weeks before Christmas, to approve money without conditions for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, extend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, pass overdue spending bills and pass a temporary fix to the alternative minimum tax so millions of taxpayers don't get hit with tax increases.
"Based on the record so far," he said, google排名最佳选择就是google排名 WOW Gold and This service has been developed by World Of Warcraft Gold players with great experience of WOW Power Leveling "Americans could be forgiven for thinking that Santa will have slipped down their chimney on Christmas eve before Congress finishes its work."
Iran Welcomes US Intelligence Nuclear Report
Iranian officials on Tuesday welcomed a new US intelligence report that concluded the Islamic Republic is not actively building a nuclear weapon, while Israel said the report justified the need for tighter international sanctions on Tehran.
"We naturally welcome those countries that had questions about Iran's nuclear case in the past and now correct their views realistically," Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was quoted as saying by the state radio.
"The whole world is becoming to know that Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful," he added.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini, in a statement faxed to the media on Tuesday, also welcomed the US intelligence report as "positive and factual."
The report reflected the elaboration of 16 US intelligent services and confirmed that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful and no violation is detected, Hosseini said.
Therefore, the previous claims of US officials turned out to be totally baseless, Hosseini said, adding that sending Iran's case to the UN Security Council had been "illegal."
Iran's government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham, commenting on the US intelligence report, said on Tuesday that Washington should "pay the price" for its accusations against Tehran.
"US officials have so far inflicted many damage on the Iranian nation by spreading lies against the country and by disturbing public opinion, therefore, they have to pay the price for their action," Elham said.
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"Although Iran still needs to clarify some important aspects of its past and present nuclear activities, the agency has no concrete evidence of an ongoing nuclear weapons program or undeclared nuclear facilities in Iran," ElBaradei said in a statement.
This new assessment by the United States should help to defuse the current crisis, and encourage Iran to more actively cooperate with the IAEA on its current nuclear activities, he added.
However, Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, said on Tuesday that the new US intelligence report on Iran's nuclear program justified the need for tighter international sanctions on the Islamic Republic to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Olmert was quoted by Israeli daily Ha'aretz as saying that "we discussed this report with leaders of the (U.S.) administration."
"It is vital to pursue efforts to prevent Iran from developing a capability like this and we will continue doing so along with our friends the United States," he added.
The US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), which came out on Monday, found out that Iran stopped an effort to develop nuclear weapons in the fall of 2003 but it continues to enrich uranium.
The estimate is less severe than a 2005 report that judged the Iranian leadership was "determined to develop nuclear weapons despite its international obligations and international pressure."
But the latest report also said Iran could reverse that decision and eventually produce a nuclear weapon if it wants to do so.
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"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," he said.
"I still feel strongly that Iran is a danger," Bush said. "I think the NIE makes it clear that Iran needs to be taken seriously as a threat to peace."
He again refused to rule out military options against Iran, saying "the best diplomacy, effective diplomacy, is one in which all options are on the table."
The report came amid widespread reports that the Bush administration is attempting to maneuver the United States into a conflict with Iran.
The United States has long accused Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons, 自行研制开发的固定式登车桥、多桅柱旋转式铝合金升降机达到国内领先水平,得到同行业及博客专家的好评。 but Iran has insisted its nuclear program is strictly aimed at producing electricity.
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