Posted on 01/14/2006 11:41:48 AM PST by wagglebee
In his sharpest comments to date on the Iranian nuclear crisis, President Bush warned Friday that Iran is seeking to produce nuclear weapons and intends to use them to destroy Israel.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Washington, D.C. with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Bush warned:
"I want to remind you that the current president of Iran has announced that the destruction of Israel is an important part of their agenda. And that's unacceptable. And the development of a nuclear weapon, it seems like to me, would make them a step closer to achieving that objective."
The president said that Iran's nuclear ambitions pose a threat, not just to the Jewish state, but to the world.
"Iran armed with a nuclear weapon poses a great threat to the security of the world. Countries such as ours have a great obligation to step up, working together to send a message to the Iranians that their behavior, trying to clandestinely develop a nuclear weapon, or using the guise of a civilian nuclear program to attain a nuclear weapon, is unacceptable."
For her part Chancellor Merkel added, "To Germany, it is totally unacceptable, what Iran said recently, especially regarding Israel and the Holocaust."
Last month, Iranian president Mamoud Ahmadinejad said that historical coverage of the Holocaust had been "exaggerated." In October he urged that Israel be "wiped off the map."
Ping.
Notice how dead quiet the left is on Iran?
This is America giving Israel green light and the EU resigning itself to what must be.
Whether it be Israel, the US alone or with NATO support, some entity has to make sure that Iran never builds a nuclear weapon. The destruction of Israel would mark the end to life as we know it in the ME.
spineless hypocrites.
I do not see why we do not make a public statement to the affect that if Iran ever launches so much as a single missile
towards Israel all of Iran will be massively targeted and it will cease to exist as a country capable of ever again supporting a human population....
Just tell um
Nobody will be able to say that intellegence is wrong, this idiot has come right out and said it. He needs to be destroyed.
my feeling is that we are in a high stakes poker game and Iran keeps trying to overplay their hand believing we are the weaker player.
The US will not make a move until Israel is nuked. The Democrats would call for Bush's removal stating that the weapons information was fabricated.
I say it is Israels move. Nuke 'em Dano!
You're not the only one who thinks something is going to happen, and happen in the not-too-distant future. Oil futures, which had been downtrending for a while after Katrina, started spiking back up around Christmas. The only explanation I can see is that traders are worried about a mideast conflict soon
I don't think Iran actually has a weapon, or they would have used it. Israel for certain has them, and I think this is Bush's way of giving them the "green light" to act as they see necessary to protect themselves.
Let's hope Israel doesn't go along with any nonsense the UN proposes.
Israel has no need to nuke any of those backwater, 12th century countries. They will just do standard air strikes on any suspected nuclear sites, infrastructure, and military bases. Remember, Israel can beat any of those guys in a matter of days with air power alone. No need for nukes. Besides, if they used nukes, their relationship with us would be, as they would say, kaput! If they stick to standard air strikes, don't be surprised to hear that we helped them out with some stealth fighters/bombers.
My 2 cents.
One can interpret Bush's quotes to arrive at an opinion about Iran's intentions, but Bush did not state that Iran intends to nuke Israel. He merely warned of the dangers of a nuclear-capable Iran.
Newsmax is a disservice.
I doubt very much that Israel would use a nuke to neuter the Iranian threat. They would use convention methods to destroy Iran's nuclear research and military centers, if anything.
The use of nukes would turn the world against Israel's tactics. If it must attack, it will be attacking by proxy for the Western nations. Keeping them on board is important for Israel.
I believe you are right ... still it's getting more and more interesting out there.
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