Posted on 10/17/2007 10:29:32 AM PDT by blam
Bush warns Putin over 'World War Three'
By Matthew Moore and Adrian Blomfield
Last Updated: 6:10pm BST 17/10/2007
George W Bush, the US president, today warned that world leaders risk helping bring about "World War Three" unless they do more to prevent Iran developing nuclear weapons.
David Blair: No warmth or trust behind the handshake Leader: Vladimir Putin in Teheran In remarks timed to coincide with Russian president Vladimir Putin's visit to Teheran, Mr Bush said the Islamic republic must remain isolated until it drops its nuclear ambitions.
New best friends: Vladimir Putin and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after their meeting in Teheran
"We've got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel," Mr Bush told a White House press conference.
"So I've told people that, if you're interested in avoiding World War Three, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon."
Mr Bush's pointed statement follows the warm words exchanged by Mr Putin and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, at an historic summit in Teheran this week.
After their meeting Mr Putin repeated Moscow's line that there is no evidence to suggest Iran wants to build a nuclear bomb, and pledged to continue helping the country develop its civil nuclear technology.
As the first Kremlin leader to visit Iran since Josef Stalin in 1943, he also secured the vital backing of Azerbaijan in a five-nation pact by the Caspian states to prevent the US from using the region as a staging ground for military action against Iran.
Mr Bush added today that he had no doubts that Russia appreciated the dangers of a nuclear Iran.
But he said that he wished to speak to Mr Putin about his meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme Iranian leader, during which he is said to have suggested a new proposal to end the nuclear stand-off.
"I'm looking forward to getting President Putin's read-out from the meeting," Mr Bush said.
"The thing I'm interested in is whether or not he continues to harbor the same concerns that I do.
"I will continue to work with Russia as well as other nations to keep a focused effort on sending Iran a message that you will remain isolated if you continue your nuclear weapons ambitions."
Although Russia lent its reluctant backing to two United Nations resolutions imposing sanctions on Iran, it has been stridently opposed to escalating the penalties after Teheran refused to stop its uranium enrichment programme.
Among Western diplomats, opinion is divided as to whether Russia — which has little to gain from a nuclear Iran — will eventually acquiesce.
Emboldened by its vast energy resources and desperate to reclaim its status as a global power, Russia could also stand to gain by seeing the United States dragged into a new, controversial and potentially debilitating Middle East conflict.
Best post of the evening. A Sincere thank you.
I can’t tell what you’re saying whatsoever.
You’re saying I’d like islam, the satanic religion? No thanks. You go first to that.
At least Pootin is wearing a shirt in the pic.
I think for the most part, we have always supported and defended Israel, and their interests.
BTW, doesn't Israel already have approximately 400 nuclear weapons?
You have admitted you are an idiot. What is next?
hahah, are you serious?
But that’s not really what the Russians intend to use them for. There is only one real purpose. Many cannot face this fact.
Email me if you dare. I'm in West Chester.
That is indeed the protocol.
I hope he sees the Kh-55s and newer models which are being prepared for a modern day version of London, late summer, 1940.
Our enemies are not afraid of using any particular weapon. Of course, they do intend to match weapons with specific goals and missions.
Me too. I will fight to the end.
Make that, I’ve felt? LOL!
Indeed. Also, check out the various National Bolshevik Parties. They have no problem with working hand in hand with Islamonazis. The Red-Brown-Green “coalition.”
It may come down to that. Morally speaking, if the goal is to save Western Civilization and those who are our true allies from liquidation, doing what we did to end WW2 may be required again. MAD was never realistic.
Many have said “never again.” How many are truly commited to this? I know I am. But many do not realize what it really means to say “never again” and to truly mean it.
You need to switch to decaf. Nobody wins in thermonuclear exchange.
It’s a standoff distance versus reaction distance race. And we are not winning right now. The standoff distance required to plant a thermonuclear warhead on Guam, Diego Garcia or even San Francisco exceeds any sort of realistic reaction distance. Unless we are ready to practice air space denial globally and up to the ADIZ lines of the SCO countries, we cannot realistically interdict platforms which are at the standoff distance. Of course, most people, when confronted with this, will lamely invoke “MAD.” If that is all we have, we have nothing.
Good, I would not want you in any Army I was in.
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