February 11, 2009 4:44 PM
- Text
G-8 Leaders Back U.N. On Iran Sanctions
(CBS/AP)
The Group of Eight countries said Friday that they "will support adopting further measures" if Iran refuses to put a halt to its uranium enrichment program.
G-8 leaders said they will back U.N. Security Council moves on a third set of sanctions against Iran if Tehran fails to suspend enriching uranium, a process that can produce fuel for civilian energy — or fissile material for a bomb.
"We again urge Iran to take the steps required by the international community, and made mandatory by these resolutions, to suspend all its enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, and allow negotiations to begin," their summit communique said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent anti-Israel comments were one reason the group adopted such a forceful resolution.
"I find that the statements of the Iranian president about Israel are fully unacceptable," she said.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the G-8 thought it was necessary to "send a message of firmness, certainly a toughening of sanctions."
There is a "great commonality of views between China, Russia and the United States" to "push the Iranian leaders to return to the negotiating table."
The official Islamic Republic News Agency reported Sunday that Ahmadinejad, who has repeatedly made anti-Israeli comments, referred twice to Israel's impending destruction.
IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying last year's war between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon showed for the first time that the "hegemony of the occupier regime (Israel) had collapsed, and the Lebanese nation pushed the button to begin counting the days until the destruction of the Zionist regime."
"God willing, in the near future, we will witness the destruction of the corrupt occupier regime," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying.
In October 2005, the Iranian president caused outrage in the West when he said during a speech that Israel's "Zionist regime should be wiped off the map."
A stomach ailment forced President Bush to miss some meetings on Friday, but after resting in his room, he rejoined the gathering and prepared for talks in Poland on a missile defense system.
"He feels well enough to continue with his full activities," White House counselor Dan Bartlett told reporters. "He feels terrible about any disruption he may have caused."
Even while ill, Mr. Bush taped his radio address, met as planned with France's new president and prepared for talks in Poland on a missile defense system.
CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante reports that due to Mr. Bush's upset stomach, the new French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, came to the American leader's personal quarters upon invite, to keep their scheduled first formal meeting on the cards.
The president was already dressed when he began feeling ill in the morning, Bartlett said. The aide said Mr. Bush's illness was "probably more viral in nature" and did not appear to be the result of anything he ate at the summit of eight industrialized democracies being held at a luxury resort here.
Mr. Bush stayed in bed for several hours to rest and recuperate. He missed one session with African leaders and another with leaders from China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa, all developing nations not G-8 members.
Members of the Group of Eight agreed on a program worth more than $60 billion to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS and fight malaria and tuberculosis in Africa. Critics have said all the G-8 nations are lagging on the promises they made two years ago, at the British-hosted summit, to double assistance to the troubled continent by 2010.
The leaders also worked on a possible deal with Russia over the future of the Serbian province of Kosovo.
Mr. Bush returned to the talks in time for the closing lunch and a group photo. The president was "fully expected" to keep to his original travel itinerary, Bartlett said. Mr. Bush was scheduled to fly from Germany to Poland to meet and have dinner with Polish President Lech Kaczynski and then on to Rome.
Bartlett joked that Mr. Bush's decision to steer clear of the other leaders for a while was a "precautionary step" to avoid following in the footsteps of his father, former President George H.W. Bush. The elder Bush fell ill, fainting and vomiting, in January 1992 at a state dinner in Tokyo.
G-8 leaders said they will back U.N. Security Council moves on a third set of sanctions against Iran if Tehran fails to suspend enriching uranium, a process that can produce fuel for civilian energy — or fissile material for a bomb.
"We again urge Iran to take the steps required by the international community, and made mandatory by these resolutions, to suspend all its enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, and allow negotiations to begin," their summit communique said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent anti-Israel comments were one reason the group adopted such a forceful resolution.
"I find that the statements of the Iranian president about Israel are fully unacceptable," she said.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the G-8 thought it was necessary to "send a message of firmness, certainly a toughening of sanctions."
There is a "great commonality of views between China, Russia and the United States" to "push the Iranian leaders to return to the negotiating table."
The official Islamic Republic News Agency reported Sunday that Ahmadinejad, who has repeatedly made anti-Israeli comments, referred twice to Israel's impending destruction.
IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying last year's war between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon showed for the first time that the "hegemony of the occupier regime (Israel) had collapsed, and the Lebanese nation pushed the button to begin counting the days until the destruction of the Zionist regime."
"God willing, in the near future, we will witness the destruction of the corrupt occupier regime," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying.
In October 2005, the Iranian president caused outrage in the West when he said during a speech that Israel's "Zionist regime should be wiped off the map."
A stomach ailment forced President Bush to miss some meetings on Friday, but after resting in his room, he rejoined the gathering and prepared for talks in Poland on a missile defense system.
"He feels well enough to continue with his full activities," White House counselor Dan Bartlett told reporters. "He feels terrible about any disruption he may have caused."
Even while ill, Mr. Bush taped his radio address, met as planned with France's new president and prepared for talks in Poland on a missile defense system.
CBS News senior White House correspondent Bill Plante reports that due to Mr. Bush's upset stomach, the new French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, came to the American leader's personal quarters upon invite, to keep their scheduled first formal meeting on the cards.
The president was already dressed when he began feeling ill in the morning, Bartlett said. The aide said Mr. Bush's illness was "probably more viral in nature" and did not appear to be the result of anything he ate at the summit of eight industrialized democracies being held at a luxury resort here.
Mr. Bush stayed in bed for several hours to rest and recuperate. He missed one session with African leaders and another with leaders from China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa, all developing nations not G-8 members.
Members of the Group of Eight agreed on a program worth more than $60 billion to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS and fight malaria and tuberculosis in Africa. Critics have said all the G-8 nations are lagging on the promises they made two years ago, at the British-hosted summit, to double assistance to the troubled continent by 2010.
The leaders also worked on a possible deal with Russia over the future of the Serbian province of Kosovo.
Mr. Bush returned to the talks in time for the closing lunch and a group photo. The president was "fully expected" to keep to his original travel itinerary, Bartlett said. Mr. Bush was scheduled to fly from Germany to Poland to meet and have dinner with Polish President Lech Kaczynski and then on to Rome.
Bartlett joked that Mr. Bush's decision to steer clear of the other leaders for a while was a "precautionary step" to avoid following in the footsteps of his father, former President George H.W. Bush. The elder Bush fell ill, fainting and vomiting, in January 1992 at a state dinner in Tokyo.
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Tucker Reals Tucker Reals is a senior news editor and overnight site editor for CBSNews.com, based at CBS News' London bureau.
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