Cheney: Iran Won't Get Nuclear Weapon

U.S. And Other Nations Prepared To Impose "Serious Consequences," Vice President Says

(AP)  The United States and other nations will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said.

"Our country, and the entire international community, cannot stand by as a terror-supporting state fulfills its grandest ambitions," Cheney said in a speech Sunday to the Washington Institute for Near East Studies.

He said Iran's efforts to pursue technology that would allow it to build a nuclear weapon are obvious and that "the regime continues to practice delay and deceit in an obvious effort to buy time."

If Iran continues on its current course, Cheney said the U.S. and other nations are "prepared to impose serious consequences." The vice president made no specific reference to military action.

"We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon," he said.

Cheney's words seemed to only escalate the U.S. rhetoric against Iran over the past several days, including President George W. Bush's warning that a nuclear Iran could lead to "World War III."

Cheney said the ultimate goal of the Iranian leadership is to establish itself as the hegemonic force in the Middle East and undermine a free Shiite-majority Iraq as a rival for influence in the Muslim world.

Iran's government seeks "to keep Iraq in a state of weakness to ensure Baghdad does not pose a threat to Tehran," Cheney said.

While he was critical of the Iranian government and President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, he offered praise and words of solidarity to the Iranian people. Iran "is a place of unlimited potential ... and it has the right to be free of tyranny," Cheney said.

Cheney accused of Iran of having a direct role in the deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and said the government has "solidified its grip on the country" since coming to power in the 1979 Islamic revolution that overthrew the shah.

The U.S. and some allies accuse Iran of secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons and have demanded it halt uranium enrichment, an important step in the production of atomic weapons. Oil-rich Iran says its program is for peaceful purposes including generating electricity.

At a news conference Wednesday, Mr. Bush suggested that if Iran obtained nuclear weapons, it could lead to a new world war.

"I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them (Iran) from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon," Mr. Bush said.

Mr. Bush's spokeswoman later said the president was making not making any war plans but rather "a rhetorical point."

Also, on Thursday, the top officer in the U.S. military said the U.S. has the resources to attack Iran if needed despite the strains of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said striking Iran is a last resort, and the focus now is on diplomacy to stem Iran's nuclear ambitions, but "there is more than enough reserve to respond" militarily if need be.

The Bush administration's intentions toward Iran have been the subject of debate in Congress.

Last month the Senate approved a resolution urging the State Department to label Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization.

Sen. Jim Webb, a Democrat, said he feared the measure could be interpreted as authorizing a military strike in Iran, calling it Cheney's "fondest pipe dream."

[sftodd]

You''''re nothing but an idiot with a big mouth. Either put your money where your mouth is and debate me or just stop wasting my time.
Posted by katg21 at 09:33 AM : Oct 23, 2007

Care to make a point? I''d be happy to debate it, if you could come up with one. LOL!

[katg21]

Islamic jihad is evil. It has nothing to do with politics. It is a false religious movement that looks to spread islamic rule globally.
Posted by singinrick at 07:49 AM : Oct 23, 2007

This is FACT yet these people choose to deny it and call the US the bad guy. I am hoping that we do not have to go into Iran, that there will be an uprising of the opposition instead. In fact that is what our government would prefer as well, however, you can''t remove an invasion from the table. I don''t care what any of the idiots on this site are saying, Iran + nukes = disaster. These dems are foolish to buy into Ahmedinejad''s deception. Sure, Iran wants Nukes for energy purposes...they live on one of the largest supplies of oil and they want nuclear energy? FOOLS.

[realpatriot1]

singinrick,

The Jihadists are primarily Sunni and Iran is Shiite. The problems are more complicated than your world view.

*** Cheney,

If Iran gets the bomb it will be because you outed Valerie Plame and the Brewster & Jennings unit. In fact, since you did that you most likely lack the actionable intelligence to locate the targets.

[hippychicky-2009]

singinrick:
"If anyone opposes (the "infidels"), they must be killed, according to the Quran and the Hadith."

You take one text from the Koran, and make all muslims sounds insane. There are bad apples in every bunch, you can''t sterotype and throw everyone in together.
I am assuming you are christian, or at least right in thinking.
I could do the same thing with the bible.
"But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him."
Luke 12:4

Wow..that seems violent to me, not sure thats a God I would want to worship.

The fact is, Iran will get weapons if they want them. It has nothing to do with us "giving them" or stopping them. Just sounds like another exuse to fight with someone.

[katg21]

I don''''t need to TRY; your doing a fine job...Posted by sftodd

Yeah, okay. You''re nothing but an idiot with a big mouth. Either put your money where your mouth is and debate me or just stop wasting my time.

[tbweb]

Posted by grazinggoat at 02:41 AM : Oct 23, 2007,,,

The current Iranian government is far more brutal than the Shah of Iran ever was, especially the public hangings, sometimes up to 12 Iranians a day! In addition the current Iranian government doesn''t even acknowledge its AIDS epidemic or than Iran even has a G.A.Y. community! Just because Iran ignores obvious problems the whole World knows Iran has does not mean those problems do not exist! Iran''s biggest problem however is Iran''s support of terrorist organizations and the exporting of money, weapons and know-how that support terrorist, the only qualifier for Iranian terrorist support is that the terrorist be an enemy of the U.S. and/or Israel. Iran has hundreds of American deaths on its hands from Iranian weapons making their way into Iraq and Afghanistan and even if the Iranian government is not directly involved, the Iranian government is aware of their weapons killing Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan and look the other way at a minimum and are directly involved at the other end of the scale! Iran is provoking and practically begging for a War with the United States and nothing in Iran''s public posture or rhetoric indicates otherwise, if Iran even fixed its mouth to utter the word PEACE it would probably burn their tongue off since Iran wouldn''t recognize PEACE if PEACE walked up to them and smacked Iran upside its head!

[grazinggoat]

Diplomacy is not working so now what? If Iran does acquire a nuclear bomb, D1ck Cheney will be exonerated because Iran will act like a complete a.s.s. if its gets one!
Posted by at 01:13 AM : Oct 23, 2007

-tbweb, The Iranians feel threatened by Israel and USA, everyday since the beginning of their government throwing the Shah regime that was well documented brutal to its people.

-The same way USA, the greatest democracy on Earth has dropped down to third world country level in term of information gathering and intelligence collecting- spying over its own citizens... prisoners and human rights abuses, one has to agree Iran regime has been under pressure of coup-d''etat MANY times, boycotted, Embargoed. Despite all, they are still standing to some decency. They are defending their right to acquire the Nuclear Technology for civilian peaceful purposes which is garanteed by the United Nations'' watchdog and NPT.
-The fact Iran is surrounded by foe forces is and must be sufficient to keep an eye on its activities and kept in due watch. Iran must be allowed Nuclear Technology, for its needs in Civil Energy Consumption will exceed its actual capacity of production. Everyone remembers the energy crisis felt recently Last June-July in Tehran Mainly because of US Embargo.

-Put to an end to this unilateral Embargo act by Our Walking-Liar administration . If this is done I think Iran wil soften its stance against Israel... So stop the strangulation amd Iran will behave.

[tbweb]

Even those who don''t want to bomb Iran over enriching uranium and possibly making nuclear weapons do not want Iran to acquire a nuclear know how or nuclear bomb, but yet they offer no clear way to stop Iran! Diplomacy is not working so now what? If Iran does acquire a nuclear bomb, D1ck Cheney will be exonerated because Iran will act like a complete a.s.s. if its gets one!

[rowdytexan2]

WHo let lame duck Cheney out of the box? Hos mouth should be wired shut ASAP. Does a bugger jackass happen to occupy the White House?

Posted by dmgenet at 06:41 PM : Oct 22, 20

Whaaaaaahahahahahahaha! Now I''m shickled!

[sftodd]

Go Cheney and Bush. These guys have shown more guts to risk all political aspirations to do what is right. . . .
Posted by drivelphobe at 12:23 AM : Oct 23, 2007

LOL! These incompetents have practically run this country into the ground and the stupid fools that voted for them are still kissing their pathetic butts. A true testament to the genius of Karl Rove -- they are putty in his hands. I''m beginning to see the wisdom of the old adage, "If you can''t beat ''em, join ''em." At least I could enjoy a few good years stealing from the middle class before watching this country go down in flames.