Bush: "Nothing's Changed" On Iran

Says Intelligence Report Shows Need To Stay Vigilant About Iran's Nuke Ambitions

(CBS/AP)  President Bush said Tuesday that the international community should continue to pressure Iran on its nuclear programs, asserting Tehran remains dangerous despite a new intelligence conclusion that it halted its development of a nuclear bomb four years ago.

"I view this report as a warning signal that they had the program, they halted the program," Mr. Bush said. "The reason why it's a warning signal is they could restart it."

Mr. Bush spoke one day after a new national intelligence estimate found that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in the fall of 2003, largely because of international scrutiny and pressure. That finding is in stark contrast to the comparable intelligence estimate of just two years ago, when U.S. intelligence agencies believed Tehran was determined to develop a nuclear weapons capability and was continuing its weapons development program.

It is also stood in marked contrast to Mr. Bush's rhetoric on Iran. At his last news conference on Oct. 17, for instance, he said that people "interested in avoiding World War III" should be working to prevent Iran from having the knowledge needed to make a nuclear weapon.

In question after question, reporters wanted to know if the American people should feel misled by his years of assertions that Iran was pursuing nuclear weapons, reports CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.

One reporter asked if Mr. Bush could be accused of hyping the Iranian threat. Another even apologized in advance for suggesting that Mr. Bush's body-language made him look dispirited.

"All of a sudden, it’s like Psychology 101," responded the president, dismissing the reporter's suggestion.

CBS News chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod asked the president if at any point while his rhetoric against Iran was escalating in October, anyone from his intelligence team or administration had cautioned him to temper his language.

"No," Mr. Bush answered him. "Nobody ever told me that. Having said - having laid that out, I still feel strongly that Iran is a danger."

He clearly felt no apology was warranted for years of public warnings of Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Mr. Bush said that he only learned of the new intelligence assessment last week. But he portrayed it as valuable ammunition against Tehran, not as a reason to lessen diplomatic pressure.

"To me, the NIE (National Intelligence Estimate) 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," the president said. "What's to say they couldn't start another covert nuclear weapons program."

Jon Alterman,the director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told CBS News that the effect of the intelligence report may have just the opposite effect on the international community.

"The momentum is going to move away from the world coming together," Alterman said, "because that sense of urgency that had dominated this issue has just gone away."

President Bush also asserted that the report means "nothing's changed," focusing on the previous existence of a weapons program and not addressing the discrepancy between his rhetoric and the disclosure that the weapons program has been frozen for four years.

"I still feel strongly that Iran is a danger," he said. "I think the NIE makes it clear that Iran needs to be taken seriously as a threat to peace. My opinion hasn't changed."

Mr. Bush said the report's finding would not prompt him to take a U.S. military option against Tehran off the table.

"The best diplomacy - effective diplomacy - is one in which all options are on the table," he said.

Mr. Bush called the news conference, his first in nearly seven weeks, to intensify pressure on lawmakers amid disputes over spending and the Iraq war. Taking advantage of his veto power and the largest bully pulpit in town, Mr. Bush regularly scolds Congress as a way to stay relevant and frame the debate as his presidency winds down.

Democrats counter that Mr. Bush is more interested in making statements than genuinely trying to negotiate some common ground with them.

Specifically, Mr. Bush again on Tuesday challenged Congress to send him overdue spending bills; to approve his latest war funding bill without conditions; to pass a temporary to fix to the alternative minimum tax so millions of taxpayers don't get hit with tax increases; and to extend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

"Congress still has a lot to do," Mr. Bush said. "It doesn't have very much time to do it."

[mbcsmith]

The LIBS in Congress have adopted the "hate Bush" policy of the far left. Instead of doing the country''s business, they have become the party of hatred and anything Bush is bad. This has resulted in a do-nothing Congress with approval ratings of 20%. No significant legislation has been passed since the LIBS eaked out a majority in 2006. FUND THE TROOPS NOW!

[pepperp1]

BULL ITS A Red Herring a Distraction to give the press something to talks about instead of THIS;


Bush said ....a nuclear-armed Iran might lead to World War III. But his stark warning came at least a month or two after he had first been told about fresh indications that Iran had actually halted its nuclear weapons program. READ the NIE.


Another lie..................of a Mushroom cloud Treason again from the White House and Hadley lied when he said yesterday Bush found out last week that IRAN HAS NO WEAPONS.

[mudrose-2009]

Posted by pepperp1

Sure and the surge failed. They are still trying to enrich uranium.

[pepperp1]

BULL ITS A Red Herring a Distraction to give the press something to talks about instead of THIS;


Bush said ....a nuclear-armed Iran might lead to World War III. But his stark warning came at least a month or two after he had first been told about fresh indications that Iran had actually halted its nuclear weapons program. READ the NIE.


Another lie..................of a Mushroom cloud Treason again from the White House and Hadley lied when he said yesterday Bush found out last week that IRAN HAS NO WEAPONS.


And look at all the machismo Neo Con Subversives like dirt flower trying to inflame the conversations away for this obvious act of betrayal by Bush as he intently Lied Again about the threat of a Mushroom cloud.

Congress should impanel a special committee now and determine why the President was beating the drums of war on another delusional threat.

[hillaryin08]

I guess the Democrats really do want us to loose this war.

Hang in their George. America is behind you!

[fairandbal]

Bush has the gall to scold congress when he and HIS party are the ones who''ve destroyed this country over the last year. Criminal activities by Cheney over the start of the war, run away spending and tax cuts that have bankrupt this country.
And Bush is scolding THIS congress!!!??? He is certifiably insane!!!
We need a Democrat in office in 2008. Please wake up America before it''s too late!!!!

[stevex47]

Kinda funny, Bush wants to scold Congress, yet he was about to start WWIII with Iran with yet more lies about weapons intelligence.

[rowdytexan2]

DON''T SENT BUSH ANY LEGISLATION THAT DOESN''T HAVE TO BE PASSED TO KEEP THE COUNTRY GOING UNTIL HE LEAVES OFFICE! AND ESPECIALLY DON''T SEND HIM ANY WAR MONEY WITHOUT A DATE TO BRING THE TROOPS HOME!

WE DON''T WANT ANY BUSH LEGISLATION, PERIOD! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! HE HAD FOUR YEARS OF PASSING LEGISLATION IN FAVOR OF HIS BIG BUSINESS AND OIL CRONIES. RENDER HIS *** VETO PEN POWERLESS AND STOP THE MADNESS!

[marcodele]

Bush scolding congress is at least in improvement over his past seven years of lying to congress.

[mbcsmith]

Congress should impanel a special committee now and determine why the President was beating the drums of war on another delusional threat.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by pepperp1 at 09:33 AM : Dec 04, 2007

Yeah, that''s it LIB. More investigations, hearings and political hay. Let''s get that approval rating below 15%. Congress needs to start doing the peoples business. FUND THE TROOPS NOW!

[mudrose-2009]

I guess the Democrats really do want us to loose this war.

Hang in their George. America is behind you!
Posted by hillaryin08

Hey, babe, take a hike. The Dimnowits are the party of death, defeat and retreat. None of the wimps on the left can hold a candle to our troops and their amazing patriotism. So get off your high horse and go mock someone else.

[brianbwb-2009]

Bring the troops home. We will accomplish the same thing,(nothing) with less loss of life and money. Being "Macho Man" is not worth the loss.

[antoniof123]

hillaryin08, mbcsmith, and mudrose please tell us in your infinite wisdom what winning is in Iraq. Maybe you could tell us why we are there instead. What is it this week your lies have come home we put the Democrats in charge in congress and tried to send a message to the Republicans change this idiots direction but the Republicans will not listen. I bet that in a few more month they will be crying when they see just how pissed off the rest of America is getting and it comes home in time for the elections. The Republicans are talking big but the are afraid because they know that the Senate is falling and they are hoping for a silver bullet. Good luck on that one.

[mudrose-2009]

Yeah, that''''s it LIB. More investigations, hearings and political hay. Let''''s get that approval rating below 15%. Congress needs to start doing the peoples business. FUND THE TROOPS NOW!
Posted by mbcsmith

Peepee is a muslim. She doesn''t understand U.S. politics and thinks like the rest of the delusional left wing nuts, that the Congress is actually taking a stand. If it wasn''t for the fear of God that Bush instilled in the Iranians after 9/11 they would have still be pushing for WMDs. Just because they suspended their arms programs doesn''t mean that they are not pushing for more uranium.

[mudrose-2009]

Posted by antoniof123

Plain and simple. A stable Iraq. What part of Stable and Iraq don''t you get?

[mudrose-2009]

WE DON''''T WANT ANY BUSH LEGISLATION, PERIOD! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! HE HAD FOUR YEARS OF PASSING LEGISLATION IN FAVOR OF HIS BIG BUSINESS AND OIL CRONIES. RENDER HIS *** VETO PEN POWERLESS AND STOP THE MADNESS!

Poted by RowdyTexan2

Wow do you see how well educated our current constitutency is? Amazing. Blinded by rage because their Al Bore lost the election the first time and their faux hero the second time they can''t think. They are from the knee jerk reactionary school of thought. Stupid and simpleminded.

[pepperp1]

BULL ITS Another Red Herring a Distraction to give the press something to talks about instead of THIS;


Bush said ....a nuclear-armed Iran might lead to World War III. But his stark warning came at least a month or two after he had first been told about fresh indications that Iran had actually halted its nuclear weapons program. READ the NIE.



Now ask yourselves, why our President and his Vice President were out lying to the American People again and attempting to inflame and frighten America again for a fake threat.

Remember the Iraq lie an imagined threat of WMD a Mushroom Cloud Lie and the White House Presidential Advisor that committed 5 felonies which delayed the publics knowledge of that lie until after the 2004 election. Was Iran more campaign fodder a Faux threat so the Republicans Candidates would have some imagined threat to show they were tough on National Security and then they could supposedly save us from this threat while they rattle the sabers on the Republican campaign trail appearing to be the tough guys like 04 that only they could slay this fake threat. Or was this President going to invade another country where tens of thousands would die based on paranoid delusions that are materially and factually wrong?



Congress should impanel a special committee now and determine why the President was beating the drums of war on another delusional threat and why the intelligence community outed him.

[pepperp1]

BULL ITS Another Red Herring a Distraction and look at the paid Subversives attack to distract wanting begging that the press cover the Quack chests thumping and not the new LIE about a fake Threat so you wont talk about the NIE and the Bush Cheney lies or THIS;

Bush said ....a nuclear-armed Iran might lead to World War III. But his stark warning came at least a month or two after he had first been told about fresh indications that Iran had actually halted its nuclear weapons program. READ the NIE.



Now ask yourselves, why our President and his Vice President were out lying to the American People again and attempting to inflame and frighten America again for a fake threat.

Remember the Iraq lie an imagined threat of WMD a Mushroom Cloud Lie and the White House Presidential Advisor that committed 5 felonies which delayed the publics knowledge of that lie until after the 2004 election. Was Iran more campaign fodder a Faux threat so the Republicans Candidates would have some imagined threat to show they were tough on National Security and then they could supposedly save us from this threat while they rattle the sabers on the Republican campaign trail appearing to be the tough guys like 04 that only they could slay this fake threat. Or was this President going to invade another country where tens of thousands would die based on paranoid delusions that are materially and factually wrong?

[realpatriot1]

Congress has been passing legislation. Bush vetos it then complains that nothing is being done. He then refuses to negotiate any changes that would make the legislation acceptable to both the President who wasn''t popularly elected and the Congress which was.

Hang in there Congress, America is behind you! Don''t give Bush what he wants until he gives America what it wants!

[marcodele]

Poor Mudrose. Always spewing out the Limbaugh talking points:

"the Iranians after 9/11 they would have still be pushing for WMDs"

Fact Muddy: Iraq did not attack us on 9/11.
Fact Muddy: Iraq had no WMDs.

Get over it, and try switching channels occasionally.
Fox only feeds you the Jerry Springer Ratings McNuggets.

[pepperp1]

BULL ITS Another Red Herring a Distraction and look at the paid Subversives attack to distract wanting begging that the press cover the Quack chests thumping and not the new LIE about a fake Threat so you wont talk about the NIE and the Bush Cheney lies of WWIII being just around the corner.


Quack quack quack I want to make it look like Congress is not working is a do nothing like my previous one and not really doing all the good work they have. Quack we need a campaign slogan now that the CIA outed our lie of the IRAN threat, Quack and the Immigration hate thing is only working on the Whacko base, Quack I cant govern, never could, dont even really want to Quack but I LIKE TO CAMPAIGN AND USE MY OFFICE to help the candidates look like we Republicans are needed. Quack ya know I was a Cheer Leader in College Quack.Quack TAP TAP melting, Im melting Quack.

[mudrose-2009]

Posted by pepperp1

Peepee is another muslim antagonist. They abound on these sights. Probably from Iran.

[citizenusa-2009]

CONGRESS! Grow some b.a.l.l.s.! BUSH! ****!!!

[mudrose-2009]

Hang in there Congress, America is behind you! Don''''t give Bush what he wants until he gives America what it wants!
Posted by realpatriot1

Most Americans want to win the war. Most dimnowits want to lose. So my bet is on most Americans not most dimnowits. Go get the azzholes Bush. Give them hell. Let the public see the squirming cowards as they truly are.

[bareemperor]

SB 1959 - Traitors in the White House

Google it, babyboomers!

[watcher269-2009]

True Bush fashion - blame everyone else for the Countries problems!

Stand Fast congress - 80% of the country is behind you!

[marcodele]

Bush can scold congress all he wants. Even the Republican members laugh and throw spit balls at him when he turns his back.

[excoachken]

Did anyone else notice how quickly the Cowardly Cowboy ran away from the microphone yesterday, so that he could not be confronted by reporters about the lies he just put out?

[mudrose-2009]

Okay, now the truth. Point is there is enough funding for the troops. It will get tight in March. So it can wait until next year. Point is Bush is sending troops home 5,700 before the end of December and he is not held to bringing the troops home by 2008. If anyone of your idiots truly read a newspaper or a sincere evaluation of what Congress and Bush are fighting about, you wouldn''t be siting here. But you go ahead and keep on rooting for the Witless Dimnowits. Since they have no principals and Bush does, they will cave. LOL

[sgtrds]

The only thing I want to hear from this piece of sh*it Bush is that he''s resigning and turning himself in to be prosecuted for his war crimes. Other then that this spoiled little frat/momma''s boy needs to ****!

[watcher269-2009]

Guess who''s back????

Don%u2019t ever say the Bush administration doesn%u2019t take care of its own. Nearly three years after Paul Wolfowitz resigned as deputy Defense secretary and six months after his stormy departure as president of the World Bank%u2014amid allegations that he improperly awarded a raise to his girlfriend%u2014he%u2019s in line to return to public service.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has offered Wolfowitz, a prime architect of the Iraq War, a position as chairman of the International Security Advisory Board, a prestigious State Department panel, according to two department sources who declined to be identified discussing personnel matters. The 18-member panel, which has access to highly classified intelligence, advises Rice on disarmament, nuclear proliferation, WMD issues and other matters. %u201CWe think he is well suited and will do an excellent job,%u201D said one senior official.

[hillaryin08]

Hang in their George, The real Americans that love America are behind you. You forced the enemy to fight a two fron war they could not sustain. America will remember the liberals taking sides with the enemy in 08

Bushwacked Again!

[hillaryin08]

Hang in their George, The real Americans that love America are behind you. You forced the enemy to fight a two fron war they could not sustain. America will remember the liberals taking sides with the enemy in 08

Bushwacked Again!

[mudrose-2009]

Hang in their George, The real Americans that love America are behind you. You forced the enemy to fight a two fron war they could not sustain. America will remember the liberals taking sides with the enemy in 08

Bushwacked Again!

Posted by hillaryin08

Yup. Too bad you sore losers can''t abide by the fact the the surge worked. It must be killing you all to see that your We Lost the War mantra is highly idiotic and in keeping with the George Soros school of thought. Sorry we don''t like Georgie Soros, Media that Doesn''t Matter and hope to God you will all Move on.

[omega39-2009]

Too funny, he goes to whine about Congress to an American public that for the most part hates him ,and he gets ambushed by the press about his latest Iran "half-truths".

[sgtrds]

OMG did you watch the news conference??? Bush is like Rain Man and Forrest Gump all rolled into one.

Posted by fedupwithit1 at 10:24 AM : Dec 04, 2007

At least Rainman was an idiot savant. Bush is just an idiot.

[mudrose-2009]

Posted by ttinsly

She is a troll and she''s on your side. The queerone just likes to bait everyone. I wouldn''t pay her much mind. I may not agree with you but I detest people who dupe others.

[hillaryin08]

Hang in their George, The real Americans that love America are behind you. You forced the enemy to fight a two fron war they could not sustain. And you did it right under the Democrats noses. America will remember the liberals taking sides with the enemy in 08

Bushwacked Again!

[pepperp1]

Bush said ....a nuclear-armed Iran might lead to World War III. But his stark warning came at least a month or two after he had first been told about fresh indications that Iran had actually halted its nuclear weapons program. READ the NIE.



Now ask yourselves, why our President and his Vice President were out lying to the American People again and attempting to inflame and frighten America again.

Remember the Iraq lie an imagined threat of WMD a Mushroom Cloud Lie and the White House Presidential Advisor that committed 5 felonies which delayed the publics knowledge of that lie until after the 2004 election. Was Iran more campaign fodder a Faux threat so the Republicans Candidates would have some imagined threat to show they were tough on National Security and then they could supposedly save us from this threat while they rattle the sabers on the Republican campaign trail appearing to be the tough guys like 04 that only they could slay this fake threat. Or was this President going to invade another country where tens of thousands would die based on paranoid delusions that are materially and factually wrong?



Congress should impanel a special committee now and determine why the President and at whose bequest he was beating the drums of war on another delusional threat and why the intelligence community outed him.


Write and call your elected Representatives do not let the red subversive be the only ones speaking up and out on this new Bush Cheney betrayal.

[mudrose-2009]

Write and call your elected Representatives do not let the red subversive be the only ones speaking up and out on this new Bush Cheney betrayal.
Posted by pepperp1

Hurry Peepee, call President Harry tell him to stop the war.

[hillaryin08]

Hang in their George, The real Americans that love America are behind you. You forced the enemy to fight a two fron war they could not sustain. And you did it right under the Democrats noses. America will remember the liberals taking sides with the enemy in 08

Bushwacked Again!

[micma-2009]

pepper


Thank you! Well said! You are a voice of reason in a sea of idiots.

[bareemperor]

Bu$hCo tightens the fascist screws on America with SB 1959.

9/II = red flag op.
Patriot Act, Military Commissions Act = Constitution Burned.

SB 1959 = Institutionalized hatred and fear.

C''mon, babyboomers - you stopped these same tyrants before, it''s time to act once more.

Remove the traitors before 9/III

[trillion1]

Well, at least mud brings humor to the board. bush has gotten so use to lying I seriously doubt he actually knows what the truth is anymore.

[tburzio]

Up to last week, no one even believed they had a weapons program...

[mudrose-2009]

pepper


Thank you! Well said! You are a voice of reason in a sea of idiots.
Posted by micma

Yeah, and mcma lives in the sea.

[pepperp1]

OMG did you watch the news conference??? Bush is like Rain Man and Forrest Gump all rolled into one.

Posted by fedupwithit1 at 10:24 AM : Dec 04, 2007

At least Rainman was an idiot savant. Bush is just an idiot.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by SgtRDS at 10:32 AM : Dec 04, 2007
+ report abuse

he is either, a bald face amoral political partisan activist in the Office of the President or a paranoid delusional listening to a funny speaking inner voice or a flat out Crook creating chaos to distract while he subverts the governance of this county while raiding our Treasury and indebt this nation to his donors even when he is out office.

Or all of the above but what he is not is a competent hardworking honorable Statesman.


Now ask you, why our President and his Vice President were out lying to the American People again and attempting to inflame and frighten America and again at whose request this time?.

[barbaraf4]

I am soooooo confused! Were they lying yesterday when we were told they had, for months, been in possession of intel that Iran was not a nuclear threat; or are they lying NOW when they say otherwise?

[mudrose-2009]

Additionally, an anti-war blogger filming a demonstration, Josh Wolf, has been arrested and is serving a 1 year prison sentence for doing so...

Posted by ttinsly

Why don''t you go watch Redacted, or Lions for Lambs? It''ll make you feel so much better. Paranoid, but they again much better. At least you can then say you''ve got something to worry about.

[marcodele]

Poor W. His coupon has expired and the cashier doesn''t have the heart to tell him.