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."

[samsel3]

Nothing has changed on Iran. The administrations interest in Iran & nukes is a smoke screen for their real agenda. Their true interests are Cheney''s energy policy. Part of that policy is the The Caspian Sea pipeline which goes through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan,Pakistan,India & Nepal.It will be cheaper to construct if they can go through part of Iran, but regime change is necessary first. The Caspian sea area holds one third of the world''s oil and south asian oil markets are their target market. This pipeline was also the reason for the Afghanistan invasion. Cheney''s energy policy is the root of all these middle east wars, a federal court judge sealed all documents associated with it for the administration, and the national media are not allowed to discuss or comment on it. More troops are needed in Afghasnistan to protect the contractors building the pipeline. Iran stands in the way and is now in the crosshairs. China said there would be dire consequences if the US interfered with there direct oil contracts with Iran. Both parties in the Congress should be very concerned with China''s growing war machine and need for oil. They are the real threat & the administration doesn''t care they are in control!!! All that matters to them is BIG OIL and their corporate stock portfolios. Greed & gain as they worship the god of money.

[countyboy21]

What is Iran going 2 doo with these "stock piles" tones of enriched uranium they claim 2 have been producing? "They don''t even have "one" *** powerplant"!!

"If I lay in bed one more time,with my flashlight chanting.
Luke,Luke I am your Father!
Feel the power of the force?
Feel the power of the darkside!
Give into the darkside!
I''m going 2 screem!

P.S. "Rockets & Weapons may shoot me down,but only fine cuisine will feed me"!

[benf5]

To recap to those who haven''t read report:

Intelligence has "high confidence" that until fall 2003 Iranian military was running a nuclear weapons program that began in late 1980''s. Followed immediately with something to cover their butts by stating with only "moderate confidence" that this means Iran''s entire nuclear program has halted.

Also highly believed: Iran has no nukes currently and hasn''t imported material. Iran has uranium enrichment, technology, and industry to make nukes. But shouldn''t be able to until 2015.

More with only "moderate confidence": Covert activites would be used in nuclear weapon production and previous covert activities were "probably" stopped in fall 2003. Iranian leadership can be persuaded from the eventual develolpment of nuclear weapons.

Report doesn''t have "sufficient intelligence" to make any judgement that Iran will not restart or already has plans in place to restart.

Finaly, the new October 2007 report also states Iran is less interested in nukes than what intelligence community has believed since 2005 because of international pressure.

Based on the actual complete report, I see no reason for ending the current US and international policies and pressure regarding Iran.

[ajmarine1]

Posted by dogband at 02:28 PM : Dec 05, 2007


If you read back into the posts from last night, you will see I was saying the same thing.

If Bush is as bad as they say, someone should start impeachment procedings.

[dogband]

Would someone please start impeachment proceedings on this poor delusional man?

Absolutely beyond belief how stupid one per can be, and unbelieveably stupid are the American people, including myself, for not marching in the streets brings traffic and business to a halt until this warmongering idiot is lawfully removed by impeachment proceedings.

[ajmarine1]

What is clear, on the other hand, is that the path of negotiation led by China and Russia remains the best option. Since Bush will now find it almost impossible to find an excuse to attack Iran, the poison of the threat has been removed from negotiations. The responsibility now rests with Tehran to honor its international treaty obligations and let IAEA officials perform the full range of inspections they are entitled to make. Diplomatically, there is probably not a finer moment for the Iranians to do this. Bush has suffered yet another blow to what little remains of his credibility. Iran can drive the point home by yielding fully to the inspection regime to which it earlier agreed.

If it refuses to do so, it may give Bush another albeit weak opportunity for renewed belligerence. Tehran should not, at the same time, forget this president%u2019s well-known ability to act with catastrophic consequences on the basis of lies.

Part2

http://arabnews.com/?page=7&section=0&article=104296&d=5&m=12&y=2007

[ajmarine1]

The blustering that has come out of the White House in the wake of the release of the NIE assessment would almost be amusing if the subject were not so serious. A Bush spokesman has insisted that pressure on Iran must be maintained. Predictably, the British government has echoed this stance. It is more of a surprise that France%u2019s President Sarkozy has delivered a similar judgment. Why has he chosen to rubberstamp the risky Bush policy when the facts on which it is based have been shown to be wrong? The NIE estimates that if Iran resumed its atomic weapons program today, the country could not build its first bomb until 2015. This may, however, itself prove to be as wrong as its 2005 assertion that the program was continuing.

Part 1

http://arabnews.com/?page=7&section=0&article=104296&d=5&m=12&y=2007

[actornaught]

Posted by bizzzz at 12:15 PM : Dec 05, 2007

hahaha... w has been "diplomatic" with Iran. I would NEVER call a death threat even slightly "diplomatic"...

[bizzzz-2009]

WHY ARE THE DEM''S, AND ANYBODY ELSE FOR THAT MATTER, BLASTING BUSH OVER IRAN? BUSH HAS ADDRESSED IRAN SOLELY DIPLOMATICALLY, WE HAVEN"T CONFRONTED THEM MILITARILY. THEIR LEADER HAS REPEATEDLY SAID HE WANTS TO WIPE ISRAEL OFF THE MAP. IRAN DOES HAVE A COVERT NUCLEAR PROGRAM AND THEY ARE ENRICHING URANIUM.
THE REPORT STATES IRAN STOPPED THEIR WEAPONS PROGRAM AFTER WE INVADED IRAQ. WHAT HAS BUSH DONE WRONG REGARDING IRAN?

IF BUSH PLANTED A TREE, THE DEMOCRATS WOULD BLAST HIM FOR ABUSING THE DIRT.

[jncc1701]

Did you also notice why Iran stopped its program in 2003...because of international pressure, namely a huge show of force just across their border. The reality is that this country has intimidated our enemies into backing down

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

Which enemy backed down? The same one funding Hezbollah, Hamas and Shiite''s in Iraq? Or the North Korean''s who were sneaking around giving nuclear technology to Syria?
Yep that is how I defined backing down - W style.

It it amazing that our Ivy League President can be made to look like such a fool. Especially given that he is in essence debating an Iranian president who is CLEARLY not a intellectual heavy weight.

come to think about it.

Why are we paying billions of dollars for intelligence when they cannot get very basic analysis done correctly or quickly?

[b-easy63]

hy should Bush, or anyone else, assume this intelligence report is fully accurate. The WMD report on Iraq was wrong. We''''re all wise to take it with a grain of salt.
Posted by jandj6488 at 12:03 AM : Dec 05, 2007


You''ve made some good points but that is not the only thing to be taken with a grain of salt. Whenever the NIEs have disputed Bush, he has buried that information under "National Security" cherry picked the parts that forwarded his agenda and forged on full steam ahead.


About the only thing we can be certain of is that Bush and Cheney will deflect, lie and hide information from the American People and Congress to keep war going. It is obvious that our actions in 2003 affected Iran--but those actions against a country that could not harm us and our continual actions there, will never justify the rape and slaughter of Iraq--that our actions caused.

For similar effect in WWII, we would have had to decimate Mexico after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and declared what we did made Korea stop and reconsider their actions. Pitiful, deceitful and very ugly approach it would have been--esp for those who died because of Bush''s continual lies.*


* Bush also lied and cherry picked the effects of the Iraq war including 3 years of reports that said it was going badly and that we had lost the minds and hearts of the Iraqi people by the beginning of 2004.

[b-easy63]

What a warmongering, conniving little liar. Always an "I meant that to happen" moment for the professional liars--no matter what.

[samsel3]

Nothing has changed on Iran. The administrations interest in Iran & nukes is a smoke screen for their real agenda. Their true interests are Cheney''''s energy policy. Part of that policy is the The Caspian Sea pipeline which goes through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan,Pakistan,India & Nepal.It will be cheaper to construct if they can go through part of Iran, but regime change is necessary first. The Caspian sea area holds one third of the world''s oil and south asian oil markets are their target market. This pipeline was also the reason for the Afghanistan invasion. Cheney''s energy policy is the root of all these middle east wars, a federal court judge sealed all documents associated with it for the administration, and the national media are not allowed to discuss or comment on it. More troops are needed in Afghasnistan to protect the contractors building the pipeline. Iran stands in the way and is now in the crosshairs. China said there would be dire consequences if the US interfered with there direct oil contracts with Iran. Both parties in the Congress should be very concerned with China''''s growing war machine and need for oil. They are the real threat & the administration doesn''''t care they are in control!!! All that matters to them is BIG OIL and their corporate stock portfolios. Greed & gain as they worship the god of money.

[heartlight3]

jandj6488, I thought we attacked Germany because they were overpowering our allies in Europe who we had promised to help support, that they were attacking our ships in the Atlantic, and that they were allied with Japan who attacked us in 1941. We did not get into that war until after Pearl Harbor. It was not an unprovoked attack. I don''t think it was because they might hurt us someday years in the future. If we were to attack anyone who might get the capacity to hurt us someday, pretty soon we would be at war with everyone.

[dmhphils]

Did you also notice why Iran stopped its program in 2003...because of international pressure, namely a huge show of force just across their border. The reality is that this country has intimidated our enemies into backing down. And in doing so, we''''ve avoided war in Iran and North Korea. The continued pressure on Iran is a good idea for that very reason. I think we all would rather see us pressure Iran than fight them. Nobody wants another war, and that is why Bush is doing what he''''s doing.

Posted by jandj6488 at 12:03 AM : Dec 05, 2007
----------------------------------------------

Well said! Fresh perspective too. Thanks

[liferocks3]

I dont understand US forgien policies, first of all since when they started Military rulers like Musharaf, oh I forgot they supported Saddam Hussain too. as far as Iran''s nukes are concerned, I dont know why US lawmakers and thinktank cant think of the root cause of Iran''s nukes, reports published in several intelligence agencies showed how Pakistan was involved in nuclear profilation with Iran, Libya and Sirya. If US is so concerned about Iran to get nuclear why they let pakistan became nuclear power which in turn spreading nuclear technology with other extremist countries.

[klifton2-2009]

About seven years ago, the American public went to the polls to pick a new president. They picked up rubbish instead. The world would have thought the American public had brains enough to recognize rubbish when it was served to them the second time around, but no, they picked up the same rubbish again. Why Bush is still in office without any effort at all to impeach him tells the world a lot about the American voting public. The American public deserves Bush but certainly not the world. He is a bloody disgrace!

[jandj6488]

Heartlight...I appreciate your sincerity, but I must point out that we attacked Germany over 60 years ago because they might have the capacity to hurt us. That is seldom mentioned in this debate, yet few people today question the justification for that.

It is okay to be a pacifist...nothing wrong with that. But it''s good to be consistent, too.

[jandj6488]

Why should Bush, or anyone else, assume this intelligence report is fully accurate. The WMD report on Iraq was wrong. We''re all wise to take it with a grain of salt.

Did you also notice why Iran stopped its program in 2003...because of international pressure, namely a huge show of force just across their border. The reality is that this country has intimidated our enemies into backing down. And in doing so, we''ve avoided war in Iran and North Korea. The continued pressure on Iran is a good idea for that very reason. I think we all would rather see us pressure Iran than fight them. Nobody wants another war, and that is why Bush is doing what he''s doing.

[heartlight3]

If this country attacks another country because they "might" develop nuclear weapons someday, we deserve all the bad things that are being said about us over there. We will just be validating the widely held opinion that we are the most dangerous country around. If we do that, how are we any different than those who attacked us? Is this who we are? I can''t believe the President of the United States is even having this conversation. A country that would pre-emptively attack another country because they might have the capacity to hurt us someday is not the country that I grew up in. This should be a wake up call to all who care about democracy.