Bush Fears Blackmail by Iran

Reuters:

U.S. President George W. Bush said on Monday he was concerned a future nuclear-armed Iran could blackmail the world. Watch the President's Comments

But in a setback for U.S.-European Union efforts to crack down on Iran over its disputed nuclear programme, the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief ruled out advancing a wide-ranging report on the issue in time for a Feb. 2 crisis meeting of his agency.

In remarks at Kansas State University, Bush cited Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's expressed wish for Israel to be wiped off the map as a sign that Iran sought a nuclear arsenal.

"The world cannot be put in a position where we can be blackmailed by a nuclear weapon," he said.

He also had a message for the Iranian people, saying "we have no beef with you," and expressing hope that Iraq's fledgling democracy could serve as an example for nearby Iran. READ MORE

Bush said "the next logical step" in dealing with Iran was for the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation governing board to refer the Islamic republic to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.

Earlier, Iranian officials said they did not fear Western threats over their atomic energy drive and vowed to pursue uranium enrichment even if sent to the Security Council.

But Tehran, which denies Western suspicions that it seeks to build atomic bombs, also urged more dialogue with the European Union to resolve a standoff that is jacking up world oil prices.

Western powers have urged IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei to make a broad accounting of Tehran's nuclear project to the special IAEA meeting they called for February, rather than wait for a regularly scheduled March 6 session.

U.S. and EU officials believe a full report would help them persuade sceptical Russia, China and developing states on the IAEA board to vote at the February gathering for referral.

But ElBaradei, replying to U.S., EU and Australian letters, said he had given Iran until the March meeting to answer questions in IAEA inquiries into its nuclear project, which it concealed from U.N. inspectors for almost two decades.