Bush says Iran remains a threat

[Gunny]

Iran remains a threat to the world despite new intelligence saying the country may not be building nuclear weapons, the US president says.
Mr Bush said the report released on Monday was a "warning signal" and his view that a nuclear Iran would be a danger "hasn't changed".

The president stressed that Iran was still trying to enrich uranium and could restart its weapons programme.

Tehran has denied continued accusations that it is developing nuclear weapons.

Mr Bush said the new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) was "an opportunity for us to rally the international community" to pressure the Iranian regime to suspend its efforts to enrich uranium - a key part of the process in making a nuclear bomb.

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

more ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7127198.stm

Well, then there's always this "minor little detail" ....

 

[Annie]

Well, then there's always this "minor little detail" ....

He should have said, 'may have restarted it....'

 

[mattskramer]

Doesn’t this warrant a preemptive strike anyway? Shucks, we supposedly know that Iran wants Nukes and will eventually find a way to make a Nuke just like Saddam had WMD or was going to get WMD. Let’s just blow them away before they hit us. Let’s get it over with.

 

[jillian]

Well, then there's always this "minor little detail" ....

or it could mean he's sabre rattling again.

Bit of a credibilty problem for him.

 

[Meemer]

It's a wonder his head didn't snap completely off from whiplash!

And if Iran has "restarted its 'nucular' program," who's going to believe it?

I think this has to do it for credibility and accountability and 'intelligence?'.

(I'm new here; my first post; be nice; I do play well with others...most of the time.)

 

[Gunny]

or it could mean he's sabre rattling again.

Bit of a credibilty problem for him.

Only with you lefties.

Those aren't Bush's words ... they're the NIE's and IAEA's. Obviously, if Iran halted a nuclear weapons program, then they had to have one, right?

Now is this halted as in for good? Or kinda like N Korea halted theirs?

Iran, by its own words is hostile to the US. Anyone who discounts them as a potential threat needs to have some political rhetoric vacummed out of their heads and some common sense pumped in.

 

[DeadCanDance]

I've never claimed that iran wasn't a potential threat.

The debate, to me, has been about the nature of the threat. Bush voters assured me that they somehow knew in their gut, that iran was building a nuclear bomb, was close to having one, and the threat was becoming imminent.

I said I saw no evidence for a nuclear weapons program, I saw no evidence of a grave or immediate threat, and I was fine with continuing to use diplomacy and inspections.

I turned out to be right on all counts.

 

[Larkinn]

Only with you lefties.

Those aren't Bush's words ... they're the NIE's and IAEA's. Obviously, if Iran halted a nuclear weapons program, then they had to have one, right?

Now is this halted as in for good? Or kinda like N Korea halted theirs?

Iran, by its own words is hostile to the US. Anyone who discounts them as a potential threat needs to have some political rhetoric vacummed out of their heads and some common sense pumped in.

Considering that Bush knew of this information weeks ago when attempting to convince the world to put sanctions on Iran, and didn't disclose this information, yeah it pretty much shreds what little is left of Bush's credibility.

 

[jillian]

Only with you lefties.

Those aren't Bush's words ... they're the NIE's and IAEA's. Obviously, if Iran halted a nuclear weapons program, then they had to have one, right?

Now is this halted as in for good? Or kinda like N Korea halted theirs?

Iran, by its own words is hostile to the US. Anyone who discounts them as a potential threat needs to have some political rhetoric vacummed out of their heads and some common sense pumped in.

You know very well that on these issues I'm not a "lefty", so dismissing my opinion out of hand isn't really approrpriate.

Anyone listening to him twist and moan and backtrack on this issue has to ask why the same verbiage as before Iraq...when we know they were distorting the truth then, too.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice... won't get fooled again. Isn't that what baby bush said?

Yeppers.

 

[Meemer]

And, Larkinn, it makes one wonder about the MidEast conflab at Annapolis. He knew; we know he knew. And he had to have used the 'threat' of Iran at the conference against some of those countries.

GunnyL, those aren't Bush's words?
He's repeating them so hard and so fast his head is liable to spin right off his skinny neck!

 

[Gunny]

I've never claimed that iran wasn't a potential threat.

The debate, to me, has been about the nature of the threat. Bush voters assured me that they somehow knew in their gut, that iran was building a nuclear bomb, was close to having one, and the threat was becoming imminent.

I said I saw no evidence for a nuclear weapons program, I saw no evidence of a grave or immediate threat, and I was fine with continuing to use diplomacy and inspections.

I turned out to be right on all counts.

Did you? Appparently you were wrong. Apparently even the IAEA concedes that Iran has a nuclear weapons program that is currently halted. You have repeatedly said there isn't one.

I want you to name these "Bush voters" that assured you Iran was building a nuclear bom, was close to having one and the threat was becomming imminent.

Fact is, YOU created your enemy to perpetuate your rant. All of these mysterious "neocons," and "rightwingers" and "Bushies" you continually quote but never name don't in fact exist anywhere but in your mind.

 

[Gunny]

Considering that Bush knew of this information weeks ago when attempting to convince the world to put sanctions on Iran, and didn't disclose this information, yeah it pretty much shreds what little is left of Bush's credibility.

LMAO. Bush's credibility has withstood 7 years of you cheapshot artists and your fantasies. I'm sure he'll survive one more.

Bush considers Iran a threat to the US, STILL, with or without this information. Probably because Iran considers the US its enemy?

Imagine THAT.

 

[DeadCanDance]

Did you? Appparently you were wrong. Apparently even the IAEA concedes that Iran has a nuclear weapons program that is currently halted. You have repeatedly said there isn't one.

I want you to name these "Bush voters" that assured you Iran was building a nuclear bom, was close to having one and the threat was becomming imminent.

Fact is, YOU created your enemy to perpetuate your rant. All of these mysterious "neocons," and "rightwingers" and "Bushies" you continually quote but never name don't in fact exist anywhere but in your mind.

I'm on record here stating that I wouldn't be suprised at all if iran was doing research into military applications for nuclear technology.

I simply asked you for evidence that they were currently working on a nuclear weapons program, that would justify your president's "World War Three" rhetoric.

You were never able to provide any evidence, other than your gut feelings.

We now know why


EDIT:

DCD: Now, it's entirely possible that Iran has a covert nuclear weapons research program. In fact, they've probably had a nuclear weapons research program since the days of the shah, when they were our buddies. However, there's currently no concrete evidence of it. But, in terms of going to war and spending another trillion dollars on your war lust, you're simply going to have to do better than making assumptions and asserting them as fact... You're going to have to provide concrete evidence.


http://usmessageboard.com/showpost.php?p=618543&postcount=38

You stand corrected....

 

[Larkinn]

LMAO. Bush's credibility has withstood 7 years of you cheapshot artists and your fantasies. I'm sure he'll survive one more.

Of course it has with *cough* Independent voters like you. The rest of us realize that he has none left, however. So much for UN sanctions against Iran...its little more than a pipe dream now. So as much as you may have complete faith in his credibility, people who matter don't.

Bush considers Iran a threat to the US, STILL, with or without this information. Probably because Iran considers the US its enemy?

Imagine THAT.

So does Chavez. I don't see the US saying "all options are on the table" about invading Caracas.

 

[Gunny]

I'm on record here stating that I wouldn't be suprised at all if iran was doing research into military applications for nuclear technology.

I simply asked you for evidence that they were currently working on a nuclear weapons program, that would justify your president's "World War Three" rhetoric.

You were never able to provide any evidence, other than your gut feelings.

We now know why

Assinine, nothing more. You ask me for evidence that Iran is currently working on a nuclear weapons program, but I never stated Iran was in fact working on a nuclear weapons program. Lord only knows where you come up with that "gut feeling" bullshit from.

Looks like the IAEA found it for you though.

The most rhetoric I see around here comes from YOU.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

Well this is interesting.

Just who is collecting the data for the report?

 

[jillian]

I'd take anything newsmax says with a major grain of salt.

 

[Dr Grump]

And, Larkinn, it makes one wonder about the MidEast conflab at Annapolis. He knew; we know he knew. And he had to have used the 'threat' of Iran at the conference against some of those countries.

GunnyL, those aren't Bush's words?
He's repeating them so hard and so fast his head is liable to spin right off his skinny neck!

Neocons will look for any excuse to start something with Iran..anything..

 

[Diuretic]

"Wolf! Wolf! No, really this time there really is a wolf!"

Face it, Bush and Cheney need a bogeyman to frighten Americans with, it's how they get away with all their shredding of the constitution.

Let's hear it from the dynamic duo, Georgie and Dick! Maestro please:

"We gotta have fear,
All we really need is fear,
Fear's the thing that if we've got it onside
It helps to keep us inside.....the White House..boom, boom!"*







*Acknowledgements to BennyVan Buren and Alan Sherman

 

[onedomino]

I simply asked you for evidence that they were currently working on a nuclear weapons program, that would justify your president's "World War Three" rhetoric.

How many times do we have to read this idiotic sentence? In the history of nuclear weapons development there never has been definitive evidence that any nation was developing a weapon until they tested their first device. Extremists like you seem to want a photo of an Iranian mullah installing a nuclear trigger in a device. Unless the Iranians are colossally stupid there will never be evidence they are constructing a device until their first test goes off. What definitive evidence was there that America, Russia, France, UK, China, India, NK, and Pakistan were constructing nuclear weapons until their first devices were exploded? Everyone knows Israel has nuclear weapons. Cite the "evidence" of such. There is no definitive evidence Israel had a nuclear weapons development program, much less that it actually has devices. The only evidence that was ever available that these nations were working on a device was circumstantial. And sometimes not even that was available. Regarding Iran, you know very well that circumstantial evidence existed regarding their now supposedly halted program. And it currently exists regarding their intentions to build a device in the future, or at the very least keep viable their option to build a device in the future. Explain why Iran does not cooperate with the IAEA. Explain why they bury some of their nuclear facilities deep underground. Explain why they refused to do a deal with the Russians for the slightly enriched nuclear fuel necessary for civilian power generation, but rather spent billions on centrifuges and other infrastructure needed to produce the highly enriched uranium necessary for nuclear weapons. Their behavior does not make any sense if all they want to do is produce electricity. And the NIE report is very specific on the point that nothing is known regarding the future bomb building intentions of the Iranian mullahs. Insist on hard evidence that the mullahs are building a weapon before attempts are made to stop them and you will guarantee that they will get the bomb, just like India, Pakistan, and North Korea.