Bush: U.S. to counter Iran nuke threat with “effective strategy”

Combined dispatches: Washington, Feb. 17 – United State President George W. Bush today called on Iran to adhere to its international obligations and called Iran’s possession of nuclear weapons “unacceptable”. At a White House press conference to introduce John Negroponte as the new national intelligence chief, Bush said Iran had kept its program secret over the past two decades until it was exposed by an Iranian group. Combined dispatches

Washington, Feb. 17 – United State President George W. Bush today called on Iran to adhere to its international obligations and called Iran’s possession of nuclear weapons “unacceptable”.

At a White House press conference to introduce John Negroponte as the new national intelligence chief, Bush said Iran had kept its program secret over the past two decades until it was exposed by an Iranian group.

“Remember this all started when we found them enriching uranium in an undeclared fashion,” Bush said. “There was an Iranian group that brought forth the information and it was clear that they were enriching and yet they hadn’t told anybody, which leads you to wonder why they hadn’t told anybody.”

The opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran first revealed the existence of secret nuclear sites in Iran in August 2002. The group has since made a string of stunning revelations about Iran’s covert uranium enrichment and other prohibited activities.

Bush said he would use next week’s trip to Europe to discuss “strategies, ways forward” with key allies who are negotiating with Iran.

“The objective is to solve this issue diplomatically, is to work with friends — like we’re doing with France, Germany and Great Britain — to continue making it clear to the Iranians that developing a nuclear weapon will be unacceptable,” Bush said in response to questions by reporters.