[FREE IRAN Project] In The Spirit Of Cyrus The Great

[cyrus]

Bush voices demands on Iran, Syria
(AP)

23 February 2005
Source URL: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2005/February/middleeast_February700.xml&section=middleeast

MAINZ, Germany - US President George W. Bush said Wednesday that it’s vital for Iran to hear world leaders speak with one voice that its Islamic regime not develop nuclear weapons.


“We will work with them to convince the mullahs that they need to give up their nuclear ambitions,” Bush said at a new conference with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder during his nine-hour visit to the European nation.

Schroeder sought to play down any differences the United States and Europe have concerning Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions.

“We absolutely agree that Iran must say no to any kind of nuclear weapons,” he said. “Iran must not have any nuclear weapons. They must waive any right to the production thereof.”

“It’s vital that the Iranians hear the world speak with one voice that they should not have a nuclear weapon,” Bush said. “Iran must not have a nuclear weapon, for the sake of security and peace,” he added.

Schroeder said the two leaders also talked about climate control, Iraq and Syria. He and Bush seemed resigned to accept differences between them on issues such as global warming and Iraq, and yet they sought common ground on ways to move forward.

Bush told reporters the Iranians were caught enriching uranium after they said they wouldn’t do it.

“They have breached a contract with the international community. They’re the party that needs to be held to account - not any of us,” he said.

Germany, Britain and France are involved in negotiations to get Iran to abandon any plans it has to develop a nuclear weapon. The Europeans, who want to offer Tehran economic incentives such as membership in the World Trade Organization, to abandon its nuclear ambitions, worry that without US involvement, the negotiations could be fruitless.

The United States has not joined these talks and doesn’t completely support the approach the Europeans are taking with Iran, but has not rejected the negotiations. The Bush administration says it doesn’t think Iran should be given incentives to comply with international agreements it already has signed in which it pledged not to build nuclear weapons.

On Iraq, Schroeder noted that while Germany has refused to go into that war-torn nation, it is training Iraqi security officers in the region in an effort to provide Iraq with “homegrown” security.

Bush, in turn, thanked Germany for its “vital” contribution in Iraq.

“I fully understand the limit of German contributions,” he said.

Bush also told Syria it must withdraw troops and “secret services” from Lebanon, noting that the United States and France were seeking a U.N. resolution to force Damascus to do so following increased tension after last week’s assassination of a former Lebanese prime minister.

“The position of our government is Syria must withdraw not only the troops, but its secret services from Lebanon,” he said.

“The charge is out there for the Syrian government to hear loud and clear,” Bush said. “We will see how they respond before there is any further discussions about going back to the United Nations.”

Schroeder said the two leaders also talked about climate control, noting the United States’ refusal to sign the Kyoto global warming agreement, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“I think there is hope today, maybe even more than hope, that we’ll come to a solution,” Schroeder said, referring to efforts for peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Security was tight for Bush’s visit to Mainz. Several highways were closed, and police patrolled streets downtown. Manhole covers were welded shut, mailboxes removed and residents told to stay indoors during Bush’s visit.

Thousands of anti-war demonstrators were expected to rally in Mainz - kept at a safe distance from Bush by police.

From Germany, Bush flies on to Slovakia for Thursday meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Slovakian leaders.