"Iran with a nuclear weapon would be incredibly dangerous for world peace," Bush said after his final U.S.-EU summit in Brdo, Slovenia. "Now is the time for all of us to work together to stop them."

EU leaders during the Tuesday meeting agreed to further sanctions against Iran, including bank restrictions, if the Islamic Republic continues to defy international calls to halt its uranium enrichment program.

A joint statement after the meeting said Iran should "comply with its international obligations concerning its nuclear activities" while reaffirming the strategy to bank on incentives and sanctions to solve the nuclear conflict. The statement also said the West would ensure that "Iranian banks cannot abuse the international banking system to support proliferation and terrorism," although it was unclear what measures exactly would follow up that announcement.

Already Tehran, upon orders from its hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has transferred home money from banks in the EU, exchanging it for gold and other commodities, according to Iranian media reports.

Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief, will travel to Tehran soon to present a package of incentives to help persuade Iran to suspend enrichment.

The West believes Iran is using an atomic energy program as a coverup to secretly develop nuclear weapons; Tehran has denied those allegations repeatedly, but Bush Tuesday reiterated his suspicion, saying Iran, because of its repeated defiance of the International Atomic Energy Agency's regulations, "can't be trusted with enrichment."

"A group of countries can send a clear message to the Iranians," Bush said. "And that is: We're going to continue to isolate you, we'll continue to work on sanctions, we'll find new sanctions, if need be, if you continue to deny the just demands of a free world."

The pressure on Iran is increasing, also because an Israeli Cabinet member last week threatened Iran with a military strike if it continues nuclear enrichment.

Bush has long kept the military option on the table (as have his potential successors for president), and again in Slovenia he demonstrated his sympathy with Israel.

"If you were living in Israel, you'd be a little nervous too, if a leader in your neighborhood announced that he'd like to destroy you," Bush answered a journalist's question, using an obvious reference to Ahmadinejad's threats to "wipe Israel off the map."

"Now is the time for all of us to work together to stop them," Bush added.

Yet a war against Iran so far seems out of the question. The EU is eager to prevent a military strike against Iran, and observers say the joint statement is taking wind out of the sails of those who are calling for a pre-emptive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities. Even Bush backs that vision (for now), saying that "now is the time for strong diplomacy."

Yet only a day later, according to Iranian news reports, Ahmadinejad in a TV speech said Bush and his allies in Europe would not be able to "hurt" Iran.

"I tell Bush ... that your era has ended, and thank God you will not be able to damage even one centimeter of the holy land of Iran," Ahmadinejad was quoted, in a clear reference to Bush's imminent retirement, which will become reality in seven months.

Bush, meanwhile, has continued his farewell tour through Europe, which on Tuesday and Wednesday took him to Germany, where he and his wife, Laura, enjoyed a barbecue and later a private schnitzel and asparagus dinner with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband, Joachim Sauer. Bush also will visit Italy, France and Britain.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News