Top Bush adviser says Iran on nuclear “path”
Washington, 20 July (IranVNC)—The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said today that he believed Iran was moving toward acquiring a nuclear weapon, which he described as a “devastating possibility”.
By: IranVNC
Published: Sunday, July 20, 2008
17:30GMT—1:30PM/EST
US – IRAN – NUCLEAR
Washington, 20 July (IranVNC)—The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said today that he believed Iran was moving toward acquiring a nuclear weapon, which he described as a “devastating possibility”.
Speaking to Fox News television network today, Admiral Michael Mullen called for continued international pressure on the Islamic Republic, saying: “I fundamentally believe that they’re on a path to achieve nuclear weapons sometime in the future”.
Mullen’s comments echoed remarks made by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in an interview with the CNN television network on 18 July.
Asked whether she believed the Islamic Republic was building an atomic bomb, Rice said that Tehran was “building capabilities that would allow them to have a nuclear program, should they choose.”
But Tehran has repeatedly denied the charges, and has said its nuclear program is aimed solely at generating civilian nuclear energy.
EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, along with envoys from the U.S., Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, yesterday asked Iran to suspend uranium enrichment in exchange for political and economic incentives and a promise not to increase sanctions.
Mullen, who is President George W. Bush’s top military adviser, said he felt “encouraged” by the international talks held in Switzerland, and called for continued international pressure on Tehran.
“I believe that the international community needs to continue to bring pressure on Iran both economically, financially, diplomatically, politically, to continue to bring them to a point where we can deal with this issue of nuclear weapons,” he said.
Rice, whose interview with CNN was broadcast a day before the nuclear talks took place in Geneva, said that the international community was sending a “very clear message” to Iran.
“First of all, there are consequences for continuing to defy the will of the international community: continued economic isolation, continued isolation that is leading to an ever-worsening economic situation in Iran; and on the other hand, a pathway out, suspend and negotiate,” she said.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who leaves Washington today for a trip to Asia, will meet Burns tomorrow in the United Arab Emirates to be briefed on the talks.
Sources: Fox News, CNN, State Department interview transcript
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