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13
Nov
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by Mirth
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OLMERT ‘NOT LOOKING FOR WARS’
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert brought his concerns over IranA-s nuclear threat to the White House on Monday and offered assurances he was not looking for a confrontation with Tehran. “I am not looking for wars,” he declared in advance of his meeting with President Bush .
“This is not an issue of Israel only,” Olmert said of IranA-s nuclear efforts, which Israel and the United States say is aimed at building nuclear weapons. “This is a moral issue of the whole world.”
The meeting was the second Olmert had with Bush since the prime minister took over for the ailing Ariel Sharon. Palestinian gestures toward peacemaking with Israel was also a key topic on their agenda.
OLMERT HINTS AT POSSIBLE MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAN
President George W. Bush called Monday for worldwide isolation of Iran until it “gives up its nuclear ambitions.”
The risk to the world extends beyond Israel and the Middle East, Bush said in White House remarks to reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for an hour.
The United States and Israel say they believe Iran is working on nuclear weapons, though Iran says its work on the technology is aimed only at producing energy.
“Iran’s nuclear ambitions are not in the world’s interest,” Bush said. “If Iran had nuclear weapons it would be terribly destabilizing.”
“If they continue to move forward with the program, there has to be a consequence,” Bush said. “And a good place to start is working together to isolate the country. And my hope is, is that there are rational people inside the government that recognize isolation is not in their country’s interest…”
…In the interview, Olmert compared Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Adolf Hitler and said “he has to be stopped.”
“My position is clear,” the prime minister said regarding Iran. “If there can be a compromise that will stop Iran short of crossing the technological threshold that will lead them into nuclear capabilities, we will be for such a compromise.”
“But I don’t believe that Iran will accept such compromise unless they have a very good reason to fear the consequences of not reaching it,” explained Olmert. “In other words, Iran must start to fear.”
When asked what he thought could be done about Iran, Olmert said, “I can think of many different measures. The guideline has to be that this government and the people of Iran must understand that if they do not accept the request of the international community, they’re going to pay dearly.”
h/t Fat Boy Slim
*thumbs up*
Hey, what about Russell’s Steak...
