U.S. and EU Demand Iran Keep Word on Nukes

26/06/2003| IslamWeb

The U.S. president George Bush and European leaders stood united Wednesday in demanding that Iran abandon any nuclear weapons ambitions. "Iran must comply" or face consequences, Bush said. "If the world speaks together, they'll comply," the president told a joint news conference. Bush and leaders of the European Union said Tehran must agree to new requirements by international nuclear weapons inspectors. Seeking to ease their own strains over the Iraq war, Bush and the EU leaders also announced new agreements to combat terrorism, including sharing information, freezing assets of terror groups and speeding up extradition of terror suspects. "If we fail to unite, every problem may become a crisis and every enemy a gigantic monster," said European Commission President Romano Prodi. He shared an East Room platform with Bush and Greek Prime Minister Constantine Simitis, whose country holds the current European Union presidency. Bush said he and the European leaders agreed to monitor the nuclear programs of North Korea and Iran. Iran must cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Bush said. The agency has called on Iran to give inspectors more access to its nuclear programs. The United States has accused Iran of trying to build an atomic bomb - an allegation Tehran denies. Iran says its nuclear operations are meant to provide electricity, particularly after oil reserves run dry. "Iran has pledged not to develop nuclear weapons, and the entire international community must hold that regime to its commitments," Bush said. When a reporter pressed him on what would happen if Iran didn't comply, Bush said: "You're assuming they won't. We believe they will when the free world comes together." "And if they don't, we'll deal with that when they don't," Bush added. Bush had said last week that "we will not tolerate" a nuclear-armed Iran. Prodi, the European Commission chairman, said Iran's nuclear program was "discussed deeply" at the White House sessions. "We push that they accept all the inspections ... planned inspections, because we have to be sure that doesn't constitute a danger to future peace," Prodi said. "We have to be absolutely sure." Simitis, the Greek prime minister, said later at a separate news conference that in the White House meetings "there was no discussion about force" against Iran. He said he had talked to Iran's president, Mohammad Khatami, a few days ago and "said to him that what we want is transparency, and he agreed." Despite the theme of unity, some U.S.-European divisions remain. Bush made little headway, for instance, in pressing again for Europe to open its markets to genetically modified food. He also appealed to European leaders to end all financial support for the Palestinian militant group Hamas and other "terror groups." While the European Union has agreed to freeze assets of most of the militant groups and individuals targeted by the United States, there are some notable exceptions - Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the "political wing" of Hamas. "In order for there to be peace in the Middle East, we must see organizations such as Hamas dismantled," Bush said. He reacted skeptically to reports of an agreement by Palestinian militant groups to halt attacks on Israelis. "I'll believe it when I see it," he said. At the Justice Department, Attorney General John Ashcroft and the Greek Minister of Justice, Philippos Petsalnikos, signed expanded extradition and mutual legal assistance agreements between the United States and the EU. The treaties broaden the number of crimes to which extradition will apply and authorize such things as joint investigative teams, video testimony in court cases and sharing of information on suspect bank accounts. "These treaties focus not on our differences, but on our common values," Ashcroft said. The United States and the European Union also announced new agreements on open aviation, trade and research on hydrogen and energy. In a light moment, Prodi delivered a jab at Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for calling anti-war allies part of "old Europe." "Many people have said that Europe is too old. Maybe, but the old age helps us to understand our strengths and our weakness," Prodi said. Bush replied with a smile, "You're looking pretty young these days." **PHOTO CAPTION*** President Bush, left, and European Commission President Romano Prodi, right, participate in a joint press conference, Wednesday, June 25, 2003. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)