capesidefan

Bush says Iran will not get nuclear weapon

CRAWFORD, United States (AFP) - US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) says "all options are on the table" for making sure Iran dismantles its nuclear program, and that Washington will never let Tehran acquire atomic weapons.

"My hope is that we can solve this diplomatically," Bush said in a three-part interview with Fox News Channel's "O'Reilly Factor" program, excerpts of which were made public on Sunday.


"Let me try to solve it diplomatically first," said Bush. "All options are on the table, of course, in any situation. But diplomacy is the first option."


The Bush administration has charged that oil-rich Iran does not need a civilian nuclear program for energy and that Tehran is actually seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.


Asked whether the United States would let Iran develop that capability, Bush replied: "No, we've made it clear, our position is that they won't have a nuclear weapon."


"We are working our hearts out so that they don't develop a nuclear weapon, and the best way to do so is to continue to keep international pressure on them," the president said.


Iran appealed Sunday for a negotiated settlement to its standoff with the UN atomic energy watchdog but showed no inclination to abide by a resolution calling for an immediate halt to its sensitive nuclear activities.


"No negotiations with the Americans are on the agenda, but we call on the Europeans to discuss with us," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.


Iran is under threat of being hauled before the UN Security Council amid widespread suspicions it is seeking the capacity to develop nuclear weapons.


In a resolution passed on September 18, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called on Iran to halt its uranium enrichment-related activities, a part of the nuclear fuel cycle that can be directed to both energy and weapons purposes.

link to the article:
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...r_040926221905

Enigma, I.C.

Well, I guess now we know what Bush's next pet project is. The spin masters are compiling talking points and the ditto heads are doubtless starting their engines to repeat ad nauseam whatever they're told. What ever happened to North Korea?

capesidefan

sounds like its same old, same old.....

September 26, 2004 6:45 AM

Activity seen at North Korea missile bases

TOKYO (Reuters) - Engineers and vehicles carrying liquid fuel have been seen gathering at North Korean bases housing missiles capable
of striking most of Asia and parts of the United States, a Japanese newspaper says.

The reported activity at bases and other military sites in North Korea comes after media reports said last week the country might be
preparing to test-fire a missile.

Citing Japanese and U.S. government sources, the Yomiuri Shimbun said increased activity had been seen at bases designed to launch
Taepodong-2 missiles, which have with a range of between 3,500 km (2,175 miles) and 6,000 km, as well as Rodong missiles with a range of
about 1,300 km.

Rodong missiles are capable of reaching any part of Japan, the paper said. North Korea test-fired a missile over Japan in 1998.

North Korea has called recent reports of launch preparations "speculation", while South Korea's Foreign Minister, Ban Ki-Moon, said in an
interview the suspicious ground movements could reflect maintenance of missile sites rather than preparations for a test.

The latest information on North Korean military movements came from Japanese EP-3 electronic surveillance aircraft as well as U.S. and
Japanese reconnaissance satellites and monitoring of wireless communications, the paper said.

The paper said vehicles carrying liquid fuel were seen gathering at the bases, along with military personnel and engineers.

It was not clear whether the missiles were actually present at the launch bases, or whether the launch pads were in use, the paper quoted its
sources as saying. North Korea had not deployed military vessels to monitor the sea near landing areas or recover fired missiles.

"The chances of an actual Rodong missile launch are slim," the Yomiuri quoted an unidentified government official as saying. "We can't rule
out the possibility that the activity was just a large-scale military drill."

North Korean army, navy and air force units also appeared to be involved and their movements were observed across the country. Last
week's reports said activity was observed mainly in the country's east.

The Defence Agency heightened its alert level and stepped up information gathering and surveillance, the Yomiuri said.

North Korea is thought to have one or two nuclear devices and experts believe it has deployed as many as 200 Rodong missiles.

China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States are trying to persuade the North to ditch its suspected nuclear programmes in
exchange for security guarantees and energy aid.


Reuters link


second article from today
Signs N.Korea Preparing Missile Test a Worry-U.S.

Sun Sep 26, 8:17 AM ET Add World - Reuters to My Yahoo!


By Linda Sieg

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan (Reuters) - Signs that North Korea (news - web sites) is preparing to test a ballistic missile are of great concern, a U.S. commander said on Sunday, adding that the North could be on the verge of big missile technology breakthroughs.

The United States believes North Korea already has one or two nuclear weapons and it is known to have missiles that can reach parts of the United States, as well as most of Asia.


"We all remember that in 1998 they fired that missile that went across the northern part of Japan ... and landed out in the Pacific Ocean," U.S. Pacific Air Forces Commander General Paul V. Hester told reporters, referring to a North Korean missile test.


"So that is of great concern to this area of the Pacific, and ... it's of great concern to our friends in Japan," Hester said of indications the North was preparing a fresh test.


At talks in Beijing, Japan asked North Korea on Sunday to open bilateral security talks at an early date, a Japanese official was quoted as saying by Japan's Kyodo news agency.


The proposal was made in working-level talks on the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korean agents.


The Koreans said they would "take the proposal home for consideration," Kyodo quoted the Japanese official as saying.


Japanese and U.S. government sources have said in recent days there were signs North Korea, labeled part of an "axis of evil" by President Bush (news - web sites), was preparing to test a ballistic missile.


Engineers and vehicles carrying liquid fuel have been seen gathering at North Korean bases housing missiles capable of striking most of Asia and parts of the United States, Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said on Sunday.


Citing Japanese and U.S. government sources, the newspaper said increased activity had been seen at bases designed to launch Taepodong-2 missiles, which have with a range of between 3,500 km (2,175 miles) and 6,000 km, as well as Rodong missiles with a range of about 1,300 km.


Rodong missiles are capable of reaching any part of Japan, the paper said. North Korea is believed to have deployed as many as 200 of the missiles.


Japanese and South Korean authorities have played down the possibility that a launch was imminent and North Korea said the reports of launch preparations were "speculation."


REMARKABLE BREAKTHROUGHS


Hester told a small group of journalists at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo that North Korean missile technology was getting better all the time.


"I think that North Korea has continued to develop their own missile technologies and every year that goes by, I think there is an opportunity for remarkable breakthroughs," he said.


"More precision in guidance controls, maybe volume and quantity and number of missiles that might be available," he said of the possible breakthroughs.


Hester is a former commander of U.S. Forces Japan and was in Japan for ceremonies commemorating the 50th anniversary of Japan's post-World War II air force.





The Yomiuri newspaper said the latest information on North Korean military movements came from Japanese EP-3 electronic surveillance aircraft as well as U.S. and Japanese reconnaissance satellites and wireless communications monitoring.

It was not clear whether the missiles were actually present at the launch bases, or whether the launch pads were in use, Yomiuri quoted sources as saying. The paper quoted a Japanese official doubting a launch would be made.

"The chances of an actual Rodong missile launch are slim," the unidentified official said.

"We can't rule out the possibility that the activity was just a large-scale military drill."

North Korea said in its official Minju Chosun daily on Sunday it was closely watching what it called recent Japanese moves that revealed "ambition to become a military giant."

"The DPRK is watching the recent military moves of Japan with high vigilance and cannot but get fully ready to cope with them," said the newspaper, quoted by the North's KCNA news agency.

DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

China, Japan, Russia, South Korea (news - web sites) and the United States are trying to persuade the North to ditch its nuclear program in exchange for security guarantees and energy aid.

The latest in a series of six-way talks had been planned for this month, but North Korea said last month talks with the United States were pointless. Analysts have said Pyongyang might be stalling until after the U.S. election on November 2. (Additional reporting by Isabel Reynolds)


link to article

The Daywalker

Why not take over the world. I mean really. We own Mexico and Canada. Well, Mexico. Canada is scared of us. So we invade the Middle east. We've been over there alot lately. So Iran is next.

We don't wanna mess with Korea, we'd lose that fight.

*Ledi*

you wish you owned Canada

Maggie aka Sarah

Ledi: The way that I figure it... there are some Americans who would like to own Canada. But if the US took over Canada... being American they would have to give the Canadians the vote. And since even the most conservative right wing type Canadians consider social services like medicare to be a birth right... then most Canadians would vote for the Democrats... which would break the dead lock between the Republicans and the Democrats and there probably would never be a Republican government again.

Maggie

*Ledi*

while that would be totally awesome for everyone... I don't really want to be part of America. I don't have anything against it.. I actually like it, but I just like living in a peaceful country like Canada, you know? I said it before and I'm gonna say it again.. I'd be scared to live in America right now because of lots of reasons.

And also.. to stay on Topic.. [again] as I said on the other thread... there'll be other countries next on Bush's Hit List.

WalkingOnSunshine

Yea, damn America saving innocent people and taking out terrorism. Gosh, I am really scared to be an American. Please.

*Ledi*

I'm sure Bush really gives a crap about other countries. He doesn't care about his own people so I doubt he really cares about others either. But you can continue to believe that if you want. It's always nice living in denial sometimes.

And America will NEVER "take out" terrorism. Not in this way. Your government is actually making it worse. And where exactly are you taking out terrorism? In Iraq? Oh yeah, wrong country. Oops eh?

WalkingOnSunshine

I'm not living in a state of "denial". I believe in this President and his policies. I enjoyed the tax cut that I received since he has been in office. I feel safer knowing that we have a government that is trying to do everything to combat terrorism. And, in my opinion this President does care about Americans and those all over the world that are innoncent in the larger scheme of things. I just cannot stand to hear people speak of the US has though it is taking to overtake the world. It just gets old.

*Ledi*

Is it not what your government is trying to do? Hmm... could've fooled me.




And yeah as long as you and other wealthy people benifit from the tax cuts... then who the hell cares about the rest of the country, right?

Milt Palacio

-1,000+ innocent Americans have died
-thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens have died
-Over 140 innocent foreigners have been kidnapped in Iraq

And the situation is only getting worse. Iraq will not be a safe, stable country anytime in the forseeable future. How is Bush making the world any safer?

Tax cuts for the lower and middle class have been minimal. Sad thing is Americans are so easily satisfied with an extra $100 on their tax refund that they will overlook more important issues.

*Ledi*

I want to know too. Cause I've been thinking this whole time that Bush has made terrorism even worse than it has been, and more people hate America now.

Silly me though eh? Bush has surely made every country safer! Do not even argue that! Unless you're an Un-American!

Milt Palacio

Are you so heartless that you don't care about the millions of people that don't have health insurance, or have lost their jobs to low-wage foreign workers, or live below the poverty line, as long as you got a little extra on your tax refund?

Or that Bush has taken millions in contributions from the big drug companies and, in turn, has repeatedly signed legislation that will assure drug prescriptions and health insurance costs stay high?

mh67511

$400 extra per child is not minimal considerng most of the middle class is made up with families who have children. I know my parents got an extra $800 from that as well as a lower tax bracket. For a couple making $40K a year combined, an extra $800 plus a lower tax bracket was pretty substantial.