Rice: World Must Not Tolerate Iranian Nuclear Weapons Bid
http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=D9CD46:2F72C9DUS secretary of state spoke as European foreign ministers were
preparing for new talks with Iranian officials on nuclear issue
Condoleezza Rice, speaks at American Israel Public Affairs Committee's
(AIPAC) policy conferenceSecretary of State Condoleezza Rice Monday
said the world must not tolerate any Iranian attempt to develop a
nuclear weapon. She spoke as European foreign ministers prepared for
new talks with Iranian officials on the nuclear issue.
The Bush administration has supported the European overture with Iran,
backing the effort by Britain, France, and Germany with U.S.
incentives to Iran to shelve suspect nuclear activities.
But as the so-called Euro 3 prepared for a key meeting Wednesday with
Iranian officials in Geneva, Ms. Rice took a hard line towards Iran,
telling the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC that a nuclear-armed Iran
would be intolerable.
"The United States has focused the world's attention on Iran's pursuit
of weapons of mass destruction," she said. "And along with our allies
we are working to gain full disclosure of Iran's efforts to obtain
nuclear weapons. The world must not tolerate any Iranian attempt to
develop a nuclear weapon, nor can it tolerate Iran's effort to subvert
democratic governments through terrorism."
The European initiative with Iran, which began two years ago, has
reached a critical juncture, with Iran threatening to re-start uranium
enrichment activity, which it suspended under an agreement last
November.
The European Union is offering Iran a free-trade accord and new
economic aid if it fully discloses its nuclear intentions, while the
Bush administration has said it would, among other things, drop its
opposition to Iran's bid to join the World Trade Organization in the
context of an agreement.
While Iran claims its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only,
the Bush administration has long maintained it has a covert weapons
component.
In her address to AIPAC, Ms. Rice said the pursuit of democracy is now
a central element of Bush administration policy in the Middle East,
and said even what she termed the unelected leaders in Tehran must
recognize the region is changing.
She said they must know that the energy of reform that is building
around them will one day inspire Iranians to demand their liberty and
rights, and said the United States stands with the people of Iran.
The AIPAC meeting is to be addressed Tuesday by Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon, while Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is
due to at the White House for talks Thursday.
Ms. Rice called the Sharon plan for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and
parts of the West Bank due to begin in August an unprecedented and
incredibly delicate opportunity to advance Middle East peace. She said
all parties need to work together to, as she put it, capitalize on
this precious moment.
"Israel must take no actions that prejudice a final settlement or
jeopardize the true viability of the Palestinian state, and Israel
must help to create the conditions for the emergence of that
democratic state," added Ms. Rice. "The Palestinian Authority must
advance democratic reform and it must dismantle all terrorist networks
in its society."
Ms. Rice said Arab countries must end anti-Israel incitement in their
media, cut off all support for terrorism and extremist education, and
establish normal relations with the Jewish state.