October 22, 2007
Reuters
Caren Bohan
LEESBURG, Va. -- U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday described Iran as an obstacle to peace in the Middle East and said the world could not stand by and allow it to develop a nuclear weapon. Cheney's comments underscored a ratcheting up of U.S. rhetoric toward Tehran and came just days after President George W. Bush warned that a nuclear-armed Iran could lead to World War Three.
"The Iranian regime needs to know that if it stays on its present course, the international community is prepared to impose serious consequences," Cheney told a forum organized by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "The United States joins other nations in sending a clear message: We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon."
Cheney discussed Iran in a speech in which he emphasized the importance of continued U.S. engagement in the Middle East and said the United States seeks stability there but not the kind that "simply keeps a lid on" problems.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has recently returned from the Middle East where she has been trying to lay the groundwork for a conference on Middle East peace expected to take place in Annapolis, Maryland, in late November or early December.
Cheney spoke in only broad terms about the goals of the peace effort, saying the conference would aim to "provide diplomatic support" to parties seeking a deal on Palestinian statehood and review progress on building Palestinian institutions. On Iran, he repeated Washington's criticism that it was interfering in Iraq, in addition to citing concern about its nuclear program.
Iran rejects accusations it is seeking to develop a nuclear bomb, saying it wants nuclear technology for peaceful civilian purposes such as power generation, and has refused to heed U.N. Security Council demands to halt sensitive uranium enrichment.
Reuters
Caren Bohan
LEESBURG, Va. -- U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday described Iran as an obstacle to peace in the Middle East and said the world could not stand by and allow it to develop a nuclear weapon. Cheney's comments underscored a ratcheting up of U.S. rhetoric toward Tehran and came just days after President George W. Bush warned that a nuclear-armed Iran could lead to World War Three.
"The Iranian regime needs to know that if it stays on its present course, the international community is prepared to impose serious consequences," Cheney told a forum organized by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "The United States joins other nations in sending a clear message: We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon."
Cheney discussed Iran in a speech in which he emphasized the importance of continued U.S. engagement in the Middle East and said the United States seeks stability there but not the kind that "simply keeps a lid on" problems.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has recently returned from the Middle East where she has been trying to lay the groundwork for a conference on Middle East peace expected to take place in Annapolis, Maryland, in late November or early December.
Cheney spoke in only broad terms about the goals of the peace effort, saying the conference would aim to "provide diplomatic support" to parties seeking a deal on Palestinian statehood and review progress on building Palestinian institutions. On Iran, he repeated Washington's criticism that it was interfering in Iraq, in addition to citing concern about its nuclear program.
Iran rejects accusations it is seeking to develop a nuclear bomb, saying it wants nuclear technology for peaceful civilian purposes such as power generation, and has refused to heed U.N. Security Council demands to halt sensitive uranium enrichment.
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