Bush, Israel's Olmert turn up heat on Iran
Source: Reuters
(Adds quote in fifth paragraph, background) By Jeffrey Heller and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert turned up the heat on Iran over its nuclear program on Monday, despite growing pressure for Washington to reach out to Tehran to help stabilize Iraq. Bush, reasserting a central plank of his foreign policy after his party suffered heavy losses in U.S. elections, called for the "economic isolation" of Iran if it proceeds with uranium enrichment in defiance of international pressure. British Prime Minister Tony Blair was expected to call on Monday for Iran and Syria to back efforts to stop violence in Iraq as Washington and London consider changes in their strategy for the increasingly unpopular war. But after talks with Olmert, Bush expressed little enthusiasm for appealing to Iraq's neighbors, which the United States has accused of helping to fuel the Iraqi insurgency since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. Instead the two leaders had harsh words for Tehran. "I recognize the threat to world peace that ... the Iranians pose, as does the (Israeli) prime minister," Bush told reporters. Accusing Iran of "fanaticism and extremism," Olmert voiced support for U.S.-led efforts to impose U.N. sanctions on Iran and said Tehran must not be allowed to "cross the technological threshold" to develop a nuclear bomb. Israel, widely believed to be the only country in the Middle East to have atomic weapons, fears that a nuclear Iran would threaten its existence. Iran has insisted it only wants nuclear know-how for civilian power purposes. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for Israel's destruction. Olmert, on a visit to Washington to gauge post-election U.S. policy toward the Middle East, said on Monday that Israel was not looking for a confrontation with Iran. "I am not looking for wars," he said. "I'm looking for the outcome," he told NBC's Today Show, referring to international efforts to get Tehran to curb its nuclear program. NEW FOCUS FOR BUSH Monday's talks gave Bush a chance to shift focus after Republicans lost control of both houses of Congress in the Nov. 7 elections, widely seen as a repudiation of his Iraq policy. "It's very important for the world ... to say to the Iranians if you choose to continue to move forward you will be isolated," Bush said. "There has to be a consequence for their intransigence." Leading Democrats and some U.S. allies are calling on Washington to open dialogue with Iran. Bush has rejected direct talks until Tehran suspends uranium enrichment. Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking has been on hold since the militant Islamic group Hamas was voted into power in January. Olmert's visit came amid speculation in Israel that Bush, weakened by electoral losses, might try to cap his presidency with a fresh bid to resolve the conflict. U.S. peace efforts have failed to take off despite a pledge to re-engage after the Israel-Hezbollah war in July and August. Olmert said he was prepared for "serious dialogue" with moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas but the Hamas government must first renounce violence, recognize Israel and abide by existing peace accords. Hamas has refused. Palestinian officials said rival factions were close to agreeing on a new prime minister to replace Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas. Palestinians hope a new coalition cabinet will ease Western sanctions imposed on the Palestinian Authority.
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