President George W. Bush says the recent fighting in Lebanon and the continuing violence in Iraq make it "clearer than ever that the world now faces a grave threat from the radical regime in Iran":
"The Iranian regime arms, funds, and advises Hezbollah, which has killed more Americans than any terrorist network except al Qaeda. The Iranian regime interferes in Iraq by sponsoring terrorists and insurgents, empowering unlawful militias, and supplying components for improvised explosive devices. The Iranian regime denies basic human rights to millions of its people. And the Iranian regime is pursuing nuclear weapons in open defiance of its international obligations."
Given the death and suffering that Iran's sponsorship of terrorists has brought, says President Bush, "we can imagine how much worse it would be if Iran were allowed to acquire nuclear weapons":
"Many nations are working together to solve this problem. The United Nations passed a resolution demanding that Iran suspend its nuclear enrichment activities. . . .If Iran's leaders. . . .abandon their nuclear weapons ambitions, they can set their country on a better course. Yet, so far, the Iranian regime has responded with further defiance and delay. It is time for Iran to make a choice."
The United States, says Mr. Bush, will continue to work closely with its allies to find a diplomatic solution to the threat posed by Iran's nuclear program. "But there must be consequences for Iran's defiance," he says. Iran, says President Bush, must not be permitted to develop a nuclear weapon.
The preceding was an editorial reflecting the views of the United States Government.
