GEORGE Bush and Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday told Tehran to stop enriching uranium and scolded Damascus for backing terrorism that destabilises the Middle East.
The US president, standing with his French counterpart at a news conference in Paris, said he was disappointed that Iranian leaders had yesterday rejected "out of hand" a package of incentives offered as long as it halted its uranium enrichment
programme.
He said an Iran with a nuclear weapon would threaten world peace. Sarkozy chimed in, saying it would be "totally unacceptable". The French leader said the only solution was a "faultless, seamless" regime of sanctions against Iran.
Assessments vary widely, but it is presumed Tehran will have enough fissile material for a weapon within a few years.
A US intelligence report in December said Iran once had an active warhead programme, but shelved it in 2003. But the administration argues that the continuing enrichment means the military programme could be restarted at any time.
Bush also issued a warning to the Syrian president, Bashar Assad, saying the Syrians should stop working with Iran to destabilise the Middle East.
"My message would be 'Stop fooling around with the Iranians and stop harbouring terrorists'," Bush said.
In a statement issued by the French presidential palace, the US and France sought to dispel signs that they have diverging thoughts on Syria.
They called on Syria and Lebanon to establish quickly full diplomatic relations – a signal that the countries hope Damascus will reduce its interference in domestic Lebanese affairs.
Bush said Syria should serve as a constructive force in the Middle East to help advance a Palestinian state and make it clear to the Islamic militant group Hamas that "their terror should stop for the sake of peace". Sarkozy warned Syria against standing with Iran on the nuclear standoff and other issues.
The French president said he and Bush agreed about the need to guarantee Lebanon's independence.
Sarkozy sought to play down a growing controversy about an invitation extended to Assad – among other Arab leaders – to France's Bastille Day military parade next month, and plans to include Syria in a new Union for the Mediterranean that Sarkozy has championed.
European Union diplomat Javier Solana presented a modified package of economic, technological and political incentives to Iranian leaders yesterday on behalf of the US, Germany, Britain, France, Russia and China. Iran immediately rejected the deal because it requires suspending uranium enrichment.
"I'm disappointed that the leaders rejected this generous offer out of hand," Bush said. "It's an indication to the Iranian people that their leadership is willing to isolate them further. Our view is we want the Iranian people to flourish and to benefit."
Bush's national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, said last week that such a rejection would trigger the international community to "get much more aggressive" about enforcing the United Nations' penalties and taking other steps to squeeze Iran's vast international business and banking relationships.
Bush thanked France for agreeing to send at least 700 more troops to Afghanistan. He also brushed off criticism that a long-term security deal between the US and Iraq was faltering. "If I were a betting man, we'll reach an agreement with the Iraqis," Bush said.
His upbeat assessment came as prime minister Nouri al-Maliki declared that talks with the US were deadlocked. Sunni and Shiite preachers have spoken out against enabling American troops to remain in Iraq after the end of the year.
The full article contains 581 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
