[Media-watch] 'America could back Israel attack on Iran' [Bush] - Telegraph - 18/02/2005

[Julie-ann Davies]

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'America would back Israel attack on Iran'
By Francis Harris in Washington
(Filed: 18/02/2005)

President George W Bush added a new twist to the international tension over 
Iran's nuclear programme last night by pledging to support Israel if it 
tries to destroy the Islamic regime's capacity to make an atomic bomb.

Asked whether he would back Israel if it raided Teheran's nuclear 
facilities, Mr Bush first expressed cautious solidarity with European 
efforts, led by Britain, France and Germany, to negotiate with Iran.

But he quickly qualified himself, adding that all nations should be 
concerned about whether Iran could make nuclear weapons.

"Clearly, if I was the leader of Israel and I'd listened to some of the 
statements by the Iranian ayatollahs that regarded the security of my 
country, I'd be concerned about Iran having a nuclear weapon as well. And in 
that Israel is our ally, and in that we've made a very strong commitment to 
support Israel, we will support Israel if her security is threatened."

His comments appeared to be a departure from the administration's line that 
there are no plans to attack at present and that Washington backs European 
diplomatic efforts. The remarks may have reflected Mr Bush's personal 
thinking on an issue causing deep concern in Washington.

Moments later, Mr Bush was asked another question on Iran and appeared to 
return to his script - this time emphasising the need for a diplomatic 
effort.

Speaking days before he arrives in Europe on a tour designed to mend fences 
with estranged allies, he underscored the differences still hobbling western 
policy towards the Middle East.

Many figures close to the United States administration believe that the 
European diplomatic initiative is calculated more to dilute America's 
hardline approach to weapons of mass destruction than to stop Iran's mullahs 
building a bomb.

Israel, meanwhile, has given warning about Iran's nuclear ambitions, saying 
that an Iranian bomb might be only six months away and that such a weapon 
would pose a grave risk to its security. Mr Bush repeated the reasons for 
America's anxiety: "Remember, this all started when we found [Iran] 
enriching uranium in an undeclared fashion, and it happened because somebody 
told on them."

Iran's long march towards becoming a nuclear power appeared to make a 
significant step forward yesterday with the opening of a £450 million 
reactor at Bushehr.

A senior Russian nuclear official said he would go to Iran next week to sign 
a protocol agreeing the return of spent nuclear fuel, the last remaining 
obstacle to Bushehr's functioning. This will allow deliveries of Russian 
nuclear fuel.

The protocol's signing has been repeatedly delayed. It aims to ease concerns 
that Iran could reprocess spent nuclear fuel from Bushehr to extract 
plutonium, which could be used in nuclear weapons.

Iran's influential former president, Hashemi Rafsanjani, speaking yesterday 
after meeting the Syrian prime minister, Mohammad Naji al-Otari, said his 
country needed to create a powerful alliance with Syria, Iraq and other Arab 
countries.

Mr Rafsanjani, widely expected to run in Iran's June presidential elections, 
said the region must "stay completely vigilant vis-a-vis the US and Israeli 
plots".

America has this week stepped up its rhetoric against Syria following 
Monday's murder of the former Lebanese premier, Rafik al-Hariri. Pro-Syrian 
elements have been widely accused of involvement.

Mr Bush called on Syria yesterday to obey a UN resolution demanding that it 
remove its troops from Lebanon and restore the country's independence.

He said: "We've recalled our ambassador [from Damascus], which indicates the 
relationship is not moving forward; that Syria is out of step with the 
progress being made in the greater Middle East."