<<Tell me, who in the administration has said we should invade any of these countries? Be specific, GST.>> "Bolton: Military Action on Iran an Option
Fri Jun 20, 7:21 AM ET Add World - Reuters to My Yahoo!
LONDON (Reuters) - The United States reserves the right to take military action to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons, a leading member of President Bush (news - web sites)'s administration said on Friday.
Reuters Photo
"It has to be an option," John Bolton, under secretary of state for arms control and international security, told BBC radio when pressed on the issue.
But he stressed that it was one among an array of possibilities and relatively low down the agenda.
"The president has repeatedly said that all options are on the table, but that is not only not our preference it is far, far from our minds," Bolton said.
The United States has steadily ratcheted up the pressure on Iran, which with Russian help is building a nuclear power station, to abide by the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and sign a new protocol that would allow snap inspections.
Washington, which suspects that Tehran is trying to develop a secret nuclear arms program, insists the plant could be used to produce weapons-grade material.
Nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday criticized Iran's failure to comply with agreements designed to prevent the use of civilian nuclear resources to make atomic weapons.
But its statement fell short of the damning resolution Washington had hoped for. |
