US President Bush said Thursday Iran may pose the greatest challenge to the United States and diplomacy to thwart its nuclear program must prevail to avoid confrontation. In a fresh national security report, the US president reaffirmed the pre-emptive policy he first outlined in 2002. Diplomacy is the U.S. preference in halting the spread of nuclear and other heinous weapons, Bush said.
"If necessary, however, under long-standing principles of self-defense, we do not rule out the use of force before attacks occur - even if uncertainty remains as to the time and place of the enemy's attack," Bush wrote.
"When the consequences of an attack with weapons of mass destruction are potentially so devastating, we cannot afford to stand idly by as grave dangers materialize. ... The place of pre-emption in our national security strategy remains the same."
Regarding Iraq, Bush wrote "When the Iraqi government, supported by the coalition, defeats the terrorists, terrorism will be dealt a critical blow."
In the report, Bush calls Syria a tyranny that harbors terrorists and sponsors "terrorist" activity. People living in nations such as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Iran, Syria, Cuba, Belarus, Burma, and Zimbabwe know firsthand the meaning of tyranny; it is the bleak reality they endure every day."...."Some states, such as Syria and Iran, continue to harbor terrorists at home and sponsor terrorist activity abroad," he added.
