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U.S. not waging a war on Islam: Bush
| Tells Iranians ``your rulers have chosen to deny you liberty... and pursue n-weapons'' |
APPEAL TO MUSLIMS: United States President George W. Bush addresses the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
UNITED NATIONS: U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday appealed directly to Muslims to assure them that the United States was not waging a war with Islam, as he laid out a vision for peace in the Middle East before sceptical world leaders at the United Nations.
On the sidelines, Mr. Bush pressed Iran to return at once to international talks on its nuclear programme and threatened consequences if they do not.
But his speech to the United Nations General Assembly was less confrontational and aimed at building bridges with people in the Middle East angry with the United States.
``My country desires peace,'' Mr. Bush told world leaders in the cavernous main hall at the U.N. ``Extremists in your midst spread propaganda claiming that the West is engaged in a war against Islam. This propaganda is false and its purpose is to confuse you and justify acts of terror. We respect Islam.''
Addressing Iraqis specifically, he said, ``We will not abandon you in your struggle to build a free nation.''
Mr. Bush said Iran ``must abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions.'' Appealing to Iranians, he said their country's future has been clouded because ``your rulers have chosen to deny you liberty and to use your nation's resources to fund terrorism and fuel extremism and pursue nuclear weapons.''
Iran's defiant pursuit of a nuclear programme was at the top of the agenda when Mr. Bush met earlier with French President Jacques Chirac at the Waldorf Astoria hotel where the U.S. delegation is staying.
The French leader is balking at the U.S. drive to sanction Iran for defying Security Council demands that it freeze uranium enrichment.
``Should they continue to stall,'' Mr. Bush said of Iranian leaders, ``we will then discuss the consequences of their stalling.'' The President, speaking after his meeting with Mr. Chirac, said those consequences would include the possibility of sanctions.
Mr. Chirac proposed on Monday that the international community compromise by suspending the threat of sanctions if Tehran agrees to halt its uranium enrichment program and return to negotiations. The U.S. and other countries fear Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists its uranium enrichment program is to make fuel for nuclear power plants.
Mr. Bush said that Iran must first suspend uranium enrichment ``in which case the U.S. will come to the table.''
But he also stressed that he and Mr. Chirac ``share the same objective and we're going to continue to strategise together.''
``Time is of the essence,'' the President said. ``Now is the time for the Iranians to come to the table.''
Both Mr. Bush and Mr. Chirac stressed they are working together, and the French President said twice that they see ``eye to eye.''
Mr. Chirac also said the European Union would not negotiate with Iran until it suspends uranium enrichment.
``We cannot have negotiations if we do not have on one hand prior suspension,'' he said. — AP
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