11/22/2004
CARTAGENA,
Colombia — President Bush said Monday that he hopes Iran's claim that
it has suspended uranium enrichment and has no nuclear weapons
ambitions is true, but "there must be verification."
Iran must "earn the trust of those of us who are
worried about them developing a nuclear weapon," Bush said at a seaside
news conference during a four-hour visit with Colombian President
Alvaro Uribe.
Earlier Monday, Iran announced it has suspended
uranium enrichment. The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said
he believed Iran had stopped its enrichment activities the central part
of an agreement with Europe designed to head off possible U.N.
sanctions.
"Let's say I hope it's true," Bush said. But, he
added, "I think the definition of truth is the willingness of the
Iranian regime to allow for verification."
Iranian leaders "have said some things in the past,
and it's very important for them to verify" that Tehran is not
attempting to acquire nuclear weapons, Bush said.
He said that it wasn't just the United States that
was concerned. "France, Great Britain and Germany and other nations
around the world understand the dangers of the Iranian government
having a nuclear weapon."
"It looks like there is some progress," Bush said. "But to determine whether the progress is real, there must be verification."
The United States had sought to refer Iran to the
U.N. Security Council, a step that could lead to sanctions. However, if
the International Atomic Energy Agency rules that Iran is honoring its
commitment to suspend enrichment, it would blunt any call for sanctions.
Bush's comments on verification echoed the late
President Reagan's famous "trust but verify" insistence to Soviet
leaders on the subject of enforcing nuclear-arms reduction agreements.
