Post 169 above (by HH) more important.
A few days back, came across this headline in msn.in -
Bush's picture with this title next to it: <b>'Stop Iran or get set for WW III'</b>
Couldn't be bothered looking into it then. But found somethings referring to the incident:
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22609794-15084,00.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->October 19, 2007
<b>'World War III' if Iran nuclear-armed - Bush</b>
George W. Bush raised the spectre of "World War III" if Iran was able to possess nuclear weapons in the latest instalment of a cold war of words between Washington and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While Mr Bush said he still believed Mr Putin wanted to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, he also left no doubt he wanted further clarification from his Russian counterpart.
The front pages of US newspapers splashed photographs of Mr Putin with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad together in Tehran, where a clear signal was sent to the US that any military action in Iran would not be tolerated.
Within hours, Mr Bush was fronting the press having woken "with a lot on his mind", according to staffers.
"We've got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel," Mr Bush said. "If Iran had a nuclear weapon, it'd be a dangerous threat to world peace.
"So I told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon."
Washington said it was pursuing a diplomatic solution in Iran, but also refused to take a military option off the table.
But Mr Putin warned yesterday against any military action in Iran. "We should not even think of making use of force," he said.
Mr Bush was quizzed at the press conference about the fact that Mr Putin and Mr Ahmadinejad shook hands and smiled and appeared to get along.
Mr Bush said it was not a surprise that two leaders were photographed in a "pretty picture" but he added he was "looking forward to getting President Putin's read-out from the meeting".
"The thing I'm interested in is whether or not he continues to harbour the same concerns that I do," Mr Bush said. "And I say 'continues' because when we were in Australia (for the APEC meetings last month) he reconfirmed to me that he recognised it's not in the world's interest for Iran to have the capacity to make a nuclear weapon."
Last week, Mr Putin said after talks in Moscow with French President Nicolas Sarkozy that Russia had no information that Iran was trying to make a nuclear bomb.
Mr Sarkozy said the two countries might "not have quite the same analysis of the situation".
"I look forward to having him clarify those (comments)," Mr Bush said.
Proposed new UN sanctions, pressed in particular by the US and France, have so far been blocked by Russia, which holds a veto on the Security Council and favours continued dialogue with Tehran.
France has argued that aggressive moves towards multilateral sanctions against Iran are the best way to avoid military action against Iran.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Incident is also referred to in the following, where the equally-confused Obama gives his confused alter-take. They're both wrong in their own way:
firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/10/18/418954.aspx
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Obama warns of âdrums of warâ</b>
Posted: Thursday, October 18, 2007 5:41 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Categories: 2008, Barack Obama
From NBC/NJâs Aswini Anburajan
RENO, Nev. -- On the heels of President Bushâs reference to World War III with Iran in a press conference yesterday, Obama told the crowd of about 2,000 people here, âWe now hear the drums of war beating again.â
Obama placed much of the blame for Bushâs comments on the shoulders of Congress and blasted legislators who voted for the Kyl-Lieberman amendment on Iran saying they are repeating the mistake they made five years ago with the vote to authorize war in Iraq.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Apparently MSN.in's title had a more sensationalist take on what Bush meant. MSN.in implied he threatened with WWIII if Iran wasn't "stopped". However, it seems Bush meant to say that WWIII would somehow 'just happen' if Iran went nuclear?
But then, perhaps Bush means for us to read this incident the way Iraq played out - where Bush threatened his country with "Iraq has WMD and could destroy us" and therefore went to war in Iraq. In short, it could mean Bush is just declaring WWIII (if Iran gets its atomic toy) and the MSN.in title was apt in a roundabout sorta way...
thinkprogress.org/2007/10/17/bush-warns-of-world-war-iii-with-iran/
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Bush warns of World War III with Iran.</b>
Asked about Iranâs nuclear ambitions at his press conference today, President Bush warned for the first time in public of the risk of âWorld War IIIâ if Iran gets nuclear weapons. âIâve told people that if youâre interested in avoiding World War III,â said the President. âIt seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon.â TPM has the video and Matthew Yglesias parses Bushâs words. October 17, 2007 4:20 pm | Comment (122)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Some of the comments I read on that page are funny, and I agree with the incisive comment 108:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Iâm a helluva lot more scared of George Bush than I am of Iran.
Comment by Willy â October 18, 2007 @ 1:02 am<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->No kidding.
Here's hoping the USA emerges unscathed (in terms of loss of life) <i>but also</i> neutered of superpower status from this "WWIII" Bush has been envisioning/hoping/planning.
A few days back, came across this headline in msn.in -
Bush's picture with this title next to it: <b>'Stop Iran or get set for WW III'</b>
Couldn't be bothered looking into it then. But found somethings referring to the incident:
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22609794-15084,00.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->October 19, 2007
<b>'World War III' if Iran nuclear-armed - Bush</b>
George W. Bush raised the spectre of "World War III" if Iran was able to possess nuclear weapons in the latest instalment of a cold war of words between Washington and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While Mr Bush said he still believed Mr Putin wanted to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, he also left no doubt he wanted further clarification from his Russian counterpart.
The front pages of US newspapers splashed photographs of Mr Putin with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad together in Tehran, where a clear signal was sent to the US that any military action in Iran would not be tolerated.
Within hours, Mr Bush was fronting the press having woken "with a lot on his mind", according to staffers.
"We've got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel," Mr Bush said. "If Iran had a nuclear weapon, it'd be a dangerous threat to world peace.
"So I told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon."
Washington said it was pursuing a diplomatic solution in Iran, but also refused to take a military option off the table.
But Mr Putin warned yesterday against any military action in Iran. "We should not even think of making use of force," he said.
Mr Bush was quizzed at the press conference about the fact that Mr Putin and Mr Ahmadinejad shook hands and smiled and appeared to get along.
Mr Bush said it was not a surprise that two leaders were photographed in a "pretty picture" but he added he was "looking forward to getting President Putin's read-out from the meeting".
"The thing I'm interested in is whether or not he continues to harbour the same concerns that I do," Mr Bush said. "And I say 'continues' because when we were in Australia (for the APEC meetings last month) he reconfirmed to me that he recognised it's not in the world's interest for Iran to have the capacity to make a nuclear weapon."
Last week, Mr Putin said after talks in Moscow with French President Nicolas Sarkozy that Russia had no information that Iran was trying to make a nuclear bomb.
Mr Sarkozy said the two countries might "not have quite the same analysis of the situation".
"I look forward to having him clarify those (comments)," Mr Bush said.
Proposed new UN sanctions, pressed in particular by the US and France, have so far been blocked by Russia, which holds a veto on the Security Council and favours continued dialogue with Tehran.
France has argued that aggressive moves towards multilateral sanctions against Iran are the best way to avoid military action against Iran.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Incident is also referred to in the following, where the equally-confused Obama gives his confused alter-take. They're both wrong in their own way:
firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/10/18/418954.aspx
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Obama warns of âdrums of warâ</b>
Posted: Thursday, October 18, 2007 5:41 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Categories: 2008, Barack Obama
From NBC/NJâs Aswini Anburajan
RENO, Nev. -- On the heels of President Bushâs reference to World War III with Iran in a press conference yesterday, Obama told the crowd of about 2,000 people here, âWe now hear the drums of war beating again.â
Obama placed much of the blame for Bushâs comments on the shoulders of Congress and blasted legislators who voted for the Kyl-Lieberman amendment on Iran saying they are repeating the mistake they made five years ago with the vote to authorize war in Iraq.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Apparently MSN.in's title had a more sensationalist take on what Bush meant. MSN.in implied he threatened with WWIII if Iran wasn't "stopped". However, it seems Bush meant to say that WWIII would somehow 'just happen' if Iran went nuclear?
But then, perhaps Bush means for us to read this incident the way Iraq played out - where Bush threatened his country with "Iraq has WMD and could destroy us" and therefore went to war in Iraq. In short, it could mean Bush is just declaring WWIII (if Iran gets its atomic toy) and the MSN.in title was apt in a roundabout sorta way...
thinkprogress.org/2007/10/17/bush-warns-of-world-war-iii-with-iran/
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Bush warns of World War III with Iran.</b>
Asked about Iranâs nuclear ambitions at his press conference today, President Bush warned for the first time in public of the risk of âWorld War IIIâ if Iran gets nuclear weapons. âIâve told people that if youâre interested in avoiding World War III,â said the President. âIt seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon.â TPM has the video and Matthew Yglesias parses Bushâs words. October 17, 2007 4:20 pm | Comment (122)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Some of the comments I read on that page are funny, and I agree with the incisive comment 108:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Iâm a helluva lot more scared of George Bush than I am of Iran.
Comment by Willy â October 18, 2007 @ 1:02 am<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->No kidding.
Here's hoping the USA emerges unscathed (in terms of loss of life) <i>but also</i> neutered of superpower status from this "WWIII" Bush has been envisioning/hoping/planning.