- The Bush administration on Tuesday defended its strategy
of pre-emptive action against Iraq - even while admitting that US intelligence
had been imperfect - and warned that the US was ready to use all options
against five other "rogue states".
-
- John Bolton, under-secretary of state for arms control
and international security, singled out Iran, North Korea, Syria, Libya
and Cuba as being "hostile to US interests" during a speech in
Washington.
-
- Mr Bolton, known as a hardliner, also cautioned negotiating
partners in Asia and Europe that the US remained sceptical over efforts
to induce North Korea and Iran to abide by nuclear safeguard commitments,
amid reluctance to take firmer action.
-
- Focusing on Iran and North Korea, the remaining members
of what President George W. Bush has dubbed the "axis of evil",
Mr Bolton questioned Tehran's commitment to the agreement it reached last
month with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
-
- Hassan Rohani, an Iranian official who negotiated Iran's
acceptance of comprehensive UN inspections, made clear on Saturday that
Tehran intended to resume its uranium enrichment programme. He said Iran
would provide its own fuel for at least one of the eight reactors it intended
to build.
-
- A resolution passed by the IAEA last week - a compromise
between European carrots and the US stick - "requests" Iran to
adhere to its voluntary suspension of all enrichment and reprocessing activities,
two routes that can lead to building a nuclear weapon.
-
- A senior Iranian official told the Financial Times that
hardline clerics had warned they would pull out of its commitments to the
IAEA if Iran was not allowed to pursue uranium enrichment, under supervision,
as entitled to do so under international agreements.
-
- Mr Bolton expressed doubt over Pyongyang's readiness
to resume six-party talks in Beijing this month. He defended Japan's insistence
that it raise the issue of its abducted citizens at the talks and said
attempts by North Korea to delay the negotiations "should be rejected".
In general, he said, the US would pursue diplomatic solutions when possible,
while also deploying more robust methods such as the interdiction and seizure
of illicit goods.
-
- "If rogue states are not willing to follow the logic
of non-proliferation norms, they must be prepared to face the logic of
adverse consequences," Mr Bolton said. "It is why we repeatedly
caution that no option is off the table."
-
- He acknowledged that US intelligence over covert weapons
of mass destruction programmes was "not perfect", and noted that
no such weapons had yet been found in Iraq. Still, he insisted the US invasion
was justified.
-
- © Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2003.
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