BUSH SAYS WILL RAISE IRAN NUCLEAR ISSUE WITH HU

Tehran Times, Iran
April 18 2006

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President George W. Bush said on Tuesday he
will raise the issue of Iran’s nuclear program with China’s President
Hu Jintao later this week and refused to rule out nuclear retaliation
if diplomatic efforts fail.

Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful electricity
generation. Asked if his options included planning for a nuclear
strike, as some news reports have said, Bush replied: “All options
are on the table. We want to solve this issue diplomatically and we’re
working hard to do so.” Bush said the best way to deal with Iran was
through a united effort with countries “who recognize the danger of
Iran having a nuclear weapon.”

“I intend of course to bring the subject up of Iranian ambitions to
have a nuclear weapon with Hu Jintao this Thursday,” he told reporters
in the Rose Garden.

“We’ll continue to work diplomatically to get this problem solved.”

Azerbaijani leader to meet Bush on Iran

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will hold talks next week at the
White House with U.S. President George W. Bush on the impasse over
Iran’s nuclear program and other strategic issues in the Caspian
region, officials said on Tuesday.

The Azerbaijani leader will travel to Washington on Tuesday for an
official visit Wednesday and Thursday, Azeri presidential spokesman
Tair Tagizade said.

Aliyev will also meet other U.S. officials to discuss issues including
Iran, construction of oil and gas pipelines through Azerbaijan and
steps toward resolving Azerbaijan’s conflict with Armenia over the
enclave of Nagorno Karabakh, a diplomatic source in the president’s
office told AFP.