In a speech Monday, Bush warned Iran he would use military might to protect “our ally Israel”
“The threat from Iran is, of course, their stated objective to destroy our strong ally Israel. That’s a threat, a serious threat to world peace,” said the president after a speech defending the war in Iraq Monday, March 20,on its third anniversary.
“I made it clear, and I’ll make it clear again, that we will use military might to protect our ally Israel,” said Bush. On the atomic dispute, the US president said he hoped to solve this issue diplomatically with a “united message” to Tehran from Washington, London, Paris, Berlin as well as Russia and “hopefully” China. The message would be that “your desire to have a nuclear weapon is unacceptable.”
On the question of bilateral talks with Iran on Iraq, Bush stipulated the discussion must be limited to Iraq. He stressed US concerns about interference in “a democratic process that is evolving,” saying the talks will not decide Iran’s relations with a sovereign Iraq. “Ultimately, Iraq-Iran relations will be negotiated between the Iraqi government and the Iranian government.”
debkafile adds: President Bush’s reference to Iran’s interference in Iraq Monday – and in a speech he delivered on March 13 – followed a top-secret intelligence report on his desk which was first detailed exclusively in DEBKA-Net-Weekly 246 on March 17. The report revealed the infiltration of thousands of trained guerrilla suicide fighters from Iran into Iraq in the second half of February and early March. They are being held ready under cover to strike at US targets upon a signal from Tehran.
Their commander is Iranian Revolutionary Guards General Ismail Dukaiki, former chief of the Badr Force in the nineties in Iran. The Badr Force now operates in Iraq in the framework of the national security army under American command. Planted within this force is a large contingent loyal to Tehran and under its orders.