Julie Stahl, CNSNews.com
Monday, Sept. 13, 2004

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  Members will discuss what action to take against Iran, which Washington believes is using the development of a civilian nuclear program to hide its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction.

The U.S. has been pressing for the issue to be brought before the United Nations Security Council. But until now, three European nations - Britain, France and Germany - favored diplomatic pressure as a means of persuading Iran to conform.

"It's been the view of the United States for well over a year that we should take the Iranian nuclear weapons program to the Security Council," Bolton said. "It does amount to a threat of international peace and security, and we need to put Iran squarely in the center of the international spotlight to explain what it's up to."

Bolton said he believed what he called the "tactical" gap had narrowed between the U.S. and European nations on how to deal with the issue, and he hoped that it would be resolved this week.

He said Iran could still turn around as Libya did and avoid sanctions. "That's why this matter lies in Iran's hands."

He added, "President Bush is determined to try and find a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the problem of Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons, but we're determined they're not going to achieve a nuclear weapons' capability."

Israel also wants to see the issue referred to the United Nations.

Over the last month, Iranian officials, who openly call for the destruction of Israel, threatened to retaliate if Israel hits its nuclear reactor.

In 1981, the Israeli Air Force bombed an Iraqi nuclear reactor shortly before it was scheduled to go online.

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