Iran still a threat, Bush tells Israeli TV

An Iranian attack on Israel isn't imminent but Iran remains dangerous, U.S. President George Bush said in an interview with an Israeli TV station broadcast Saturday, days before Bush is slated to begin a Mideast visit.

A recent U.S. intelligence report positing that Iran suspended its nuclear weapons program in 2003 did not mean that Iran no longer poses a danger, because Iran can restart the program or use its civilian nuclear program for military purposes, Bush told Israel's Channel 2 TV.

Iran's president, Mahmoud Amadinejad, has said Israel should be "wiped off the map," and Israel sees Iran's nuclear program as an existential threat.

"If I were an Israeli, I would take the words of the Iranian president seriously, and as president of the United States I take them seriously," Bush said.

"Whether there's an imminent attack coming, I don't think so," Bush said.

If Iran did strike Israel, Bush said, "We will defend our ally, no ands, ifs or buts."

Bush is scheduled to begin his upcoming Mideast trip in Israel on Wednesday and will also visit the West Bank, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. There has been speculation that he will also visit Lebanon and Iraq, but the White House has not confirmed that. Link