U.S. releases national security strategy report

US highlights Iran as principal threat, reaffirming pre-emptive action

    BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhuanet)-- Highlighting Iran as the principal threat in the latest four-yearly National Security Strategy (NSS), US President George W. Bush reaffirmed Thursday his doctrine of pre-emptive action to deal with threats to national security.  Special Report: Crisis in Iran

    WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. President George W. Bush claimed on Thursday that Iran could pose the greatest challenge to the United States and reaffirmed his strike-first policy.

    In a 49-page national security strategy report, Bush reiterated the preemptive policy he first outlined in 2002, although diplomacy is still the U.S. preference in halting the spread of nuclear and other heinous weapons, he said.

U.S. says it must retain option of preemption

    WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhuanet) -- The United States must retain the option of launching preemptive military strikes in the face of all kinds of risks and uncertainties in the aftermath of the Sept.11, 2001 terror attacks, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday.

    "The doctrine of preemption which we have talked about reflects simply the fact that we can not stand by while threats accumulate and grow," Stephen Hadley, President George W. Bush's national security adviser, said at a briefing about the newly-released U.S. National Security Strategy.

Bush reaffirms strike-first policy

    WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. President George W. Bush on Thursday released second national security strategy report, claiming that Iran may pose the greatest challenge to the United States and reaffirming strike-first policy.

    In the 49-page report, Bush reiterated pre-emptive policy he first outlined in 2002. He said that diplomacy is the U.S. preference in halting the spread of nuclear and other heinous weapons.

Bush: Diplomacy prevails to avoid confrontation with Iran

    WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhuanet) -- International diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear program must succeed to avoid confrontation, U.S. President George W. Bush said in a national security report Thursday.

    "We may face no greater challenge from a single country than from Iran," Bush said in the document.