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U.S. President George W. Bush and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad(Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The United States, which warned time and again to impose sanctions against Iran, has

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softened its tone on Iran's nuclear program, the Washington Post said on Wednesday.

    Slowly but surely, the White House has muddied what was once clear lines in pursuit of diplomacy, the newspaper said.

    As recently as a month ago, U.S. President George W. Bush and his administration firmly demanded that Iran first suspend its nuclear activities before the U.S. would join negotiations on the nuclear program, "but now U.S. officials have quietly acquiesced in a European-led effort to find a face-saving way for the talks to begin," the article said.

    "With allies balking, negotiations appear more likely than punishment," the article said. Bush, in his speech on Tuesday to the UN General Assembly, "used notably mild language when he disucssed Iran, suggesting that the two countries one day will 'be good friends and close partners in the cause of peace.'"

    Referring Bush's latest speech that U.S. officials "have no objection to Iran's pursuit of a truly peaceful nuclear power program," the article said "this is a reversal from the policy in the first term, when U.S. officials loudly proclaimed that a country with such vast oil and gas reserves has no need for a nuclear program."

    Under pressure from Europeans, the Bush administration dropped that argument late last year, the article said. Enditem

Ahmadinejad defends Iran's nuclear program 2006-09-20 14:22:02

    UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday defended Iran's nuclear activities, criticized Washington's Middle East policy and called for the reform of the United Nations.

Ahmadinejad rebukes U.S. Middle East policy 2006-09-20 10:31:50

    UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad criticized on Tuesday the United States for its Middle East policy.

Iran calls for radical reform of structure, working methods of UN Security Council 2006-09-20 10:27:27

    UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush said on Tuesday that Iran must abandon what he called its "nuclear weapons ambitions" in his speech at the 61st session of the UN General Assembly.

Iran: nuclear program is peaceful 2006-09-20 09:19:38

    UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush said on Tuesday that Iran must abandon what he called its "nuclear weapons ambitions" in his speech at the 61st session of the UN General Assembly.

Bush demands Iran abandon its nuclear weapons ambition   2006-09-20 03:13:39

    UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush said on Tuesday that Iran must abandon what he called its "nuclear weapons ambitions" in his speech at the 61st session of the UN General Assembly.

    Speaking at the start of the general debate, Bush said that the United Nations has passed a clear resolution requiring that Iran meet its international obligation, and Iran must abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions.

Bush defends Mideast policy in address to general debate 2006-09-20 02:35:23

    UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush, in his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, said the propaganda by the extremists that the West is launching a war against Islam is wrong, and vowed to support democratic leaders and moderate reformers across the Middle East.

Bush denies West launching war against Islam  2006-09-20 00:57:15

    UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush, in his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, said the propaganda that the West is launching a war against Islam is wrong.