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Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton argues Iran is close to achieving its goal of obtaining nuclear weapons.
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I return now for we'll have more -- -- John Bolton former us.
Ambassador to the United Nations and remind you that as we bring in at best people we may get some -- comments from.
President Obama here in the next few minutes that they played back his comments from the Oval Office.
We'll bring it to you.
Ambassador -- -- what do you think of how the president handled this over the weekend because that speech pretty much outlined I would think equities are witnessing in today's meeting or some form of the.
Well I suspect that's right that the trouble -- you know the president is a man of words he thinks that words.
Define reality.
And in many cases in politics that may be true but were beyond politics.
Then -- psychology here.
We're confronting a blunt.
Physical reality.
And the physical reality is that Iran is very close to achieving its longstanding goal of getting nuclear weapons very close indeed.
And that's the reality that doesn't change in fact it gets closer.
Every hours those centrifuges continue to spend and you know the centrifuges don't listen to anybody's words.
May -- ask you this.
How do you know that and I asked that -- with the backdrop of what we went through.
In Iraq certainly in people's minds -- know the IEA IAEA came out to visit serious concerns about Iran.
But the same time any time people here this nuclear weapons in a country overseas.
Boy we're getting closer they start to have questions because what we went through in Iraq Saudi you know that.
-- okay go ahead and ignored him when they get nuclear weapons that I guess you'll have to deal that.
What how do you know it is okay that's -- so that is a -- -- associated do it because we think they ditto.
And what we -- we -- -- in Iraq the last time around we went in and there weren't any weapons there.
Well what would you operate under the best information you have or hope.
But that my question is how to we know it or do we know what are you saying we don't know and it's okay it operate on information we don't half.
What we have extraordinary amounts of information about the progress that.
Iran's nuclear weapons program is making and it's information.
Not in the hands of spooks.
But in the hands of the international atomic energy agency whose reports indicate.
That Iran already has enough low enriched uranium which if enriched to weapons grade levels would provide.
Five nuclear weapons we know that Iran.
Has done -- search.
On weapons design we know they have plans to fabricate uranium or plutonium into hollow hemispheres.
The only use for which is building nuclear weapons and we have.
Reams of other evidence this is not based on intelligence this is based on information.
That's already publicly available there's only one reasonable and responsible conclusion to draw.
And that is that -- -- is attempting to fabricate nuclear weapons now the fact is that in the case of Iraq.
The main concern there was not based on intelligence it was based on Iraq's own declarations in 1991.
About its stocks of chemical weapons right that turned out to be incorrect they may have been lies by the Iraqis.
They may have had the weapons and move them some -- -- But people who compare Iraq and Iran frankly are engaging in a very.
Fast -- and dangerous exercise but you don't think there's any lessons -- learned from that they can be applied here completely different situations in your mind.
I think that the lessons that we learned about Iraq are that when you look at the intentions of regimes that declare that they want to have nuclear chemical or biological weapons.
You should take them very seriously and the risk of a nation has saying the finish line and getting nuclear weapons as we've seen in the case of North Korea.
Is very grave indeed since effectively today.
North Korea.
Is immune from attack because of the fear that its retaliation would be nuclear that's why it's important to stop Iran.
Before it gets nuclear weapons and second because once Iran gets nuclear weapons as secretary of state Clinton has said already.
Egypt will get nuclear weapons Saudi Arabia won't get nuclear weapons Turkey will get nuclear weapons you're gonna have -- Middle East.
Filled with nuclear weapons states.
Not awaiting comments from President Obama and the Israeli prime minister Netanyahu from the White House but investor -- as always thanks for your time appreciate it.
Thank you.
