May 7 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. President George W. Bush pledged to solve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program by negotiation, saying he trusts a solution can be found that will bar the use of force against the Islamic Republic.
Asked in an interview today with Germany's ARD television network to outline the consequences of a possible failure of diplomatic steps, Bush said: ``I believe we can achieve this diplomatic solution, that's what I want. I want to achieve a diplomatic solution and it's necessary we do so.''
The U.S., U.K. and France proposed a resolution to the United Nations Security Council on May 3 demanding Iran cease uranium enrichment, and said they would seek sanctions should the Tehran-based government fail to comply. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who met Bush in Washington May 3, said she and the U.S. leader are ``in total agreement'' on the Iran issue.
Iran ignored an April 28 deadline set by the Security Council to halt its nuclear program. The U.S. suspects Iran plans to build a bomb, while Iran says the aim is to generate electricity. The Security Council will meet tomorrow to discuss changes to the draft proposal, which may be put to a vote this week, Agence-France Presse said May 6.
Asked by ARD how he views the prospects of ultimately winning support from the Europeans for a resolution that paves the way for sanctions against Iran, Bush said: ``The most important thing to me seems that one now concentrates on a diplomatic solution. I want a diplomatic solution and I think it can be achieved.''
Bush on April 18 repeated his view that ``all options are on the table'' to stop Iran enriching uranium, including a military strike.
Guantanamo Bay
The 28-minute interview with ARD was conducted in Washington on May 4 during Merkel's two-day U.S. visit.
Bush also said he would ``very much like to end'' the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba. About 500 people are held at the naval base by U.S. authorities, most without charges. Before her first U.S. visit as chancellor in January, Merkel said Guantanamo ``cannot and must not be allowed to exist permanently.''
``Obviously the Guantanamo issue is a sensitive issue for people,'' Bush told ARD. ``I very much would like to end Guantanamo, I very much would like to bring people to court.''
Still, Bush said Guantanamo is part of the U.S.'s war on terrorism that has been intensified since the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington.
``We're at war with an enemy, we got to protect ourselves,'' he said.
