US refuses to rule out Iran attack

Senior White House officials are refusing to rule out war with Iran after President Bush's pledge to spread liberty and freedom "to the darkest corners of the world."

The Islamic state is believed to be working on nuclear weapons and is known to head the list of rogue governments the Bush administration would like to see overthrown.

Hours before Mr Bush was sworn in for his second term, Vice President Dick Cheney made it clear that Iran was at the top of the new administration's agenda for action.

"You look around the world at potential trouble spots, Iran is right at the top of the list," he said."We don't want a war in the Middle East if we can avoid it," but, Mr Cheney also warned, Iran was building "a fairly robust new nuclear programme'' and said Israel might strike first to destroy it.

In his post-inauguration address yesterday President Bush avoided any direct reference to either Iraq or Iran, just as he did not mention terrorism. But in a clear reference to people fighting regimes like those in Tehran and North Korea, he said: "The United States will not ignore your oppression or excuse your oppressors.

"When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you.''

Mr Bush's speech, with its references to freedom and God, has been widely praised in the United States. This is in contrast to more mixed reaction around the world, where the president has been urged to take a more conciliatory approach to foreign policy.

One Left-wing French newspaper columnist warned: "Not all the world wants this ' freedom a l'americanine,' It's only necessary to look at Iraq.''

In the New York Times, William Safire called the speech one of the five best ever given at an inauguration, saying the president had made it clear: "The spread of freedom is the pre-requisite to world peace. It takes guts to take on that peace-freedom priority so starkly.''

The president's speech was "startling in its reach" according to the Washington Post, which called his language "expansive" and "lyrical". The editor of the conservative Weekly Standard magazine, William Kristol, said it was nothing short of "historic."

Mr Bush spent last night on a whirlwind tour of nine inauguration balls with his wife Laura and daughters Jenna and Barbara. It included the "Freedom Ball", dedicated to US troops fighting overseas.

The president disappointed many guests who had paid up to ?25,000 for a ticket by spending only a few minutes at each.

He was back at the White House an hour and a half before his self-imposed deadline of midnight.