French President Says Nuclear Iran Not a Threat, Then Retracts

French President Jacques Chirac told several Western publications that Iran's possession of a nuclear weapon would not pose a big threat -- and tried to retract his comments a day later. In an interview Monday with The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, and Le Nouvel Observateur, Mr. Chirac said Iran's use of a nuclear weapon against Israel would prompt the immediate destruction of the Iranian capital, Tehran.

On Tuesday, Mr. Chirac asked the journalists present at the original interview to retract his quotes because he had believed he was speaking off the record. Mr. Chirac's comments contrast with France's official policy of deterring Iran from getting nuclear arms. France has sided with the U.S. and others at the U.N. to punish Iran for its refusal to stop enriching uranium, a possible precursor to the development of nuclear weapons.

法国总统希拉克在接受西方几家媒体采访时说，伊朗拥有核武器不会构成巨大威胁，但一天后又试图收回他的话。希拉克星期一接受《纽约时报》、《国际先驱论坛报》和《新观察家》等报纸和杂志采访时说，伊朗对以色列使用核武器将会立刻导致伊朗首都德黑兰的毁灭。

星期二，希拉克要求当时采访他的几位记者收回对他这番话的引用，因为他本以为自己的谈话不供发表。希拉克的这番话有别于法国官方遏制伊朗获得核武器的立场。法国和美国以及其他联合国成员国一起赞成对伊朗实施制裁，惩罚伊朗拒绝停止加工可能被用来制造核武器的浓缩铀。