Nuclear-armed Iran risks 'World War III,' Bush says

Clearly Bush is frustrated he's been unable to raise the ire against Iran to get authorization to attack them. But now he says something incredibly stupid to attempt to stir a war fever out of pure fear.
So is Bush suggesting he's willing to annihilate human kind if Iran gets the bomb? Or is he willing to allow the conflict to escalate to that point? Certainly, he is threatening first use of nuclear weapons for it is clear that Iran is not stupid. They'd never use nukes first, only as a deterrent. A nuclear war is the only war that would endanger Iran as it stands. A bombing campaign might mess up the infrastructure, but most of the population would be unaffected except to rally to support their less than popular government with nationalistic fervor that has yet to be stoked. The drop in oil production would send the US and world into a recession or worse.
Who is he intimidating? Only people who don't understand will be stirred by his words.
International Herald Tribune

President George W. Bush said Wednesday that he thought Russia still wanted to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. But stepping up his own rhetoric, the president warned that for Tehran to possess such a weapon raised the risk of a "World War III."


That comment, made during a 45-minute news conference, came as reporters probed for the president's reaction to a warning Tuesday by President Vladimir Putin of Russia against any military strikes on Iran to halt the nuclear work it has continued in defiance of much of the world. Iran says the program is purely peaceful.