VIENNA — President Bush responded angrily Wednesday to Europe's differing views over the war in Iraq and the U.S. treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, even as he won renewed expressions of unity from the European Union on nuclear nonproliferation.
European leaders at a U.S.-EU summit here reaffirmed the need to halt Iran's uranium enrichment program and to contain North Korea's arms program.
With surveys showing a growing animosity in Europe toward the United States amid fears that its anti-terrorism policies and the Iraq war are endangering global stability, the president lashed out during a news conference, raising his voice and several times using the word "absurd" to describe the criticism.
At the same time, he offered a restrained answer to Iran's announcement earlier in the day that it would wait until late August to respond to the latest proposal from the U.S. and five other nations. The six countries have proposed a package of economic, political and technological incentives aimed at persuading Iran to suspend its nuclear program. The U.S. and its partners fear that Tehran is seeking to build a nuclear weapon; the Iranians say their pursuit of uranium enrichment is for the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
"It shouldn't take the Iranians that long to analyze what is a reasonable deal," Bush said.
He similarly made only a mild rebuke to North Korea, which U.S. officials say is engaged in steps that suggest it is preparing to test a missile thought to be capable of reaching U.S. bases in Japan and Guam and possibly Alaska or Hawaii.
"This is not the way that peaceful nations conduct their affairs," Bush said.
He won broad agreement on the nuclear issues from Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, who holds the rotating presidency of the European Union and who played host to the Vienna meeting.
In his comments on Iran, Schuessel drew on his study of ancient Greek and used the word \o7kyros, \f7which he said translated into "the right moment," to say: "I think now is the right moment for Iran to take this offer, to grab it and to negotiate.... This is their \o7kyros\f7."
But for the most part, the post-meeting news conference with Schuessel brought to the fore the differences with which Bush is wrestling on a two-day visit to Central Europe.
