US:President George Bush has warned Turkey against launching a military offensive inside Iraq against Kurdish rebels Ankara claims are responsible for attacks inside Turkey.
Speaking at a White House press conference shortly before the Turkish parliament approved a possible cross-border offensive, Mr Bush said that Turkey's concerns should be addressed through dialogue with Iraqi authorities. "We are making it very clear to Turkey that we don't think it is in their interest to send troops into Iraq," he said.
Mr Bush condemned a resolution being considered by Congress that would describe as "genocide" the killing during the first World War of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire.
"One thing Congress should not be doing is sorting out the historical record of the Ottoman Empire.
"The resolution on the mass killings of Armenians beginning in 1915 is counterproductive. Both Republicans and Democrats, including every living former secretary of state, have spoken out against this resolution.
"Congress has more important work to do than antagonising a democratic ally in the Muslim world, especially one that is providing vital support for our military every day," he said.
Support for the resolution appeared to be melting yesterday as congressmen from both parties withdrew their support, citing the administration's argument that antagonising Turkey could interfere with the US military campaign in Iraq.
"Turkey obviously feels they are getting poked in the eye over something that happened a century ago, and maybe this isn't a good time to be doing that," said Florida Democrat Allen Boyd, who has withdrawn his sponsorship of the resolution.
Mr Bush said he looked forward to hearing a report from Russian president Vladimir Putin on his visit to Iran this week and a clarification of the Russian president's warning against any attack on Iran.
Mr Bush said he believed that Iran was seeking a nuclear weapons capability and that a nuclear-armed Iran was a threat to world peace.
"We got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel. So I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon.
"I take the threat of Iran with a nuclear weapon very seriously," he said.
The House of Representatives yesterday began debating a Bill that would put Mr Bush's programme of domestic surveillance under greater judicial oversight and would not give telecommunications companies that co-operated with the programme immunity from prosecution.
The president complained yesterday that Congress was seeking to change a good law that was helping to protect US national security.
"The way that law was written works for the security of the country. That's what the American people want to know, by the way - are we passing laws that are beneficial to the American people? This law is beneficial because it enables our intelligence experts and professionals to find out the intentions of al- Qaeda," he said.
Mr Bush has threatened to veto any surveillance Bill that imposes restrictions he views as excessive.
He has also threatened to veto a Bill approved by the House of Representatives this week that would protect journalists from being forced to disclose confidential sources or information.
The Bill states that when information is sought for a criminal investigation or prosecution, there would have to be "reasonable grounds" that a crime had occurred, and the targeted documents or testimony would have to be "essential" to the investigation, prosecution or defence.
The identity of sources would be protected except in certain cases, such as when disclosing it is found to be necessary to prevent "imminent death or significant bodily harm".
The House approved the Bill by 398-21, far more than the two-thirds majority required to override a presidential veto, but Republican opposition to the measure is going to be stronger in the Senate.