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Israel prepares ground for attack on Iran
Akhtar Jamal
Islamabad—In a move seen as a preparation for a ground before an
attack on Iran, an Israeli report on Thursday claimed that Tehran has
“now produced roughly enough nuclear material to make, with added
purification, a single atom bomb.”
The report claimed that following a conclusion by “nuclear experts”
was contained in the report leaked by the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) in Vienna Wednesday, Nov. 19, for submission to the
agency’s board Nov. 27-28.
The report claimed that “in the last few weeks, Iran has doubled the
pace of its uranium enrichment process.”
It quoted “nuclear watchdog sources” report that “in October, Iran was
known to have accumulated 480 kilos of low grade 5 percent enriched
uranium, a short step from “break-out” to weapons grade (90 percent)
material.” Israeli report added that “by the end of 2009, Iran will
have enough enriched uranium for 2-3 nuclear bombs.”
“Tehran has thus jumped three months ahead of US and Israeli
intelligence estimated timeline of February 2009 as the timeline for a
sufficiency of enriched uranium to build a bomb”, the report added.
It is important to note that on Nov. 19 German magazine Der Spiegel
quoted Israeli Air Force Commander General Ido Nehushtan as saying
that “his forces are ready to follow any order to thwart Iran’s
nuclear programmes.”
“The IAF is a very robust and flexible force ready to do whatever is
demanded,” the Nehushtan told the German weekly. Der Spiegel also said
that Nehushtan interview coincides with recent remarks by former
Israeli military general, Moshe Ya’alon, who said that Israeli armed
forces have the ‘right capabilities’ to launch a successful strike
against Iran.
Apparently reacting to threats of attacks Commander of the Iranian
Army, Major General Ataollah Salehi, warned early this week that Iran
“will inflict a humiliating defeat on aggressors with our arrow of
anger.”
“The superpowers should know that Iran is aware of the secrets of
aggressive countries,” he warned.
On Nov. 18 a former top Israeli military official was quoted as saying
that “an attack on Iran would be in line with efforts aimed at
overthrowing the Tehran government.”
Moshe Ya’alon, a former Israeli Defence Force chief of staff, also
said Tuesday that the Israeli armed forces have the ‘right
capabilities’ of successfully striking Iran.
A report also claimed that in line with the Bush Doctrine of
pre-emption, Dick Cheney is said to believe that ‘regime change’ in
Iran could not be accomplished without the use of military force.
Early this month an unnamed senior European Union diplomat was also
quoted as saying that “the bloc is concerned that a possible Israeli
strike against Iran is not completely off the radar”.
The official suggested that the perfect time for Israel to strike
Iranian nuclear installations ‘is between now and January 20’ when US
President-elect Barack Obama takes office.
The President-elect has vowed to directly and diplomatically engage
Iranian leaders in order to resolve the nuclear dispute, causing Tel
Aviv’s first dissonance with an Obama administration.
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