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Iranian Missile range
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Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon warns that Iran is now stock-piling raw material to enrich
uranium for its nuclear weapons program. Sharon issues the warning
at a news conference with Israeli editors and reporters in Tel
Aviv. The annual gathering commemorates the Nov. 29th U.N. Partition
vote, which lead to the establishment of the modern day state
of Israel.
In just a matter of months, Iran plans to re-activate its centrifuges
to enrich uranium for its nuclear weapons program. Ariel Sharon
also warned that Teheran is now stock-piling the necessary raw
material for the process.
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P.M. Sharon
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This was the gravest warning ever issued by the Israeli Prime
Minister. Sharon said: ‘From Israel’s point of view, Iran’s
technological capacity to enrich nuclear fuel would pose a point
of no return!’ Reading from a written statement, he went on
to say there was no doubt that Iran is continuing its nuclear
weapons program. This, despite the greater international monitoring
this past year by the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy
Agency in Vienna. Sharon added that the diplomatic effort by
Britain, France and Germany had slowed down the Iran’s nuclear
drive, but not halted it. And he warned that the diplomatic
contacts with Iran might be a ‘critical mistake’ when it came
to blocking Iran’s development of nuclear weapons. The Prime
Minister said’ The Iranians are talking to buy time as they
continue’. But not only was Israel concerned, so is the U.S.
and there was a need to immediately ascertain that the Iranians
had halted their nuclear weapons plan.
At the same time, the Prime Minister stressed that although
was gravely concerned, it was not heading the campaign. Sharon
concluded that it was up to the international community to clarify
to Iran that it would pay a ‘heavy price’ if it continues the
nuclear weapons program.
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Mohamed Elbaradei
IAEA Chief
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So much for Sharon’s update on Iran. The Prime Minister was
obviously warning that time is running out for the international
community while the Iranians try to lull the world with diplomatic
double talk. There is ample proof that Iran is masterminding
its own global campaign of terrorism. In south Lebanon, it has
armed the Hizballah gunmen with most of the thirteen thousand
rockets deployed along the Israeli border; this after the U.N.
verified that the IDF had withdrawn to the international border
over four years ago. Even the Europeans are now alarmed over
the specter of Iran’s ballistic missiles reaching their capitals
with nuclear warheads. All this, by a radical Islamic state
with some of the largest oil reserves in the world and facing
no real external threat after the elimination of Iraq’s Saddam
Hussein. The U.S. has repeatedly declared it will not allow
Iran to acquire nuclear weapons; according to Sharon, the European
Union has only a few months left to try and deter the Ayatollahs
with a similar message; to ‘jaw-jaw’ will not work.
