Iran's Rafsanjani suggests nuclear attack on Israel

http://www.worldtribune.com ^ | Tuesday, December 18, 2001 | SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Iran's Rafsanjani suggests  nuclear attack on Israel

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COMTuesday, December 18, 2001

One of Iran’s most influential ruling clerics called on the Muslim states to use nuclear weapon against Israel, assuring them that while such an attack would annihilate Israel, it would cost them "damages only".

The speech by former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani failed to catch the attention of the western press but made waves  in the Middle East.

"If a day comes when the world of Islam is duly equipped with the arms Israel has in its possession, the strategy of colonialism would face a stalemate because application of an atomic bomb would not leave anything in Israel but the same thing would just produce damages in the Muslim world", Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani told the crowd at the traditional Friday prayers in Tehran.

In Washington Sunday, administration officials said the United States does not plan to target Iran in the war against terrorism.

 "Iran is a situation where there are clearly some pressures from young people, there are pressures from women in that country," U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said. "Iran had a different history than Iraq.  I don't know, if nothing else happened and one looked at those two countries, I would say the likelihood of Iraq reforming itself is zero.  The possibility, the remote possibility of Iran reforming itself is considerably above zero."

Dr. Assad Homayou, president of the Azadegan Foundation in Washington, D.C. agreed.   "To me the issue is not nuclear weapons but the responsibility of the regime," he said. "This regime is not responsible and that is why I have always emphasized that the removal of this regime is imperative. As the U.S. secretary of defense said the situation with Iran is different from that of Iraq. People only need the moral support of the United States."

Analysts told the Iranian Press Service that  Rafsanjani's speech marks the first time a prominent leader of the Islamic Republic had openly suggested the use of nuclear weapon against the Jewish State.

Rafsanjani advised Western states not to pin their hopes on Israel's violence because it will be "very dangerous".

"We are not willing to see security in the world is harmed", he said, warning that a war "of the pious and martyrdom seeking forces against peaks of colonialism will be highly dangerous and might fan flames of World War III."

Rafsanjani, who, as the Chairman of the Assembly to Discern the Interests of the State, is the Islamic Republic’s number two man after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was speaking on "International Qods (Jerusalem) Day" which is celebrated in Iran only.

     The Pentagon, which has pressed for a second stage in the U.S. war against terrorism, does not support any military campaign against Iran. Instead, officials have urged that Washington target the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

       On Monday, Iranian President Mohammed Khatami said the stifling of dissent in the country could spark a new wave of student protests, Middle East Newsline reported. Over the last 20 months, officials said, 56 publications have been closed. This includes 24 daily newspapers.

    U.S. officials acknowledge that Iran is more advanced than Iraq in both missile development and weapons of mass destruction. They said that Iran, with Russian help, has succeeded in advancing its nuclear project and they could arrive at weapons capability as early as 2005.

    But the officials said the administration has been impressed with Iran's help in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. The help has included military coordination, security along the Afghan border and intelligence exchange.

    Some officials expect Iran to also quietly support any U.S. military campaign against Iraq. Iraq is Teheran's rival and neighbor and Saddam used chemical weapons against Iran during their 1980-88 war.

    One scenario being envisioned by Pentagon sources is increased Iranian help to Shi'ite opposition forces in southern Iraq. The Iranian help could also include coordination for any U.S. ground attack in the oil fields around the southern port of Basra.

    "I would characterize Iraq as a dictator in a repressive system that is unlikely to be altered from within absent an assassination or something like that," Rumsfeld said.

[Bush2000]

"If a day comes when the world of Islam is duly equipped with the arms Israel has in its possession, the strategy of colonialism would face a stalemate because application of an atomic bomb would not leave anything in Israel but the same thing would just produce damages in the Muslim world", Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani told the crowd at the traditional Friday prayers in Tehran.

Unfortunately, I have the feeling that this will eventually happen. And until that day comes, we need to be vigilant in destroying every damn WOMD program we can find in these God-forsaken sh*thole countries...

[DoctorMichael]

Ignorantly-unstable-Iranian-Mullah-type Bump.

[Edmund Burke]

The United States has no alliance with Israel. We have no treaty obligation to come to their defense if attacked. The U.S. does however have a treaty obligation to Poland. If Russia were to attack Poland, we now have a legal obligation to attack Russia.

[womanvet]

(why is Saddam still in power?).

Colin Powell

[Paulus Invictus]

And the Israeli response would somehow be benign? Not bloody likely! Iran and old Raf would be radioactive dust in short order. In fact, If the Israelis have the slightest belief that it could happen, a pre-emptive strike is what they do best. Ask Iraq, Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

[BenF]

This would never happen. Islam is a religion of peace. The President told me so.

[Aaron_A]

Not much gets by our press.

[Southack]

LOL! So be it.

[American in Israel]

With this declared intent to nuke Israel, Israel has no choice but to destroy the Arab Nations in the event of a mass missile attack. I hope the propaganda value this mullah got was worth the tatical value he just threw away. At the state of present anti-missile technology (poor at best) I figure this will be a big "missile-command" video game, played for keeps. Of course the Arabs have no nuclear anti-missiles, so when the smoke clears...

[DB]

True.

What idiots. All out war between us and the Middle East would last about 15 minutes...

[zog]

--I think the us government and europe and japan would turn on israel in two seconds if they threatened the major oil fields in an attack, or if they actually did it. I also think that israel wouldn't hesitate to use nuclear blackmail against us. The middle east is too complicated with us being at the mercy of their oil supplies, whether or not israel does this or that doesn't change that fact, which IS a fact. Until we get new sources that are reliable and cheap at the pumps (even beyond russian oil which is a security threat in itself, just more dependency), we'll keep holding israel back, no matter what it takes behind the scenes. That's the only thing that has stoped them from going all out war, because we tell them not to. Israel is not even close to being self sustaining, they would collapse in short order without western aid and our umbrella- and they know full well we would use force to keep islamic oil flowing.

[DonQ]

It is true that a handful of nuclear bombs, set up with even an Arabic level of precision, could destroy Israel as a state. It would also make "Palestine" uninhabitable. But about half the world's Jews live outside the Holy Land and the drive for a Jewish State would not die. Additionally, Israel has several submarines in service, armed with nuclear missiles, and these would survive a nuclear attack on Israel.

It's also true that a nuclear attack on the Arab world would only do "damage" - this damage could include: The vaporization of Mecca, the evaporation of the entire Saudi oil fields, the pulverizing of the pyramids, the dusting of Damascus, the elimination of Qoom and Baghdad and Teheran and a bunch of other cities. The Arab world has had very little economic leverage except its oil and its tourist attractions. Without those, its future would involve mostly starvation. The rest of the world would begin to value the petroleum resources of South America and ignore the Arab world as it sinks back into its own dark ages.

[Bush2000]

The United States needs to make it clear that a nuclear attack against one of our allies will be treated as an attack on the United States, and we will respond with devastating consequences.

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

One of Iran’s most influential ruling clerics called on the Muslim states to use nuclear weapon against Israel,

the only muslim country that I can think of that has nuclear weapons in pakistan and I do not think they are that stupid if iraq does have them he may try it but it would be the end of not only iraq I feel they would finish off iran and syria as well

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

but iraq doesnt have them though ted kennedy said so

[jslade]

This is all kept very quiet. Where are the "boomers"? BTIM Trident subs. They're out there. Lurking. Scary for the bad guys. Twist in the wind.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

BTTTT!