Olmert: Iran months away from acquiring technology to build atomic bomb

kget ^ | 5 21 2006

[dennisw]

JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel's prime minister says Iran is just a few months away from being able to build a nuclear bomb.

Ehud Olmert told CNN's "Late Edition" the world cannot take Iran's nuclear ambitions lightly because Iran's president has repeatedly called for Israel's destruction. However, he says it's unlikely that Israel would act on its own to deal with the problem.

In 1981, Israel's air force attacked an Iraqi nuclear reactor and destroyed it. But Olmert says the situations cannot be compared, and that Israel will try to persuade the Western world to impose sanctions on Iran.

Olmert is headed to the United States for talks with President Bush. The two leaders are expected to discuss Iran's nuclear ambitions.

[DB]

I really doubt anyone is going to actually act before Iran gets its nukes. Where it goes from there is hard to say...

[golfboy]

And the UN yawns.

[theDentist]

I think they will act shortly before... it's hard to gather intel in that happy little Islamofascist paradise, but I think they're almost ready to destroy the capability. But when they do, watch out in Iraq and Israel, because the Iranian leadership will want to get even...

[Tracy V.]

I agree with your opinion, and without reservation. The U.S. and the West have resigned themselves to a nuclear Iran, the proposal of the "shield" in Europe supports this. Olmert is the wrong leader at the wrong time, unfortunately, for Israel....a kinder, gentler Sharon. The U.N. along with it's lap dog, the I.A.E.A. perpetual footnotes as ever in dealing with global insurrection.

I suppose that leaves us with sanctions...and to what end for what purpose now?

[The Great RJ]

I believe that this assessment of when Iran will get nukes is far more accurate than the 3-7 years being bantered around by the UN experts and members of Congress. My bet is that Iran will test a weapon by the end of 2007 and possibly before the end of this year in either scenario far before any serious efforts like sanctions will be agreed upon.

[Thermalseeker]

Where it goes from there is hard to say...

I read a story the other day about Iran and it's sources for refined gasoline and diesel. Apparently, although Iran is awash in crude, they have little refining capacity and as such they actually import much of the refined product they consume. Choke off their suppliers of refined fuel and you'll bring their economy to its knees in a matter of weeks.

[expatguy]

Closer than you think.

An American Expat in Southeast Asia