Israel 'will not sit back' and let Iran build atomic weapons By Tim Butcher in Jerusalem (Filed: 23/01/2006) Israel issued thinly-veiled warnings yesterday that it was preparing to take direct action to stop Iran, its bitter enemy, acquiring nuclear weapons. Remarks by Shaul Mofaz, the defence minister, raised the temperature of the worsening international crisis over the Islamic republic's nuclear ambitions and prompted Iran into a swift and strongly-worded response. The war of words increased the prospect of another pre-emptive strike by Israel similar to that in 1981 when its warplanes destroyed Saddam Hussein's nuclear programme with an attack on...