nuclear-news

USA does not rule out a pre-emptive strike on Iran

In the interview, Panetta also refused to rule out military action to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons

The lesson from the US experience in the Iraq war, when Washington claimed there were weapons of mass destruction that never materialized, is for US government figures to speak with more caution,

Panetta refuses to rule out military strike on an Iranian nuclear weapons program National Post, Agence France-Presse  Dec 20, 2011, By Dan De Luce WASHINGTON — The Pentagon on Tuesday sought to play down remarks by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta who has suggested Iran’s nuclear program could be on a faster track than previously suspected.

In an interview with CBS News, Panetta said Iran could have a nuclear weapon in a year or possibly sooner and that the timeline might be different if Tehran had a secret “hidden” site.

“It would be sometime in around a year they would be able to do it [build a nuclear weapon],” Panetta said in the interview aired Monday.

“Perhaps a little less. The one proviso is if they have a hidden facility somewhere in Iran,” he said.

But Pentagon spokesmen said Panetta was speaking “hypothetically” and that the Defense Secretary was not suggesting there was new intelligence pointing to secret facilities.

In the interview, Panetta also refused to rule out military action to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons but unlike previous statements he made no mention of the potential risks associated with a strike that he has warned of repeatedly……

The Pentagon insisted Panetta’s view of Iran’s nuclear project had not changed and stressed that if Tehran made the decision to produce weapons-grade uranium, it would be detected by UN inspectors who have regular access to the country’s facilities….

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the country’s intelligence agencies had not changed their view on the state of Iran’s program.

Panetta’s remarks raised eyebrows among weapons experts who track Iran’s program, particularly his reference to the possibility of a secret facility.

“It’s definitely misleading,” said David Albright, president of the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security.

The likelihood that Iran could have a nuclear weapon within a year was a “low probability” as any shift to weapons-grade uranium would be exposed by inspectors and Israel would almost certainly take military action, he said.

Moreover, it was “not helpful” to speculate about secret nuclear sites without providing evidence, he told AFP.

The lesson from the US experience in the Iraq war, when Washington claimed there were weapons of mass destruction that never materialized, is for US government figures to speak with more caution, he said.

“Senior officials should be more careful,” Albright said…..

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/12/20/panetta-refuses-to-rule-out-military-strike-on-an-iranian-nuclear-weapons-program/

December 21, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | USA, weapons and war