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Last update - 06:25 06/08/2008
ANALYSIS / Iran's real nuclear tactic is to keep buying time
By Yossi Melman
Tags: Iran, Israel, nuclear

Israel's leadership views the European Union foreign policy chief as a latter-day Neville Chamberlain, spearheading a groveling appeasement approach to Iran.

But Iran will not play by the West's rules, even the ones most softened. It believes that time is on its side.

It sees a United States readying for elections and consequently incapable of making a move. It sees a hesitant and divided EU, which does not want to rock the boat and impose harsh sanctions on Iran, and permits its corporations to keep their close ties to the ayatollahs' regime and even sign new contracts, as has been the case recently with Swiss, German, Austrian and Polish energy companies.
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Hovering above this all are Russia and China, which are not playing the West's game, and are neutralizing every Security Council attempt to impose further sanctions on Iran.

Iran's game is transparent, and its entire purpose is to fend off and delay any move that smacks of international consensus. It wants to use the time to go on developing its nuclear program - to continue enriching uranium, manufacturing and installing more centrifuges - and approach the moment when it will possess enough fissionable material, equipment, expertise, and technology to build its first nuclear bomb, or come within shouting distance of that goal.

Iran evidently understands that the threat of the military option that the United States and Israel keep bandying about is actually not, at least in the present reality, implementable.

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      1.   The Iranian game ... 06:59  |  Morris Valentine 06/08/08
      2.   Threats, warnings, and other talk give the illusion of action 07:08  |  Natallie Durson 06/08/08
      3.   DAH! LIKE THIS IS ANYTHING NEW;IT`S JUST THAT BUSH AND THE REST 07:20  |  glenna 06/08/08
      4.   An accurate analysis 08:30  |  Shalom Freedman 06/08/08
      5.   #1, Morris Valentine, you are so right 08:34  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/08/08
      6.   So what next ? 10:03  |  Septimus 06/08/08
      7.   You got it..... 10:04  |  Clickfool 06/08/08
      8.   To #4, If Israel could do... 10:29  |  Truth Seeker 06/08/08
      9.   #1 Morris, you can`t be serious 10:45  |  Johnboy 06/08/08
      10.   THANKS TO THE MOTHER OF ALL MORONS 10:54  |  indrajaya 06/08/08
      11.   #5 So cheer Israel on, Septimus. 10:58  |  Johnboy 06/08/08
      12.   good analysis 11:03  |  paulo2005 06/08/08
      13.   IDF BS propaganda 11:38  |  Dav 06/08/08
      14.   really!!! this was obvious 3 years back 11:46  |  victor hardman 06/08/08
      15.   Israel`s problem is not Iran, but KGB-Putin 12:14  |  durak 06/08/08
      16.   Oh, why are we waiting? We are as bad as Iran by not srtiking now 13:35  |  Harvey 06/08/08
      17.   Oh My God,Haaretz Calling Someone a `Neville Chamberlain` 13:38  |  Ronnie Wolman 06/08/08
      18.   Iran is buying time so why Israel not do the same! 13:41  |  Akram Zekaria 06/08/08
      19.   #1 Morris, can I also point this out..... 14:26  |  Johnboy 06/08/08
      20.   Of course Iran would like to have a Nuke, so what? 14:45  |  Gordonson 06/08/08
      21.   Akram 17 15:05  |  Harvey 06/08/08
      22.   Yossi, bad loser whineing =/= Analysis 15:27  |  Bl4ckP0pe 06/08/08
      23.   A better idea 16:03  |  examiner 06/08/08
      24.   This is no game and the Iranians are not playing 17:57  |  asdf 06/08/08
      25.   A better title: Analysis, we are fooling ourselves on Iran 18:12  |  Iranian-American 06/08/08
      26.   JOHNBOY (#9) That Morris V is such a joker 18:41  |  Gil 06/08/08
      27.   To JB (#9): Yes, BUT ... 18:41  |  Morris Valentine 06/08/08
      28.   Israel and US both have lame duck leaders 18:43  |  JaxMax 06/08/08
      29.   Bush admin has enough victories, leave Obama fix Iran problem 20:04  |  Voice of Reason 06/08/08
      30.   #9 A Bit Confused here JB 20:05  |  KATHY 06/08/08
      31.   #26 Kathy If you`re correct.. 20:58  |  Lou Medel 06/08/08
      32.   Isn`t that what Israel did with the so called peace process? 21:21  |  John 06/08/08
      33.   We simply can`t wait Israel attacking Iran, alone 21:25  |  oetis 06/08/08
      34.   A hole in your nuclear logic 22:09  |  joebhed 06/08/08
      35.   Stalling Game Learned from Israel 22:28  |  Lee Kaplan 06/08/08
      36.   The end of Israel 23:02  |  Mark B. 06/08/08
      37.   Morris Valentine, innocent until proven guilty, remember? 23:08  |  Mark B. 06/08/08
      38.   The US must be ORDERED to attack NOW! 23:43  |  Rabbi Slow 06/08/08
      39.   #38 Rabbi Slow 00:13  |  EDBTZ 07/08/08
      40.   #27 Morris poses a question.... 00:58  |  Johnboy 07/08/08
      41.   30# Kathy "Have I got it wrong" . You didn`t got it wrong 01:02  |  Akram Zekaria 07/08/08
      42.   #30 Let me explain it to you, KATHY 01:12  |  Johnboy 07/08/08
      43.   DUH 01:46  |  FP 07/08/08
      44.   #36 Mark B. - Also the end of Holland 04:18  |  * BEN JABO 07/08/08
      45.   #38 The Demanding Rabbi! 04:28  |  Maureen Ann 07/08/08
      46.   look at the sitution 05:08  |  Paul 07/08/08
      47.   joebhed, try reading the NIE before you cite it 05:13  |  jj 07/08/08
      48.   joeb 3 05:26  |  jj 07/08/08
      49.   #38 06:07  |  Patriot 07/08/08
      50.   #38, Rabbi lay off that burning bush reefer Mate! 08:00  |  Judith 07/08/08
      51.   #40 Johnboy posits an answer 08:05  |  Morris Valentine 08/08/08
      52.   #51 Well, Gosh!, that`s convenient Morris... 16:48  |  Johnboy 08/08/08
      53.   TIME IS ON THEIR SIDE AND THE US/DIVIDED NATIONS IS GIVING THEM 03:18  |  glenna 09/08/08
      54.   keep buying time...The same thing Israel did. 16:51  |  Okan 13/08/08
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