Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., November 28, 2007 Kislev 18, 5768 | | Israel Time: 18:45 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Advertising
Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Mossad chief Meir Dagan at the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting in Jerusalem on Monday. (Tommer Appelbaum / BauBau)
del.icio.us
Digg It!  new
Last update - 07:35 19/12/2006
Israeli official: We have time to block Iran nuclear program
By Aluf Benn and Gideon Alon, Haaretz Correspondents

A senior political source in Jerusalem said Monday that there is plenty of time for diplomatic efforts to effectively block Iran's nuclear program, basing his comments on an assessment by Mossad chief Meir Dagan.

Dagan told the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Iran will be in a postion to build a nuclear bomb by 2009, at the earliest, and rejected talk of "a point of no return," saying that "such a concept does not exist."

"The diplomatic effort to block Iran's nuclear program is far from being over. The threat is close enough to draw attention and yet far enough to allow time for action," the source said.
Advertisement
Discussing efforts to thwart Iran's ambition to achieve nuclear capability, a senior source in Israel expressed confidence that all five permanent members of the Security Council will support sanctions against Iran.

The United Nations Security Council will approve a resolution condemning Iran's bid for nuclear arms, the source said, and will create a mechanism to impose sanctions on Tehran.

Israel also expects that the United States and the European Union will go beyond the UN and impose a broader web of economic and diplomatic pressures on Iran, the political source noted.

Many countries have already imposed de facto sanctions on Iran, avoiding high-level diplomatic visits to Tehran or receiving Iranian dignitaries, the senior source said.

In his semi-annual review at the Knesset Monday, Mossad chief Meir Dagan said that barring any technical problems, Iran should be in a position to develop a nuclear weapon by 2009.

Dagan said that since June Iran has been intensifying efforts to enrich uranium and is trying to have some 3,000 centrifuges working toward that end by 2007. According to intelligence estimates, Iran will cross the technological point of no return when these centrifuges work non-stop for three months.

The Mossad chief said that the centrifuges will be in operation for more than a year by 2008 and will produce about 25 kilograms of enriched uranium. This translates into one or two more years before Iran can make a nuclear weapon.

The Mossad chief also told the committee members that Syrian President Bashar Assad does not intend to continue his policy of passivity in the face of Israeli challenges. The Mossad chief also said he does not give much credence to recent Syrian calls for peace talks.

Dagan said that following the war, there is a change in the strategic thinking in Damascus; it is less wary of Israel.

Syria is willing to take risks vis-a-vis Israel and is even willing to confront Israel. To that end, the Syrians have established a series of orders that will go into effect as soon as Israel initiates a military operation. Part of the Syrian preparations involve the use of rockets and ballistic missiles.

According to the Mossad, Syria's president is more confident and feels secure in his close relation with Iran and Hezbollah.

Assad "is distancing himself from the Western world and is moving closer to the International Court at the Hague," Dagan said, referring to international efforts to try the murderers of Lebanon's former prime minister, Rafik Hariri. The perpetrators are believed to be Syrian officers.

The Mossad chief said that Syria has intensified its efforts to topple the government of Fuad Siniora in Lebanon, and is offering its full backing to Hamas in terrorist activities against Israel.

Dagan also accused Syria of offering safe passage to international jihadists on their way to Iraq. The Syrian armed forces have adopted many of the lessons of the war in Lebanon, and have improved the quality of their anti-tank missiles, which proved effective in the hands of Hezbollah fighters targeting Israeli armor. The Mossad also said Syria has stepped up its ballistic missile production and expanded its bunkers against air attacks.



Bookmark to del.icio.us
Denier, disrupted
Protesters disrupt Oxford debate with Holocaust denier David Irving.
Echoes from Maryland
The full text of Bush, PM, and Abbas speeches, and the joint statement.
  1.   The answer to Iran will be solved sooner then later 04:19  |  Kipperraes 19/12/06
  2.   We have time 04:41  |  Shmuelshachor 19/12/06
  3.   Increased Fallout Danger After Russ. Delivery Of N. Fuel in March 05:10  |  Lavi 19/12/06
  4.   Time to block iran nukes? 05:30  |  Romeo 19/12/06
  5.   It is the moment of truth 05:34  |  Wise Syrian 19/12/06
  6.   Two solutions : 1 and/or 2 05:48  |  Yanke-love-it 19/12/06
  7.   Can Israel sleep at night with a nuclear Iran ? 05:49  |  Tarek 19/12/06
  8.   Can`t Make Any Assumptions 1 06:51  |  Ariel 19/12/06
  9.   Can`t make any assumptions 2 06:53  |  Ariel 19/12/06
  10.   CAN MIDDLE EAST SLEEP AT NIGHT #7 07:05  |  TOBIA 19/12/06
  11.   You would think... 07:22  |  Derek 19/12/06
  12.   Block Iran? Futile waste of time. Try making peace 08:07  |  Natallie Durson 19/12/06
  13.   We have time to block Iran nuclear program 08:24  |  Galvin Templar 19/12/06
  14.   # 12 peace not possible with evil just like hitler evil has to be 08:45  |  ralph 19/12/06
  15.   #8&9Ariel,the suicide bombs will spill over from Iraq to Iran&Sy 09:00  |  Susanna/Shoshanah 19/12/06
  16.   Response to Tarek # 7 09:07  |  Eli 19/12/06
  17.   #5wise yrian,if Assad were serious about peace,he would stop kill 09:16  |  Susanna/Shoshanah 19/12/06
  18.   Response to assumptions 1 & 2 - Ariel 09:16  |  Eli 19/12/06
  19.   #11Derek,it`s Iran who threatens to use nukes to wipe Israel out 09:22  |  u dumb 19/12/06
  20.   When will the propaganda train fall off the rails? 09:23  |  Clickfool 19/12/06
  21.   "Evil like Hitler" # 14 09:29  |  Clickfool 19/12/06
  22.   the lessons of WWII Derek #11 09:31  |  Eli 19/12/06
  23.   For U Dumb # 19 09:33  |  Clickfool 19/12/06
  24.   !@ Durson,Russia has oil to sell and doesn`t trust China 09:34  |  Susanna/Shoshanah 19/12/06
  25.   I can`t wait till the day when... 09:34  |  kooskoos 19/12/06
  26.   #12 NATALLIE HAS NEVER HEARD OF POWER POLITICS AND OIL 09:38  |  paul harris 19/12/06
  27.   NOBODY CAN BLOCK ANYBODY TO MODERNIZE THEMSELVES 09:38  |  indrajaya 19/12/06
  28.   #20clickfool,did you bother to read the article,you propogandist 09:44  |  Susanna/Shoshanah 19/12/06
  29.   Iranian trojan horse in Gaza 09:48  |  Marwan مروان خوري 19/12/06
  30.   Why Hamas and Hezbollah are fooling themselves. 09:54  |  Marwan مروان خوري 19/12/06
  31.   Israel is a nuclear power? Why worry abuot Iran`s acquiring 09:57  |  KMS 19/12/06
  32.   Iranian jews love Iran 10:02  |  kooskoos 19/12/06
  33.   Why the CAPS harris? 10:10  |  kooskoos 19/12/06
  34.   #31KMS. Its interesting you call all Israelis - the Jews 10:12  |  Marwan مروان خوري 19/12/06
  35.   To Israel bashers Clickfool, KMS, indrajaya etc. 10:14  |  Marwan مروان خوري 19/12/06
  36.   Re: 29... 10:17  |  kooskoos 19/12/06
  37.   #32kooskoos.Is that what they said with Iranian "minder" watching 10:23  |  Marwan مروان خوري 19/12/06
  38.   to Kipperraes, the same arrogance got you in trouble in Lebanon 10:25  |  gus 19/12/06
  39.   Reply to Ariel`s Comment #8. 10:28  |  kooskoos 19/12/06
  40.   On Paul Harris`s Caps # 33 10:29  |  Clickfool 19/12/06
  41.   #36 Most of Palestinians are dissallusioned with Hamas 10:30  |  Marwan مروان خوري 19/12/06
  42.   Ariel, dream on, arrogance took over the mind of Israeli 10:34  |  gus 19/12/06
  43.   Marwan, you`ve been reading too many conspiracy theories 10:37  |  kooskoos 19/12/06
  44.   to Marawan, when your children are starving you do the same 10:40  |  gus 19/12/06
  45.   Re: 41 Most Palestinians are disillusions of Fatah 10:47  |  kooskoos 19/12/06
  46.   kooskoos 10:55  |  Sarah 19/12/06
  47.   Thank You Gus 10:59  |  kooskoos 19/12/06
  48.   #44 Gus. You make a very good point.Its difficult but they voted 10:59  |  Marwan مروان خوري 19/12/06
  49.   #43 These are no conspiracies. These are reported facts 11:07  |  Marwan مروان خوري 19/12/06
  50.   On PAUL HARRIS 33 caps, to kooskoos 11:07  |  Michael 19/12/06
  51.   Marawan u sound like Sam the Sham to me.. 11:10  |  Poetic Justice 19/12/06
  52.   I don`t understand 11:24  |  Guy From NYC 19/12/06
  53.   Clickfool It`s Obvious! 11:25  |  Yosemite Sam 19/12/06
  54.   Re: 48 11:28  |  kooskoos 19/12/06
  55.   clickfool even milton friedman 11:30  |  salah al din 19/12/06
  56.   #51 Poetic Justice. Did you even read what I wrote? 11:31  |  Marwan مروان خوري 19/12/06
  57.   Poetic Justice 11:33  |  Sam The Sham 19/12/06
  58.   RE to Ariel: Invasion of Iran for Regime Change 11:35  |  Tupac 19/12/06
  59.   even iranians understand the meaning of ahmedinejad 11:35  |  dimple kapadia 19/12/06
  60.   Re: 49 11:44  |  kooskoos 19/12/06
  61.   Israel`s guide to peace . . . 11:46  |  revoltop 19/12/06
  62.   to no 59 11:52  |  raj 19/12/06
  63.   Muslims are the new Jews 11:55  |  kooskoos 19/12/06
  64.   FOX!!!! That explains a whole lot Marwan. 11:58  |  kooskoos 19/12/06
  65.   #54 Kooskoos. 11:58  |  Marwan مروان خوري 19/12/06
  66.   #8 Ariel 12:03  |  Chris Linthwaite 19/12/06
  67.   Re: Tupac response to my post. 12:04  |  Ariel 19/12/06
  68.   #60 12:07  |  Marwan مروان خوري 19/12/06
  69.   So its okay to cut aid to the Palestinians because they voted dem 12:08  |  kooskoos 19/12/06
  70.   #64. Like I said I don`t limit my sources. I do use my judgement 12:10  |  Marwan مروان خوري 19/12/06
  71.   IDF doesn`t care about n. weapons, its about hegemony 12:13  |  Freddy 19/12/06
  72.   Marwan & Persian history 12:25  |  Freddy 19/12/06
  73.   Tarek 12:26  |  the pope 19/12/06
  74.   #72 Sadly, the hysteria comes from Tehran 12:38  |  Marwan مروان خوري 19/12/06
  75.   Marwan & Emigration 12:42  |  Freddy 19/12/06
  76.   Israel, 60 y.o. 5 mil pop./ Iran is a 4,000 y.o. 75 mil pop. 12:47  |  Joe 19/12/06
  77.   Freddy 13:22  |  Sarah 19/12/06
  78.   ITS THE MOMENT OF TRUTH. 13:22  |  DANNY 19/12/06
  79.   CANT MAKE ANY ASSUMPTIONS 13:26  |  DANNY.