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Last update - 18:38 02/01/2007
Think tank: Israel could attack Iran's nuclear program alone
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent and The Associated Press

The Institute for National Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University said in its annual report, released Tuesday, that Iran will possess nuclear weapons unless military action is taken against it, and Israel would be capable of carrying out such an attack

"Time is working in Iran's favor, and barring military action, Iran's
possession of nuclear weapons is only a matter of time," the institute said in a statement distributed at a news conference where it released its annual assessment of the Middle East's strategic balance.
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Israel considers Iran to be its most serious threat. It dismisses Tehran's claims that its nuclear program is designed solely to produce energy and is worried by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's repeated calls to wipe the Jewish state off the map.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has not ruled out a military strike against Iran's nuclear program, but has said he hoped other ways could be found to keep Tehran from becoming a nuclear power. In 1981, Israel destroyed an unfinished Iraqi nuclear reactor in a surprise air attack.

The INSS think tank stopped short of calling for an Israeli military strike to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Although experts elsewhere have questioned Israel's ability to cripple the Iranian program, which is scattered and built in part in underground bunkers, analysts at INSS said Israel would be capable of carrying it off.

A member of the institute's board, Brigadier General (res.) Giora Eiland said there would not be a military strike without a full "strategic and military" understanding with the U.S.

"Even if, at the end of the day, Israeli jets are going to carry out, or execute, this attack, it might be perceived - and rightly - as an understanding between the United States and Israel," Eiland said.

INSS head Zvi Shtauber, a retired general who also served as Israel's ambassador in London and senior policy adviser to former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, said Israel was "technically" capable of striking alone and would have to do so if it takes action, because no other country would agree to work openly with Israel.

Taking issue with Eiland's assessment that the U.S. must sign off on such an attack, he said, "There are certain things that it's better the U.S. not know about."

Institute analysts, while doubtful that international sanctions would sway Iran from its nuclear ambitions, said the time had not yet come to decide on military action.

"We should do it only when it's clear we've exhausted all other means," Shtauber said.

'Worth exploring Assad overture'
The institute also said in its report that although it was skeptical about the Syrian president's recent peace overtures, it was worth exploring.

The report expressed doubts that Assad could "come up with the goods" during negotiations with Israel, in terms of both his ability and his readiness to go through with talks.

Eiland, told reporters at a Tel Aviv press conference Tuesday that the summer war in Lebanon will have serious and far-reaching repercussions on Israel's power of deterrence.

He said that both Israel's neighbors and the United States have taken note of the failures during the war.

"From the perspective of our friends in the U.S., we failed to come up with the goods in an embarrassing way," he said.
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  1.   Assad Overtures 16:14  |  Martin 02/01/07
  2.   Let`s put Assad tp the test! 16:32  |  Ypnatan 02/01/07
  3.   Did Bush Admin impose limits on Zahal re Litani and weapons? 17:35  |  David Turner 02/01/07
  4.   dont think like chamberline when it comes to Assad 17:41  |  zionist forever 02/01/07
  5.   Get a grip on reality 18:07  |  Marilyn 02/01/07
  6.   the world should be ready to pay a heavy price for indifference 18:08  |  paul 02/01/07
  7.   Nuclear Holocaust 18:40  |  JP 02/01/07
  8.   Good Idea! 18:47  |  jon purizhansky 02/01/07
  9.   Dangerous pipe dreams 18:49  |  Mark Lincoln 02/01/07
  10.   Iran and nuclear weapons 19:01  |  PD Lane 02/01/07
  11.   MARILYN 19:11  |  bo 02/01/07
  12.   Paul no 6 19:16  |  rug salesman 02/01/07
  13.   To Paul # 6 19:23  |  Phinias Whoppy 02/01/07
  14.   Prediction 19:29  |  Henry 02/01/07
  15.   world does not need any more Israeli aggression 19:30  |  Terry 02/01/07
  16.   Think Tanks 19:32  |  Geoff 02/01/07
  17.   Hit Syria and Lebanon at same time 19:39  |  Dale 02/01/07
  18.   Stop barking 19:44  |  nate 02/01/07
  19.   Who cares? 19:51  |  Axel 02/01/07
  20.   To Marilyn 19:51  |  DAVID KAPLAN 02/01/07
  21.   300 Jewish nuclear bombs must be deterred 19:56  |  Englishman 02/01/07
  22.   "Please, sir, may we attack Iran?" 19:57  |  Clickfool 02/01/07
  23.   I Agree with #2 20:00  |  Steve 02/01/07
  24.   Israel would be capable of carrying out such an attack ? 20:09  |  Yanke-love-it 02/01/07
  25.   Israel attacking Iran 20:10  |  Constance Blackwell 02/01/07
  26.   To # 6 Paul : can you please tell me ... 20:15  |  Yanke-love-it 02/01/07
  27.   MARILYN, SOME LIKE IT HOT! 20:29  |  MOSHE 02/01/07
  28.   why dont the zionists just Leave the ME 20:38  |  Sam (UK) 02/01/07
  29.   SOOOOOOOOO.... 20:41  |  Blogowitz 02/01/07
  30.   piece of reality for paul 20:41  |  anti-racist 02/01/07
  31.   War with Iran 20:43  |  Sam 02/01/07
  32.   Thats where you`re putting your money Marilyn? 20:47  |  Timmay 02/01/07
  33.   For Axel # 13 20:51  |  Clickfool 02/01/07
  34.   Dale 20:53  |  Yosemite Sam 02/01/07
  35.   Why the hell should Israel do that? 20:54  |  J.M.Jordan 02/01/07
  36.   Clickfool 20:59  |  Yosemite Sam 02/01/07
  37.   Re: Marilyn 21:08  |  Yolan Sebastion 02/01/07
  38.   #17, Clickfool 21:12  |  Mikle White 02/01/07
  39.   #22 about lies and comparing apples and oranges 21:19  |  Bob 02/01/07
  40.   #10 Henry...finally a good & realistic response! 21:20  |  T. Pierella 02/01/07
  41.   #23 Answers to your questions etc 21:21  |  RA 02/01/07
  42.   CONSTANCE # 21 21:22  |  ROGER 02/01/07
  43.   Israel`s Nuclear Arsenal 21:23  |  Steve 02/01/07
  44.   Englishman 20 21:28  |  BO 02/01/07
  45.   Mark Lincoln 21:30  |  Yosemite Sam 02/01/07
  46.   #21 Moderate Iranian Government????? 21:30  |  Bob 02/01/07
  47.   #25 correction about lies and comparing apples and oranges 21:32  |  Bob 02/01/07
  48.   Extremist maniacs with nukes: Tel Aviv, and soon Tehran. 21:35  |  Ranfo 02/01/07
  49.   sam(UK) 21:35  |  Jeremy Woolf 02/01/07
  50.   sam(UK) 21:35  |  Jeremy Woolf 02/01/07
  51.   to Yankee-love-it 21:42  |  BO 02/01/07
  52.   Now I`ve counted 50 posts 21:49  |  Axel 02/01/07
  53.   Too many enemies--wake-up Israel 21:49  |  JoJo 02/01/07
  54.   "Think Tank" - Duh? 21:51  |  Victor Smolinsky 02/01/07
  55.   Yosemite Sam 22:10  |  Mark Lincoln 02/01/07
  56.   BOB - LUCID 46 & 47 22:12  |  ROGER 02/01/07
  57.   But Victor 22:12  |  Mark Lincoln 02/01/07
  58.   Axel, Your post # 52 re You People 22:18  |  Phinias Whoppy 02/01/07
  59.   For Mikle White # 38, who can`t read 22:25  |  Clickfool 02/01/07
  60.   Lost In translation and a Reply to bo 22:27  |  kooskoos 02/01/07
  61.   Just how will Israel do this? 22:32  |  W 02/01/07
  62.   Mark Lincoln 22:34  |  Axel 02/01/07
  63.   The Piper And The Tune - Mark Lincoln # 57 22:47  |  Victor Smolinsky 02/01/07
  64.   re # 58 Phinias Whoppy 22:47  |  Axel 02/01/07
  65.   Clickfool re Israeli Jets 22:52  |  Phinias Whoppy 02/01/07
  66.   for Clickfool 23:01  |  Mikle White 02/01/07
  67.   Chasing cars. 23:18  |  Bill 02/01/07
  68.   ISRAEL ATTACKING IRAN 23:33  |  DANNY 02/01/07
  69.   Axel 23:36  |  G 02/01/07
  70.   Exhaust other remedies 23:40  |  Sherlock Holmes 02/01/07
  71.   Thanks, think tank 23:46  |  sh 02/01/07
  72.   WAR WITH IRAN 23:47  |  DANNY 02/01/07
  73.   Clickfool doesn`t realize that Iran will be stopped. 00:11  |