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Last update - 14:28 09/03/2008
Kuwaiti analyst: Best if Israel, not U.S., destroys Iranian nukes
By News Agencies
Tags: Israel, Iran, Kuwait, nuclear

The destruction of Iran's nuclear capabilities would be in the interest of the Arab nations in the Gulf, and it would be less embarrassing if it was done by Israel rather than the U.S., a top Kuwaiti strategist said in remarks published Sunday.

Officially Kuwait, like the other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, wants a peaceful solution to the nuclear standoff between Tehran and the West and will not allow the U.S. to use its territories for any attack on Iran.

But when asked in an interview with the daily Al-Siyassah about the consequences of an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear reactors, analyst and former government adviser Sami al-Faraj said it would not be such a bad thing.
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"Honestly speaking, they would be achieving something of great strategic value for the GCC by stopping Iran's tendency for hegemony over the area," he said, adding that "nipping it in the bud by Israeli hands would be less embarrassing for us than if the Americans did it."

Al-Faraj said Tehran was interfering in Iraq, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories, and inciting strife between Sunnis and Shiites.

"The question is what would it do if it were a nuclear nation? We have to call a spade a spade and say that burying the military nuclear Iranian project is in the interest of GCC states, and other countries in the area," added al-Faraj, who heads the independent Kuwait Center for Strategy Studies.

Tehran has denied it is seeking nuclear weapons and insists its program is for peaceful purposes. Despite three sets of United Nations sanctions, it is still defying demands to suspend uranium enrichment.

GCC countries -Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain - have announced they want to use nuclear energy for civilian uses as well.

Al-Faraj told the daily the GCC offered to cooperate with Tehran on a joint nuclear fuel station, but Iran turned down the offer.

Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar all host U.S. military facilities.

Peres: Iran is the world's greatest problem

President Shimon Peres on Sunday called Iran the world's greatest problem but said Israel would not act on its own against the Islamic nation's nuclear program.

"Iran is a danger not just for Israel but for the rest of the world, the combination of being a center of terror and developing a nuclear option is the most dangerous you can think of," he said at his official residence, a day ahead of an official visit France.

Peres said an active Iranian nuclear reactor would make the world ungovernable. But he added that the problem was not Israel's alone.

"Israel will not be forced [to act]. Israel will do whatever she should do, but Israel doesn't claim that she is the leader of the world," he said.
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  1.   Best if Israel destroys Iranian Nukes 13:25  |  Millicent 09/03/08
  2.   Gun for Hire 13:36  |  Detector of crooks 09/03/08
  3.   The Real Issue About Nukes 13:58  |  Yosemite 09/03/08
  4.   This kuwaity "analist" is a stupid 14:07  |  Siad 09/03/08
  5.   Nulear ballistic Iran 14:23  |  Proud Israeli 09/03/08
  6.   Response 14:26  |  JJ 09/03/08
  7.   Analist? 14:34  |  Cynical 09/03/08
  8.   H.E. Sami Al Faraj. A voice of reason. 14:41  |  Stephen. 09/03/08
  9.   Peres is a liar and an idiot in her own demented world 14:46  |  hello? 09/03/08
  10.   HEIGHT OF BOMBASTIC ARAB ARROGANCE 15:12  |  Brant 09/03/08
  11.   Israel exists when arabs need it after it doesnt exist anymore 15:36  |  zionist forever 09/03/08
  12.   Kuwaiti analyst wants Israel to do their dirty work for them 15:42  |  Conroy 09/03/08
  13.   Kuwait belong to Irak 15:44  |  Babidu 09/03/08
  14.   OBVIOUSLY not all Arabs happy with Iranian nukes.Nor do the left 15:45  |  PETER SM 09/03/08
  15.   The Kuwaitis ideas, and this article, are pure trash. 16:02  |  S 09/03/08
  16.   This Kuwaiti analyst is a lunatic or a paid agent of the Crime 16:04  |  lakshmi 09/03/08
  17.   Hey Clickfool 16:05  |  Nasib 09/03/08
  18.   siad # 4 are you sunni or shite?theres more muslims dieing at the 16:23  |  terrornator 09/03/08
  19.   No one is taking responsibility 16:24  |  B (The other one) 09/03/08
  20.   lakshmi 16:44  |  Cindy 09/03/08
  21.   Osirus reactor 17:09  |  sabra 09/03/08
  22.   how about Saudi Arabia knocking them out as bigger threat as they 17:12  |  r 09/03/08
  23.   Cheers, Cindy! 17:19  |  Linichka 09/03/08
  24.   It will be less embarrassing if Israel could do anything 17:27  |  Sal 09/03/08
  25.   A military umbrella; worth making peace with Israel? 1 17:31  |  David Turner 09/03/08
  26.   A military umbrella; worth making peace with Israel? 2 17:31  |  David Turner 09/03/08
  27.   A military umbrella; worth making peace with Israel? 3 17:32  |  David Turner 09/03/08
  28.   WHAT A SMART STRATEGIST 17:38  |  indrajaya 09/03/08
  29.   Response to Siad 18:09  |  Fish 09/03/08
  30.   Arabs and Jews and Persians 18:11  |  Lou Medel 09/03/08
  31.   20 cindy,I might be a lunatic,but not that lunatic to work for 18:12  |  lakshmi 09/03/08
  32.   Israelies are not that stupid 18:12  |  Fiedel 09/03/08
  33.   war can keep the peace better than land for peace 18:35  |  zionist forever 09/03/08
  34.   #4 Iran does not denounce Egyptian Crimes 19:03  |  Laila 09/03/08
  35.   Analyst has courage and is correct. Kuwaitis hate Israel 19:07  |  Semsem 09/03/08
  36.   LAKSHMI AND LUNATICS 19:14  |  Brant 09/03/08
  37.   What Did He Say That We Did Not Already Know 19:21  |  Eli 09/03/08
  38.   sal israel is doing a pretty good job fighting terrorist,your 19:53  |  terrornator 09/03/08
  39.   Kuwait vs. Iran 19:55  |  Jacob 09/03/08
  40.   lakshmi 20:04  |  Cindy 09/03/08
  41.   better if india, eu, us do it. 20:04  |  frenz 09/03/08
  42.   Sure, Israel suffers the retaliation. Of course Kuwait likes it 20:08  |  Pablo B 09/03/08
  43.   and it would be less embarrassing if ... 20:15  |  benyamin 09/03/08
  44.   to jacob 20:23  |  benyamin 09/03/08
  45.   no no 20:38  |  Anna 09/03/08
  46.   For Nasib # 17 21:14  |  Clickfool 09/03/08
  47.   # 13 Babidu .....Kuwait makes more sense 21:19  |  Lynn 09/03/08
  48.   They`ll blame Israel even if Israel wasn`t the one. 21:29  |  Fortuna Benmayor 09/03/08
  49.   # 16 lakshmi...people just speaking their minds 21:31  |  Lynn 09/03/08
  50.   Excellent comment, Brant # 10 21:32  |  Fortuna Benmayor 09/03/08
  51.   Who should bomb Iran? 21:34  |  John Allen 09/03/08
  52.   Best if Kuwaiti does - Arab world should fight itself 21:35  |  De 09/03/08
  53.   The want Israel to take the heat! 21:43  |  Ajay Kaur 09/03/08
  54.   #22 Yes they are. 21:46  |  John Allen 09/03/08
  55.   DIRECTOR of crooks.YOU trust Iranians. Millions of Sunnis do not 21:49  |  PETER SM 09/03/08
  56.   #10, Brant... 21:55  |  Silvienne 09/03/08
  57.   LAKSHMI speaking for ALL Arabs are you? Kuwaitis don`t love Pals 22:01  |  PETER SM 09/03/08
  58.   How would it be less embarrassing if done by Israel? 22:01  |  Efox 09/03/08
  59.   SILVIENNE #56 22:43  |  Brant 09/03/08
  60.   The Middle East minus Islamic Revolution and Zionism 22:55  |  The Arabian Empire 09/03/08
  61.   # 47 are you joking 23:14  |  JJ 09/03/08
  62.   "ISRAEL finished"sloganeers.What does Kuwait know that you don`t? 23:48  |  PETER SM 09/03/08
  63.   Clickfool 00:23  |  Nasib 10/03/08
  64.   # 58 E Fox 01:49  |  Bobby 10/03/08
  65.   Iranian & Israelies 02:13  |  Babak 10/03/08
  66.   #59 02:45  |  Bobby1 10/03/08
  67.   Haaretz still a Zoinist newspaper and capable of misleading 03:01  |  pal 10/03/08
  68.   It is common sense 03:11  |  Brod 10/03/08
  69.   Iran should use their nukes on the Saudis and Syrians 03:51  |  Murray of Montreal 10/03/08
  70.   Kuwaiti,s Suggestion 04:35  |  Michael 10/03/08
  71.   Bobby the Stupid and Bobby1 04:35  |  Bobby the Jew 10/03/08
  72.   http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/962291.html