Der Spiegel: Iran able to produce nuclear bomb this year
German magazine claims secret dossier proves Iran is serious and capable of building atomic bomb.
By Haaretz Service Tags: IAEA Iran nuclear Israel newsIran is serious about developing a nuclear bomb and has the ability to produce a primitive, truck-sized version of the bomb this year, the German magaziner Der Spiegel reported on Monday.
An intelligence dossier obtained by Der Spiegel shows that there is a secret military branch of Iran's nuclear research program that answers to Tehran's ministry of defense, according to the report.
Officials who have read this document - which is currently under review by the U.S., Germany and Israel - claim that it shows that their nuclear program aimed at producing a bomb is well advanced.
The officials said to Der Spiegel that the truck-sized bomb which they are capable of producing will have to be compressed to a size that would fit into a nuclear warhead for the strategic threat potential they desire.
Der Spiegel also wrote that Israel and the West were alarmed by the dossier's revelations, as Iran could reach the compressed level of a nuclear bomb between 2012 and 2014.
Tehran has consistently denied that it is enriching uranium for weapons, claiming it is exclusively dedicated to the peaceful use of nuclear technology.
Iran has often warned it would retaliate for any attack on its nuclear facilities, which the West suspects form part of a drive to develop bombs. Tehran denies the charge.
U.S. and Israel have not ruled out attack of Iran's nuclear site
Neither Israel nor the United States have ruled out military action if diplomacy fails to resolve the long running row over Iran's disputed nuclear ambitions.
"The Americans have made conflicting comments [on the possibility of an attack on Iran]," the official IRNA news agency quoted Iranian Brigadier-General Ahmad Vahidi as saying.
Earlier, Vahidi said Iran would strike back at Israeli weapons manufacturing sites and nuclear installations if it attacked the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities.
Israel is believed to be the only nuclear-armed Middle East state. Iran has often said it has missiles able to reach Israel.
Iran, the world's fifth largest oil exporter, says its nuclear work is aimed at generating electricity, not making bombs, but its failure to convince world powers about the peaceful nature of its work has led to UN and U.S. sanctions.
'Attack on Iran too big a mission for Israel'.
According to reports Israel's basic assumption is that diplomacy and sanctions will not gain a thing, and the only way to stop Iran's nuclear program will be by force.
This is also the assessment of the international media, who consider an Israeli strike against Iran a near certainty.
Inside Israel's security-strategic community, opinions are divided. Experts estimate that the air force can reach Iran and strike the nuclear installations.
Some observers note that after the bombing of the Iraqi reactor in 1981, critics of the attack claimed that Saddam Hussein would be able to rebuild in three to four years, but this never happened.
However, many defense experts say an attack against Iran is "too big a mission for Israel." They raise two main arguments: concerns that Iran's response will be harsh and start a general war, even if the operation fails, and more importantly, the United States' determined opposition to an independent Israeli operation.
This view is held by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. The defense experts say that without a green light from Washington, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense minister Ehud Barak will not be able to send in the air force.
Former prime minister Ehud Olmert hoped to neutralize Iran's nuclear program differently, and we can assume that Israel managed to delay the project by a few years; maybe even a decade. But that sort of activity has been exhausted. The Iranians have overcome the difficulties and managed to cross the "technological threshold" of enriching uranium, according to the head of Military Intelligence.
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Iran & Bomb. Let us surmise that Iran is going for the Bomb,& if no forseeable hinderence is going to stop her,(Sanctions won't work here) then Israel will have to take stock of this new situation & prepare. One thing: Iran kmows or should know that if there is the slightest danger from Iran attacking,Israel directly or indirectly. Israel will retaliate against her in Biblical punishment. Perhaps the time has come to remove the ambiguity surrounding Israel's capablities,& capacity re. her Nuclear stock of............ Like India & pakistan. Israel should come out openly. But,a warning & ultimatium of the clearist fashion should be given; That nothing & nobody will be able to at that time stop Israel. Before Israel comes out openly with the change of policy she has to consult with America,(not that she needs green lights.But to keep our friend in the know & consult what is the best way to carry out this new policy.) Europe,wants 2 c a confrontation between Iran & Israel.
Please learn your lesson. Do you need publicity?
Iran MIGHT be develloping nuclear weapons. No Iranian politician ever said he would like to wipe Israel off the map (see at Google: wipe Israel off the map misinterpretation). Iran never started war against Israel. Israel has at least 200 nuclear bombs and is threatening to attack Iran even by nuclear weapons every single day. So tell me who is worse??? Even if it is just rhetoric till now: Who is the aggressor??? The world would care more about Israel if Israel would behave like a civilizised nation.
"Who has decreed that Israel is on the good side and can detain nukes, while Iran is evil and can`t?" Iran decreed that it won't obtain nukes when it signed and benefited from the NPT.
Work hard and dilligent in Switzerland ,so perhaps you're going to keep your job and will be able to support him.
"When Iran develops nukes, Israel will be first to know" - Durson Twaddle. If Jerusalem goes, Tehran glows and everyone knows that. "Irans nuclear program is much more transparent than Israels was." - Durson Israel got all the help it needed from France and Great Britain in exchange for giving them an excuse to try and grab the Suez Canal. Iran needs the help of the IAEA and other nations. Times have changed Natalie. You are so fundamentally wrong on both points that you will never comprehend reality. If Iran were to nuke Israel not only Israel would retaliate. Israel has been VERY careful to not rattle it's saber. The big bitch of Israel now isn't the threat of Iran nuking it, it is the threat of Iran having a deterrent to Israel. You clearly want to see Israel harmed or destroyed. Try holding your breath and see if it happens.
...we all know that any attack on iran would bring russia and china up on the table. both countries have big interests in a working iran. any millitary intervention shure would trigger a much broader war than just the middle east scenario. so what are we talking about??? i bet there is nothing going to change!
And, once again, WHERE'S THE BLOODY EVIDENCE?? Anyone can say "we have the evidence". Show it to us. Better still, show it to the IAEA.
Iran MIGHT be develloping nuclear weapons. No Iranian politician ever said he would like to wipe Israel off the map (search at Google: wipe Israel off the map misinterpretation). Iran never started war against Israel. Israel has at least 200 nuclear bombs and is threatening to attack Iran even by nuclear weapons every single day. So tell me who is worse??? Even if it is just rhetoric till now: Who is the aggressor??? The world would care more about Israel if Israel would behave like a civilizised nation.
or possibly to deter any russian attempts to keep Iran from reclaiming its historical provinces in Central Asia.
"I`m sure you would like to see iran get nukes and use them on the jews, but dont hold your breath bitch..." jon Can you really read Flora's mind? Wow. "the USA is a superpower and with that come responsibilites." jon The USA is not your attack dog. Sic 'em jon. "you should be THANKFUL Israel is such a merciful country! :-)" jon Tell that to the innocent men, women, and children of Gaza, Lebanon.... but evil has a way coming coming back on the perpetrators. The Nazis found this out, and so will Israel. Salaam/Shalom
There have been several leaks to Der Spiegel in recent months and several of them have not stood up to examination.
Sooo the supreme leader, the illegitimate president and all the clerics spew lie after lie, we dont believe in nuclear weapons, islam forbids nuclear weapons, the worlds largest sponsor of terrorist activity is racing to confrontation to start world war III and once again, the world turns a blind eye, woe on to you ,you stiff neck people, when will you learn !!!
I'm glad you were able to easily identify the "dithering sycophant" as Obama. The Canadians were very successful in their contributions to the establishment of Israel and would be a good negotiator in this case. Our Candu reactors provide nuclear power but make it much more difficult to use the material for a bomb. The problem is that the USA loves to have its fingers in all the pies not that anyone looks to you for leadership. However if Obama is going to take the lead then he should try to be decisive
im more interested if the saints kick the colts ass than iran vs israel. those two can never get along. im tired of each other crying wolf all the time! get it over with
here's the thing you're missing flora...the USA is a superpower and with that come responsibilites..I am afraid they cannot just sit idly by and watch iran go nuclear..there's too much at stake. I'm sure you would like to see iran get nukes and use them on the jews, but dont hold your breath bitch... as for durson, marc leb and kaska, you're all mental. You can't seriously tell me iran will be as responsible with nukes as israel has been..in fact, if the israelis had the mentality and govt of iran, they would have used their nukes long ago..you should be THANKFUL Israel is such a merciful country! :-) by the way, ishfahan was kept secret for 18 yrs..so much for transparency much less civilian intended use. LOL
May be Iran would be a problem once it has the nuclear bomb. But what about the country that mostly cries, Israel itself?, Israel never gave in it has the nuclear bombs, together around 190, enough to destroy not only the Arabs, but the whole planet 100 times. And the cowardly West never tried to find out what Israel has in its nuclear arsenal, or tried to stop it. A catastrophe is already programmed!Not by Iran, but by Israel itself!
The best way to guarantee peace between the two diverging nations would be for Iran to obtain the nuclear weapon. Or for Israel to abandon hers. But we all know that won't happen. Israel is exempt from international laws.
fake you say? au contraire mon ami - it's right there in the Hitler Diaries!
But the difference between the two, one is the 'Axis of Evil' and the other is not. This should satisfy you and your brain.
funny the stuff you read on the shelf at the check out in grocery stores
Have your goverment take care of the problem or let Israel do it who care??Stop looking at USA
Iran has had the ability to produce a bomb for some time. "Iran is serious about developing a nuclear bomb and has the ability to produce a primitive, truck-sized version of the bomb this year, the German magaziner Der Spiegel reported on Monday." - Haaretz Why would they do that when they apparently have the plans for that nifty old Chinese missile warhead that A Q Khan was shlepping around the world?
Irans nuclear program is much more transparent than Israels was.
More fake documents leaked to the Germans from Rita Katz and her cronies
We should soon be hearing from all the Israel haters saying the document is forged. Then Russia and China will say they need more evidence. Then the usual suspects will say that Iran has the right to threaten the world because the Israel does this or that. The end result will be a slow march toward Iranian nuclear armament and regional superiority. The problem is that those who want to prevent that will be forced to act in a big way when they could take measures now that would topple the mullah regime but are being lead by a dithering sycophant
If all is relative, there is nothing respect to which something can be relative.
Who has decreed that Israel is on the good side and can detain nukes, while Iran is evil and can't? Isn't it all relative?
Israel is lucky not to have had this day by day international scrutiny when they were developing their secret nuclear weapons program.
They believe they are him.