Barak: Iran less than a year away from producing nuclear weapon
Israeli Defense Minister tells CNN that the possibility of a military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities is 'not a subject for public discussion.'
By Reuters Tags: Iran Iran nuclear Ehud BarakIran is less than a year away from being unstoppable in its goal of producing a nuclear weapon, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in an interview with CNN released on Saturday.
In an advance transcript of an interview to air on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" program on Sunday, Barak said Israel was focused on the prospect of a nuclear Iran and what "should and could be done about it on time."
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Iranian students shout slogans as they form a human chain outside the Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility, November 15, 2011. |
| Photo by: AFP |
"It's true that it won't take three years, probably three quarters before no one can do anything practically about it because the Iranians are gradually, deliberately entering into what I call a zone of immunity, by widening the redundancy of their plan, making it spread over many more sites with many more hidden elements," he said.
Barak, a former Israeli prime minister, said a report earlier this month by the UN nuclear watchdog that Tehran appeared to have worked on designing an atomic bomb and may still be conducting secret research had had a sobering effect on world leaders and was driving urgent, intensive diplomacy.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report confirmed long-standing concerns that Iran aims to build a nuclear weapon, which Israel sees as a threat to its existence. Tehran has said its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
The United States and Israel have not ruled out possible air strikes on Iran's nuclear sites.
"I don't think that that is a subject for public discussion," Barak said when asked whether Israel was prepared to attack Iran to stop its nuclear ambitions.
He said a nuclear Iran would have deep repercussions for the Middle East, prompting countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt to "turn nuclear" and starting a countdown to putting nuclear materials in the hands of terrorists.
Barak declined to comment on widespread speculation an explosion at an Iranian military base last week that killed 17 troops including an officer regarded as the architect of Iran's missile defense systems was the work of Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency.
"No. I don't know anything that I can contribute to this conversation," he said.
Iran has said the explosion took place during research on weapons that could strike Israel but has denied speculation of possible sabotage by Israel or the United States.
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I hear that when you convert to Islam it will make you impervious to the bomb. But time is short.
Iran, despite its fledgling nuclear program, does not threaten either Israel or the United States. The problem, according to the international bankers and the globalists, is that Iran is not a vassal state mired in poverty and misery like many of its neighbors. It does not take orders from Wall Street and the City of London. Even the IMF is obliged to note that Iran’s economy grew by 3.2 percent this year on the strength of greater agriculture production and higher oil prices. It is not indebted to the bankers and refuses to kowtow to Israel’s insatiable hegemonic drive, so it has to be reduced to rubble.
Israel has been shouting the same lie for 20 years. Always the same: Iran is a year from the bomb. At the same time buliding more and more bombs in secret with the help from UK and USA. Amano is joke and shamefull figur for Japan.
The unholy trinity, US/Britain/Israel have been singing this song since 2004. Give it a rest you tired old fools, nobody is falling for this nonsense anymore.
Wow, his arrogance is breathtaking
threatening other nations with force is illegal, Iran have many casus belli to use if it wants against the belligerent israeli regime.
"He said a nuclear Iran would have deep repercussions for the Middle East, prompting countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt to "turn nuclear". So what? Israel is just as big a threat as any other country with nuclear weapons. Let Israel come clean and get rid of their nuclear weapons and they would have a right to speak out against others seeking to get it. Otherwise, shut up and stop being a hypocrite!
Just proves what imment threat Israel is to this world. Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Gaza, West Bank, East Jerusalem, Sudan, Egypt have all been attacked viciously by israel. Its time to stop the israeli threat.
pathetic, everybody knows israel is a threat, thats why israel is isolated.
five years ago, it was three years away; for the last three or four, it was two years away; now it is less than a year away. This PR is doomed to end sometime soon. Will Barak & Bibi go for six months, or come up with something new when this one falls flat?
from the man in the field they will now have to talk rather than expend the lives of grunts and civilians to massage their great pretentions
i hope he is right can only lead to peace both nations are one sandwich short of a picnic but are not going to self destruct
... is of greater import than the words of this loser. The Iranians have prepared an oven to cook this miniature goose when they tire of his noise.
I am voting for Ron Paul in the Iowa Caucus, and I hope he wins the Presidency and cuts all support to Israel.
I doubt seriously Iran is after nuclear weapons. Maybe they are after capability to produce such weapons in short notice. Barak knows well that even if Iran get the nuclear weapons they will dare to use it as first strike knowing full well, Iran will be destroyed for ever. I think it is the regime change the west it after under the same of pretext of WMD.
Read the latest IAEA report. By now already it's too copied, backed-up, hidden and dispersed to make any "something-to -do-about-it-on-time" irrelevant. Only regime change can be a serious option now.
whatever your viewpoint, iran are proving a very good enemy for israel, a proper challenge to their right to exist , if israel find their way thru this one they will have re established their right to admiration rather than the current view of a murderous rabble of religious zealots
A year away? This is what Israel's been saying for years. Talk about crying "Wolf!"
anyone reading the posts here from the jews israelis and zionist will conclude the danger is the israelis having access to anything more lethal than bows and arrows
the world is not taking u jokers seriously, we have been here before, the world has concluded israel is the danger, thank god for the commonsense of the russians
Dita Von Teese visiting ?
Who let the dog out ?
So unless one wants to briefly see a drone part zooming into his keyboard, or possibly a virus triggered by some key words, like F16, air refueling, bunker buster, nukes, the N word etc. By extra carefull, guys: the dude dont play no more, he shoots codes: photons, neutrons, whatever it takes.
He will do nothing in advance of elections...but if he gets a second term, I fear that jesse jacksons warning on how obama will treat israel will come true.