Israel, U.S. leading bid to thwart Iran nuke efforts in Far East

TAIPEI - Iranian purchasing networks newly exposed in Taiwan testify to two seemingly contradictory trends. Iran is energetically seeking materials for its military nuclear program, even though it must go afar because of the increasing difficulty of making purchases in Western Europe or North America, where it is suspected of malice aforethought.

The second trend is that the intelligence communities in the West - America and Israel at the forefront (and with the help of Britain, Germany, France and others) - are not loosening up on investigating the purchasing networks, agents and straw companies that Iran operates and are uncovering them in countries like Taiwan as well.

Britain's Daily Telegraph reported this week that the United Nations is investigating intelligence information that staff in Iran's Defense Ministry met with representatives of Taiwanese companies to check the possibility of purchasing advanced technology and equipment. That includes pressure valves, sensors and precise measuring devices, items that are derided in the trade as "dual use." They can be used for innocent civilian purposes and, in the case of Iran, in uranium-enriching centrifuges.

As Iran's nuclear plans advance and speed up, and the difficulty of obtaining materials in Western Europe and North America grows, Iran's purchasing efforts become more desperate and more daring - and easier to expose. This is what has happened in Taiwan, a country which a visit reveals does not have a great awareness of Iran's nuclear program and in which it is fairly simple to fool those companies and their managers who are extremely eager to sell almost anything to any buyer.

So, under camouflage, Iran managed to acquire under some equipment with the aid of agents from Taiwanese companies and even succeeded in bringing it into the country. But Western intelligence agents went into action, with America and Israel in the lead, and brought it to the attention of UN officials responsible for enforcing the sanctions on Iran and to the attention of the government authorities in Taipei.

Most countries do not have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan because of the Chinese threat to cut off its relations with those that do. There are, however, ways around this. Many countries have economic attaches in Taipei, who serve as diplomatic representatives for all intents and purposes. Meanwhile, Taiwan has similar reps in many places and in Tel Aviv,too. China does not object though it knows the truth. Israel has a small mission in Taipe. The largest one is that of the U.S., whose chief representative is called behind his back "the high commissioner" or "governor general." Taiwan's government, no less than Israel's government, is dependent on the U.S. and does its bidding most of the time.

Until relations were cut off in the late 1970s, Israel and Taiwan not only had full diplomatic ties but also secret security arrangements, including weapons sales and, according to foreign reports, cooperation (together with South Africa) in the nuclear field. Since then Israel, like most nations (with the exception of the U.S. and France), refrains from security dealings with Taiwan for fear of China's reaction and that of the U.S., which seeks to limit competition. However, a dialogue and an exchange of information about Iran do exist through various channels.

Former prime minister Ariel Sharon put responsibility for defeating Iran's nuclear program in the hands of the Mossad. It's a top priority for Mossad chief Meir Dagan, head of its unconventional weapons division and the international wing. Foreign reports have said the Mossad through its international wing has deployed agents throughout the world, including the Far East.

In light of Iran's activities, Israel approached Taiwan and asked it to look into the reports that Iranian purchasing networks had made acquisitions and sought to acquire additional equipment intended for its nuclear program. Hsu Chun-fang, the Taiwanese foreign trade spokesman, replied, "We are checking into the matter."

Generous contracts

In Germany, too, an investigation is being conducted of Iranian purchases. According to the weekly Der Spiegel, the giant Siemens concern is the object of the inquiry; it has conducted wide-ranging trade relations with Iran for years, amounting to nearly a billion euros a year. Siemens, as has been reported here on several occasions, is the target of organizations such as Stop the Bomb, which demands that the West stop or reduce its trade relations with the ayatollahs' regime, in particular to halt the sale of equipment that may be used for nuclear purposes. The focus of the probe is the suspicion that Siemens sold Iran turbo compressors for 16 million euros through a Swedish subsidiary. On a different occasion, the British navy in the Persian Gulf, off Dubai, stopped a Chinese ship carrying computers to Iran, which had been sold by Siemens to a Chinese company and were believed intended for Iran's nuclear program. A few months ago, the fact that Siemens and Nokia, the Finnish manufacturer of cellular devices, sold wiretap equipment to Iranian intelligence, which used it to suppress dissenters, provoked the anger of Americans and led Los Angeles to cancel an engineering contract with Siemens worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Nevertheless, the government of Israel and state-funded bodies, such as the Airports Authority, continue doing business as usual, granting generous contracts to companies such as Siemens and Nokia. In the past the Prime Minister's Office informed Haaretz that the National Security Council and the National Fraud Unit would be offering their opinions on the matter. But an approach this week to the PMO, in contrast to the earlier promise, revealed nothing has been done. Israel, which preaches to the world about applying sanctions on Iran, is not even doing the minimum.

	A view of an Iranian nuclear facility.
	Photo by: (AP)