9mmRifle
10-23-2007, 01:06 PM
Israel hits back at IAEA over Iran
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Israeli_PM_hits_back_at_IAEA_chief_over_Iran_999.html
Paris (AFP) Oct 22, 2007
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday took a swipe at UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei for saying there was no clear and present danger from Iran's nuclear programme.
ElBaradei, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in an interview with Le Monde newspaper that Iran would need "between three and eight years" to develop a nuclear bomb and that there were was no immediate threat.
"If ElBaradei thinks that an Iranian bomb in three years time does not bother him, it certainly worries me, even extremely," Olmert told journalists in Paris after meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
"If it's three years, this is very near and extremely concerning," he said, adding dryly: "It would be better if ElBaradei made an effort to prevent them from obtaining a bomb."
The IAEA director told Le Monde: "I want to get people away from the idea that Iran represents a clear and present danger and that we're now facing the decision whether to bombard Iran or let them have the bomb. We're not in that situation at all."
"I can't judge whether Iran intends to develop a nuclear bomb. It would need between three and eight years to do so. All intelligence services are agreed on that," said ElBaradei.
The IAEA chief continued: "We still have a lot of time to use diplomatic tools, including sanctions, dialogue, all the 'carrots' and 'sticks' we have at our disposal."
Olmert said he and Sarkozy shared "identical" views on the threat posed by Iran and on the need to toughen sanctions to pressure Tehran into fully disclosing its nuclear activities.
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Israeli_PM_hits_back_at_IAEA_chief_over_Iran_999.html
Paris (AFP) Oct 22, 2007
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday took a swipe at UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei for saying there was no clear and present danger from Iran's nuclear programme.
ElBaradei, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in an interview with Le Monde newspaper that Iran would need "between three and eight years" to develop a nuclear bomb and that there were was no immediate threat.
"If ElBaradei thinks that an Iranian bomb in three years time does not bother him, it certainly worries me, even extremely," Olmert told journalists in Paris after meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
"If it's three years, this is very near and extremely concerning," he said, adding dryly: "It would be better if ElBaradei made an effort to prevent them from obtaining a bomb."
The IAEA director told Le Monde: "I want to get people away from the idea that Iran represents a clear and present danger and that we're now facing the decision whether to bombard Iran or let them have the bomb. We're not in that situation at all."
"I can't judge whether Iran intends to develop a nuclear bomb. It would need between three and eight years to do so. All intelligence services are agreed on that," said ElBaradei.
The IAEA chief continued: "We still have a lot of time to use diplomatic tools, including sanctions, dialogue, all the 'carrots' and 'sticks' we have at our disposal."
Olmert said he and Sarkozy shared "identical" views on the threat posed by Iran and on the need to toughen sanctions to pressure Tehran into fully disclosing its nuclear activities.