Khamenei adviser: Islamic countries need nukes

[Camera]

By JOANNA PARASZCZUK
06/11/2012 20:06

Forghani, who formerly called on Iran to annihilate Israel, argues that Islamic Republic needs nukes to repel US threat.

While Iran continues to deny its nuclear program is anything but peaceful, the Islamic Republic's Revolutionary Guards-linked Fars News published an op-ed on Monday arguing that Islamic countries - and Iran - need a nuclear arsenal.

The op-ed, entitled "Nuclear Confrontation: The Islamic World Needs to have the Atomic Bomb", is written in Persian by Alireza Forghani, an analyst and strategy strategist allied with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

(...)

Notably, Forghani hit the headlines earlier this year when he published another essay urging Iran to launch a preemptive strike on Israel, in which he laid out a detailed strategy and religious-legal case for destroying the Jewish State. In his latest essay, Forghani, who writes in a colorful and colloquial style, emphasizes that the op-ed contains his personal opinions and is not an instruction to the Islamic Republic.


The essay sets out what Forghani says are the religious foundations for Islamic states to stockpile nuclear weapons, and frequently cites Khamenei as well as his predecessor, Ayatollah Sayyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini.

Forghani says that the US is the "main enemy of the Islamic Republic" and blames America for using various methods to threaten Iran.

(...)

In setting out his case for Iran to have a nuclear bomb, Forghani poses the rhetorical question of whether Pakistan should be the only Islamic country to be allowed such a weapon, and why the US only allows its allies to have nuclear bombs.


"The Muslims of Syria and Lebanon are forever concerned that if their governments don't cooperate with Israel via the UN Security Council - America's bastard offspring - they will be condemned and then right afterward they'll have to host illegitimate NATO troops," Forghani opined.

He added: "Iran is one of those countries that the US keeps threatening. We've experienced their failed attacks in the past, and there's no doubt that [America] will attack Iran again since it calls us the 'Axis of Evil." The Khamenei-linked strategist warned that the US would likely attack Iran again, this time with a nuclear bomb, "like it did in Japan".

"It is the right of the Islamic people to possess nuclear weapons," Forghani wrote, calling on the Islamic world to declare that right to the US and Israel.

"Yeah, possessing nuclear weapons is a 'right'," he added. "If that right did not exist, Israel would have been destroyed 30 years ago and America wouldn't have flaunted itself in Iraq and Afghanistan." The strategist, whose personal website features a prominent photograph of Khameini, concludes by referring to Iran's Supreme Leader.

"According to Imam Khamenei, if we're attacked we should respond at the same level,' he wrote. "And that requires a rapid response at the level of an atomic bomb to [an attack with] an atomic bomb."

http://www.jpost.com/Features/InThes...aspx?id=273465

Is this the first step in the direction to change the nuclear fatwa?

[HHH816]

pakistan already got one

[Watan]

i dont doubt that an atomic weapon will deter any attack on Iran, but its not necessary in my opinion. btw this guy Forghani sounds crazy

[Irishgunner46]

Yeah thats exactly what they need,

an analyst and strategy strategist

in what ?

[Chairborne Ranger]

in what ?

In strategy, says it right there.

[Laworkerbee]

He means a Shia country needs nukes.

As if a religion needs nuclear weapons.

[Mordoror]

He means a Shia country needs nukes.

As if a religion needs nuclear weapons.

It does
When it is surrounded by hostiles (in the sense hostiles because of religious doctrine)

There is a strange parallele between Iran and Israel
both are surrounded by hostile arab (and others) sunni countries
One can rely on nuke deterrence
The other one would like too

[Laworkerbee]

Both are regional powers and the Arab states surrounding them are basket cases who have zero potential to seriously threaten either state. What should scare the Arabs more than anything is good relations between Iran and Israel.

[Mordoror]

who have zero potential to seriously threaten either state

Hmmm
Militarily you maybe right (although Egypt by itself has a quite huge army for example)
From an influence pov i beg here to differ (especially when you think about KSA, UAE etc )

What should scare the Arabs more than anything is good relations between Iran and Israel.

Indeed
Maybe that' also why they are pushing for a confrontation

[Irishgunner46]

In strategy, says it right there.

What strategy I meant, because giving nukes to certain countries is the worst strategy I have heard.

[Bob the Builder on Crack]

How in the hell is it a good idea to arm people who can't settle childish differences, nukes?