Editorial:
Israel Faces A Dilemma
Last week, the Iranian nuclear file continued to be in the spotlight and there appeared numerous stories in the Western press and media about the degree of the advancement of the nuclear program and the possibility of an attack by Israel against the Iranian nuclear installations.
By: Sadegh Kharrazi
Last week, the Iranian nuclear file continued to be in the spotlight and there appeared numerous stories in the Western press and media about the degree of the advancement of the nuclear program and the possibility of an attack by Israel against the Iranian nuclear installations. However, one story which attracted mostly the attention of those who are closely following Iran's nuclear developments was the revelation by Western officials that Iran has no nuclear bomb, has not decided to build one and is years away from having a deliverable nuclear warhead.
Reuters reported on this subject last Friday after interviewing a number of current and former U.S. and European officials familiar with intelligence on Iran. The report also touched upon a very sensitive issue of whether there are other nuclear enrichment facilities in Iran. It quoted a U.S. administration official as saying, "We are very confident that there is no secret site now." Furthermore, AP reported on March 18 that senior Israeli officials agree that Iran has not yet decided on the construction of a nuclear bomb.
These stories come at a time when for some months Israeli officials and neoconservatives in America have threatened to attack Iranian nuclear facilities which are under IAEA safeguards. It is no secret that Israel has mobilized an international campaign to portray Iran as an imminent nuclear threat which is determined to attack not only Israel, but targets in the region, Europe and even the United States. Moreover, it has been pressing the White House to initiate a war on Iran.
The main Israeli argument for such a hawkish position has been Iran's continued nuclear activities particularly in Fordow where the installations are well protected. Israel has maintained that sanctions and negotiations with Iran will go nowhere and since Iran is bent on developing nuclear weapons, the sooner its nuclear sites are crushed, the better. The news that there is no imminent nuclear threat coming from Tehran is in sharp contrast with the debate about Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.
Israel seeks to constantly frighten the international community from the "Iranian nuclear threat" because Israel without an enemy cannot get the financial and military support from the U.S. It also wants to distract the world public opinion from its daily attacks against Gaza Strip and its intransigence in the talks with the Palestinians. However, Israel and its supporters in Washington and Europe are now facing a dilemma. On one hand, they cannot continue with their saber-rattling and the talk of war on Iran because Iran's threat even in their words is not imminent and on the other, they cannot easily shift their propaganda machine against Iran to a milder gear.
The coming few weeks before next month's nuclear talks between Iran and 5+1 countries will show how the Israelis will handle their propaganda on this issue. However, it is interesting to note that the Director-General of the I.A.E.A has not reacted to this latest development in the Iranian nuclear file. Amano, in comparison with his predecessors, has been tougher on Iran and has proved to be less tolerant to pressures from anti-Iran forces. Mr. Amano will promote his personal stature as well as that of his organization if he decides to announce his agreement with the new assessment on Iranian nuclear activities.