Military strikes could speed up development of Iran's nuclear weapons: Report

[Janbaz]

LONDON: Military strikes against Iran could speed Tehran's development of nuclear weapons, according to a UK think tank.

A report by the Oxford Research Group says military action could lead Iran to change the nature of its programme and quickly build a few nuclear arms.

Iran denies Western claims it is trying to build weapons, saying its nuclear programme is entire peaceful.

The study comes as the UN nuclear watchdog is set to discuss the nuclear programmes of Iran and North Korea.

In February, Iran ignored a deadline set by the UN Security Council to stop enriching uranium.

A report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran was instead expanding the programme.

Far from setting back Iran's nuclear programme , a military attack might create the political conditions in which Iran could accelerate its nuclear weapons programme


Enriched uranium is used as fuel for nuclear reactors, but highly enriched uranium can be used to make nuclear bombs.

Western powers have threatened to expand sanctions on Iraq. These could include travel bans on Iranian officials associated with nuclear and missile programmes.

The US has not ruled out using force but says it wants to give diplomacy a chance.

The Oxford Research Group report is written by nuclear scientist and arms expert Frank Barnaby.

"If Iran is moving towards a nuclear weapons capacity it is doing so relatively slowly, most estimates put it at least five years away," he says.

Mr Barnaby adds that an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities "would almost certainly lead to a fast-track programme to develop a small number of nuclear devices as quickly as possible".

He says it "would be a bit like deciding to build a car from spare parts instead of building the entire car factory".

The News.
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[Janbaz]

Iran poised to strike in wealthy Gulf states

LAHORE: Iran has trained secret networks of agents across the Gulf states to attack Western interests and incite civil unrest in the event of a military strike against its nuclear programme, a report in The Sunday Telegraph quoted a former Iranian diplomat as saying. It was claimed that spies working as teachers, doctors and nurses at Iranian-owned schools and hospitals had formed sleeper cells ready to be “unleashed” at the first sign of any serious threat to Teheran. They were also said to be recruiting fellow Shias in the region, according to the report. Were America or Israel to attack Iran, such cells would be instructed to foment long-dormant sectarian grievances and attack US and European business interests in wealthy states such as Dubai and Saudi Arabia. These claims have been made by Adel Assadinia, a former career diplomat who was Iran’s consul general in Dubai and an adviser to the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Assadinia said the Iranian consulate in Dubai was also used as a conduit for funding of Hezbollah. He said his consulate was a hub for regional intelligence operations. “People were encouraged to tell the Europeans that Iran wanted a good relationship with them,” said Assadinia. Asked whether it was an attempt to divert attention from a nuclear programme, he said, “Precisely”. A spokesman for the Iranian embassy in London rejected the claims. Meanwhile, a missile that brought down an RAF Lynx helicopter in Iraq was smuggled by Iranian agents, an official inquiry into the attack will reveal, said another Telegraph report. daily times monitor

Daily Tmes.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\03\05\story_5-3-2007_pg1_9