US, UK,
Israel, France Target Iran Nuclear Scientists
By
Herb Brandon
Israel News Agency
London
--- February 22, 2009...... It is being reported by several
security sources that the US, the UK, France, Israel and other
Western democratic nations have created a joint covert team
to neutralize Iran's nuclear scientists and engineers. A 'decapitation'
program designed to assassinate Iran officials and scientists
involved in nuclear activities was supposed to have gone into
effect two years ago.
Britains
Daily Telegraph newspaper revealed new details on the
covert operation inside Iran, quoting US intelligence experts
and an unnamed former CIA agent.
The
London daily said that Israel "is using hitmen, sabotage,
front companies and double agents," to destroy any kind
of nuclear weapon not being built in Iran. Additional security
sources have reinforced that statement to say that "Israel
is not working alone" on 'decapitation'.
The deaths of several figures in Iran nuclear program, including
a scientist who died under mysterious circumstances in 2007
are now being reported.
Reuters was told last year by an intelligence source in the
Middle East that Israel planned to target Iran nuclear scientists
with letter bombs and anthrax-tainted packages and had set off
explosions in Iran.
"From
mobile phones, pens, cars and cotton shirts to food, computer
laptops, juice, books and toilet paper those who are working
on a nuclear programme to hit Tel Aviv, London or Paris will
not finish their work," said a security analyst. "Their
families will not be touched, but they will find themselves
involved in work accidents that no one can save them from. If
they seek the honor of finding 72 virgins and becoming a shaheed
(martyr) Western agents have been in place to help them."
Iran's
official news agency stated today that Iran's first nuclear
power plant will begin preliminary phase operation on Wednesday.
The
report by the IRNA agency says "pilot stage operation"
of the power plant will start on Wednesday during a visit by
the head of Russia's state Rosatom Atomic Corporation, Sergey
Kiriyenko.
The
1,000-MW power plant, which was built in the city of Bushehr
with the help from Russia under a $1 billion contract, was expected
to become operational in fall of 2008.
Some
700 Iranian engineers were trained in Russia to operate the
plant.
Israel
responded today to the most recent IAEA report regarding Iran
and Syria.
A
communiqué from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
stated: "The director general of the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) published two periodic reports yesterday
on investigations that the agency is conducting in Iran and
Syria. The report on Iran indicates that Iran is continuing
to enrich uranium, in violation of a UN Security Council resolution,
while refusing to cooperate with the IAEA. The agency is trying
to determine whether Iran's nuclear program is intended for
military purposes, as suspected."
The
statement from Jerusalem continued: "The facts detailed
in the report are similar to those in previous reports. However,
the ramifications, in the face of Iran's continuation of its
nuclear program - particularly the stockpiling of enriched uranium,
while ignoring the demands of the international community are
more serious. Israel reiterates its call to the international
community and its institutions to increase the pressure on Iran
to abandon its program, which threatens to achieve nuclear weapon
capability. Regarding the Syria facility that was apparently
built in secret, Israel expressed concern about the report's
findings, which include the presence of uranium at the site,
indicating that the facility was nuclear. Israel expects the
IAEA and its head to continue its impartial investigations,
including visits to additional sites that Syria until now has
not allowed to be inspected. These two states operate clandestinely
in the nuclear realm in a way that endangers regional and world
peace while flagrantly violating their international commitments."
The
new Obama administration is creating every diplomatic opportunity
and bridge to address the threats from Iran and Syria.
Days
before becoming the 44th President of the United States Barack
Obama made it vividly clear that Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons
was "unacceptable" and he would "respond appropriately"
to a congratulatory letter from Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Obama
also said that Iran must stop supporting "terrorist organizations."
The
President confirmed that he had been sent a letter from Ahmadinejad
following his historic victory.
"I
am aware that the letter was sent," Obama said in response
to the only question of a press conference about foreign policy.
"I will be reviewing the letter from President Ahmadinejad
and we will respond appropriately."
"It
has only been three days since the election," he added.
"Obviously, how we approach and deal with a country like
Iran is not something that we should, you know, simply do in
a knee-jerk fashion.
"I
think we've got to think it through."
Asked
whether he would send low-level envoys to US foes such as Iran,
Syria, Venezuela, and Cuba to see if presidential-level talks
could be "productive," Obama responded by condemning
Iran's nuclear program.
"Let
me repeat and state what I stated during the course of the campaign,"
he said. "Iran's development of a nuclear weapon I believe
is unacceptable. We have to mount an international effort to
prevent that from happening."
Last
Friday, Washington accused Tehran of violating international
regulation and called on the international community to "work
together" on and address Iran's nuclear issue as soon as
possible.
"This
is an urgent problem that has to be addressed and we can't delay
addressing," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, after
a UN report claimed Tehran has been still carrying out its uranium
enrichment activity.
In a report submitted Thursday to the UN Security Council, Mohamed
ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) said Iran still refused to fulfill UN's requirement
of stopping its uranium enrichment activity.
"The
report represents another lost opportunity for Iran as it continues
to renege on its international obligations. Absent compliance,
the international community cannot have confidence that this
program is exclusively of a peaceful nature," Gibbs said.
"It
does underscore the urgency with which the international community
must work together to address these enrichment activities,"
said the spokesman.
Responding to the IAEA report, Iran has vowed to continue its
nuclear work.
Former
German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in Iran on Saturday
that US President Barack Obama's administration was a "good
opportunity" for Iran to ease tensions with the West, the
Mehr news agency reported. During his presidential campaign,
Obama called for dialogue with Iran. That was a clear shift
from former president George W. Bush, who rejected talks unless
Iran halted uranium enrichment, the process that makes fuel
for nuclear power plants but can also be used for the core of
an atomic bomb.
Last
month, Obama said "if countries like Iran are willing to
unclench their fists, they will find an extended hand from us."
France
President Sarkozy has stated that a nuclear-armed Iran would
be "unacceptable" and that the only response was to
tighten sanctions while being open to talks if Iran suspended
nuclear activities.
"This
initiative is the only one that can enable us to escape an alternative
that I say is catastrophic: the Iran bomb or the bombing of
Iran," he said, adding that it was the worst crisis facing
the world.
Israel
Prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu declared during
the Israel election campaign that the Iran nuclear program is
an "existential threat" to Israel, and that "Iran
will not arm itself with a nuclear weapon, and that includes
all that is required so that this possibility will not materialize."
Netanyahu stated that Iran is the most urgent issue in a future
dialogue with the Obama administration.
Iran
has repeatedly threatened to destroy Israel using such statements
as to "wipe Israel off the map."
Israeli INTEL has taken these Islamic Jihad threats from Iran
as serious and in real time.
Until now, Iran was limited to using proxy terror organizations
such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad against Israel.
In the last three years, Iran backed Hamas has launched over
8,000 missiles into Israel from Gaza. Israel withdrew from Gaza
in an unilateral peace move three years ago.
The Israel security establishment believes that if Iran is so
reckless to hit Israel cities and towns from Gaza, it would
not hesitate to attack Tel Aviv from Iran.
A
renewed offer was made to Iran last year by the US, Russia,
China, the UK, France and Germany, known as the P5+1 (the permanent
five on the Security Council plus Germany) or the E3+3 (the
European three plus the three others from the Security Council).
It builds on a previous offer of 2006 and says that if Iran
suspends uranium enrichment, then talks can start about a long-term
agreement.
On
offer is recognition of Iran's right to develop nuclear energy
for peaceful purposes and the treatment of Iran in "the
same manner" as other states under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty.
Iran
would get help with developing nuclear power stations and be
guaranteed fuel for them. It would also be offered trade concessions,
including the possible lifting of US sanctions preventing it
from buying new civilian aircraft and parts. Iran President
Ahmadinejad responded by saying that the demand was "illegitimate".
Many
view that the purpose of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's
trip to China was to secure support on a global defense against
Iran. Iran, which is close to completing a nuclear bomb, has
already displayed its weapons delivery system with the launch
of a "research and telecoms" satellite called Omid
two weeks ago.
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