2.13.2007

While IAEA Chief Warns Against War With Iran, Israel Hints It May Strike There Independently

There is one thing on which you can always count on the hawks in Israel: doing their utmost to make a tricky situation into a much worse one by trying to force the hands of another party (almost always the United States) to do its bidding against an enemy; in this case, of course, Iran.

Here's this from Democracy Now:

An Israeli cabinet minister is warning that Israel might decide on its own to confront Iran in order to halt its alleged nuclear weapons program. Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman said "Israel cannot remain with its arms folded, waiting patiently for Iran to develop non-conventional weapons." At the United Nations, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Chief, Mohamed El Baradei warned against any such action.

Mohamed El Baradei: "I don't see a military solution of the Iranian issue. First of all, as far as we know what Iran has now today is the knowledge. We do not know that Iran has the industrial capacity to enrich uranium. We don't know, we haven't seen indication or concrete proof of a nuclear weapons program. So I don't see that people talk about a military solution. I don't know what they mean by that. You cannot bomb knowledge, as I said before. I think it would also be completely counter productive."