http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08 ... lton-says/
Israel Has Until Week's End to Strike Iran Nuclear Facility, Bolton Says
August 17, 2010
In this November 2009 photo released by the semi-official Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA), the reactor building of Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is seen. (AP Photo)
Israel has until the weekend to launch a military strike on Iran's first nuclear plant before the humanitarian risk of an attack becomes too great, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton said Tuesday.
A Russian company is expected to help Iran start loading nuclear fuel into its plant on Saturday, after which an attack on the Bushehr reactor could trigger harmful radiation, which Israel wants to avoid, Bolton said. So unless the Israelis act immediately to shut down the facility, it will be too late.
"Once it's close to the reactor ... the risk is when the reactor is attacked, there will be a release of radiation into the air," Bolton told FoxNews.com. "It's most unlikely that they would act militarily after fuel rods are loaded."
Earlier Tuesday, Bolton told Fox Business Network the Israelis will have to move in the "next eight days" if they want to attack the Bushehr facility -- a reference to the window between when the start-up was announced last week and the loading date. Bolton said Tuesday that the date has fluctuated, but he described the start-up as the ultimate deadline.
Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to the United States, told Fox News that the nation is hopeful sanctions -- passed by the United Nations, European Union and United States -- will "modify" Iran's behavior. Oren said Israel is "committed" to the sanctions program and will assess its impact at a later date.
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Though Iranian officials insist the reactor is for peaceful purposes, Bolton warned about the danger of the up-and-running reactor.
"What this does is give Iran a second route to nuclear weapons in addition to enriched uranium," Bolton said. "It's a very, very huge victory for Iran."
Bolton, who was U.S. ambassador during the Bush administration, expressed doubt that Israel was planning a military strike but suggested it's an open question.
"If they were going to do anything, they certainly wouldn't be talking about it," he said.
He noted that the reactor gives Iran something that both Iraq and Syria were never able to achieve because their facilities were destroyed.
"Iran will have achieved something that no other opponent of Israel, no other enemy of the United States really in the Middle East has, and that is a functioning nuclear reactor," he said on Fox Business Network.
Iranian officials on Tuesday warned Israel not to take military action. Iranian media quoted Ahmad Vahidi, Iran's defense minister, as saying Israel would be taking a huge risk with such an attack.
"We may lose a power plant, but the whole existence of the Zionist regime will be jeopardized," Vahidi was quoted as saying.
The reactor project has been in existence for decades, but the Russians have helped push it to the finish line. Russian state firm Rosatom announced last week that the Bushehr facility would be starting up on Aug. 21. According to the Iranian state Mehr news agency, the head of that company, Sergey Novikov, says the plant "just generates electricity."
Will Iran's nuke plant be bombed before this weekend?
- Buffmaster
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Will Iran's nuke plant be bombed before this weekend?
Big Red died 23 NOV 2001
You owe your success to your first wife. You owe your second wife to your success---Sean Connery
You owe your success to your first wife. You owe your second wife to your success---Sean Connery
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- Buffmaster
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Re: Will Iran's nuke plant be bombed before this weekend?
Thank you for voting!
Yes, take out the plant before fueling begins 84% (10,014 votes)
No, a strike on Iran would be a disaster 7% (795 votes)
Not now, but strikes may become viable as a last resort 8% (957 votes)
Other (leave a comment) 1% (95 votes)
Total Votes: 11,861
Yes, take out the plant before fueling begins 84% (10,014 votes)
No, a strike on Iran would be a disaster 7% (795 votes)
Not now, but strikes may become viable as a last resort 8% (957 votes)
Other (leave a comment) 1% (95 votes)
Total Votes: 11,861
Big Red died 23 NOV 2001
You owe your success to your first wife. You owe your second wife to your success---Sean Connery
You owe your success to your first wife. You owe your second wife to your success---Sean Connery
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- Munky
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Re: Will Iran's nuke plant be bombed before this weekend?
Is this a majority beleive the plant will be attacked or think the plant should be attacked.
I hope its not the latter! How many wars do we need to start?
I hope its not the latter! How many wars do we need to start?
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Re: Will Iran's nuke plant be bombed before this weekend?
Nah Israel won't do it without America's say so. And Obama would never.
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- raum
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Re: Will Iran's nuke plant be bombed before this weekend?
Our combat troops were pulled out of Iraq.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc ... turn/8186/
I think what we will see is Israel is far more willing to do something about it than we are, and will leave more options open. But being that Israel did this before in 81 to Iraq and also to Syria - it would be in character.
But really THE UN should do something about it before ti gets to that. Iran is not sanctioned to do what it is doing, and unless someone brings a heavy hand to the situation, we will be left with a situation that is far less controlled. One from which the world will perhaps not recover.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc ... turn/8186/
I think what we will see is Israel is far more willing to do something about it than we are, and will leave more options open. But being that Israel did this before in 81 to Iraq and also to Syria - it would be in character.
But really THE UN should do something about it before ti gets to that. Iran is not sanctioned to do what it is doing, and unless someone brings a heavy hand to the situation, we will be left with a situation that is far less controlled. One from which the world will perhaps not recover.
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Re: Will Iran's nuke plant be bombed before this weekend?
LOL! The UN! Oh that's a good one Raum. :laff:raum wrote:Our combat troops were pulled out of Iraq.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc ... turn/8186/
I think what we will see is Israel is far more willing to do something about it than we are, and will leave more options open. But being that Israel did this before in 81 to Iraq and also to Syria - it would be in character.
But really THE UN should do something about it before ti gets to that. Iran is not sanctioned to do what it is doing, and unless someone brings a heavy hand to the situation, we will be left with a situation that is far less controlled. One from which the world will perhaps not recover.
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- Buffmaster
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Re: Will Iran's nuke plant be bombed before this weekend?
Who says your votes don't count...you guys voted and the bombing was aborted.
Big Red died 23 NOV 2001
You owe your success to your first wife. You owe your second wife to your success---Sean Connery
You owe your success to your first wife. You owe your second wife to your success---Sean Connery
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