Don’t Bomb Iran

summary: Oct 2003 Israeli newspaper report on LA Times and Spiegel reports that  the IDF is planning attack on six sites, three previously unknown;  that Israel has up to 120 Harpoon missiles from the USA on its submarines, and has nuclear weapons to fit on some of them.  Article alleges this information has been leaked by unnamed US and Israeli officials to the LA Times as a warning to to Iran.  Also claims that “Iran is already able to manufacture weapons-grade uranium”
copy of original article here

10/10/03      Haaretz: IDF planning to attack nuclear sites in Iran

By Nathan Guttman, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and
Reuters

10/12/03: ( Haaretz) Israel is prepared to launch an attack on Iran’s
nuclear sites in order to prevent them from being operational, the German
weekly magazine Der Spiegel reported Saturday.

The Los Angeles Times meanwhile reported on Saturday that Israel
has the capability to fire nuclear warheads from submarines.

Basing its disclosure on U.S. government officials and Israeli sources,
the report claimed that Israeli submarines are armed with U.S.-made
Harpoon cruise missiles. Israel has modified nuclear warheads to fit these
Harpoon missiles, and the missiles have been modified so that they can hit
land targets, the report added.

Labor MK Ephraim Sneh told Army Radio in response that the reports
on Israeli allegedly growing nuclear capability are harmful to Israel and
distract attention from Iran’s efforts to become a nuclear power. Most
importantly, he added, they are untrue.

The Der Spiegel report said that Israel is prepared to launch an attack in
Iran against facilities used in that country’s nuclear weapons development
program. According to this report, Israeli officials fear Iran’s nuclear
program has reached an advanced stage, and a special Mossad unit has been
ordered to formulate an attack plan against the nuclear weapons program
sites in Iran.

According to the report, the Mossad believes that Iran is already able to
manufacture weapons-grade uranium, and ordered a special unit two months
ago to prepare a comprehensive and detailed plan for the attack.

The magazine quoted an Israeli fighter pilot as saying that the mission
was complicated but technically feasible.

According to the report, Israel has information on six nuclear sites in
Iran, three of them previously unknown to the rest of the world, and plans
to have F16 fighter planes attack the sites simultaneously.

Completing the nuclear program
The deployment of the modified Harpoon cruise missiles, the LA Times said,
completes Israel’s nuclear program. Israel has the capability of launching
nuclear missiles from the land, air and sea, the report claimed.

Sea-based nuclear missile capability is widely considered an essential
strategic asset that greatly enhances a country’s deterrent strength. A
country with nuclear missiles at sea can threaten an enemy with a “second
strike” - that is, even if a surprise attack manages to wipe out its
surface and air missile systems, the country can rely on its submarine
missiles to retaliate.

Israeli sources said Saturday that U.S. officials have never raised
questions about a possibility of Israel converting American-made
missiles for nuclear use. User instructions that have accompanied the
supply of missiles such as the Harpoon have not included restrictions
banning any such conversion, say the Israeli sources.

Maintaining a policy of nuclear ambiguity, Israel has never formally
acknowledged possession of nuclear weapons. Experts in the West believe
Israel’s arsenal contains between 100 and 200 advanced nuclear bombs.
Israel’s delivery systems, these authorities contend, feature F-15 and
F-16 planes, “Jericho” surface missiles, and the submarine-based Harpoon
missiles.

Western researchers have estimated that Israel has 120 Harpoon
cruise missiles capable of submarine launch.

The Los Angeles Times report alluded to two U.S. officials as primary
sources of information about Israel’s Harpoon cruise missiles. These
sources asked to remain anonymous; they explained that they leaked
information as a caution to Israel’s enemies, particularly Iran.

The U.S. State Department and Pentagon declined Saturday to
comment on the report.

Some U.S. public figures claimed Saturday that Israeli nuclear
capability complicates international efforts to stop Iran’s nuclear
weapons procurement efforts. A senior U.S. official who has been
active in attempts to stop nuclear weapons proliferation said Israel’s
nuclear capabilities are a “magnet” spurring Arab countries that aspire to
develop nuclear weapons of their own.

© Copyright 2003 Haaretz