Published on Saturday, June 21, 2008 by Agence France Presse
‘Ball of Fire’ if Iran Attacked: IAEA Chief
DUBAI – The UN atomic watchdog chief warned on Saturday that an attack on Iran over its controversial nuclear programme would turn the region into a fireball, as Tehran rejected an Israeli strike as “impossible.”
Mohamed ElBaradei also warned that he would not be able to continue in his role as International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general should the Islamic republic be attacked.
His stark comments came as Iran stressed yet again that it will not negotiate with world powers over its nuclear programme if it is required to suspend its controversial uranium enrichment.
“A military strike (against Iran) would in my opinion be worse than anything else … It would transform the Middle East region into a ball of fire,” ElBaradei said in an interview with Al-Arabiya television.
A report by the New York Times on Friday cited US officials as saying a major Israeli military exercise earlier this month seemed to be a practice for any potential strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
In Athens, an official with the Greek air force’s central command confirmed the substance of the US media report, stating that it had taken part in “joint training exercises” with Israel off the Mediterranean island of Crete.
The manoeuvres, code-named “Glorious Spartan 08,” took place on May 28 and June 12, and consisted of aerial exercises and knowledge exchange, said the Greek source, who requested anonymity.
The goal was for more than 100 Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighter jets to prepare for long-range strikes and demonstrate Israel’s serious concern over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the Times reported.
But ElBaradei said any attack would simply harden Iran’s position in its row with the West over its nuclear programme.
“A military strike would spark the launch of an emergency programme to make atomic weapons, with the support of all Iranians, including those living abroad,” he said.
He did not believe that there was an “imminent risk” of proliferation given the current status of Iran’s nuclear programme and made it clear he would “not have a place” as IAEA head in the event of a military strike.
The West fears that Tehran could use uranium enrichment to make an atomic bomb although Tehran insists it only wants nuclear technology for peaceful energy purposes.
ElBaradei’s comments come as Iran stressed on Saturday it will not negotiate with world powers over its nuclear programme if it is required to suspend its enrichment activities.
“Suspending uranium enrichment has no logic behind it and it is not acceptable and the continuation of negotiation will not be based on suspension,” Iranian government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham told reporters.
He responded to talk of a military strike by saying “such impudence and audacity to have an aggression against our national interest and integrity is an impossible action.”
For his part, Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, said Tehran would “continue uranium enrichment non-stop since this activity is under the 24 hour surveillance (of IAEA cameras).
“The request to stop uranium enrichment is an old issue and does not have any legal or technical foundation,” he added.
In Jerusalem, the Israeli parliament foreign affairs and defence commission chairman Tsahi Hanegbi said Saturday that Western diplomatic efforts to halt Iran’s nuclear programme had failed.
“Next year and the year after that will be crucial. The world must must decide if it gives more time to diplomatic efforts, which currently do not seem very promising,” he told Israeli public radio.
“Western measures against Iran’s nuclear programme have failed.”
On June 6 an Israeli Deputy Prime Minister, Shaul Mofaz, warned that Iran would face attack if it pursues what he said was its nuclear weapons programme.
A week ago, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana presented a new offer to Mottaki on ending the six-year standoff over Iran’s nuclear drive, offering economic and trade incentives. Iran is still considering the plan.
It was made on behalf of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.
© 2008 Agence France Presse
Jeru-salaam, -shalom & -salem,
Could you kindly comment, whether my details are correct in a dissident essay in
http://www.helsinki.fi/~pjojala/Expelled-Jews-statistics.htm ?
Palestinians were sacrifized
Chaim Weizmann and Emir Feisal were companions and emphasized the racial relations and community between the Jews and the Arabs, in contrast to the European elitist thinking even officially in the Versailles treaty.
WHAT THE EUROPEAN (and US, later on) colonialists were most afraid of, was the business collaboration between the Jews and the Arabs.
When ‘bestowing’ independence, the old landlords did EVERYTHING to knock down the close and friendly associations between those “cousins”.
Wahhabites to lead Arabia. Yasser Arafat’s uncle to serve as the great mufti of Jerusalem, the most pathological hater of the Jews the could found.
PLO was founded by the Arab League, not the Palestinians. Palestinians, whom I love, were and are USED.
USED I say! Used as a ‘vanguard’.
You can read it from the PLO articles directly:
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/mideast/plocov.htm
“Article 14:
The destiny of the Arab nation, and indeed Arab existence itself, depend upon the destiny of the Palestine cause. From this interdependence springs the Arab nation’s pursuit of, and striving for, the liberation of Palestine. The people of Palestine play the role of the vanguard in the realization of this sacred (qawmi) goal.
Article 7:
It is a national duty to bring up individual Palestinians in an Arab revolutionary manner. All means of information and education must be adopted in order to acquaint the Palestinian with his country in the most profound manner, both spiritual and material, that is possible. He must be prepared for the armed struggle and ready to sacrifice his wealth and his life…
Article 10:
Commando action (‘FEDAYEEN’) constitutes the nucleus of the Palestinian popular liberation war. This requires its escalation, comprehensiveness, and the mobilization of all the Palestinian popular and educational efforts and their organization and involvement in the armed Palestinian revolution.
On this basis the Palestinian masses, regardless of whether they are residing in the national homeland or in diaspora (mahajir) constitute – both their organizations and the individuals – one national front working for the retrieval of Palestine and its liberation through armed struggle.
Armed struggle is the only way to liberate Palestine. This it is the overall strategy, not merely a tactical phase.”
Palestinians were sacrifized. I do not accept this loss of human dignity. Be it either the civilian Obama or the 5-year Viet-Kong suicidal captive admirals son McCain, please mention the forgotten Iraqi Christians… BUT DO NOT ATTACK IRAN…
Recovering from hemorrhage in the left hemisphere of the brain,
Pauli.Ojala@gmail.com, evolutionary critic
Helsinki, Finland
Biochemist, drop-out (MSci-Master of Sciing)
http://www.helsinki.fi/~pjojala/dinoglyfs.htm
PS. Melchizedech of Salem in the first book of the Jewish Bible was paid tithes by Abraham. Jeru-salem, -salaam & -shalom that is. Jeshua (“Joshua”) is the “Immanu-el” (“G*’d within us”) prophezied Prince of Peace of the Isaiah 9. The Jewish prince just isn’t crowned the king yet but considered a heathen and a pagan, in the city of peace.