Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




NUKEWARS
Don't attack Iran, urges Israel's ex-spy chief
by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) March 8, 2012


The former chief of Israel's Mossad spy agency has cautioned against an attack on Iran's nuclear sites and put his trust firmly in US President Barack Obama to intervene if and when necessary.

In excerpts of an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes" program to be aired in full on Sunday, Meir Dagan said he believes the Iranian regime is a "very rational one," including firebrand President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"An attack on Iran before you are exploring all other approaches is not the right way," Dagan said.

"And (President Obama) said openly that the military option is on the table and he is not going to let Iran become a nuclear state, and from my experience, I usually trust the president of the US."

The Obama administration maintains that tough sanctions on Iran and diplomatic efforts need to be given more time before any resort to bombing raids.

Israeli leaders however say time is running out for any pre-emptive strike. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that sanctions against Iran have not worked, and "none of us can afford to wait much longer."

Dagan, who retired in January 2011 after eight years as director of the Israeli intelligence service, has repeatedly warned that an attack could fail to curb Iran's atomic ambitions while risking engulfing the region in conflict.

In the "60 Minutes" interview, he said he did not believe the Iranians were rushing forward to produce a bomb as they understood the consequences.

"But no doubt, they are considering all the implications of their actions," Dagan said. "They will have to pay dearly... and I think the Iranians at this point in time are... very careful on the project."

US military commanders say they have drawn up contingency plans for a potential attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta confirmed as much in an interview Thursday.

Dagan, who refused to be drawn on whether Israel has supported youth opposition groups in Iran, said that trying to foment regime change was a smarter tactic.

"It's our duty to help anyone who likes to present an open opposition against their regime in Iran," he said.

Asked if he would rather that Israel waited and allowed the United States to act first, Dagan replied: "If I prefer that someone will do it, I always prefer that Americans will do it."

Analysts and former US military officers say Israeli aircraft could do serious damage to Iran's nuclear sites but would face a challenge hitting an underground facility near Qom and that America's vast air force far outstrips Israel's capabilities.

The United States, Israel and much of the international community fear Iran's nuclear program is an attempt to build a weapon -- a charge Tehran denies.

.


Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








NUKEWARS
Iran judge condemns American to death for spying
Tehran (AFP) Jan 9, 2012
An Iranian judge sentenced a US-Iranian man to death for spying for the CIA, media reported Monday, exacerbating high tensions in the face of Western sanctions on the Islamic republic's nuclear programme. Amir Mirzai Hekmati, a 28-year-old former Marine born in the United States to an Iranian family, was "sentenced to death for cooperating with a hostile nation, membership of the CIA and try ... read more


NUKEWARS
Apollo 11: 'A Stark Beauty All Its Own'

Magnetic moon

Twin GRAIL Spacecraft Begin Collecting Lunar Science Data

Apollo 12: Pinpoint Landing on the Ocean of Storms

NUKEWARS
NASA Mars Orbiter Catches Twister in Action

Working models for the gravitational field of Phobos

Community College Scholars Selected to Design Rovers

Slight Cleaning of Opportunity Mars Rover Solar Panels

NUKEWARS
Tile Makers Creating Orion Shield

Weird and wonderful gadgets wow world's top IT fair

O, Pioneers! (part 2): The Derelicts of Space

Workers Remove Apollo-era Engines from Crawler at VAB

NUKEWARS
Three for Tiangong

China hopes to send Long March-5 rocket into space in 2014

Upgraded carrier rocket ready for China's first manned space docking

Long March 7 carrier rocket to lift off in five years

NUKEWARS
ISS Plays Role in Vaccine Development

Though Shuttle Retired, ISS Still Open For Business, Research Going Strong

New date set for Europe's resupply mission to ISS

A New Website Sharing ISS Benefits For Humanity

NUKEWARS
Launch Madness at Wallops in March - "Five in Five"

Engineers Tuck NuSTAR in its Nose Cone

Lockheed Martin Selects Alaska's Kodiak Launch Complex To Support Future Athena Launches

The initial Ariane 5 for launch in 2012 completes its final assembly

NUKEWARS
Stars with Dusty Disks Should Harbor Earth-like Worlds

Star Comb joins quest for Earth-like planets

Researchers say galaxy may swarm with 'nomad planets'

New model provides different take on planetary accretion

NUKEWARS
Shift to green energy sources could mean crunch in supply of scarce metals

Authors Guild worried by Apple e-book suit report

Smart, self-healing hydrogels open far-reaching possibilities in medicine, engineering

'SimCity' game rebuilt for age of climate change




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement