Gary Fitleberg, December 15, 2003

There is a wise old saying, "You can fool some of the people some of the time but not all the people all the time." America and Israel believe Iran is pursuing a nuclear program not for peaceful purposes but for weapons of mass destruction.

According to Bennett Ramberg, a former Foreign Policy Analyst with the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Politico-Military affairs during the first Bush administration, "Iran may hide its nuclear ambitions from some but not from Israel." Ramberg concluded that Israeli intelligence cannot and will not afford to be kept in the dark. In other words, Iran cannot decide to try to hide from Israel.

Recent statements by top Israeli officials raise the specter that Iran is now on Israel’s target list. Appearing before a Knesset committee, Meir Dagan, head of the Mossad intelligence agency, on November 17th, warned that Iran’s nuclear activities posed the gravest "threat to the existence of Israel" since the state’s creation in 1948. Only one week earlier, in a visit to Washington , Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, declared that Iran was reaching the "point of no return" in its nuclear ambitions.

Has Israel initiated a countdown to destroy Iran’s capacity? Certainly, it would be understandable if Israel doesn’t believe that others will take care of the problem. The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency’s attempt to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions have failed. Despite the fact it has concluded that Iran has violated the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty for nearly two decades, it decided not to bend to America’s push for applying sanctions by referring the issue to the UN. Security Council, nor has it required that Iran abandon facilities that could produce material for the bomb.

Instead, the IAEA has agreed to accept Iran’s "new spirit of cooperation" without promising that "further significant [safeguard] failures would "trigger" U.N. Security Council consideration.

Is it logistically feasible for Israel to target Iran’s "ticking bomb" nuclear program?

In early 1981, Moshe Ahrens, then Chairman of the Knesset Committee of Foreign Affairs and Security, declared with striking bluntness that Israel would never ever allow Iraq to acquire nuclear weapons. Months later, Israel made good on Ahrens’ remark. It bombed Iraq’s Osirik reactor. Thank G-D!!! Because, despite world condemnation at the time, if Israel had not struck first in a deterrent maneuver the world would be an entirely different place today. Imagine Saddam Hussein Insane with nuclear capability. Not a pretty picture. Some believe a strike on targets in Iran are much more difficult to accomplish. But armed with specially designed new American F16I fighter jets, Iran is within striking range. Iran can not afford to maintain an arrogant defiant attitude and policy when it comes to its nuclear program. Because like Iraq it may face an attack.

One can not afford to allow nuclear weapons in the hands of governments controlled by corrupt dictators and extremist fanatical fundamentalist rulers bent on the intent for the destruction of the entire Western civilization.

Without question, no nation is more concerned about nuclear proliferation in the Middle East than Israel. No other nation is more willing to take necessary action to bring nuclear proliferation to an end.

Israel’s skepticism about the IAEA solution comes from first hand personal experience, intelligence, and unique perspective. Israel is quite familiar with the artful, secret path Iran is traveling as it builds bombs under the noses of international inspectors and concerned countries. After all, Israel pioneered the technique.

At the beginning of the Jewish state, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, understandably obsessed with Israel’s vulnerability to an Arab attack, proposed a three-part solution: robust conventional forces; defensive alliances with the United States, NATO and others; and nuclear weapons. Although Israel never found an alliance partner, it did establish the preeminent conventional military force in the region and it did successfully build the bomb.

To do so, Israel shrouded its nuclear program in secrecy, repeatedly misrepresented its intentions to the international community, received nuclear assistance from benefactors who should have known better and conned U.S. nuclear inspectors.

The program gained steam when France agreed to export a nuclear reactor to be situated in Dimona, Israel, after the Jewish nation state promised to use the plant for peaceful purposes. In time, France got wind that the program was going in another direction but took no action. Same for Norway from which Israel imported heavy water.

As the years passed, the U.S. became a stumbling block. In response to the Eisenhower administration’s suspicions, Israel stated its nuclear efforts promoted the "development of scientific knowledge for eventual industrial, agricultural, medical and other scientific purposes." Further nuclear enterprises would help develop the Negev. Ben-Gurion called claims that Israel sought a bomb a "deliberate or unwitting untruth."

Publicly, President Eisenhower bought the representation. In a report to Congress, the administration stated that it had "been assured categorically at the highest level of the Israeli government that Israel has no plans for production of atomic weapons."

The Kennedy administration pressed for additional assurances by demanding inspections. Reluctantly, Israel agreed to multiple visits by U.S. scientists, who found no evidence that a nuclear program existed. These findings were never fully believed by the U.S. which warned Israel that if it didn’t come clean, U.S. military assistance would be jeopardized.

Israel declared it would never ever be the first country to introduce nuclear weapons in to the Middle East. It also agreed to give careful consideration to the Non-Proliferation Treaty membership.

By 1968, Israel was well on the way to becoming a nuclear power. The U.S. threat to cut off conventional military weapons sales had been a bluff all along.

Israel’s intelligence has carefully considered Iran’s pattern and record of concealed importation of nuclear technology, construction of secret nuclear fuel cycle facilities, impediments to inspections, and false declarations. Iran can not keep secrets from Israel. Israel knows exactly what Iran is up to with its nuclear program.

Iran’s nuclear clock is ticking. The Bushehr nuclear power plant will come online in 2005.

Iran. Who is fooling who? You can fool some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time.

Israel is on to your intentions regarding development of a nuclear program for weapons of mass destruction. It will stop at nothing to put the program to an end. Its survival is at stake. Your nuclear "peaceful program" plans are entirely fake. End the nuclear program now for your own sake.

Israel will never ever allow deaf, dumb, and blind mullahs who call publicly for Israel’s destruction to follow in its own nuclear footsteps.

Gary Fitleberg is a Political Analyst specializing in International Relations with emphasis on Middle East affairs.

Copyright © 2003 Gary Fitleberg