Ahmadinejad: Iran will celebrate nuclear achievements in Februrary

Following the UN Security Council Resolution which was passed yesterday and imposes light sanctions on Iran due to its continued nuclear program, Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said that Iran will celebrate its nuclear achievements in February. Ahmadinejad went on to call the resolution a torn piece of paper which shall not intimidate the Iranians. Ahmadinejad also stated that the countries which supported the resolution will regret that support.

Resolution 1773 prohibits supplying Iran with any materials which may be used to advance its nuclear program and its missile program.

Iran reacted to the resolution by installing 3,000 centrifuges in its center of Uranium enrichment.

Russia agreed to impose sanctions on Iran

A short time before the Security Council convened to discuss the possibility of imposing sanctions on Iran, Russia gave its agreement to the sanctions resolution.

All 15 members of the Council agreed on the resolution which prohibits supplying Iran with equipment and materials which can be used to further its nuclear program. Furthermore, assets of several persons and Iranian institutions will be frozen.

Iran was given a 60 days ultimatum in which it is to comply with the resolution which states that Iran should cease enriching Uranium which may be used in nuclear bombs. Should Iran fail to comply, the Security Council is to reconvene and impose harsher sanctions.

Iran threatened that if sanctions are imposed it would reconsider its relationship with the International agency of Atomic Energy.

The resolution discludes the possibility of military action against Iran, and allows only financial and diplomatic measures.

Sanctions on Iran?

The UN Security Council is to meet tomorrow to impose sanctions on Iran for its adherence to its nuclear program. After many months of diplomacy, it seems that tomorrow an agreed upon resolution will pass. This resolution shall include a series of "soft" sanctions on Iran.
The United States, which has led the campaign to impose sanctions, deisred stronger measures, but wishing to arrive at a consensus among the permanent members of the council led to the adoption of a much softer draft.
At the last moment it seemed that Russia may in fact be reluctant to go through with the sanctions at all. President Putin is to review the final draft and to confirm it personally. In Israel there is grave concern that Russia may impose an even softer batch of sanctions which are unlikely to cause the Iranian program any tangible harm.
The current draft of sanctions includes a list of products that should be denied the Iranians and another list of persons and organizations which work in conjunction with the Iranian program, which should also be denied right of purchase of products and materials which may be used to further the Iranian program.

This is 1938 and Iran is Germany

In a meeting with 60 ambassadors and foreign emissaries, former PM, Benjamen Netanyahu, urged his audience to not stand idly by but to act to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear state. Netanyahu compared Iran to Nazi Germany and the time to 1938, the eve of World War II, meaning that it is not to late to stop the Iranian program but that time is indeed running short.

Netanyahu said that the longer the stick with which the Iranians would be threatened the lesser the chances of its ever being put to use.

According to a review given by head of Mossad yesterday, Iran will achieve a fully functional bomb by 2009, giving roughly a 1000 days to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear state.

Iran's president has repeatedly threatened to wipe Israel off the map.

So far, efforts to impose sanctions on Iran have failed due to the opposition of Russia and China.

Netanyahu speaks on Iran

The former PM and current head of oppositon in Israel, Benyamen Netanyahu, spoke last evening in a commercian conference in Tel-Aviv.

Netanyahu stressed the importance of making a diplomatic effort in the US to explain the Iranin issue and expressed his belief that if America will not act, no one will. Netanyahu said that no one will defend the Jews and that if Bin-Laden had the Bomb New York and Tel-Aviv would not be standing today. Netanyahu said that Israel could not afford to allow the madmen of Teheran to lay their hands on a bomb.

Netanyahu promised support of PM Olmert if the latter would lead an all out national effort to stop the Iranian program and said that it was impossible not to act against those who are planning the next Holocaust.

Peres speaks on the Bomb

The man who invented Israel's policy of nuclear ambiguity, Shimon Peres, Spoke last evening in a commercial conference in Tel-Aviv.

Regarding PM Olmert's slip up about Israel's nuclear capabilities, Peres said that Israel threatens no one and if other countries believe that we have the Bomb let them believe. Peres addressed the situation in Iraq and expressed his belief that the Americans shall not prevail there. He said that had he been the one making the decisions he would have done the exact opposite things. Peres also reiterated his belief that nano-technology will win the battle against terrorism and that it is ridiculous to send a 100 million dollars plane to hunt a terrorist who can bring it down with a should rocket.

Regarding Iran, Peres stressed the importance of maing sure that Iran's nuclear program is not interpreted as an Israeli private problem. There are more than 6 different ways to handle the Iranian issue, he said, but did not clarify as to what these ways might be.

Calls for sanctions against Israel

Ehud Olmert's "nuclear slip up" in an interview to German channel SAT1 on the eve of his European tour in which he supposedly admitted that Israel possesses nuclear weapons has raised calls for sanctions against Israel. The callers for sanctions have been Arab states which have ever been Israel's enemies.
Today the Iranian foreign ministry issued an announcement which stated that the zionist PM has admitted to possess nuclear weapons which proves the threat that the zionist regime poses.
Iran complained that while its civilian nuclear program is raising such worldwide antagonism, Israel's military one goes undenounced.
Olmert reiterated several times since the interview with SAT1 that Israel's position that it will not be the one to introduce nuclear weapons to the Middle East remains, and that no further public discussion of the matter is required.

Peretz: Israel's ambiguity policy has not changed

On a tour of the West Bank today, Israel's Security Minister, Amir Peretz, stated that Israel's nuclear ambiguity policy has not changed. Peretz answered questions which arose due to an interview given yesterday by Ehud Olmert to German channel SAT1 in which he supposedly admitted that Israel possessed nuclear weapons. Olmert's staff was quick to deny that impression earlier today, but tempers in the local political arena are still wild over the Prime Minister's blunder.

Peretz said that Israel's position did not change and what is at stake is that the president of Iran threatens to destroy Israel and his country is developing a nuclear weapon. Peretz urged the International community to act and added that Israel shall not sit idly by.

Peretz reiterated the view that there are no apparent signs of an impending war with Syria.

Olmert breaks Israel's nuclear ambiguity

Israel's PM, Ehud Olmert, spoke today in an interview with German channel SAT1.

In the interview in what may have been an irresponsible slip of the tongue, Olmert broke Israel's nuclear ambiguity policy. It has been surmised that Israel possesses nuclear weapons, but Israel has never admitted or denied having that capability.

Olmert spoke of the Iranian nuclear program, and when asked whether the fact that Isreal had nuclear weapons weakened the western position vis-a-vis Iran, Olmert included Israel along other democratic countries like France, USA and Britain, making the point that the weapons themselves are not dangerous as long as the country holding it is reponsible. As Iran is threatening Israel with annihalation, it should not be allowed to develop nuclear arms. Olmert called on Germany to sever its ties with Iran.

Olmert's statement aroused great criticism in Israel political arena. The PM is on a diplomatic tour of Europe.