Petraeus: Israel may bomb Iran

Bill Weinberg

Israel may attack Iran to prevent it from developing a nuclear bomb, the top US commander in the Middle East told Congress April 1. Gen. David Petraeus said “the Israeli government may ultimately see itself so threatened by the prospect of an Iranian nuclear weapon that it would take preemptive military action to derail or delay it.”

While Iran insists its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes, Petraeus, the head of US Central Command, said “Iranian officials have consistently failed to provide the assurances and transparency necessary for international acceptance and verification.” Iran’s “obstinacy and obfuscation have forced Iran’s neighbors and the international community to conclude the worst about the regime’s intention,” Petraeus said in a statement submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Ali Akbar Javanfekr, media adviser to Iran’s President Mahmound Ahmadinejad, responded to Bloomberg news wire: “Iran’s position as a powerful country that is a proponent of logic and peace, the Zionist regime’s chaotic situation, and the state of the world’s economy are realities that do not make this possible.” (Bloomberg, April 1)

Once again, Israel as America’s attack dog. And for reasons we have explained before.

See our last posts on Iran, Israel and nuclear fear.

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  1. Mujahedeen Khalq weighs in on Sejil-2 test
    The Mujahedeen Khalq weighs in for a nuclear-aspirant Tehran in a May 21 statement from their National Council of Resistance of Iran:

    Iran: “Sejil 2” Missile has 2,500 kilometer range; could carry nuclear warhead
    According to information obtained by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) from inside of Iran, the “Sejil 2” (Sijil 2) Missile could carry nuclear warhead and is part of the clerical regime’s drive to obtain nuclear weapons. The clerical regime announced on Wednesday, May 20 that it had test fired this missile successfully.

    The range of this missile is more than Shahab3 and is 2,500 Kilometers. Some of the European countries are within the range of this missile. In order to prevent international rebuke and intensification of sanctions against the clerical regime, it refrains from announcing the true range of this missile.

    This is a two-staged missile; enabling it to have a longer range. It is a solid fuel missile that constitutes a new technology in the mullahs’ ballistic missiles.

    Sejil 2 was manufactured by the Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO) of the clerical regime’s Ministry of Defense, namely by the Bakeri Industries Group and Hemmat Industries Group (subsidiaries of AIO) located in Khojir region, East of Tehran. Major portion of the missile was manufactured by the Bakeri Industries Group. The AIO was expanded significantly during Ahmadinejad’s presidency. NCRI – According to information obtained by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) from inside of Iran, the “Sejil 2” (Sijil 2) Missile could carry nuclear warhead and is part of the clerical regime’s drive to obtain nuclear weapons. The clerical regime announced on Wednesday, May 20 that it had test fired this missile successfully.

    The range of this missile is more than Shahab3 and is 2,500 Kilometers. Some of the European countries are within the range of this missile. In order to prevent international rebuke and intensification of sanctions against the clerical regime, it refrains from announcing the true range of this missile.

    This is a two-staged missile; enabling it to have a longer range. It is a solid fuel missile that constitutes a new technology in the mullahs’ ballistic missiles.

    Sejil 2 was manufactured by the Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO) of the clerical regime’s Ministry of Defense, namely by the Bakeri Industries Group and Hemmat Industries Group (subsidiaries of AIO) located in Khojir region, East of Tehran. Major portion of the missile was manufactured by the Bakeri Industries Group. The AIO was expanded significantly during Ahmadinejad’s presidency.

    The Commander of Bakeri Missile Industries Group is the Revolutionary Guard Mehrdad Akhlaqi Ketabchi and the Commander of Hemmat Industries Group is the Revlutionary Guard Nasser Maleki. These two individuals as well as the industrial groups, which are involved in manufacture of missiles, are named by the UN Security Council resolution 1747 and the US Government sanctions list.

    The ruling religious dictatorship in Iran, in the absence of a decisive policy on behalf of the international community and by taking advantage of the Western governments policy of appeasement combined by their repeated calls for talks, has stepped up its efforts to acquire nuclear bomb and to expand its missiles arsenal.

    The Iranian Resistance warns against immediate threats posed by the clerical regime to the security and stability in the region and the world over. It also calls on the UN Security Council to impose arms, technological, diplomatic and oil sanctions against mullahs’ regime immediately.

    Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
    May 21, 2009