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Iraq May Possess Nuclear Weapon By 2004
CAIRO, Feb 25 (IslamOnline) - Israeli defense officials anxiously received a "troubling" report gathered by German intelligence that Iraq could possibly possess an atomic weapon within three years, and develop a long-range ballistic missile threatening European capitals by 2005.
Stressing the German report, Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh urged European states to firmly restore sanctions on Iraq, and added that Israel and the United States need to work more closely in order to develop a better missile-defense system, the Jerusalem Post, an Israeli daily, reported Sunday.
"We need to jointly improve the Arrow missile system and develop a system to destroy missiles in their boost stage as they are being launched," Sneh said in a statement.
The Arrow anti-ballistic rocket intercepts an incoming missile some 40 kilometers over its intended target. The next step in missile defense would be to shoot down the rocket as it leaves the launcher. This would be particularly effective if it were armed with a non-conventional warhead.
In Berlin, the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) published a report confirming that Iraq is proceeding with plans to make a nuclear bomb. It said the work was located at Al Qaim, and evidence showed they might be capable of producing an atomic bomb in three years, the Jerusalem Post reported.
The BND report also said that Iraq, with the aid of a company based in New Delhi, is building a medium-range rocket capable of carrying a warhead 3,000 kilometers by 2005. Iraq is also believed to be capable of manufacturing solid fuel, which would drastically reduce the time needed to launch a missile to almost the push of a button.
The Jerusalem Post stated that the BND confirmed Israeli fears that Iraq is placing much effort into producing chemical weapons and has increased the number of sites involved from 20 to 80. It also speculated that Iraq has resumed production of biological weapons.
The report coincided with joint U.S. and British raids on Iraq in a U.S-designed policy aimed at wearing down Saddam's forces.
The Jerusalem Post said that the U.S. is mainly concerned in preventing "regional deterioration" and is moving to stabilize the region. "A nuclear-armed Saddam does not fit into that strategy," it added.
"Ironically, while the U.S. air strikes were visually dramatic - but ultimately off target - they mainly served only to provoke Arab anger and European concern, which will make it harder for Powell to secure support for continued economic sanctions against Iraq," the Jerusalem Post wrote.
According to Guy Bachor, an expert in Arab affairs at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, the Clinton administration was behind the regional deterioration because it ignored the other issues in the Middle East.
"Clinton's Middle East policy was seen through the prism of the Israeli-Arab conflict," Bachor said.
"When the leaders of Israel and the Palestinians were invited to the White House over 70 times, and the leaders of other pro-Western powers like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, and Morocco were invited once or twice during the same period, this signals to them that they are marginal."
"The United States caused damage and lost some of its capabilities in the Middle East by putting too much weight on the Palestinian issue," Bachor said.
Bachor said Saddam Hussein is determined on getting a nuclear bomb in order to tactically paralyze Israel and become the regional power.
"If Hezbollah has paralyzed Israel's retaliatory capabilities with its Katyushas, then Iraq will paralyze the retaliation of the United States and other countries, including Israel, with its atom bomb," he said.
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