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Analysis: Road to Iran nukes runs via Moscow
By MATTHEW GUTMANNov. 4, 2003 1:14 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Russian President Vladimir Putin smiled for the cameras Monday and played adequate lip service to revitalizing the all-but-abandoned road map for peace. But much of the real business of the day focused on Iran's imminent development of nuclear weapons — as it has for the past five years. The road map for blocking Iranian nuclear capability, say security officials and Israeli diplomats, leads through Moscow. "Israel's No. 1 foreign-policy issue with Russia is Iran," said a senior security source Monday. Israel has long warned that Iran is creeping ever closer to the development of a nuclear warhead. Aside from the diplomatic tack, Israel's other option, espoused by hawks and condemned by doves, is a preemptive strike. Two weeks ago Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Ayalon, who called Iran Israel's foremost existential threat, told The Jerusalem Post that "the IDF has provided the answers to this." Still, Israel prefers diplomatic pressure to block Iranian nuclear armament than a risky assault coupled with international censure. In their talks, Sharon apparently asked Putin to order Zarubezh Atomenergostroybut, the firm currently building the Bushehr nuclear complex, to buy back spent nuclear rods after they are used in the production of nuclear energy, said a government source. Israel doubts that Putin could renege altogether on the multi-billion-dollar project only a few months from completion — it had been a pet project of ousted atomic energy minister Nikitovich Mikhaylov. These rods are critical for enriching uranium, and Russia must prevent their proliferation, says Israel. In addition to considering renegotiation or reneging on the deal with Iran, Russia has also begun exerting tougher restrictions on its export of nuclear products and mercenary Russian scientists. Iran is increasingly the beneficiary of aid from "other foreign nationals," claim Israeli diplomats. By "foreign nationals," the security source says Israel really means "Russians and North Koreans, but not the states themselves." The aid of North Korea, a state which officially opened its own nuclear age in October 2002, is believed crucial in Iran's search for plutonium, the stuff of which nuclear weapons are made. Posted by: Zenster 2004-08-19 |
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