| Public energy |
19 januari 2008 12:26 |
Israël slingert tweetraps ballistische raket onze richting uit
Ondanks het CIA rapport dat stelde dat het Iraans nucleaire wapenprogramma naar alle waarschijnlijkheid stilligt, scherpte de Amerikaanse retoriek tegenover Iran de voorbij maand weer stevig aan. Iran’s ambitie om de dominante macht in de golf regio te worden moet met de nodige argwaan benaderd worden, maar de realiteit is dat zelfs als het nucleaire wapenprogramma wordt herstart, de Iraniërs nog jaren van de voltooiing staan. Daarnaast beschikken de Iraniërs over geen enkele drager waarvan het bereik een bedreiging zou kunnen vormen voor Israël of Europa.
Ondertussen gaat Israël, al 40 jaar nog steeds de enige nucleaire mogendheid van het midden oosten, vlijtig door met het ontwikkelen van nieuwe raketsystemen. De laatste versie die de voorbije week werd getest, heeft een bereik van 4500km, en is in staat een atoombom te droppen boven zowat elke Europese miljoenenstad. Europa, dat een voortrekkersrol speelde in de diplomatieke acties tegen Iran, lijkt zich van deze potentiële dreiging niet veel aan te trekken. Is het wel verstandig zo’n lakse houding aan te nemen tegenover een onberekenbaar land in het verleden heeft getoond weinig respect voor diplomatie of internationaal recht te hebben, en vaak immuun is voor internationale druk?
Citaat:
Israel test-fires two-stage Jericho 3 ballistic missile with 2800 mile range
Distance from Israel to Iran is about 1000 miles.
Israel test-fires ballistic missile after Iran warning
17 January 2008
JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Israel successfully test-fired a long-range
ballistic missile on Thursday, a senior official told AFP, days after
warning "all options" were open to prevent arch foe Iran from obtaining
atomic weapons.
"We successfully test-fired a two-staged ballistic missile system
today," a senior defence ministry official told AFP, speaking on
condition of anonymity.
"This was a very important achievement for Israel's ballistic
capabilities," he added, declining to provide further details on the
test.
Witnesses reported seeing a trail of smoke rising from the reported
launch site at the Palmachin air base south of Tel Aviv.
The official said that contrary to some media reports, the test-firing
was not linked to Israel's development of a multi-layered defence
system, dubbed the "Iron Dome" and aimed at intercepting rockets and
missiles.
Israel has in recent years concentrated efforts on countering the
threat of missile attacks from neighbouring Arab states and Iran,
which has itself conducted several long-range missile tests.
Israel is currently thought to be developing the Jericho-3 ground-to-
ground missile that can be equipped with a nuclear, chemical or
biological warhead and could have a range of up to 4,500 kilometres
(2,800 miles).
Widely considered to be the Middle East's sole if undeclared nuclear
power with an estimated arsenal of 200 warheads, Israel accuses Iran
of using its controversial nuclear programme as a cover for developing
atomic weapons, a charge Tehran denies.
Thursday's test came two days after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
warned that all options were on the table to prevent Tehran from
acquiring nuclear weapons.
"We are not ruling out any option," a senior government official
quoted him as telling parliament's foreign affairs and defence
committee, echoing main ally Washington in ratcheting up the rhetoric
against Tehran.
"Anything that can lead to preventing Iran from nuclear capability is
part of the legitimate context when dealing with the problem," Olmert
said.
The premier's comments came amid US President George W. Bush's Middle
East trip that was largely devoted to bolstering his campaign to
isolate Iran, which he repeatedly branded a "threat to world peace."
Iran figured prominently in Olmert's talks with Bush during his visit
to Israel, officials said.
"The Iranians are continuing their ingrained efforts to produce non-
conventional capabilities and therefore we should use all the
available means to stop it," Olmert told the parliament committee.
"There are many options that should be applied wisely, with
determination and consistence," he said. "We should continue
international efforts on this issue and we have a strong basis to
assume, in view of my talks with the president, that this activity
will not stop."
A US intelligence report in December said that Iran halted a nuclear
weapons programme in 2003, although Washington is still pushing for a
new set of UN sanctions against the Islamic republic.
The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, which has been
investigating Iran's nuclear programme for several years, said on
Sunday that Tehran has agreed to clear up remaining questions on its
activities in four weeks.
Tensions were heightened following a confrontation in the strategic
Strait of Hormuz between Iranian speedboats and US warships just days
before Bush began his week-long tour of the region.
|
|
