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12/10/2005:

"Blast off! We can hit Iran, warns Sharon"

IN the week when Israel successfully test-fired its latest Arrow rocket, Ariel Sharon hinted that military action could halt Iran's nuclear programme.

"Such a capability exists," the Israeli prime minister said.

Sharon added that Israel would not sit idly by if diplomacy fails.

"Israel, and not just Israel, cannot accept a situation in which Iran has nuclear weapons," he said.

"Israel is not helpless and is taking all the steps it needs to be taking."

Foreign experts speculate that Israel, which bombed Iraq's nuclear reactor at Osirak in 1981, could take similar action against Iran if it believes the Islamic republic is on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons.

Former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week joined the clamour for a pre-emptive strike on Iran.

"I will continue the tradition established by Menachem Begin, who did not allow Iraq to develop such a nuclear threat against Israel, and by a daring and courageous act gave us two decades of tranquillity," Netanyahu said. "I believe that this is what Israel has to do."
jewishtelegraph.co.uk