Fallon talks sense into "Israel" on Iran

Source: Press TV, 19-12-2008

A former senior US commander says "Israel" should overcome its "fear" that a nuclear Iran would pose an existential threat to Tel Aviv.

Retired navy admiral William Fallon, the former commander of US forces in the Middle East, said in an interview with the Jerusalem Post that "Israel" must give a rest to its claims about Iran's nuclear program.

"Israel", the possessor of the sole nuclear arsenal in the Middle East, alleges that Iran has "plans" to develop a military nuclear program.

Iran denies the allegations, insisting that its work is directed at the civilian applications of the technology.

Fallon, who abruptly resigned in March after he reportedly broke ranks with the White House over the policies of the Bush administration on Iran, said he is unable to understand why Iran would even contemplate using nuclear weapons against "Israel".

"Do they wish to go away?" he asked, insinuating that such a move would provoke a military response by the US.

US secretary of state-designate Hillary Clinton said in April that in case of an Iranian attack against "Israel", Washington would be left with no choice but to "totally obliterate" the country.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for his severe criticism of "Israeli" acts against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, has been accused of having genocidal plans against "Israel".

Tehran, however, insists it does not intend to wage war against any nation. In July, the Iranian president himself confirmed that Iran "has no plans to attack ‘Israel'."

In September, he told CNN's Larry King that as a result of its crimes, "Israel" would disappear in the same way as apartheid South Africa and the Soviet Union.

Under its claim that Ahmadinejad is anti-Semitic, Tel Aviv insists Iran has plans to "wipe ‘Israel' off the map" and has threatened to militarily take out Iran's nuclear infrastructure.

The S-300 surface-to-air system features high jamming immunity and is able to engage up to 100 targets simultaneously.'

Officials in Tehran, in response, have warned of retaliatory measures against "Israel" and US interests in the region should Iran come under attack by either of the two staunch allies.
Fallon, however, believes Iran may not be as "strong" as its portrays with its rhetoric.

"They are not particularly strong militarily outside their own internal entity, and they have huge economic issues and political instability. Their nuclear capability might give them something to feel consolation in," he said in the interview with the "Israeli" paper published on Thursday.

The UN agency monitoring the Iranian program says unless Tehran increases its nuclear cooperation, it "will not be able to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran."

The agency, however, confirmed in its November report on Iran that it has "been able to continue to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran."

According to the UN nuclear watchdog, Iran has managed to enrich uranium-235 to a level "less than 5 percent." The rate is consistent with the development of a nuclear power plant. Nuclear arms production, meanwhile, requires an enrichment level of above 90 percent.

Fallon's remarks come shortly after Russian media reported that Moscow is fulfilling a deal to deliver a sophisticated anti-aircraft system to Iran.

The system, a sophisticated surface-to-air missile unit, can effectively rule out an "Israeli" strike against Iran, according to intelligence officials familiar with the defense capabilities of the S-300.