Pentagon sees Iran with bomb in 5 years - report
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-08-31 13:43
WASHINGTON - The U.S. military is operating on the assumption that Tehran is
five to eight years away from being able to build a nuclear bomb, The Washington
Times reported in its Thursday edition.
Iran announced earlier
Wednesday that its top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, SSEN HERE 06
aUGUST 2006, would meet next week in Europe with EU foreign policy chief
Javier Solana, creating another opportunity for Tehran to address the UN
demands.[AFP] |
The five-year window provides the Bush administration time to decide whether
to launch air strikes to cripple Tehran's atomic program, the newspaper said,
citing defense sources familiar with discussions inside the Pentagon.
But the sources said that they suspect the projected time-frame
underestimates Iran's determination to build a bomb as quickly as possible, the
newspaper reported.
Asked about the report, a Pentagon spokesman said the U.S military never
comments on contingency planning.
"The United States government has been very clear about its approach to
dealing with Iran. The president and the State Department are working diligently
with the international community to include organizations like the IAEA
(International Atomic Energy Agency) and the United Nations to address
diplomatically the troublesome activities of the Iranian government," Air Force
Maj. Patrick Ryder, said in an e-mail response to Reuters.
The U.N. Security Council has given Iran a Thursday deadline to stop
enriching uranium, a process that can yield fuel for nuclear bombs or power
plants, or face possible sanctions.
Washington has called for a swift response if Iran does not meet the UN
deadline.
The United States and other major powers have accused Iran of trying to make
a nuclear bomb. Tehran insists it will not halt its nuclear activities, which it
contends are to generate energy.
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