News & Features - Study: Strike on Iran nukes just a delay

ArcaMax Publishing > Current News

Your email address is safe with us. View our Privacy policy.

The Funnies:

Get free jokes, comics, and more! See them all on
our funnies page

Games:

Fun online games, quizzes, hangman and more on the games page

Study: Strike on Iran nukes just a delay

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- A military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities likely would do little more than delay its development of nuclear weapons, weapons experts warned Friday.

Further, the Institute for Science and International Security said in a report, a surprise attack could strengthen Tehran's resolve to acquire the nuclear arms, the Washington Post reported.

The analysis said it found Iran's uranium facilities too widely scattered and protected to be effectively destroyed by warplanes and any damage could be quickly repaired.

"Following an attack, Iran could quickly rebuild its centrifuge program in small, easily hidden facilities focused on making weapon-grade uranium for nuclear weapons," prinicipal author David Allbright, ISIS president and a former U.N. weapons inspector, said.

Despite heavy fortification, the huge, subterranean Natanz uranium enrichment plant, the core of Iran's program, could be heavily damaged in an airstrike but the centrifuges could be replaced rapidly, perhaps in hidden underground facilities, the report said.

"Iran would likely launch a 'crash' program to quickly obtain nuclear weapons," Albright told the Post in an interview.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

This news arrived on: 08/08/2008

Share this Story