[BBC News] Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told BBC he believes Iran is mastering nuclear technology and it wants the option of a nuclear weapon. "It is my gut feeling that Iran would like to have the technology to enable it to have nuclear weapons," he said. "The ultimate aim of Iran, as I understand it, is they want to be recognized as a major power in the Middle East. This is to them the road to get that recognition, to get that power and prestige." In the wider world, ElBaradei said the biggest threat was the prospect of a nuclear weapon falling into the hands of an extremist group. He said the principle of nuclear deterrence would not apply to such groups.
2009-06-17 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive