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Changing Israeli Views of Russia's Role in Iran

[Ha'aretz] Yossi Melman - Israeli Prime Minister Olmert is currently on an official visit to Russia where he met with President Putin on Wednesday. For nearly a decade, Israel viewed Russia as the main source from which Iran acquired nuclear technology, know-how, and materials for its nuclear program - through which it aspired to develop nuclear weapons. At the center of Israeli claims was the fact that Russia was constructing a reactor in Bushehr for the production of electricity. But now it seems that Israel has altered its approach. The fact is that Russia undertook its own efforts in recent years to delay the Bushehr reactor's construction and the reactor is still not operational. Russia has found excuses allowing it not to transfer to Iran enriched uranium (low grade), which it has committed to provide as fuel for the Bushehr reactor. It also turns out that the main source from which Iran acquired nuclear technology was not Russia but Pakistan. The father of the Pakistani bomb, Dr. A.K. Khan, and his smuggling ring, have been responsible for transferring to Iran the blueprints for constructing the centrifuges necessary for enriching uranium, and for developing the necessary dense material for nuclear weapons. Not only has Israel concluded that Russia is not the problem, but Moscow is now considered an essential component in international efforts to formulate a consensus that efficient sanctions must be imposed on Tehran. Above all, Olmert sought in his current visit to inform the Russians that if the sanctions do not help and deter Iran from achieving its aims, Israel will not be able to reconcile with a nuclear Iran led by a president who declares the need to wipe Israel off the map.
2006-10-19 01:00:00
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