Israels Nuclear Bomb and Irans Non Bomb

international | anti-war / imperialism | opinion/analysis

Monday August 27, 2012 22:40

by pat c

Its worthwhile having a look at who has what when it comes to nuclear weapons*.

• United States: Approximately 5,000 total warheads: 1,737 deployed strategic warheads, approximately 500 operational tactical weapons (some 200 deployed in Europe), and approximately 2,700 reserve warheads (active and inactive) in storage.
• Russia: Approximately 5,500 total warheads: 1,492 operational strategic warheads, approximately 2,000 operational tactical warheads (not deployed), and approximately 2,000 reserve warheads in storage.
• China: About 240 total warheads.
• France: Fewer than 300 operational warheads.
• United Kingdom: Fewer than 160 deployed strategic warheads, total stockpile of up to 225.
* http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/Nuclearweaponswho...swhat

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Israel has 80 nuclear weapons ready to be used out of a total stockpile of 300 - 400 nuclear warheads. Now this is known to Germany, yet they have supplied 3 submarines (with another 3 ordered) to Israel. Israel intends to (or may have already) fit the submarines with nuclear armed cruise missiles.

Yet the Imperialists are ready to go to war over Irans imaginary nuclear bomb.

Peter Symonds reports on the break down of talks between Iran and the IAEA. Full text at link.

Talks between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran broke down on Friday over IAEA demands for access to a sensitive military site. The failure of the negotiations, ahead of a quarterly IAEA report expected this week on Iran’s nuclear programs, has prompted new threats from Israel.

Under pressure from the US and its allies, the IAEA has insisted that its inspectors visit the Parchin military base, where it claims Iran might have carried out specialised explosive tests related to building a nuclear warhead. Tehran, which is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), has to date rejected such an inspection, pointing out that Parchin is not a nuclear facility.

Iranian officials have hinted that they might permit access to Parchin, despite not being required to do so under the NPT. Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, said after the talks that it was “a very complex issue” as it involved his country’s “national security.” IAEA chief inspector Herman Nackaerts told the media there were no plans at present for another meeting.