Middle East - AP
Sharon Hints at Israel Nuclear Deterrent
Date: Sat, Apr 24, 2004
JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) came close to ending four decades of secrecy about the country's nuclear-arms capability, saying the United States recognizes that Israel needs a credible deterrent to Iran and other hostile countries.
Sharon spoke Friday in an interview with Israel's Channel One TV, just two days after whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu ended an 18-year jail term for disclosing details of Israel's nuclear secrets.
"They understand that Israel's existence is still in danger," Sharon said, referring to the United States.
"Iran represents an existential threat, one of the existential threats or maybe the main existential threat," he said. "But the recognition of Israel's right — and of the importance of Israel's ability — to defend itself, by itself, these things are clearly understood."
Since acquiring a nuclear reactor from France in the 1960s, Israel has maintained a policy of "ambiguity," refusing to confirm or deny that it has nuclear weapons. But based on information Vanunu gave in a 1986 newspaper interview, experts concluded that Israel has sixth-largest arsenal in the world.
Israel's military censors insist that any reference by Israel-based journalists to the question of Israel's nuclear capacity be attributed to foreign press reports. Sharon used the same formula in his Friday interview.
"If you read the foreign press you will see that they talk about a whole complex of defensive tools, which Israel needs in its hands," he said.
"Almost an admission," the TV anchor commented at the end of the taped interview.
SOURCE
FAIR USE NOTICE
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.