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Ploughshares Fund President Joe Cirincione on Iran’s nuclear program and the debate in countries such as the U.S. and Israel over whether to take mi...
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A year.
New developments tonight in the feud over -- Iran -- nuclear ambitions.
Israel taking a strong combative stance against foreign pressure to avoid military conflict.
With Iran the Israeli foreign minister speaking out against United States and Russian warnings.
Saying quote it is not their business.
For more on the day's developments we welcome -- -- in solving.
The president posture -- respond to global security foundation author of the book bomb scare the history the future of nuclear weapons and deadly.
Arsenals to -- good to have you here.
To clo -- -- nations like individuals.
Show.
Demonstrate stress and perhaps.
Desperation when they confuse their enemies and their friends.
Is that what Israel is doing here in issuing a very loud.
Public warning to both the United States.
And Russia.
Well Israel has its own internal divisions over this issue.
And you see that reflected in the comments of the foreign minister in the prime minister Netanyahu who are.
They seem to be strong advocates for attacking Iran for military strikes against Iran.
But you see added to Israeli defense and intelligence officials.
Warning as the retired head of Mossad the Israeli intelligence unit near to god said a few months ago.
That attacking Iran will be the stupidest thing you ever heard it would set back Israel's interest for ten years.
US officials are trying to caution.
Israel not to take.
Provocative action that would ignite a larger war in the region that might draw the US into that war.
And some Israeli officials clearly -- that you heard that in the remarks the foreign minister today.
And whom should we believe when it comes to intelligence.
You mentioned in the -- it is the intelligence agency of a country of six and a half million people after all.
-- pitted against the intelligence if you will.
As we -- -- way which is more likely the accurate.
That of Europe and the United States because.
There is a great question here -- to whether or not any of the estimates of wind around we'll have a nuclear weapon.
Here are highly questionable yet -- that while that's exactly right -- so you hear some officials like the prime minister of Israel.
Saying that it be -- will reach a point in the next few months.
Where it will cross that line where it will go into his own will be impossible to stop us from getting -- nuclear weapon.
But that's not -- US intelligence and military officials say.
US intelligence officials just testifying on Capitol Hill.
In January said that in their estimate it would take it you -- at least six months to make the material for a bomb.
Another six months to a year to actually make -- crude nuclear device and another year or so after that to be able to make a weapon that could actually be delivered.
By aircraft or by by Nestle you know when I'm here to -- west view a day got that we have some time.
Before we're getting to a point of no return when I hear intelligence of that.
Orders specificity.
I automatically doubted even more.
Because it's impractical that they -- In the world and in real world experience that they would know so well.
The time why -- you think.
Well actually -- I think it's based on assessments of what we know would have very high degree of certainty what facilities Iran has -- the most watched country in the world.
We have -- UN inspectors inspecting the enrichment facility so we base these estimates.
On how long it would take them to turn their centrifuges for making fuel to making a bomb but it doesn't put a good energy or how -- Yeah I'm sort of in a -- but.
Again inspectors most recently turned down.
That they were not -- permitted into one base and those are just known.
Installations and facilities.
Do -- -- former secretary Donald Rumsfeld do we know what we don't know here.
What we spend a lot of intelligence assets as does Israel -- to many other countries in the world looking act he wants -- we have dropped sensors on Iran we have.
Unmanned drones circling -- we have U two's five plans we have apparently sources -- in the Iran in nuclear program that are giving us intelligence and sabotage of some of infertility facilities as you saw with the stocks -- -- virus just just two years ago.
So the intelligence is very good it's not perfect so there are some unknowns you can't count on perfect intelligence.
Those terms are refer -- your bare back -- -- -- my pleasure Lou.
