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Israel Has '8 Days' to Hit Iran Nuclear Site: Bolton
WASHINGTON – Israel has "eight days" to launch a military strike against Iran's Bushehr nuclear facility and stop Tehran from acquiring a functioning atomic plant, a former US envoy to the UN has said.
Neocon John Bolton in this file photo. Israel has "eight days" to launch a military strike against Iran's Bushehr nuclear facility and stop Tehran from acquiring a functioning atomic plant, the former US envoy to the UN has said. Iran is to bring online its first nuclear power reactor, built with
Russia's help, on August 21, when a shipment of nuclear fuel will be
loaded into the plant's core.
At that point, John Bolton warned Monday, it will be too late for Israel to launch a military strike against the facility because any attack would spread radiation and affect Iranian civilians.
"Once that uranium, once those fuel rods are very close to the reactor, certainly once they're in the reactor, attacking it means a release of radiation, no question about it," Bolton told Fox Business Network.
"So if Israel is going to do anything against Bushehr it has to move in the next eight days."
Absent an Israeli strike, Bolton said, "Iran will achieve something that no other opponent of Israel, no other enemy of the United States in the Middle East really has and that is a functioning nuclear reactor."
But when asked whether he expected Israel to actually launch strikes against Iran within the next eight days, Bolton was skeptical.
"I don't think so, I'm afraid that they've lost this opportunity," he said.
The controversial former envoy to the United Nations criticized Russia's role in the development of the plant, saying "the Russians are, as they often do, playing both sides against the middle."
"The idea of being able to stick a thumb in America's eye always figures prominently in Moscow," he added.
Iran dismissed the possibilities of such an attack from its archfoes.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tuesday that "these threats of attacks had become repetitive and lost their meaning."
"According to international law, installations which have real fuel cannot be attacked because of the humanitarian consequences," he told reporters at a news conference in Tehran.
Iranian officials say Iran has stepped up defensive measures at the Bushehr plant to protect it from any attacks.
Russia has been building the Bushehr plant since the mid-1990s but the project was marred by delays, and the issue is hugely sensitive amid Tehran's standoff with the West and Israel over its nuclear ambitions.
The UN Security Council hit Tehran with a fourth set of sanctions on June 9 over its nuclear programme, and the United States and European Union followed up with tougher punitive measures targeting Iran's banking and energy sectors.
The Bushehr project was first launched by the late shah in the 1970s using contractors from German firm Siemens. But it was shelved when he was deposed in the 1979 Islamic revolution.
It was revived after the death of revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, as Iran's new supreme leader Ali Khamenei and his first president, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, backed the project.
In 1995, Iran won the support of Russia which agreed to finish building the plant and fuel it.
80 Comments so far
Show AllWhy isn't Bolton in jail? Surely a through investigation could dig up a host of crimes committed by this creep.
Hell, that statement goes for a whole lot of our government here in the US, past and present. I'm just waiting to see GW go overseas somewhere where the ICC can have a shot at his sleazy ass.
Don't hold your breath. He'd never been out of the country before becoming president. Not even to Mexico or Canada. Explains a lot about his foreign policy doesn't it?
Bolton just told us when the Israelis plan their attack! Don't forget 10 American Warships including an aircraft carrier passed through the Suez Canal on June 6, 2010 with 4,000 Egyptian Soldiers protecting the flotilla......The ships went on to the coast of Israel and practiced bombing raids for two weeks and then pushed on to the Persian Gulf to wait on further instructions!
Forget paying attention to the NIE Report that claims the Iranian Nuclear Weapon development was stopped in 2003!
Does anyone else here think the upcoming "peace talks" between Israel and the Palestinians is only cover for a first strike by Israel against Iran? It might at first sound cynical, but, come on, this is Israel we're talking about.
It would appear as if John Bolton is competing with Elliot Abrams to be the leading GOP gas bag on foreign policy.
"The Bushehr project was first launched by the late shah in the 1970s using contractors from German firm Siemens. But it was shelved when he was deposed in the 1979 Islamic revolution".
Interesting. The shah was a stooge for the U.S at rhe time. This would have not been possible without the OK by the U.S.
Is Obama a stooge for Israel?
Is the pope German?
q
The funny thing is, the fuel rods are already on site. They haven't been put into place yet. So the release of radiation in an attack would occur anyway. Bolton doesn't give a rats ass about radiation. He's just trying to push an attack.
The lightly-enriched uranium fuel is vastly less radioactive and than the products produced once the fuel is loaded and the reaction is started. You can carry a handful of uranium fuel pellets in your pocket all day without any harm. Get within 20 feet of the same pellets taken out of the reactor after a few months of operation and you would recieve a lethal radiation dose in a few seconds.
Good to know SaboCat; thanks.
Of course, just to be clear, bombing it before that start the reactor up would be a bad idea too - it would start a bloody regional, and possibly world, war.
And that's exactly what they've been preaching: Armagedon.
Plutonium is much more dangerous as a chemical poison (much worse than arsenic) than it is as a radioactive danger.
And that's exactly what they've been preaching: Armagedon.
It's Deja Vu all over again...
The definition of an intellectual eunuch and psychopath: JOHN BOLTON!
"'According to international law, installations which have real fuel cannot be attacked because of the humanitarian consequences,' [Mehmanparast] told reporters at a news conference in Tehran."
And we all know how mindful the zionists are of "humanitarian consequences."
q
EXACTLY ! that's the quote i pulled as well, according to international law - when has israel ever let international law interfere w/ it's objectives ?
I find looking upon photos of Hitler or Stalin less revolting than looking at this human gargoyle.
Every time I see a photo of this POS I want to reach for my axe.
"Gott Milch?" mein fuhrer?
I would sign a petition to send Bolton to Guantánamo.
The chance to do that offers a persuasive argument for instituting bills of attainder.
I believe it was a recent Zogby poll of 4 or 5 pro-U.S. countries (Egypt, Jordan, etc.) that estimated that 61 percent of the people saw no problem with Iran having nuclear (nucular?) weapons.
"'According to international law, installations which have real fuel cannot be attacked because of the humanitarian consequences"
Since when has Israel or the USA, (or the fucking lunatic Bolton) followed international law?
Also, under international law, and the Nuclear Non-proliferation treaty, to which Iran is a signatory, and Israel is NOT, Iran is permitted to have a nuclear power program....and Israel has a HUGE stockpile of offensive nuclear WEAPONS.
So, when do we bomb Israel?
Israel's militarism puts America's interests at ever greater risk. But because of the huge campaign donations (bribes) AIPAC and the other members of the Israel lobby give congress, Israel's interests will always be put first over the interests of the United States and her citizens'.
Considering that the great majority of Israeli weaponry comes directly from the USA I would offer that Israeli militancy is our own as well. I know of no bribes, if you do perhaps you might tell our Attorney General. I do know that Israel puts money into our coffers, or at least the pockets of the weapons manufacturers.
I am strongly in favor of launching John Bolton at Iran.
but as he mentioned, we don't want to infect the local population with radiation poisoning.
Along with Krauthammer...wheelchair and all.
Our country has already dumped vast amounts of radioactive "depleted" uranium on Iraqi cities such as Fallujah, a city which should now be evacuated and quarantined for well beyond our lifetimes. Bombing unfissioned uranium has the same problem. Both enriched and depleted uranium metal, like phosphorous, burns in contact with air and turns into tiny uranium oxide smoke particles, a few of which can settle in people's lungs or which can be taken up by plants looking for similar nutrients.
Committing any war crime against the grandchildren of civilians multiple times is not a justification, of course. Familiarity with a war crime does not breed morality.
Yes, we'll all dance on Bolton's grave.
Meanwhile, Nasrallah has given a presentation that provides a great deal of evidence that the Zionists assassinated Hariri as reported in this fine item, http://www.counterpunch.org/amin08162010.html
Hezbollah seems to hold some real good cards. It would be good to see it share its intercepts with Wikileaks.
I should add that the article prominantely relys on a newsconference given by Nasrallah wherein he presented the evidence documented. This newsconference is availbel on youtube and is a must watch, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNH_FKwcbEk&NR=1
Yes, this would be better placed in a thread more about Israel than Bolton, but people need to become better informed, thus my comments.
John Bolton, human garbage at its worst. Up there with Goebbels and Himmler.
There's about a dozen or so Chimp administration members whose death I await, so I can pi$$ on their graves. Bolton is one of them.
Bolton is a war Hawk and a pig to boot.This guy should be taken to the Hague for seditious lies that have sent young American boys to fight terrorism when the real terrorists are the ones that attack countries based on lies.It may have been true that Muslim fanatics flew planes into the twin towers but not the pentagon or the hillside of Pennsylvania but where working with CIA operatives and Pakistan secret service working on getting these mislead young Muslims to do there dirty work of flying into the towers and then the rest was left to Israel's Mossad to bring them down.Bolton did his job by convincing small indebted countries to support an attack on the perpetrators by wiping out there debt with the US if they towed the line.This guy is one sic mother and the world would be better off if he suddenly disappeared.I like Americans being that I am a Canadian but there government has been taken over by ultra right-wing fascists that will do anything to meet there agenda, like killing near 3000 at ground zero and don't think they won't.America is looking down a dark road I hope they can steer off it.
Gee, twenty four comments and not one kind word for John Bolton among them...good!
LMAO at that and I will also add a negative comment about that idiot.
Yeah, that was priceless! Count me as another "thumbs down" on Bolton...
John Bolton's got a really neat-looking mustache. I mean, it's really fierce.
looks like something i would brush the toilet with................
It makes him look like a porn star from the '70's.
Hello, 8mm.
Hold the presses, Mr. Bolton has revised the 8 days to 3 days.... according to this update.
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0817/israel-8-days-hit-iran-nuclear-site-bolton/
I think it would be wise for various countries to become "VERY SERIOUSLY AWARE" regarding current Israeli activities. In appearances there was a "false flag" attempt at the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv today, diplomatic issues with Romania and Russia (spying, I add that you should remember a recent Israeli military training accident in Romania), I add that Bulgaria awarded Amdocs (an israeli company connected to events in 2001) a huge contract recently; problem(s)in North Ossetia (yesterday); recent fires in Russia which I question having experience in the fire service; certain suicide bombings in Russia(today); past problems in Georgia and others as well.
Oh, I shouldn't forget the USS Liberty.......... or its survivors.
I believe that Israel may be about to do something very stupid, leaving others no other alternative but to do something about it.
Bolton says, "Once that uranium, once those fuel rods are very close to the reactor, certainly once they're in the reactor, attacking it means a release of radiation, no question about it," Bolton told Fox Business Network.
What Bolton doesn't say, "It ain't no thang homey, we'll get a bigger bang for our buck if we wait to attack Iran next month. We're already spraying Iraq left and right with depleted uranium... a witches brew of f*ck you, f*ck your kids, and f*ck your kids kids toxic pixie dust."
John Bolton is an absolute idiot. Not only was he deeply involved in the propaganda campaign that lead to the attack against Iraq in 2003, he has been rattling and waving the saber against Iran ever since. In his mind there is no situation that can't be solved by a very good bombing campaign. The only justification for even printing the rantings of this bombastic buffoon is to allow the commenters to rip his skin off and hold him up to the highest ridicule as you posters have done.
"At that point, John Bolton warned Monday, it will be too late for Israel to launch a military strike against the facility because any attack would spread radiation and affect Iranian civilians".
Right -- the Israelis are well-known to take any step necessary to avoid affecting civilians.
Since no attack will be happening (China has forbidden it), Bolton may be trying to depict Israel as a great humanitarian state because it will choose not to attack Iran.
Interesting timing....From Reuters:
Fund managers make big bets on oil stocks
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100816/bs_nm/us_hedgefunds_holdings
Coincidence?
nah, speculation................