Gov in Secret Talks about Iran Strike (UK Telegraph)

[katty]

Government in Secret Talks About Strike Against Iran
By Sean Rayment
The Telegraph UK

Sunday 02 April 2006

excerpt:

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040206A.shtml

It is believed that an American-led attack, designed to destroy Iran's ability to develop a nuclear bomb, is "inevitable" if Teheran's leaders fail to comply with United Nations demands to freeze their uranium enrichment programme.

Tomorrow's meeting will be attended by Gen Sir Michael Walker, the chief of the defence staff, Lt Gen Andrew Ridgway, the chief of defence intelligence and Maj Gen Bill Rollo, the assistant chief of the general staff, together with officials from the Foreign Office and Downing Street.

The International Atomic Energy Authority, the nuclear watchdog, believes that much of Iran's programme is now devoted to uranium enrichment and plutonium separation, technologies that could provide material for nuclear bombs to be developed in the next three years.

The United States government is hopeful that the military operation will be a multinational mission, but defence chiefs believe that the Bush administration is prepared to launch the attack on its own or with the assistance of Israel, if there is little international support. British military chiefs believe an attack would be limited to a series of air strikes against nuclear plants - a land assault is not being considered at the moment.

But confirmation that Britain has started contingency planning will undermine the claim last month by Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, that a military attack against Iran was "inconceivable".

[Wickerman]

1. for the love of God - stop mad cowboy disease n/t

[teryang]

2. What if the leaders of America and UK were nuts?

Incirlik under threat of nuclear attack, three years from now? Yeah, that's it! Launch the intercontinental bomber fleet. I knew we'd have a use for these multi-billion dollar budget sinks someday!