U.N.: Bomb Iran and face Mideast 'ball of fire'

[IDemo]

Nuclear agency chief's warning follows Israeli military exercises

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief warned in comments aired Saturday that any military strike on Iran could turn the Mideast to a "ball of fire" and lead Iran to a more-aggressive stance on its controversial nuclear program.

The comments by Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, came in an interview with an Arab television station aired Saturday, a day after U.S. officials said they believed recent large Israeli military exercises may have been meant to show Israel's ability to hit Iran's nuclear sites.

"In my opinion, a military strike will be the worst... it will turn the Middle East to a ball of fire," ElBaradei said on Al-Arabiya television. It also could prompt Iran to press even harder to seek a nuclear program, and force him to resign, he said.

Iran on Saturday also criticized the Israeli exercises. The official IRNA news agency quoted a government spokesman as saying that the exercises demonstrate Israel "jeopardizes global peace and security."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25298744/

[Echo In Light]

1. U.S. Says Exercise by Israel Seemed Directed at Iran

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3495597&mesg_id=3495597