Mosnews.com – December 21, 2005
Ukrainian cruise missiles with a range of 3,000 kilometers and capable of carrying nuclear warheads have ended up in Iranian hands after being transported via Russia, Israel’s Director of Military Intelligence Major General Aharon Ze’evi (Farkash) said on Tuesday.
Ze’evi said that Iran had recently received 12 of the cruise missiles. 18 such missiles were transported from Ukraine to Russia, of which 12 had somehow managed to end up in Iranian hands. The other six were received by China, Haaretz.com quoted Ze’evi.
The diplomatic pressure the international community has exerted on Iran had delayed the Islamic state’s nuclear development plan by two years, Ze’evi added.
Ze’evi, who was making his last appearance before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said that Iran was, nevertheless, determined to secretly continue its bid to develop a nuclear bomb.
He also said that today Iran’s nuclear aspirations constitute a real threat to western countries.
According to the military intelligence chief, there are growing fears that Palestinian terror groups would smuggle into the Gaza Strip weapons, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles as well as Katyusha rockets. The introduction of such weapons in the conflict would break the existing weapon-balance, Ze’evi said.
Terror groups are making every effort to get such weapons into the Strip, he said, that being despite the great efforts the Palestinian and Egyptian security forces are putting into preventing it.
The Israel Defense Forces must prepare for such a possibility, he said.
http://mosnews.com/news/2005/12/21/israeliran.shtml
Last updated 10/09/2006
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