 
CHANNELS SPACEWAR WIRE MILITARY SPACE UAV NEWS MILITARY COMMS CYBERWARS MISSILE NEWS RAYGUNS TERRORWARS SPACEDAILY TERRADAILY MARSDAILY SPACE TRAVEL SPACEMART SPACE DATABASE  SERVICES |  
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Sunday that Europe was becoming more aware of the threat posed by Iran's alleged nuclear weapons programme. Shalom, speaking to Israeli radio from London, said that the recent Iranian election results showed that hopes the Islamic republic was on the path to reform were wide of the mark. "Iran is still a dictatorship which is trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction and that is why the world must continue to prevent its efforts to arm itself," Shalom said. "The elections in Iraq have proved again that those who believe this country is on the path of reform and change are mistaken," he added The reformist movement in Iran was trounced in February 20 parliamentary elections earlier most of their ranks were disqualified from standing by the Guardians Council, an unelected hardline political watchdog. Israel has identified the regime in Tehran as its number one threat since the US-led ouster of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein last April. Meir Dagan, head of Israel's Mossad overseas intelligence service, recently told lawmakers that Iran posed the biggest threat to the existence of the Jewish state since its creation in 1948. Iran, which agreed in December to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency in monitoring a nuclear programme it says is entirely peaceful, has threatened to use all means at its disposal including medium-range Shahab-3 missiles if Israel strikes its nuclear facilities. Shalom said that the governments of Britain, France and Germany had come to recognise the threat now posed by Israel's alleged nuclear weapons programme. "Berlin, London and Paris are within their range," Shalom added. Shalom arrived in London Sunday after a trip to neighbouring Ireland which is the current holder of the rotating European Union presidency. He is expected to hold talks at Downing Street with British Prime Minister Tony Blair as well as his counterpart Jack Straw. All rights reserved. Copyright 2003 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse. Quick Links
|
|
| The contents herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2002 - SpaceDaily. AFP Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |