World - Reuters
Former U.S. Officials Oppose Israel Attack on Iran
Date: Mon, Jul 19, 2004
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An Israeli military strike likely would not solve the problem of Iran's nuclear program and would harm U.S. national interests, two former senior U.S. officials said on Monday.
Growing concern about advances in Iran's nuclear capabilities has fanned speculation that Israel could act to wipe out key Iranian facilities, as it did against Iraq (news - web sites)'s Osirak reactor in 1981.
But former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski and former CIA (news - web sites) Director Robert Gates, co-authors of a new study on Iran, said it was unlikely such a strike would be effective and it would damage U.S. interests.
They spoke at a news conference to discuss a new Council on Foreign Relations report which urges the United States to begin a selective engagement with Iran and argues the lack of sustained contacts hurts U.S. interests.
Unlike Osirak, which was a single reactor, Iran has a number of nuclear-related facilities dispersed around the country, making it harder to target key sites, Gates said.
Moreover, the Osirak reactor was relatively isolated, while Iran's facilities are in or near cities, increasing the chances of civilian casualities, he said.
To carry out such a strike, Israel would almost certainly have to fly over airspace controlled by the United States, meaning America could be judged complicit with the Israeli action, Brzezinski said.
He added that military action would harm prospects for political change in Iran by galvanizing nationalistic fervor and this could damage U.S. interests, especially in Afghanistan (news - web sites) and Iraq.
Iran has admitted that for 18 years it has secretly been developing nuclear-related capabilities but it denies U.S. charges that these are part of nuclear arms program.
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