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February 1, 2010

Gadi Adelman

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As I am sure you heard last week, Apple introduced its new iPad. It’s only a half-inch-thick; it weighs 1.5 pounds and has a touch screen that is 9.7 inches diagonally. It’s available with 16, 32 or 64 gigabytes of flash memory storage, and has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity built in. It has a battery that lasts 10 hours and can sit for a month on standby without needing a charge. Wow.

You know what is really sad? I knew all that with out any research. It’s all I (and anyone else) heard about on Wednesday by turning on any news channel.

The iPad is a new electronic gadget for all. I understand it’s a big deal, but so is the ongoing tragedy in Haiti. I haven’t seen much coverage on that either as it seems that it has all but disappeared from the news lately as well. What is going on with Iran’s nuclear ambitions? Did Iran just fall off the map, or is that just wishful thinking on my part?

According to a study released by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press in July 2006, on an average day, 81 percent of Americans access news. On a typical day, 57 percent of Americans watch TV news while only 40 percent of Americans read a newspaper. So, what type of news are those 57 percent actually seeing?

Associated Press writer Vladimir Isachenkov reported on Thursday, January 28, 2010, that

Russia still considers Iran a valuable customer for its weapons, a top arms trade official said Thursday, issuing a reassuring message to Tehran despite recent indications of Moscow's support for tougher Western sanctions.

Anatoly Isaikin, the head of the state arms trader Rosoboron export, said no international agreements bar Russia from selling weapons to Tehran. The statement marked another step in a delicate diplomatic game Moscow has been playing in a hope of maintaining good ties with Tehran without angering the West.

Russia signed a 2007 contract to sell the powerful S-300 air defense missiles to Tehran, but so far has not delivered any. No reason has been given for the delay, but Israel and the United States strongly objected to Iran obtaining the long-range missiles, which would significantly boost the country's air defense capability.

Isaikin dodged a question if and when Russia could fulfill the contract, but he emphasized Russia's right to provide Iran with weapons.

“There are no formal bans which would bar the delivery of any types of weapons to Iran,” he said at a news conference, adding that Russia's arms trade with Iran isn't covered under current U.N. sanctions.

On January 20, 2010 William Tobey of Harvard's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, wrote,

With Washington preoccupied by health care reform, Haiti, and the Massachusetts Senate race, three significant developments on the Iran nuclear issue have gone largely unnoticed: the six major powers failed to agree on a new round of sanctions instead, a German company agreed to a massive new contract with Iran and Tehran formally rejected the International Atomic Energy Agency’s nuclear fuel deal.

On January 18, 2010 the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace reported

that after sending a lower-ranking representative to talks between the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany, China vetoed a fourth round of sanctions against Iran's disputed nuclear activities. Iran, meanwhile, hailed the indecision over further sanctions as a sign of “rationality."

Since Iran’s clandestine nuclear program was uncovered in 2003, is there really any doubt that Iran wants to develop a nuclear weapon as opposed to only wanting to produce electric power? Is there really any doubt, since it is a known and documented fact that Iran supports, funds, arms and trains Hezbollah and Hamas, that if Iran manages to produce a nuclear weapon that it would eventually end up in the hands of terrorists? Lastly, and most importantly, is there really any doubt that any terror organization would hesitate to use a nuclear weapon against the United States or any of its citizens anywhere worldwide? The mighty midget Mahmoud Ahmadinejad can’t seem to open his mouth without saying something about “wiping Israel off the map” and it is well-documented that Iranian weapons have been used to kill American troops in Iraq. Does one really have to be a rocket scientist to connect the dots here?

In November 2001, Osama bin Laden made a chilling pronouncement to Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir: “al Qaeda had access to nuclear weapons and would not hesitate to use them.”

Michael Scheuer, who once headed the CIA's bin Laden unit, said in August 2006, bin Laden has been given permission by a young cleric in Saudi Arabia authorizing al Qaeda to "use nuclear weapons against the United States ... capping the casualties at 10 million."

Journalist Peter Bergen, who was probably the first Western television journalist to interview Osama bin Laden back when few Americans knew of the terrorist leader, has been investigating the nuclear ambitions of the al Qaeda network prior to 9/11. In an interview with the National Geographic News on October 11, 2002, Bergen suggested some nuclear material found its way into al Qaeda's hands:

"Osama bin Laden almost certainly acquired some [low-grade] materials, nuclear waste," he suggested, "the kind a dirty bomb would use. I don't for a second doubt that they have those materials. Bin Laden's statements have been a pretty reliable guide to his actions."

One only has to remember 9/11 or any other of the 14,744 terrorist acts that have been committed by radical Muslims since 9/11, to know that any terrorist group would be dancing in the streets screaming “Allahu akhbar!” if a nuclear weapon were to make into their hands.

Where are the journalists? Why am I not seeing any of this latest news on Iran on any of my local news broadcasts – or on any of the cable news networks, for that matter? I read the papers. Okay, I read the papers on the Internet, but I read them nonetheless. I also read a multitude of websites, but what about the 57 percent of those people who rely on the TV news for daily goings on? Why does it seem that our TV reporters are as blind as those in our administration? It would appear that our TV reporters suffer from the same rose colored glasses syndrome as the percentage of the American public. People tend to have this attitude that if we pretend it doesn’t exist, it can’t hurt us. The stories that our TV news finds to be news worthy makes me think of the quote from the classic movie Animal House: “Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.” I am by no means implying that the American public is fat, drunk or stupid. However, relying on only one source for news and information would be the equivalent of letting Tim Geitner do your tax return.

Iran is playing a game of cat and mouse with the whole world, the problem is that the mouse in this case has been avoiding any real sanctions or consequences for years while developing secret underground uranium-enrichment facilities in both Natanz and Qom and possibly other sites that have yet to be uncovered. The Bushehr site has a nuclear power station. The Isfahan site is a Uranium conversion plant. The Arak site is a Heavy water plant. All the ingredients needed to manufacture a nuclear weapon. Hello? Really? Do we need to draw a picture here? Some intelligence experts (including Israel whose intelligence community is arguably the best in the world) feels that Iran may have upwards of a dozen such sites. The Natanz site now has 5,000 centrifuge machines, and a stockpile of 1,400 kilograms of low enriched uranium, according to U.S. intelligence, and as far as the Qom site is concerned it is still anyone’s guess if the plant is operational. It is believed to have a facility for 3,000 centrifuges for the enrichment of uranium.

Is the world going to just continue to play games with trying to get sanctions that all countries can agree upon or attempt to get Iran to sit down for “talks” while they get ever closer to building a nuclear weapon? This is no game. This is a life and death reality which will have a dire and massive impact, both on and for, generations to come if they achieve their goal.

FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Gadi Adelman is a freelance writer and lecturer on the history of terrorism and counterterrorism. He grew up in Israel, studying terrorism and Islam for 35 years after surviving a terrorist bomb in Jerusalem in which 7 children were killed. Since returning to the U. S., Gadi teaches and lectures to law enforcement agencies as well as high schools and colleges. He is currently writing his first book, Terrorism; Understanding the Threat. He can be reached at antiterror@nc.rr.com.

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Comments (5)

Dear sir,
your comment about news and media is correct.They cover what people want to here, such as gossip and celeb. news or whatever commercialy interesting.
But your comments about Iran and terrorism are way out of line.
1-Worry about nuclear Pakistan
2-What caused Iran to be in this positio? as a teacher you should address this issue. Was it West helping Saddam war against Iran? or GW Bush's invasion of Iraq? or a poor foreign policy altogether.

Have you ever thought that sanctions have helped Iran to develop nuclear and other technological abilities.Just imagine if after 1979 German companies had honored their contract re Bushehr it should have been up and running long ago with the fuel being supplied as detailed in the contract.
Your comment about terrorism, mixing or comparing Iran with Al Qaeda is not valid. Iran was always against Taliban and Al Qaeda. Iran is an state and not a group of terrorists hiding in the mountains. As an state any nuclear treat which you mention would be declaration of war and you no Iran has no chance in that respect. It is all bad politics,

Regards
Mansour
London

posted by: Mansourks
Monday, February 1, 2010 at 05:03 AM

Yes, I agree that we have all become slavishly obedient to that most mesmerizing technology out there. These new high-tech gadgets offer the public a better way to communicate with those flesh and blood gods, primarily in the entertainment business. It also makes companies like Apple much richer.

That Haiti disaster a few weeks ago doesn't seem to matter anymore, I guess? 200,000 or 200 million casualties would only grace the media spotlight for short number of days. We both know that to be true.

Without question only a fool would argue otherwise that Iran would certainly nuke Israel without any hesitation whatsoever, if they were to acquire one single low yield nuke.

Fact they would do this just days after obtaining a weapon of mass destruction too.

Fact,Israel would immediately retaliate with the Sampson option, thus igniting the Middle East in a horrific nuclear holocaust.

Sad fact, millions of innocent people on both sides would most certainly die instantly. Millions more would follow them weeks later from that radiation poisoning.

naturally without hesitation the world would come to the rescue. Oh yes we would bury a few million corpses heal the land from the radiation contamination and continue on with those "liberal orchestrated policies of appeasing everyone including terrorists too"

Fact, Proposing tougher sanctions on Iran would only effect a selected few. for the most part they would be ineffective on any country whose leaders were already controlled by demonic influences. In Iran's case these evil influences would like nothing better than to see its neighbor "Israel (the apple of gods eye) completely destroyed with a 100% casualty rate.

Ah, just forget all that for now because we love everyone even those who have sworn to obliterate us all.

But the most important news that the media is now concentrating on is all about Hollywood once again. Yes, with the Grammy awards last night Nielsen ratings for the event were slightly higher than average. That can only mean one thing? Once again the people who now entertain the animal attributes of mindless sheep flocked to the celebrations of the rich and famous without so much as a second thought while back in Haiti rescuers continue with the grizzly task of recover dead mangled rotting corpses from the rubble.

Did you ever stop to think that the primary reason this highly questionable administration doesn't seem to care too much about Iran developing a few nukes to wage genocide on Israel may be 2 fold.

Fact,a nuclear strike against Israel would be considered a godsend to that Obama clan. Unlike 911 it would open the door wide to instigate a form of Marshall law here.

After all isn't that the primary reason why our glorious government is now on the crash shelter building program???

posted by: Paul West
Monday, February 1, 2010 at 09:55 AM

Dear Sir; I think your view is not correct. Iran as well as other nation and country in the world have the rights and entitle to develop their country with any kind of good technology and capability, including in Nuke technology. Iran have never invaded and or occupied or colonialized any country in the world. So, I support Iran for their right for developing their nation and country for going stronger and successful.
In fact, who lie in the world and make so a lot destruction and invade to so many people and countries; let see the history and facts; US and Israel did it in Palestine and Iraq and Afganistan, also US make destruction and war in Vietnam and Indo Chine and Korea and in some other countries always interven and make destruction. Who did and use nuke? US in Japan and Israel in Gaza . Its facts. So, pls be realized that your message is totally wrong and so very prvocative. Sorry, that in facts the real terrorist and evil is US and Israel. Pls think it better with your humanity sense and commonsense. Israel have any right in Palestine land where-ever and whenever . Let see 911 case. The expertists and so the respect people in US and worlwide so undertood that 911 tragedy is a big trick and lie made by US Bush administration and the peers such Blair from UK. They make the conspiration of evil. Killing American, use American money and American and Nato soldiers for war and invade and kill the people and destruct in Iraq and Afganistan. And they grab and rob the Iraq oil and other valuable asset and products. They make their peers so rich by killing peoples and invade other country. So, Who make 911. Most healthy people and based on facts that is made by internal jobs of US Bush administration and hands of Israelis in US and Europe.
Do you realize it sir. Pls check all the facts in the 911 tragedy. Thank you.

posted by: arifin
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 03:17 AM

Correction
Dear Sir;
I think your view is not correct. Iran as well as other nation and country in the world have the rights and entitle to develop their country with any kind of good technology and capability, including in Nuke technology. Iran have never invaded and or occupied or colonialized any country in the world. So, I support Iran for their right for developing their nation and country for going stronger and successful.
In fact, who lie in the world and make so a lot destruction and invade to so many people and countries; let see the history and facts; US and Israel did it in Palestine and Iraq and Afghanistan, also US make destruction and war in Vietnam and Indo-China and Korea and in some other countries always intervene and make destruction. Who did and use nuke? US in Japan and Israel in Gaza . Its facts. So, pls be realized that your message is totally wrong and so very provocative. Sorry, that in facts the real terrorist and evil is US and Israel. Pls think it better with your humanity sense and commonsense. Israel have no any right in Palestine land where-ever and whenever . Let see 911 case. The expertise and so the respect people in US and worldwide so understood that 911 tragedy is a big trick and lie made by US Bush administration and the peers such Blair from UK. They make the conspiration of evil. Killing American, use American money and American and Nato soldiers for war and invade and kill the people and destruct in Iraq and Afganistan. And they grab and rob the Iraq oil and other valuable asset and products. They make their peers so rich by killing peoples and invade other country. So, Who make 911. Most healthy people and based on facts that is made by internal jobs of US Bush administration and hands of Israelis in US and Europe.
Do you realize it sir. Pls check all the facts in the 911 tragedy. Thank you.

posted by: arifin
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 03:25 AM

u should not make comparisons of Iran and Al Quaeda. US policy should be geared to strengthen our bonds to young Iranians who seem ready to overthrow the "elders". Alliances with this group so they can create their own revolution is our best hope of having peaceful relations with Iran.

posted by: karen
Monday, February 15, 2010 at 03:21 PM

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