By Stan Goodenough
Oct 19, 2007
Israeli President Shimon Peres Thursday dismissed Russian strongman Vladimir Putin's assertions that Iran was not developing its nuclear program in order to obtain atomic bombs.
The Israeli daily Ha'aretz quoted Peres as saying that, regardless of what Russia said concerning the Iranian nuclear program, there is proof that Iran is pursuing atomic weaponry.
"They are developing nuclear weapons even if Putin says he is not convinced about this," Peres emphatically told journalists at a press briefing.
"Even if Putin says he is not convinced that Iran is conducting nuclear development for the purpose of war, everyone know their true intentions, and many intelligence agencies throughout the world have proof that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons for the purpose of war and death," Peres said.
"Anyone can look and see. You do not build a missile with a range of 1,500km or 2,000 km if it does not carry a nuclear warhead."
Although his approach to peace-making has mostly been through trying to appease Israel's foes, a philosophy that has repeatedly proven to be disastrous for Israel (and remains so), Peres knows what he is talking about when it comes to nukes.
The president is known as the pioneer of Israel's nuclear weapons program. In 1963 he coined the ambiguous line that has become Israel's official response to any probing questions about the Jewish state's nuclear capabilities:
"Israel will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons to the Middle East."