Ediblog.com
Israel, Ban the Bomb: Updated
By Ariel Natan Pasko
Mordechai Vanunu - the Israeli nuclear whistleblower - Israel's own Benedict
Arnold, has been released after serving 18 years in prison. He was jailed
for spilling the beans about Israel's nuclear weapons program, back in 1986.
He's been lionized as a hero by the usual anti-Israel, anti-America, and
anti-west crowd, including British actress Susannah York, who flew into
Israel special to greet him upon his release. But Vanunu is hated with all
the fury that traitors usually are by "Joe Israeli".
Vanunu, who worked at the Dimona Nuclear Research Facility, left Israel in
1986, converted in Australia to turn-the-other-cheek Anglican Christianity,
and flew to Britain to tell the Sunday Times all his secret nuclear
knowledge. Unrepentant about what he did, since just before his release,
he's insisted that Israel is illegitimate, and that Jews don't have a right
to a Jewish State. Vanunu has called Judaism and Islam
"primitive," and claimed that his version of "kill me
please" Christianity is more morally developed.
I guess he hasn't paid much attention to the news in the last few years.
"Christian" America hasn't been too willing to "roll over and
play dead" since 9/11. American hasn't chosen to give in to terrorism
and Israel shouldn't either.
Israel should get rid of its Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) programs -
its alleged nuclear arsenal - Vanunu and his "Loony Left" friends
say. Yet, Iran is working as we speak to get the bomb. Syria has lots and
lots of chemical weapons (CW) and missiles to attack with. So does Egypt. In
fact, Egypt like its Arab brother Iraq used its chemical weapons in the
past. Egypt in the 1960's in Yemen; Iraq in the 1980's against the Kurds,
Iraqi Shiites, and Iranians. India and Pakistan have the bomb, so does North
Korea. I won't mention the five permanent members of the UN who do too. And
Libya?
Libya, that on again, off again sponsor of international terrorism since the
1970's, has plenty of chemical weapons - about 100 tons of mustard gas and
nerve agents, according to the CIA - and missiles that could hit Israel and
most of Europe. The Germans sold the missiles to them in the 1980's. They
also have Scuds from North Korea. Libya also has sought dual-use
capabilities that could be used to develop and produce biological warfare
(BW) agents. But now Libya's leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi - or is that
gadfly? - has announced that he will scrap Libya's WMD programs. He promised
to put his nuclear facilities under greater international inspection. Sounds
like, Iran, huh?
So what do all these Middle Eastern "Ban the Bomb" advocates start
to do?
Commenting on Gaddafi's actions, Libya's state-run press made clear that
Israel would have to follow suit with its weaponry. The Al-Jamahiriya
newspaper said Libya's decision had reversed the "race" to produce
weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East and placed "exceptional
pressure on Israel" to come clean on its own nuclear weapons, which it
has neither admitted to nor denied possessing.
Following Gaddafi's announcement not long ago, Egyptian Foreign Minister
Ahmed Maher called on Israel to follow Libya's example and get rid of its
nuclear weapons program. Maher said, "I hope that other countries in
the region...would follow such an example...get rid of and put an end to any
nuclear weapons production program," Maher said. Maher did not
specifically name Israel, but said, "You know, of course, who I
mean." When asked if the international community should start looking
at Israel's nuclear capabilities, Maher said: "I said that the steps
which Libya took should be a model to follow. This is clear. I won't add
anything."
The same day, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, joined in saying,
"The Libyan position confirms the importance of pressuring Israel to
comply with all laws banning nuclear proliferation and joining the NPT"
[nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty]. Moussa added, "It is not logical to
make an exception or to be tolerant of Israel on this issue." The Arab
states have spoken.
Then, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called on Israel to eliminate its
WMD. "We welcome the Libyan decision," Mubarak told journalists
during a visit to Sadat City, in southern Cairo. "Israel must also
eliminate its weapons of mass destruction." Egypt has for some time
called on the Israel to ratify the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and
make the Middle East a region free of WMD. Mubarak said that in the
mid-1990s he discussed with former Israeli prime minister and current
opposition leader Shimon Peres (Labor) the matter of Israel dismantling its
nuclear arsenal. Mubarak claimed that Peres - father of the Israeli nuclear
program - told him that the issue would be resolved following a settlement
between Israel and the Palestinians.
That's Egypt; former user of chemical weapons itself. That's Egypt, who
according to the Monterey Institute of International Studies - which tracks
weapons issues - has its own stockpile of deadly Sarin and VX nerve agents,
and is believed to working on an offensive BW program as well.
Iran also praised Libya’s decision to abandon its WMD program,
calling for pressure against Israel to do the same. Iranian officials
released a statement that the time has come for the international community
to exert pressure on Israel to abandon its nuclear program, referring to
Israel as the main threat to the region. That's Iran, the country that not
long ago was parading around its new Shahab 3's that could hit Israel -
allegedly - with markings on them for "Tel-Aviv" and
"Jerusalem".
What's with all this concern about Israeli WMD all of a sudden?
The answer is that with the fall of Saddam's regime and American occupation,
Iraq has been temporarily taken out of the WMD loop, or so it seems. With
the Libyan declarations and Iran's recent signing of the additional protocol
of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which opens the way for unannounced
UN inspections of suspect sites, the door has been opened for increased
pressure on Israel. Iran and Syria know there's still a lot of focus on
their own weapons programs - US President Bush just signed the Syrian
Accountability Act which puts a spotlight on Syrian WMD - so why not try to
divert attention toward Israel. Notice the Syrian moves at the UN not long
ago calling on Israel to disarm and make the Middle East a "nuke-free
zone".
Israel has had a frosty "Peace" with Egypt since 1979, and a not
much warmer "Peace" with Jordan since 1994. Israel has been in a
"Peace Process" for the last ten years with the Palestinians. That
"Peace Process" has cost Israel over 1,300 lives from Palestinian
warfare. Although the military balance vis-a-vis the Arab-Islamic world has
shifted further toward Israel's favor in the last couple of decades - do to
its growing technological edge - Israel's "will to fight" or
"staying power" has slowly been eaten away in the last decade.
Continuous guerilla war and terrorism from the Palestinians, combined with a
world-wide propaganda campaign, has put Israel into a defensive posture, and
caused it's leadership to refrain from using its substantial firepower. Now,
the Arab-Islamic world is trying to pressure Israel to give up its strategic
arsenal as well.
According to the latest accounting - September 2003 - of the Jaffe
Center's "Middle East Military Balance," the Arab League states
and Iran - minus Iraq - vastly outnumber Israel in conventional forces; men
under arms, tanks, artillery, combat aircraft, transport aircraft, and
helicopters. Let's ignore their naval advantage for purposes of this
discussion. Take a look at soldiers - both regular and reserves - Israel has
about 650,000 troops vs. 2,750,000 for the Arab League/Iran. Israel has
3,675 tanks and 3,900 artillery pieces, against 15,075 tanks and 17,400
artillery pieces for the Arab League/Iran. Despite Israel's highly touted
air force, in numbers it's vastly outnumbered. Israel has 537 combat
aircraft, 64 transport aircraft, and 239 helicopters. The Arab League/Iran
combo has 4534 combat aircraft, 558 transport aircraft, and 1897
helicopters.
In conventional terms, Israel is outgunned, period. And I haven't even taken
into account the greater Islamic world beyond Iran, or the threat of
terrorism. Israel's last line of defense is its non-conventional deterrent.
Now it becomes clear why those who would threaten Israel most, have joined
the "Ban the Bomb" parade.
Israeli policy has always been that it will, "Never be the first state
to introduce nuclear weapons into the Middle East," a policy of
ambiguity. But from Vanunu in the 1980's on, cracks have opened in the
Israeli "plausible denial" routine. Even Shimon Peres some years
back, slipped, and implied that Israel does have the bomb. Most estimates
place it more precisely at about 200 bombs on the low end, up to as many as
500-600.
In the last few years, Israel took charge of three German built submarines.
They liked them so much, that they requested Germany to sell them some more.
But do to reports that Israel had modified cruise missiles with nuclear
warheads to be launched from the subs, Germany declined. I don't have any
"inside" info on that, but I sure hope it's true. That would give
Israel the "strategic triad" of land, air, and sea launched nukes.
Just what Israel's "friends" need to keep them at bay.
As long as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah elements, al-Qaeda, and whoever else
wants to destroy Israel; as long as Iran, Syria, Egypt, Libya, and whoever,
continue their own WMD programs; as long as the balance of forces favors
Israel's enemies; Israel needs to continue to build up its own
non-conventional weapons capabilities, and be prepared to use them. Israel
has a moral obligation; in fact, it was created to make sure, a second
Holocaust never happens.
Sure Israel should "Ban the Bomb". WHEN THE MESSIAH COMES!