[lbo-talk] 'US can destroy Iran's nuke facility in two days'

[uvj at vsnl.com]

HindustanTimes.com
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Tuesday, March 21, 2006

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'US can destroy Iran's nuke facility in two days'
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1655063,00050004.htm

Press Trust of India

Jerusalem, March 21, 2006

The United States can wipe out Iran's nuclear programme in two days using
bunker-buster bombs and other weapons to carry out the operation, a former
senior CIA operative who led the search for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan
in late 2001 has said.

"We can take care of it in a couple of days with air strikes and they
wouldn't be able to stop us. It wouldn't be difficult to plan. There would
be some dangers but I think the United States can do it," Gary Berntsen, who
left the CIA in June last year after more than 20 years of service told 'The
Jerusalem Post.'

"We can dig those things out. We can destroy them," Bernsten said in an
interview to the daily.

The former agent believes that it will be difficult to persuade Tehran to
quit its nuclear programme.

"I know the Iranians. I've worked against the Iranians for years. They are
determined to get this no matter what, and they will lie and cheat and do
whatever they have to do to get themselves a weapon," he said.
Berntsen also ruled out a covert action because of the scale of the nuclear
programme.

"This is a huge system of facilities they have. This is not going to be a
small sort of engagement. We are probably going to have to destroy 30
facilities in 30 locations. Or at least 15," he said.

Ruling out a ground operation, Bernsten said that Israel should refrain from
any move to prevent Iran from achieving its goal, as it 'doesn't make
political sense'.

© HT Media Ltd. 2006.