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September 28, 2012

Netanyahu Draws "Red Line" on Iran’s Nuclear Program Before U.N. General Assembly 
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is drawing widespread
attention for his speech before the United Nations General Assembly
Thursday when he literally drew a red line over Iran’s nuclear
program. Netanyahu has repeatedly called for a "red line" that would
trigger military action against Iran if crossed. During his address
Netanyahu pulled out a cartoonish diagram of a bomb with a fuse to help
illustrate Iran's alleged progress toward a nuclear weapon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "This is a bomb; this is a
fuse. In the case of Iran’s nuclear plans to build a bomb, this bomb
has to be filled with enough enriched uranium. And Iran has to go
through three stages. By next spring, at most by next summer at current
enrichment rates, they will have finished the medium enrichment and move
on to the final stage. From there, it’s only a few months, possibly a
few weeks before they get enough enriched uranium for the first bomb.
The red line should be drawn right here. Before Iran completes the
second stage of nuclear enrichment necessary to make a bomb.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has made previous claims about the supposed
urgency of Iran's nuclear plans in a bid to spur U.S.-led international
action. In 1992 — 20 years ago — Netanyahu said that Iran was just
three to five years from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran meanwhile has
repeatedly said its nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful
purposes. Responding to Netanyahu's speech, Iran said it is strong
enough to defend itself and reserved the right to retaliate if attacked.

 

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