Steve Quayle News Alerts

Nov. 17, 2003
Nina Gilbert and JPOST.COM Staff

The first words to be spoken by an active Mossad spy agency chief at a Knesset meeting in over 18 years were: "Look, I am really not happy to be here and to have to tell you this."

Members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee heard at their sitting Monday morning from Mossad chief Maj.-Gen. (res.) Meir Dagan, who warned the that there are currently forty terror attack warnings against Jewish and Israeli targets worldwide, and that Iran's nuclear program poses the greatest existential threat to Israel since the Jewish state's creation in 1948.

Dagan told the committee that Israel was capable of dealing with the threat emanating from Iran, but added that cuts in the defense budget were "debilitating."

Mossad's chief advised the Knesset committee Monday that Israel knows of "specific warnings" of planned attacks on Jewish and Israeli targets overseas by global terror organizations.

Dagan noted that the Istanbul attack required extensive organization and planning and large financial support. He referred to the new Islamic network as a "world jihad" organization that is comprised of various Sunni Moslem groups, with Al-Qaida being only one of them. Al-Qaida claimed responsibility for the attack in Turkey, but Dagan attributed it to the "world jihad."

Dagan denied news reports that Israeli intelligence had warned the Turkish government about possible terror attacks against synagogues in Istanbul.

Al-Qaida claimed responsibility for killing 24 people in twin suicide attacks on synagogues in Istanbul Saturday

Dagan said that Islamic terrorist groups had one common objective: to spread their brand of fundamentalist Islam over the globe.

He said no country has been identified as a "sponsor" of the network. But some countries, such as Egypt, that feel threatened by the groups have begun to operate against them.

According to Dagan, the difficulty in fighting such an organization is the fact that even if one terror infrastructure is eliminated there are others. He predicts that if any of these groups obtains chemical or biological weapons that they won't hesitate to use them.

Mossad's chief also said Iran's nuclear missile capabilities could pose a threat not only to Israel, but also to Europe, and urged the international community to stop Teheran's nuclear development.

Israel Radio reported Monday that Mossad believes Iran is going "full steam ahead" with its nuclear weapons program, despite its apparent cooperation with the United Nations nuclear agency, the IAEA.

Dagan said Iran's nuclear development was approaching "a point of no return".

Dagan told the committee that the 100 megawatt reactor ii Bushir is too large to be used only for electricity production. Iran's Kashan uranium enrichment facility is close to completion and, barring serious technical difficulties, has the potential of producing material to make 10 nuclear bombs a year by the end of 2004, he said.

According to Israel Radio, Iran has invested billions of dollars in its nuclear development. Dagan told the Knesset committee that Iran's nuclear facility in Kashan was especially worrisome.

Iran has also invested similar amounts in surface-to-surface missiles, some of which can currently travel distances of between 1,400km to 2,000km - putting Israel within range. Dagan said that Iran was also developing longer-range missiles capable of hitting European cities. Teheran was also investing in bombers able to carry nuclear payloads and travel long distances, Dagan said.

Dagan told the committee that Tehran's
support for Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and Hizbullah, (especially for providing Hizbullah with short-range missiles deployed in southern Lebanon) were serious threats to Israel.

Labor MK Ephraim Sneh said the United States has the ability to disarm Iran of its nuclear capabilities and should do so.

Dagan said Iran is trying to obtain nuclear weapons to become a nuclear power and to achieve the status of North Korea, a country that is viewed as untouchable.

In sharp contrast to Israeli and US assessments, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Monday that Iran had been "honest" about its nuclear program and should not be reported to the U.N. Security Council for possible violations.

Solana was speaking to reporters in Teheran after his meeting with Iran's National Security head.

Meanwhile, Egyptian sources confirmed a meeting between Mossad chief Me'ir Dagan and Egyptian security chief Omar Suleiman Monday morning.

Suleiman is currently visiting the West Bank in an attempt to broker a ceasefire between Israel, the PA and the Hamas and Islamic Jihad militant groups.

As official Egyptian source said that the Palestinians are ready to negotiate a cease-fire if Israel ceases targeted killings and incursions into the PA for arresting suspected terrorists.

Lamia Lahoud contributed to this report

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