Sharon to Order Mossad Chief to Handle Iran Nuclear Issue

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, September 05, 2003

Sharon to Order Mossad Chief to Handle Iran Nuclear Issue

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Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon plans to hand over responsibility for coordinating and leading Israel's effort to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons to Mossad chief Meir Dagan, Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported Thursday.

According to the report, Sharon's office believes it is logical for the mission to move to the Mossad, which can gather, analyze and assess related intelligence and, possibly in the future, can also carry out operations.

Israel Defense Forces Military Intelligence assessments indicated Iran will cross the point of no return in another year when it will be able to create fissionable material for bombs.

By 2006, Iran will have operational nuclear weapons, according to the Israeli intelligence assessments.

For the last six years, Israel, which regards the emerging Iranian nuclear threat as the most critical to its national security, has been conducting a diplomatic campaign, primarily with the help of the United States, to block or at least delay the Iranian project.

The Ha'aretz' report said Sharon plans a discussion with senior security and diplomatic officials, at which time the plan will be finalized.

So far, the Israeli National Security Council (NSC) has handled the interministry coordination and the "leakage committee" that coordinates political contacts with the United States to foil Iran's nuclear weapons program.

With the retirement of NSC Chairman Ephraim Halevy, Sharon decided to reconsider the distribution of responsibility.

The discussion was postponed because of the bus bombing in Jerusalem two weeks ago, and was put off again Thursday because Sharon fell ill.

According to the plan, Dagan, who was appointed Mossad chief by Sharon, will coordinate the interministry forum and other bodies will operate according to his instructions and their expertise.

The Foreign Ministry will handle diplomatic contacts, the Military Intelligence will help collect intelligence and assess it,and the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) will provide technical support in nuclear affairs and handle contacts with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Sharon's plans to hand over the portfolio to the Mossad has raised intense opposition in other government bodies, the report added.

Opponents believe it is a sensitive diplomatic issue that the Mossad, as a security intelligence agency, is not built to handle, and therefore it should focus on its professional sphere rather than dealing with diplomacy.

Furthermore, the Mossad has no specific expertise in nuclear matters, opponents said.

The "leakage committee," which coordinates efforts to block nuclear technology transfers to Iran, is currently headed by Yisrael Michaeli, deputy head of the NSC, who played a key role at the AEC in the past.

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