logo

Tehran:

Esvand 25 / 1402





Tehran Weather:
 facebooktwitteremail
 
We must always take sides. Nutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented -- Elie Wiesel
 
Happy Birthday To:
Sign-up Below...
 
Home Passport and Visa Forms U.S. Immigrations Birthday Registration
 

Time running out to stop Iran nuclear pursuit, investigator says - -

By Charles Keyes

By Charley Keyes
CNN
""
"Decrease "Decrease
"Enlarge "Enlarge

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A man who spearheaded financial investigations of Iran said Wednesday the Islamic republic is "deadly serious" about developing nuclear weapons and long-range missiles -- and there's not much time to stop it before it does.

"Robert

Robert Morgenthau says Iran is working towards developing nuclear weapons.

""

New York District Attorney Robert Morgenthau told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that although he's not an expert on proliferation, many such experts were consulted in the financial probes "and it comes out loud and clear: It is late in this game and we don't have a lot of time to stop Iran from developing long-range missiles and nuclear weapons."

Morgenthau helped uncover a multibillion-dollar scam that Iran used to move money through U.S. financial institutions to help buy materials for its nuclear and missile programs. In January, a large British bank agreed to pay $350 million in fines after it was accused of helping Iran hide the transactions.

The investigation provided what Morgenthau called "Iran's shopping list" for weapons of mass destruction.

"The Iranians are deadly serious about proceeding with this program and ... it is later than a lot of people think. And frankly some of the people we have consulted are shocked by the sophistication of the equipment they are buying. So we don't have a lot of time to waste," he told committee members in a hearing entitled, "Engaging Iran: Obstacles and Opportunities."

The United States, some European nations and Israel contend Iran's nuclear development is aimed at developing nuclear weapons. Tehran has denied pursuing nuclear weapons and insists the country's nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, said he wanted to explore how to engage with Iran and prevent it from becoming a nuclear-armed nation.

"This is the time to reaffirm our commitment to giving meaningful negotiations with Iran's leaders a chance -- not simply fall back on the stale rhetoric and failed strategies of the previous years," he said in his opening statement.

Kerry called sanctions a blunt instrument with an imperfect track record. He said such measures may have slowed, but did not prevent, Iran's nuclear program as the country moved forward with enrichment of uranium on an industrial scale.

"Our preference is engagement. Our preference is not to have confrontation of any kind, through sanctions or otherwise. But that will depend on choices that Iran itself makes," Kerry said.



    
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 by IranANDWorld.Com. All rights reserved.