TruthNews

NATO Chief Doubts a Nuclear Iran Can Be Stopped

International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, October 6, 2008

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said over the weekend that he doubts the international community can prevent Iran from getting an atomic bomb.

During a conference in France, Scheffer said that NATO does not play a central role in the matter, but said he was concerned that the United Nations has not succeeded to stop a nuclear Iran.

"It is a major challenge to prevent Iran from continuing to strive to get the bomb," said Scheffer to the World Policy Conference sponsored by the French IFRI foreign affairs think tank. "I am not positive about the world being able to stop Iran from fulfilling its ambitions," he added.

"My concern is that the Security Council, as we speak, is rather incapable of coming to further conclusions on further sanctions," Scheffer said.

Last month, the UN demanded Iran to "comply fully and without delay" to halt its enrichment process, but did not impose a new round of sanctions called for by both the US and its Western allies.

Scheffer also stated he would never believe that Israel would desert its own "supposed nuclear arsenal... As we all know, Israel never admits to what it has, but I do not see very many arguments for the Jewish state to abandon its potential," he said.

Israel is believed to be the only country in the Middle East to have a nuclear bomb, but has never publicly admitted to having a nuclear arsenal.

Scheffer also said he was just as worried about Iran’s efforts to expand its missile capabilities. "What is as dangerous (as the nuclear program) is the missile technology which (Iran) is also developing at a fast pace," he said. "This becomes an element for the security of the United States and of course Europe," reported Ynetnews.