Iran: Awesome nuclear might with eagerness for peace

[sonz]

As heated debate over whether or not Iran has the right to pursue nuclear technology continues, some claim that the United States has the military might capable of destroying Iran’s nuclear plants in a few days.

Israel’s Jerusalem Post wrote recently that America has the ability to destroy Iran’s efforts to obtain nuclear weapons.

But Gary Berntsen, the former senior CIA operative who led the search for Osama bin Laden, spoke to the newspaper and stressed that it is difficult to persuade Iran to suspend its nuclear program, however, suggesting that an attack on Iran can still be launched despite the American public’s disapproval of entering another war after the U.S. failures in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the declining approval ratings the U.S. president. Similar remarks were made earlier by Richard Perle, the former Pentagon advisor, who said that Iran’s nuclear facilities can be destroyed in an overnight operation.

But yesterday, official IRNA newsagency said that Iran is readying to launch a large-scale military maneuver in the Gulf tomorrow. The paper cited Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps naval chief's remarks.

IRGC will begin massive naval exercises in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman on Friday by firing a Shahab-2 missile “to show Iran’s desire for peace and friendship with neighbouring countries” IRGC said, adding that naval and ground forces of the IRGC, the Armed Forces and the Disciplinary Forces (police) would participate in the war game.

"The entire armed forces are fully ready to defend the territorial integrity of the motherland, which will be displayed during the war game," Rear Admiral Morteza Saffari told a press conference in Tehran.

Iran's announcement of staging the large-scale military maneuver, which will last till April 6 near the northern coasts of the Gulf, with over 17,000 soldiers and 1,500 naval vessels of various types and sizes joining the operation, came while UN Security Council discuss future measures over the Islamic Republic's right to pursue nuclear technology.

The UN five permanent members agreed on a statement that demands the Islamic Republic halt all activities related to uranium enrichment, setting the stage for the first action by the world body over fears that Tehran seeks producing nuclear weapons as claimed by Washington and Israel.

While U.S. and the European Union push the Security Council to adopt tough measures against Iran, Russia and China, which are afraid that harsh means against Tehran would run counterproductive, highly oppose the move.

Also last month, the Newsweek reported that the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rallied Iranians round their country’s right to develop a peaceful nuclear program, and that that they won't accept being not trusted with nuclear technology while other countries like the U.S., Israel, and Pakistan can be trusted with atomic bombs.

“Today, Iran is calling for its rightful demands with strength and national unity and these exercises will show an increase of strength and preparedness”, the navy commander added.

Dismissing efforts by the Bush administration that it is trying to build up international consensus against Tehran over its nuclear program, Saffari further stated that “It may seem that this country is trying to bring about international consensus and believes that it has been successful, but this is not the case. It is trying to force Iran into submission through its psychological warfare and its bullying propaganda”.

“We will resist and bear whatever costs that may entail”, Saffari said, noting that during the naval exercises unmanned airplanes will be used to “collect intelligence about the enemy” and anti-air missiles will be deployed to attack “enemy targets”.