Shimon Peres: If Sanctions Fail, It’s Time To Bomb Iran
In an interview with France’s Le Figaro newspaper ahead of a trip to Paris next week, Shimon Peres said if economic sanctions fail to persuade Iran to stop its contested nuclear program then “non-military options would be used up”.
The United Nations has imposed sanctions on Iran to pressure it to suspend uranium enrichment.
The United States and other major powers suspect Iran is enriching uranium as part of a covert effort to develop a nuclear bomb. Iran says it is only interested in civilian nuclear energy.
“I would prefer to stop the development of the bomb without recourse to war. Sanctions have proved their efficacy in the past,” Peres said, citing decisions by Libya, South Africa and North Korea to renounce nuclear plans.
Asked if Israel would act alone to stop Iran getting the bomb, Peres, a former prime minister who currently holds no executive power, replied: “Under no circumstance. We are not so imprudent as to concentrate the Iranian danger on Israel.”
“It’s a problem that the rest of the world must resolve. With the long-range missiles developed by Iran the problem is not only Israeli,” Peres added.
He accused Iran of seeking outposts in Lebanon, Gaza, Syria and Iraq. “We mustn’t close our eyes. If a minority of terrorists are able to equip themselves with nuclear missiles then the world could become ungovernable.”
Peres defended Israel’s attack last week on Gaza to stop missiles being fired at its territory.
“If we know that someone is preparing to launch a missile against our territory we will target them to stop it happening,” he said.
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“‘I would prefer to stop the development of the bomb without recourse to war. Sanctions have proved their efficacy in the past,” Peres said, citing decisions by Libya, South Africa and North Korea to renounce nuclear plans.”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Libya halt their nuclear program after the invasion of Iraq? I was under the impression it was less about sanctions and more about “we don’t want to risk being next”.
March 8th, 2008 at 7:41 amYou’re right, Zachary. And as for how effective sanctions have been with North Korea, whatever it was that Israel bombed into oblivion in Syria last September involved North Korea.
March 8th, 2008 at 7:46 amStop the insanity, economic sanctions have NOT worked, never will with nutters like Almondjoydinnerjacket.
McCain knows it, Bolton knows it, Peres knows it, everybody knows it!!
March 8th, 2008 at 9:48 am[…] Shimon Peres: If Sanctions Fail, It’s Time To Bomb Iran: ” […]
March 8th, 2008 at 10:06 amThis is an interesting development. Peres is the most Dovish of all the recent former Israeli Prime Ministers, look out!
March 8th, 2008 at 2:32 pmJust make it happen!
March 8th, 2008 at 4:05 pmI have been under the impression that the sanctions had failed
March 8th, 2008 at 4:47 pmAmerica must be an active participant in any attack. Granting air space is not good enough. We must conduct hundreds of bomb runs ourselves at the least.
Anything less and leaving it to the Israelis alone would be immoral.
March 8th, 2008 at 7:47 pmWell, better do it before Obama’s inauguration day.
March 9th, 2008 at 5:32 amWait, Mr. Israeli Peacenik himself? Ooooh, things are heating up! Interesting times indeed…
March 9th, 2008 at 1:35 pm