Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon intends to hand over
responsibility for coordinating and leading his country's effort to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons to Mossad head, Meir Dagan.
The Premier's office decided it was "right" for the mission to move to the Mossad, Israel's secret security intelligence agency, which can gather intelligence, analyze and assess it and, in the future, perhaps conduct operations, Haaretz newspaper reported on Thursday.
Israel perceives the "emerging Iranian nuclear threat" as the most crucial to its national security interests.
According to Israeli military intelligence assessments, Tehran will cross the point of no return in another year,
at which time it will be able to create fissionable material for bombs. By the year 2006, it will have operational nuclear weapons, according to the Israeli assessments.
Sharon's plan is to have Dagan coordinate the interministry forum, while other bodies will operate according to his instructions and their expertise. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
