A common agenda

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kovchner talking to Israel's popular daily Haaretz last week warned that Israel would strike Iran before it was able to develop nuclear weapons. He reiterated the EU position that "Iran with an atomic bomb is unacceptable at all." Iran's repeated assurances that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and limited to civilian use to meet the growing energy needs has been dismissed by the US and EU and Iran has been subjugated to further sanctions by the UN Security Council.

President Bush has termed the Iranian nuclear programme "a threat to global security" and vowed that it will not allow Iran to cross the Rubicon. As on other policy issues of international concern there is a total identity of views between Israel and the United States. On Iran's nuclear ambition, both have pursued covert policies of threats and ultimatums warning Iran of an imminent strike by Israel on Iran's nuclear installations.

An attack on Iran by Israel is thus a common agenda. Bush has repeatedly warned that Iran will not be allowed to become a nuclear power. Israel's Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz echoed similar sentiments. "If Iran continues with its programme for developing nuclear weapons we will attack it." Such brazen threats in total violation of inter-state relations and international commitments have been issue with impunity.

Investigative reporter Seymour Hersh in a recent article in The New Yorker, disclosed that the White House has reached a decision on a broad bombing raid with targets including Iran's known and suspected nuclear facilities. There have also been reports of Israel with the blessing of the US, planning an attack on Iran's nuclear installations as it did on June 6, 1981 against Iraq. At the time Israeli war planes penetrated deep into Iraq and succeeded in destroying Osirak nuclear reactor.