'Gaza terrorists aren't stupid.' Nehushtan
Photo: Sivan Fareg
IAF chief: Diplomatic efforts to prevent nuclear Iran 'unsuccessful'
'Methods employed by UN, Arab world and the IAEA to thwart Tehran's armament did not bear fruit,' Maj.-Gen. Nehushtan says, adding 'Gaza op's most essential achievement was harnessing support of many countries to prevent arms smuggling'
The commander of the Israeli Air Force called the international community's diplomatic efforts to block Iran's nuclear program as "frustrating and unsuccessful".
Nuclear Threat
Iran will amass enough low-enriched uranium in 2009 to have the ability to build nuclear bomb by end of 2010, International Institute for Strategic Studies reports
"The methods employed by the UN, the Arab world and the International Atomic Energy Agency (to thwart Tehran's nuclear armament) have not bore fruit," Maj.-Gen. Ido Nehushtan told the Fourth Ilan Ramon Annual International Space Conference, which began Wednesday at the Herzliya Performing Arts Center.
The IAF chief stressed that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear capabilities was vital to global stability, adding that the issue would remain at the top of Israel and the international community's agenda.
He added that the "radical axis that begins with Iran extends to the Middle East and includes Hizbullah and Hamas."
As for the recent IDF offensive in Gaza, Nehushtan said that caused the international community to take action to prevent arms smuggling into the Gaza Strip. "The global arena understood that this is an issue that is likely to undermine the stability of the whole world."
He said that the most essential achievement of the operation is harnessing the support of many countries to prevent arms smuggling, and not the physical damage caused to the smuggling tunnels, which, he noted, the Palestinians can easily rebuild.
Nehushtan continued to say that the purpose of the incessant rocket fire on the Negev region, which prompted Israel to launch its military offensive in Gaza, was to "gradually pulverize the population," adding "the people on the other side (Gaza) aren’t stupid; they know exactly what they're doing."
