US Report: Assassinations of Iranian Scientists Not Effective
In report on Tehran’s nuclear program, ISIS Institute estimates Iran won’t achieve nuclear breakthrough in 2012, claims assassinations of nuclear scientists won’t delay program’s progress.
The US Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) issued an elaborate report on the state of the Iranian nuclear program and Western efforts to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons.
The institute advises against assassinating Iranian nuclear scientists, in acts which have been linked to the US and Israel. Meanwhile, the Iranian deputy foreign minister commented on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s AIPAC speech and described it as “rooted in fear of the Islamic awakening in the Arab world.”
The report points to substantial disadvantages of “risky” strategies being employed against Iran. “Assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists and engineers have occurred with greater frequency but should be stopped because they carry too high a risk of retaliation and involve terrorism against civilians,” the report states.
“Moreover, assassinations are unlikely to be effective in setting back the nuclear program, which involves thousands of specialists and ingrained know-how.”
The institute cautions that Iran might argue that assassinations are equivalent to a military attack and use this as justification for further provocations. “An under-siege mentality created by use of such tactics could motivate Iran to further degrade its cooperation with the IAEA and resist offers of negotiation,” the report said.
The report also states that recent major accidents at Iranian facilities have led to speculation that countries are conducting sabotage against significant missile and nuclear-related sites. It goes on to mention a blast in a base near Tehran which left 17 people dead and an explosion at the Ghadir steelworks in Yazd.