NEGATIVE/ROGUES/IRAN

IRAN WILL NOT BECOME A DANGEROUS NUCLEAR POWER IN THE STATUS QUO

DIRE PREDICTIONS OF DANGER FROM IRANIAN MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS ARE GROUNDLESS

THE HINDU, September 24, 1999 HEADLINE: Missiles- Accent on engaging Iran positively // ln-10/99-acs

Almost every development on the Iranian missile front has been met with dire predictions from the U.S. and Israel that Iran would be in a position to launch nuclear-armed missiles within a few years. Iran has consistently said that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, its nuclear programme is under safeguards and has denied on this basis that it is pursuing a nuclear weapons programme.

ANTI-PROLIFERATION VOICES ARE RISING IN THE MIDDLE EAST -- IRAN EXAMPLE

Juan Romero, Jane's Intelligence Review March 1, 1999; Pg. 32 HEADLINE: Charting reactions to the Islamic bomb //lnu-acs

At the same time, however, there are voices in the government emphasising the necessity to rid the Middle East of nuclear weapons. Some Iranians stress that the nuclear tests have actually weakened India's and Pakistan's position in the eyes of the great powers and that they will not achieve any of the influence of the permanent members of the Security Council.

IRANIAN MISSILES CAN'T REACH US FOR A DECADE

BOB DROGIN, TIMES STAFF WRITER, Los Angeles Times September 10, 1999, SECTION: Part A; Page 1; HEADLINE: MISSILE THREAT TO U.S. 'SERIOUS,' REPORT WARNS // lnu-acs

The report said Iran could test a missile able to deliver a payload of several hundred kilograms to the United States in the last half of the next decade using Russian technology and assistance, but most analysts believe that it could test a less powerful, less accurate missile in the next few years.

IRAN'S MISSILE TARGET IS CLEARLY IRAQ

Richard Norton-Taylor and Ian Black, The Guardian (London), August 9, 1999; Pg. 12 HEADLINE: North Korea's war-game plan drives a global weapons race; Pyongyang's aims may be political, but the implications are frightening // lnu-acs

But the most likely target of Iran's missile programme is almost certainly Iraq, whose own efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction have been virtually destroyed by seven years of LIN inspections. Elsewhere in the Middle East, Syria is believed to have hundreds of Scud and SS-20 missiles armed with deadly VX nerve gas.