Saturday, December 20, 2008

Le Figaro, Paris, December 19, 2008 (excerpts) – The Socialist Party lawmaker, Jean-Louis Bianco, told the French daily Le Figaro he was “certain” Iran’s nuclear goals were military. “Tehran possesses nuclear bomb plans, which were without a doubt obtained thanks to Pakistani channels,” he said. The report showed Iran has “a bomb miniaturization program,” he said.

PARIS- Iran’s nuclear goals are military, and the country could have a nuclear bomb in two to three years, a French Foreign Affairs Commission said.

After the report was published Wednesday, the Socialist Party lawmaker who led the commission, Jean-Louis Bianco, told the French daily Le Figaro he was “certain” Iran’s nuclear goals were military. “Tehran possesses nuclear bomb plans, which were without a doubt obtained thanks to Pakistani channels,” he said. The report showed Iran has “a bomb miniaturization program,” he said.

The commission gathered evidence over the course of a year from military, political and intelligence officials from France, Israel and Iran, among others.

Earlier this month, French president Nicolas Sarkozy said he would not sit beside an Iranian leader who “dares say Israel should be wiped from the map.”