U.S. experts and officials believe Israel seeks to
deploy nuclear weapons on its newly-procured diesel submarines.
A new book published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace,
discusses Israel's purported project to deploy nuclear missiles in its new
fleet of German-built Dolphin-class submarines. Israel has received three
such submarines over the last two years, Middle East Newsline reported.
"Probably the most important nuclear-related development in Israel is
the formation of its sea-based nuclear arm," the book, authored by Joseph
Cirincione along with Jon Wolfsthal and Miriam Rajkumar, said. "Such a
survivable deterrent is perceived as essential because of Israel's unique
geopolitical and demographical vulnerability to nuclear attack, and one that
no potential enemy of Israel could ignore."
Cirincione is director of the Carnegie's nonproliferation project and a
former staff member of the House Armed Services Committee. The book,
entitled "Deadly Arsenals: Tracking Weapons of Mass Destruction," also
discussed such rarely-reported developments as Egypt's biological weapons
program.
The book, released last week in Washington, said Israel tested cruise
missiles in May 2000. The Israeli missiles were said to have had a range of
more than 1,500 kilometers and could be tipped with nuclear warheads.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its purported nuclear arsenal.
But Israeli leaders have pledged not be the first to introduce such weapons
in the Middle East.
"The command of our navy would be pleased to have a few of those
[missiles]," Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Ron Kitri said.
"There are various kinds of reports that repeat themselves every so often. I
don't know what their source is."
The book said Israel's sea-based nuclear arsenal has set back arms
control efforts. This includes efforts to end weapons of mass destruction
programs in Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Libya, which have signed the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The book said the United States, Russia, Britain, France, China, Israel,
India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons. Iraq, Iran and North Korea either
have such weapons or seek them.
"Iraq may have a workable design for a nuclear weapon," the book said.
