Netanyahu draws "red line" on Iranian nuclear program
- 12 years ago
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Taking the podium at the UN, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was crystal clear.
SOUNDBITE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying:
"There is only one way to peacefully prevent Iran from getting atomic bombs and that's by placing a clear red line on Iran's nuclear weapons program."
He says Iran is on track to make an atomic bomb by late next year --- underscoring the point with a visual aid.
SOUNDBITE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying:
"So if these are the facts, if these are the facts, and they are, where should a red line be drawn? A red line should be drawn right here before Iran completes the second stage of enrichment necessary to make a bomb, before Iran gets to a point where it is a few months away or a few weeks away from amassing enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon."
He stopped short of threatening a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, but did offer this comparison.
SOUNDBITE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying:
"To understand what the world would be like with a nuclear-armed Iran, just image the world with a nuclear-armed al-Qaeda. Now it makes little difference whether these lethal weapons are in the hands of the world's most dangerous terrorist regime or the world's most dangerous terrorist organization. They are both fired by the same hatred. They are both driven by the same lust for violence."
While the U.S. and Israel have disagreed about the urgency of military action, Netanyahu in his speech suggested they are in agreement about preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Taking the podium at the UN, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was crystal clear.
SOUNDBITE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying:
"There is only one way to peacefully prevent Iran from getting atomic bombs and that's by placing a clear red line on Iran's nuclear weapons program."
He says Iran is on track to make an atomic bomb by late next year --- underscoring the point with a visual aid.
SOUNDBITE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying:
"So if these are the facts, if these are the facts, and they are, where should a red line be drawn? A red line should be drawn right here before Iran completes the second stage of enrichment necessary to make a bomb, before Iran gets to a point where it is a few months away or a few weeks away from amassing enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon."
He stopped short of threatening a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, but did offer this comparison.
SOUNDBITE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying:
"To understand what the world would be like with a nuclear-armed Iran, just image the world with a nuclear-armed al-Qaeda. Now it makes little difference whether these lethal weapons are in the hands of the world's most dangerous terrorist regime or the world's most dangerous terrorist organization. They are both fired by the same hatred. They are both driven by the same lust for violence."
While the U.S. and Israel have disagreed about the urgency of military action, Netanyahu in his speech suggested they are in agreement about preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.