The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
September 17, 2012

Netanyahu Claims Iran Approaching Nuke Advancement, 20 Years After Making Similar Claim 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to press his case
for military action against Iran despite apparent resistance from the
United States. Speaking to NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Netanyahu
said Iran is close to developing the enriched uranium needed for a
nuclear weapon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "So I think that as they
(Iran) get closer and closer and closer to the achievement of weapons
grade material — they're very close, they're six months away from
being about 90 percent of having the enriched uranium for an atom bomb
— I think you have to place that red line before them now, before
it's too late. We have to stop them. Don't rely on containment. That is
not the American policy. It would be wrong. It would be a grave, grave
mistake. Don't let these fanatics have nuclear weapons."

Despite his warning of a six-month window before Iran advances its
alleged nuclear weapons program, this wasn't the first time Netanyahu
has made such a prediction. In 1992 — 20 years ago —
Netanyahu said that Iran was just three-to-five years from developing a
nuclear weapon and urged U.S.-led international action to stop the
purported threat.