The Iranian nuclear crisis may have crossed the point of no return while the threat of nuclear terrorism is on the rise, according to a panel of experts on proliferation. These somber assessments where voiced Monday during a seminar on nuclear capabilities hosted by the European Jewish Congress in Brussels. “Only military action can stop Iran, or else Iran will acquire nuclear weapons to the great detriment of regional and even global stability,” the panel stated.
The event, which took place at the Brussels Hilton, brought together 12 experts on the subject, including politicians, military officials and academics, who in a closing statement said that “the Iranian crisis has worsened to the degree that it may now be irresolvable.” On nuclear terrorism, the unanimous view was that in order to prevent disaster a “more energetic leadership” is needed.
The finding of the roundtable was that in all relevant respects of nuclear terrorism, the situation has worsened, and that nuclear weapons are in real danger of falling into the hands of terrorists. The panel connected the peril to the current instability in Pakistan and to a potential unrest in North Korea – both nuclear powers.
“Hezbollah is an obvious worry,” the panel added, “especially with the recent news that Hezbullah groups have cells in North America and in the heart of Europe.” In attendance at the seminar – which the EJC organized with the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya – were experts such as Ian Anthony from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Uzi Arad from the IDC, and Alfred Pijpers from the Netherlands Institute of International Relations.
Discussions were chaired by EJC president Moshe Kantor, who deplored the fact that some 10,000 companies in Europe are still collaborating with Iran on the development of its gas and oil industry. Kantor estimated this industry to have a turnover of approximately $100 billion dollars. He added, “The collaboration continues and even big European Union countries cannot stop their business community from investing in Iran’s proliferation process.”
