Iranian bomb would threaten Europe too, Kaplinsky warns

By YAAKOV KATZ
Calling Teheran's race to obtain nuclear weapons an existential threat, Deputy Chief of General Staff Maj.-Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky said Friday that a nuclear Iran also threatens all of Europe. "A nuclear Iran is a threat to Israel but can also effect the entire Middle East," Kaplinsky said during a meeting near Jerusalem. "A nuclear Iran will pose a threat way beyond Israel's borders, possibly even a threat to all of Europe." "There is disagreement as to when their program will be operational, but we predict that Iran will achieve [nuclear weapons] capability in the near future," he said. Kaplinsky also said Iran recently received a shipment of anti-aircraft missiles from Russia and was holding contacts with China regarding additional arms deals. Discussing the Baker-Hamilton report, Kaplinsky said, "In my opinion, the strategy used and the way the United States decides to pull out of Iraq will have an effect on us and the entire region."