KHALILI: Iran preparing for nuclear war !

Reza Khalili, former CIA operative in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards says Iran is preparing for Nuclear War !

Despite the statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin  Netanyahu that Israel’s red line on Iran’s  illicit nuclear program could be reached by next spring, Iranian officials are  adamant that war is close.

In analyzing Mr. Netanyahu’s recent  speech to the United Nations  General Assembly, an Iranian nuclear policy strategist boasted to state  media outlet irannuc.ir that Mr.  Netanyahu’s red line is based on the current enrichment process to the 20  percent level at the Fordow nuclear  facility. A recent International Atomic Energy  Agency (IAEA)  report shows Iran has 90 kilograms of 20 percent  enrichment, needing just 130 kilograms of such material for a nuclear bomb,  which the Israelis conclude will happen by next spring.

“The first important fact is that Netanyahu has assumed that the speed of  20 percent enrichment by Iran remains the same till  next year, but if the speed of such conversion then is changed, the timeline for  such capacity will change, too,” said the unnamed strategist, hinting that Iran could obtain the needed material for the bomb  sooner than Israel expects.

The Aug. 30 IAEA report showed Iran has doubled the number of  centrifuges at its Fordow facility deep  within a mountain to more than 2,000, and work continues unabated at the 20  percent enrichment level. Meanwhile, over 10,000 centrifuges at the Natanz  facility are enriching to the 3.5 percent level with enough low-enriched  uranium for six nuclear bombs, should Iran decide to  enrich further. According to a source within Iran’s  Revolutionary Guards, Iran has already armed some of  its ballistic missiles with chemical and biological warheads, to use against Israel should Israel attack.

Revolutionary Guard commanders in recent weeks have warned Iranians that the  possibility of war is real. The guards’ chief commander, Mohammad  Ali Jafari, said war will break out, and should Israel attack Iran, it  will be destroyed. Javad Estaki, another  guard commander, recently stated, “The enemy has always threatened us and we  consider [the probability of] military confrontation at 100 percent . There are  signs that the threat is real, we are ready and the people should be ready,  too.”

The radical leaders of the Islamic regime are worried on two fronts as they  speed up their nuclear bomb program: They fear an attack on their nuclear  facilities before they complete their nuclear bomb goals and internal uprisings  due to deteriorating economic conditions.  As the regime prepares for both scenarios, the West must tighten the screws  on Iran’s economy with even harsher sanctions,  thereby bringing about critical mass for a new Iranian revolution before the  regime becomes nuclear-armed.

The Revolutionary Guard, in fear of a break in communications in case of war  and internal chaos, has set up command-and-control centers in 31 provinces,  acting under the orders of 10 operational bases, with orders to confront any  enemy aggression (foot soldiers) and suppress civilian riots. Thousands of units have been formed within the Revolutionary Guards and Basij  paramilitary forces to maintain order and attack protesting civilians.

A recent Intelligence Ministry memo warned Iranian officials that  deteriorating economic conditions from international sanctions greatly increase  the possibility of an uprising and urged them to take appropriate action. The once-secret report, according to the Iranian Internet site Kaleme, the  official site of the Green movement, specifically warned of riots by hungry  masses on the outskirts of major cities across Iran.

The government’s economic commission has concluded that the country will run  out of foreign currency reserves in the next six months and that inflation  plaguing the Iranian currency will see another steep rise, reports showed. Last week, the Iranian currency reached a historic low in which one U.S.  dollar was equivalent to 39,000 Iranian rials. The commission expects the  exchange rate on the open market to increase to more than 67,000 rials. The  exchange rate before sanctions on Iranian oil and banks took effect July 1 was  about 12,000 rials.

The devaluation in Iranian currency caused riots in downtown Tehran, as  hundreds of merchants marched on Parliament in protest of the collapsing  currency and the Islamic regime’s financial support of Syria’s government under  Bashar Assad. Riot police violently clamped down on protesters. The government  will also have problems in making payrolls for its employees and related  institutions. Employees could lose 50 percent of their pay. Western leaders believe that by early next year, economic conditions will  force regime leaders, fearing a revolt from within, to change course and  negotiate. The Islamic regime is preparing for the worst and racing to the  finish line to acquire the bomb, believing that it will become invincible once  it does so.

The best course of action for the United States is to support the Iranian  people who aspire to freedom and democracy, and help them bring change from  within. The country is ripe for revolt, and Western support is critical as the  regime prepares to confront its own people over policies the majority of  Iranians have long resented.

Reza Khalili is a pseudonym for a former CIA operative in Iran’s  Revolutionary Guards and author of “A Time to Betray” (Simon & Schuster,  2010).

Iran preparing for nuclear war

Source : WashingtonTimes