Israel buys more nuclear power

Israel's nuclear weapons are believed buried deep underground.
JERUSALEM (AP) -- With the purchase of two more German-made Dolphin submarines capable of carrying nuclear warheads, Israel is sending a clear message to Iran that it can strike back if attacked by nuclear weapons, military experts say.
The purchases come at a time when Iran is refusing to bow to growing Western demands to halt its nuclear program, and after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map."
The new submarines, built at a cost of $1.3 billion with Germany footing one-third of the bill, have diesel-electric propulsion systems that allow them to remain submerged for longer periods than the three nuclear arms-capable submarines already in Israel's fleet, the Jerusalem Post reported.
The latest submarines not only would be able to carry out a first strike should Israel choose to do so, but they also would provide Israel with crucial second-strike capabilities, said Paul Beaver, a London-based independent defense analyst.
Israel is already believed to have that ability in the form of the Jericho-1 and Jericho-2 nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, which are buried so far underground they would survive a nuclear strike, he said.
"The Iranians would be very foolish if they attacked Israel," Beaver said.
German officials have said the contract for the new submarines was signed July 6, and the Jerusalem Post reported this week the subs will be operational shortly.
Israel, operating on a policy of nuclear ambiguity, has never confirmed or denied whether it has nuclear weapons. It is believed, however, to have the world's sixth-largest stockpile of atomic arms, including hundreds of warheads.
Situation with Iran
Iran so far has resisted calls by the U.N. Security Council to halt uranium enrichment, which can produce, among other things, the material for atomic bombs.
The United States is awaiting a formal U.N. deadline before seeking any new measures to coerce or punish Iran over its disputed nuclear program, the State Department says.
"We're looking at the Aug. 31 date, and I think once we get there, we'll begin to take action," State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos said Thursday.
The U.N. Security Council is set to take up the Iran case Thursday and could soon consider a new resolution to impose economic or other sanctions on Tehran. The U.S. has long favored sanctions.
The U.N. Security Council gave Iran until the end of August to stop enriching uranium, a key component of both nuclear weapons and the peaceful nuclear energy that Tehran says it wants. The suspension is a precondition before Iran could bargain with European nations and the United States over a package offering Iran economic and other incentives if it gives up portions of its nuclear program that the West fears could produce a bomb.
Iran made a counteroffer to the proposal Tuesday that ignores the U.N. demand on uranium.
Germany said Thursday that Iran's response appears unsatisfactory, and Gallegos repeated the U.S. assessment that the response "falls short" of U.N. conditions.
"We've acknowledged that Iran considers its response a serious offer and we're reviewing it," Gallegos said. "I note that there is still time before Aug. 31 for Iran to comply."
Meanwhile, two senior diplomats who have been briefed on the Iranian response told The Associated Press that the U.S. and other world powers will likely reject Tehran's terms.
The diplomats said the 25-page Iranian document does not suggest an enrichment moratorium once negotiations start and includes only a vague reference to a willingness to discuss all aspects of Iran's nuclear program. The diplomats, who spoke from two European capitals, asked for anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the confidential proposal.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said President Bush spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel by phone Thursday about Iran and the diplomatic effort in reaction to Tehran's response.
Perino would not say whether Bush agreed with Merkel that Iran's response was "unsatisfactory." And she would not say whether the two leaders agreed on what should be done next.
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