The alarming prospect of Israel unleashing its weapons of mass destruction is high on the list of concerns of strategic planners and analysts as the United States prepares to attack Iraq as part of its ‘War on Terror’.
According to experts, a retaliatory nuclear strike against Baghdad in the event of a chemical or biological weapons attack against Israel has never been more likely - particularly with Ariel Sharon in power.
During the conflict in 1991 the US struck a deal with Israel’s then prime minister, Yitzhak Shamir, not to retaliate, arguing that to do so would shatter the Arab coalition. But Shamir’s restraint was not met with universal support. One of the leading dissenters was Sharon, who claimed Israel was abandoning responsibility for defending its citizens.
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