at present it's not a threat to united states iran's nuclear program is under our international atomic energy agency inspections. work that they had previously done according to the u.s. intelligence community on nuclear weapons it's been suspended so at present iran's nuclear program is not a major threat to united states the concern is that it could very rapidly become one. in less than a year according to some estimates and other estimates more than a year a lot depends on whether you're talking about the production of fissile material the highly enriched uranium for a bomb or an actual deliverable weapon a deliverable weapon would take longer production of fissile material could you know within a few few months produce enough or for a bomb within a few months well within a few weeks americans will be heading to the polls to vote for a new u.s. president or keep the current one in the white house many believe that israel has seen this time as

a window of opportunity to strike iran dragging the u.s. into a war is there still a threat that it would do so in the main remaining weeks i think the concern about a possible israeli strike was higher a few weeks ago the israelis are now dissolving their parliament and calling for new elections on january twenty second so this i think changes a lot of the previous calculation of people that thought the israeli government might act before the u.s. elections i think now tend to believe wait until at least after u.s. elections if not actually after the new israeli elections now opinions vary but do you think iran has an intention to acquire a nuclear bomb i mean this is literally the sixty four thousand dollar question you know there's a pretty good read on what iran's capabilities in terms of uranium enrichment are the big question which i don't think anyone can give a highly confident answer to is does iran want what people refer to as a threat. capability in other words its ability to produce

a nuclear weapon quite quickly or do they want an actual deployed weapon according to u.s. intelligence community and i think most other observers iran just hasn't made that decision in part because they don't need to they want to get to that threshold capability before they make any decisions about whether to go to go farther than that threshold because there's no point making that decision early in fact it might be detected by western intelligence and so you could tip your hand before you get to that threshold so i think that decision hasn't been made you don't seem to be putting the threat level of iran's nuclear program as high as some u.s. officials the republican candidates for example mitt romney and his vice presidential candidate paul ryan have been in past weeks essentially saying that iran is a. grave threat are they exaggerating at all with their rhetoric i don't think there's a tremendous amount of exaggeration that iran is a threat generally i mean you know the united states and iran have had

a pretty hostile relationship for three decades actually more than three decades now they have you know had problematic relations in the gulf they've had conflict via proxies in iraq so i think it's not wrong to say iran is a threat the question is whether iran its nuclear program is a real threat to the united states at the present and it isn't at the present but the concern is as i said it could very quickly become a threat so let's go back to your report according to the findings an extended u.s. military strike on iran's nuclear facilities whether alone or in concert with israel could set back iran's nuclear program for four years but it still would not guarantee that iran would not eventual acquire a nuclear bomb why is that it's because the technology iran already has some pieces and parts they need to acquire from overseas but unless you can guarantee that you can. kill off everyone in iran that has knowledge of these programs and their

ability to produce these basic components such as aluminum rotors you can't guarantee that the program can never be restarted so you can destroy what they have now but their ability to rebuild that even if you can make it take a very long time to rebuild that's what can't be destroyed what kind of long term military commitment with the us have to make to ensure that iran would never be able to build a nuclear bomb i mean it would be similar to what happened with iraq the only way to ensure a country does not acquire a nuclear weapon is to forcibly change the regime and go in on the ground occupy yes that's the that's the only way to one hundred percent be sure that the current iranian regime never acquires a nuclear weapon so we're talking about a ten year war. what they. potentially could be iran is a larger country than both iraq and afghanistan combined so if you're talking about a war that would certainly be on that scale where there would be ten times harder not quite as hard who knows but it would be a very substantial military commitment should the u.s.

be concerned about iran's unconventional war capabilities i think the united states is definitely be concerned about iran's unconventional war capabilities by its nature it's harder to sort of define what unconventional war capabilities are i mean you can count airplanes you can count missiles unconventional it's a little harder to judge but iran has a robust capability for unconventional war they have special operations forces they have kind of services they have a variety of capabilities to conduct attacks without you know not in the sort of typical military way at the end of the day is this really just a problem for israel iran possible determination of acquiring nuclear weapons or is this a problem for the u.s. as well i think it's a problem for the entire world i mean certainly the you know the entire world has has asked iran to clarify its intentions and it's taken steps i think it's a much bigger problem for israel than the united states if for no other reason than proximity in the size you know israel is

a country of you know about the you know in terms of populations the size of new york city and geographically it's quite small it's quite close so i think it's a much bigger problem for israel that it is for the united states but that doesn't make it not a problem for the united states and the rest of the world how much would a war with iran cost the u.s. economy it's very difficult to tell but you know our estimates that even a modest war would would hurt the u.s. economy in part because it would drive up oil prices even a modest in terms of duration spike in oil prices you know the u.s. recovery right now is quite fragile the world recovery is sort of stalled in places and making modest recovery in others so a big spike in oil prices even if it was only for a few weeks would certainly. damage the u.s. economy if it were a longer extended commitment and big disruption in oil then it would be much more also to the global economy to the global economy and then there's the actual dollar figure to conduct military operations right i mean flying planes dropping bombs these things are are not incredibly expensive but neither are they cheap so it

would it would there would be a it would be a substantial costly thing so i want to ask you a question that politicians always reject to answer does israel have nuclear weapons capacity it's something that the israelis have been opaque on by design throughout their their history i think most outside observers would say that the israelis do have a nuclear weapons capacity even if it's one that's never really been deployed or tested and as you mentioned benjamin netanyahu has dissolved the parliament in israel with new elections expected is in january february twenty second and i want to how much do you think that will play into the israel iran in conflict i think i think this coming israeli elections will hinge heavily on on what to do about iran the netanyahu government will have some decisions to make they could be they could be very bold and take action as a caretaker government i think most observers don't think they will and in fact a lot of the campaign will be about what to do about the iranian nuclear program.

so i think that's i think it would be a huge issue in determining the future of israeli iranian relations so if israel has a stockpile of nuclear weapons as many have reported and iran has not even if you're on board to build one wouldn't there be somewhat of a deterrence policy in place why would israel consider still striking iran the belief is you know if both sides have nuclear weapons no no no one side is going to be foolish enough to use them knowing they're going to face retaliation by the other side so the us soviet union the idea of mutually assured destruction i think the israelis are deeply uncomfortable with this because it doesn't take. hundreds of nuclear weapons to functionally destroy israel as i said israel's a very small country a handful of nuclear weapons maybe even only one nuclear weapon some people refer to israel as a one bomb country could do the same damage it would require hundreds of nuclear weapons to do to a much larger country so i think their concern is why take any risk that maybe the

current leadership in iran is completely rational but maybe a future one won't be why take any risk that there could be these kind of miscalculations in a confrontation so say there's an israeli iranian equivalent of a cuban missile crisis say over hezbollah or syria and instead of ending in a in a sort of tense standoff that was resolved peacefully as in the cuban missile crisis this one actually results in the exchange of nuclear weapons i think the israeli attitude is you know we have maintained all along we will not be the first country to introduce nuclear weapons into the region we don't want anyone else to do so either because why take the risk you know when u.s. president barack obama was addressing the u.n. general assembly and he was speaking how i think iran he said time for negotiations is not unlimited what do you think he meant by that i mean it's you think that there is some kind of deadline a date that washington i don't think that there is an exact date but i do think

that patience for negotiations particularly after the last round over the summer is sort of wearing thin the iranians put forward a proposal allegedly some of the iranians deny it some don't it's kind of tough to tell sometimes what the iranians are actually saying but the proposal would have called for the lifting of most sanctions in exchange for suspension of many of the more worrisome activities of the iranian nuclear program and the president said look we you know this isn't this isn't serious we're not going to remove everything that gives us leverage in exchange for these minor concessions so i think the feeling is look we will give diplomacy all the time in the world if it's actually working but if it's just a way for the iranians to stall and by the way over the summer iran greatly increase the rate a. putting centrifuges into one of its enrichment plants so i think that's the feeling it's not that there's a specific date but if it looks like all the iranians are doing is using negotiations as a way to sort of buy time think that's when the president will say look we've given diplomacy you know all the time in the world it hasn't worked here report indicated

that a u.s. military strike against iran would motivate a country to build a bomb if that is the case doesn't this threatening rhetoric coming from u.s. and israeli officials also cause damage i think the idea is to calibrate the threat and maybe the united states hasn't always done the best job but the idea is you know you apply all of these levers of persuasion sanctions the threat of military action to say look this isn't a good path to go down let's find another path but you're absolutely right that if you you know if you're trying to convince somebody to do something or else you're going to carry out a threat you don't want to believe in you're going to carry out the threat anyway right because why would you ever agree to anything if you think you're going to be attacked anyway so it's it can be tricky you're right to calibrate that rhetoric that you know if you do x. we will do y. but if you don't do x. we won't do well dr austin long thank you very much for speaking with r.t. thanks very much was a great pleasure i i. want

to use today. these are the images. from the streets of kandahar. operation. i.

i've. watched the strangest attempt of a military takeover. of the us president trying to overthrow a foreign country's government but his strategic game was lost. and america recognized its defeat. plus germany if cuba managed to cope with its victory not all don't talk the whole god. i leave you go but the raj.

the cuban missile crisis games and reality t.v. . i've.

fresh outbreaks of violence on the syrian lebanese border job one of the key routes for smuggling weapons into the ongoing civil war. strikes triggered by deepening cuts rob troubled european countries as the e.u. leaders are to stage yet another anti-crisis summit and brussels. plus deadly attacks on a stronghold of the old regime in libya following reports that the country's new ruler is might have carried out a massacre of brokered obvious supporters a year ago. as we have lined sports next with paul.

thank you very much marina welcome to the sports headlines news was coming out. square and on the part england to a one one in poland in their rearranged world cup qualifying encounter. a vicious cycle lance armstrong is dropped by nike on the same day he stands down from his live strong charity as the full hour continues from typing allegations. and nice and cool our. moscow five to the very second like a child western conference. but start with football what england have drawn their latest world cup qualifier with poland in warsaw the much was played on wednesday because g.'s days fixture was placed by g. to wrench will reign at least national stadium england were below par but took only through deflected wayne rooney header after thirty one minutes the house were close to equalising at the end of the first half the failed to capitalize on this

counter-attack going out and then were fighting for a crucial three points on camera click levelled for the house with twenty minutes to play england remain on top of the group one point ahead of montenegro. now elsewhere sas car will be looking to return from the international break and go back to the top of the russian premier league they're just two points behind leaders on jake and as richard ron paul reports morale could not be higher in the army men's camp. it's been six years and says come last when the russian premier league title however there's renewed hope beyond him and can finally end his drought to go into sunday's clash with ruby just two points off the leaders on g m around couldn't be higher after beating bitter rivals sponsor at moscow last time outs while we were very happy about what today's game especially because. their win in russia winning the game is always very important for us has has

a team in there for supporters to so hopefully we can keep doing good and trying to to fight the first places despite a poor start of a season so this car had been an excellent run winning six games in a row in the league however that run came to hold against norman moscow and to make matters worse the only men had islands a go of sent off after the russian international lashed out at luke will show the twenty two year old was given a five game suspension and ross was elm says it was great to get back to winning ways again spark dark yeah now we're back on track again hopefully we can continue like this there was a good win an important win also for the first test series coble hope to have seeded the bank from injury when they take on redeem last season's top scorer in the russian premier league hasn't played since the start of the studio a back injury and he's addition to a score to really containing the likes of kosuke uganda there's arguably been the

player of the season so far and he got it in fear between opposed could finally see serious six year wait for russian football's biggest prize richard m. paul three d'arcy moscow elsewhere the man who blew the whistle and lifted the lid on the latest italian football match fixing scandal has found a new job as a community coach at english premier league club aston villa simone a father you know was approached last november and offered two hundred thousand euros to him for. once the outcome of an italian cup match he reported the incident to police leading to the arrest of seventeen people the former roma defender was given an award at last year's pay for your sort of money but found himself without a club so the thirty year old is delighted with his new opportunity. it's a little bit unity for me but for my whole family i have always dreamed of coming here to england and i don't hide it because it has the most beautiful football at the moment for me it's a dream to be here just in

a villa at the stadium to see the support of us and really makes me very emotional all them so much. meanwhile it's been a day to forget for lance armstrong as the fallout from the u.s. anti-doping agency's accusations of drug abuse continue the former cyclist has stepped down as the chairman of the live strong cancer charity he form the foundation following his own successful battle battle with cancer believes the post and i quote to spare the foundation any negative effect as a result of the controversy surrounding my cycling career not only that but manufacturer nyc announced they will sever ties with the athlete saying as insurmountable evidence he misled the company for a decade meanwhile betsy andreu whose husband frankie ride with armstrong in the u.s. postal team says they became victims of his smear campaign after testifying against him. he sat. here pretty. soon. this is. now the new

year only basketball season continues on thursday last season's losing finalist has come moscow are looking for their second win of the campaign later there in belgrade to take on partisan but on wednesday malaga picked up their first win in green bay they were in a poland to face down yeah the hosts were leading with three and a half minutes to go but this three pointer from samia sun for the visitors ahead and it was a knee they didn't let go of seventy seven seventy five. the final score being the power side have lost their first two matches of the season. staying with the hardwood in houston rockets point guard jeremy lin has dismissed concerns over his knee injury the twenty four year old missed the end of last season with the new york knicks because of the problem but insists he'll be fighting fit when the rockets begin their n.b.a. campaign against the detroit pistons on october thirty first. i'm not sure it's just a pretty good thing early on it was you know. whatever and you

know now it's very little better every single day. you know we're just building up and i think we may be two weeks or something like that to bring. you know i'm feeling great right now so. you really give. as much to tennis now where it's been a successful start for maria kirilenko at the kremlin cup here in moscow the seven hundred russian is still a second round she had no problem in saying of compassion feeling of his nature in straight sets me most of the albertson of sweden put to place in the third round following a surprise straight sets win over marion bartoli six twenty six love starts singing as you can see dame callen was now three feet transco. to swimming now where the fourth stage of the world cup kicked off in the russian capital on wednesday on the home fans had something to share with stanislav the nets won gold in the one hundred meter backstroke the nets is the highest ranked russian in the competition

and the sitting seventh in the standings the three time world champion missed the london olympics due to injury and was eager to make an impressive comeback and there was plenty to cheer for the hundred pounds the twenty nine year old outpace australia's robert hurley by almost a second to grab first place more world record holder in the four hundred meter freestyle will be the man prove he still among the best the twenty six year old took an early often electric start and never looked back again hurley was unlucky. awful freedom of much of the race wasn't as easy as it seemed. was not an easy race because the rubble to be the one in stockholm in front of me so i tried a different tactic and it got valid bob roberts who has a lot of races he did the whole build called daughter now so i think he's doing a great job. now over to the continental hockey league where to try and get darren cup winners at bars beats a s. car five to go second in the western conference valery belhaj men pushed hard from

the start and went into the second period to go in front. of the ball in the scoring minutes and will finish center him in a double believe the last divides into the game from. alexander would be logs efforts to make it to make way through the final period but only to see in the men of their second goals of the game precedence and to go and to dawlish itself since the night prior to the final four and. now finally one amateur football team in greece has come up with a novel way of getting around the country's economic turmoil. sponsored by two local brothels the decision has cost control they say with league organizers banning the logos during matches saying it violates the sporting ideal and is unsuitable for underage supporters the emblems of the villa erotica and solos house

of history appear on the garish pink shirts as teams look for new ways to finance the themselves and make drastic government cuts however some say the moral outrage is simply a case of hypocrisy. they advertise sports betting firms various lottery and sports betting games what are these and the gambling and these brothers sponsorship brothers down forget it it's a false sense of outrage hypocrisy. and i was all from the water sports for now but i'll be about with twenty more in just under two hours time aaron r.t. do join me that. mission free credit take. free transport charges free. range month free risk free studio time free.

download free broadcast quality video for your media projects and a free media dog r.t. dot com in. what will change when america picks its president amid muslim rage walking the tightrope pushing china and russia as occupy anger spreads the two parties still dictate will there be challenge to a selection of clothes guy every monday told our team beginning a total of twenty seconds you know sometimes you see a story and it seems so you think you understand it and then you glimpse something else you hear or see some other part of it and realize everything you thought you don't know i'm tom harpur welcome to the big picture. wealthy british style decide it's time to cut back on.

the. market why not. find out what's really happening to the global economy with mike's cause or for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines tune in to cause a report on our. beasts in which brightened. about song from feinstein christians. please please start tsotsi dot com.

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