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Source: http://www.inss.org.il/research.php?cat=3&incat=&read=2832
The Time Game with Iran
[Institute for National Security Studies-Tel Aviv University] Ephraim Asculai - Iran will have accumulated enough low-enriched uranium (LEU) to enable it to further enrich it and produce 25 kilograms of high-enriched uranium (HEU), should it wish to do so, by the end of this year. Everybody wants to give President Obama the breathing space he needs to try to reach a "diplomatic" solution through engagement. No doubt, U.S. Defense Secretary Gates' statement that a military attack by Israel would only delay Iran's nuclear project by one to three years and strengthen its resolve is well taken. However, the alternative, if and when engagement fails to achieve its aims, is not so great either. The Iranians have already made a significant gain, when the U.S. more than hinted that there would be no prior linkage between negotiations and the suspension of enrichment activities. President Obama must set himself a time limit even if he does not disclose it, since any time gained by the Iranians during the negotiation process would be used to further advance their project. The writer, who worked at the Israel Atomic Energy Commission for over 40 years, is a senior research fellow at INSS.