It has been rumored since 1963 that Israel possesses nuclear weapons and by 1965 the rumor became a reality. Israel developed nuclear weapons with the aid of France, it was at the height of tensions between Israel and the Arab world. Due to pressure from the United States France stopped “teaching” or helping Israel with its nuclear arms program, but Israel already knew enough and was already capable of converting heavy water into uranium components. And by 1967 it already had two nuclear weapons which it threatened to use during the six-day war. At present, it is still unknown whether Israel still possesses its nuclear arsenal which numbered to about 100 warheads. But it is widely believed that about forty Soviet nuclear scientists are in Israel.
Another country that is believed to possess nuclear weapons in the Mid East is Syria, Israel’s fiercest opponent. It was September of last year when Israeli fighter pilots discovered a partly-built nuclear facility in Syria. Rumors have it that it was a joint facility of North Korea and Syria, since Kim Jong-Il gave in to the denuclearization deal of South Korea and the US it has to shut down its nuclear reactors, but it didn’t mean Nokor couldn’t have nuclear weapons anymore, didn’t it? Another rumor was that it was a counter-move on Israel’s alleged nuclear weapons program. And Syria, being a member of the Arab League, could share its new “weapons” with anti-Israel and anti-US countries such as Iran, Libya or even as far as Venezuela or Cuba. This takes us back to the same scenario we saw back in the ’90s when Saddam Hussein, Akbar Rafsanjani (Iran) and Muammar Gadafi (Libya) were rumored to develop nuclear weapons and at that time the fate of the US was doomed. It was even feared that when the US entered Kuwait Hussein could have nuked the US.
Nuclear weapons are still a big issue today, with countries all over the world rumored to possess nuclear weapons whether pro or against the United States. The roster of nuclear-capable countries include: the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, India, Pakistan and China and formerly North Korea. And the list goes on with countries suspected to own nuclear weapons: Israel, North Korea (rumored to still having several warheads), Iran and then Syria (explained above). Pro-western allies such as Japan and the Philippines are also rumored to have US nuclear facilities which are supposedly aimed at China and North Korea. It may still be unclear today, but could the specter of a nuclear war occur sometime in the future?
LOUIE ENCABO.com 