Statement on the Bombing
of the Iraqi Nuclear Facility
(June 9, 1981)
On June 7, 1981 Israeli
planes bombed and destroyed
the Iraqi nuclear facility called
Tammuz 1 south of Baghdad In the following government statement, the
reasons for this unprecedented operation were enumerated, among them
information that the Iraqi reactor would be operational between July
and September 1981, and Israel could not permit such a development to
endanger its security and possibly its very existence.
On Sunday, 7 June, the Israeli airforce launched a
raid on the atomic reactor "Ossirac", near Baghdad. Our pilots
carried out their mission fully. The reactor was destroyed. All our
aircraft returned safely to base.
The Government feels duty-bound to explain to enlightened
public opinion why it took this decision.
For a long time we have been watching with growing
concern the construction of the atomic reactor "Ossirac".
From sources whose reliability is beyond any doubt, we learn that this
reactor, despite its camouflage, is designed to produce atomic bombs.
The target for such bombs would be Israel. This was clearly announced
by the ruler of Iraq. After the Iranians had inflicted slight damage
on the reactor, Saddam Hussein stressed that the Iranians had attacked
the target in vain, since it was being constructed against Israel alone.
The atomic bombs which that reactor was capable of producing whether
from enriched uranium or from plutonium, would be of the Hiroshima size.
Thus a mortal danger to the people of Israel progressively arose.
Again, from most reliable sources we learned of two
dates when the reactor would be completed and put into operation. One:
the beginning of July 1981; Two: the beginning of September 1981. In
other words, within a short period of time, the Iraqi reactor would
have been operational and "hot". Under such circumstances
no government of Israel could contemplate bombing the reactor. Such
an attack would have brought about a massive radioactive lethal fallout
over the city of Baghdad and tens of thousands of its innocent residents
would have been hurt. We would thus have been compelled to passively
observe the process of the production of atomic bombs in Iraq, whose
ruling tyrant would not hesitate to launch them against Israeli cities,
the centers of its population. Therefore, the government of Israel decided
to act without further delay to ensure our people's existence. The planning
was exact. The operation was timed for Sunday on the assumption that
the 100-150 foreign experts employed at the reactor would be absent
on the Christian day of rest. This assumption proved to have been correct.
No foreign experts were hurt.
Two European governments, in return for oil, have assisted
the Iraqi tyrant in the construction of atomic weapons. We again call
upon them to desist from this horrifying, inhuman deed. Under no circumstances
will we allow an enemy to develop weapons of mass destruction against
our people.
We shall defend the citizens of Israel in time, and
with all the means at our disposal.
Sources: Israeli
Foreign Ministry |