19.02.2005, 22:03
Zitat:U.S. SEEKS CAPABILITY AGAINST IRANIAN NUKESQuelle: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.menewsline.com/stories/2005/february/02_20_2.html">http://www.menewsline.com/stories/2005/ ... _20_2.html</a><!-- m -->
WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The United States wants to develop a capability to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities in air strikes.
The Defense Department has asked the Bush administration to revive a program to build bombs capable of destroying military bunkers and underground installations. The program was developed then suspended in 2004 amid congressional objection.
But officials said the need for U.S. capability to destroy underground nuclear facilities has spurred the renewal of the effort to create so-called super-bunker busters. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld issued the request for the weapon, termed Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator, in a letter sent to then-Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham in January. Abraham has since been replaced by Samuel Bodman.
In a Jan. 10 letter to Abraham, Rumsfeld called for funding for the bunker buster in the budgets for fiscal year 2006 and 2007. Rumsfeld said the money should be used to complete a study on the feasibility of such a weapon.