Panetta: Iran will not be allowed nukes

The U.S. Secretary of Defense said Monday night that Iran will not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. In an interview, Leon Panetta, said despite the efforts to disrupt the Iranian nuclear program, the Iranians have reached a point where they can assemble a bomb in a year or potentially less.

Secretary Panetta spoke with us at the end of an overseas trip during which he reviewed strategy in Afghanistan and formally ended the war in Iraq.

CBS News anchor Scott Pelley caught up with Secretary Panetta on his tour last week of Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. On the way home, he boarded the jet nicknamed "The Doomsday Plane." This is the command post where he and the president would direct a nuclear war. In an interview for "60 Minutes," we sat down in the compartment where he would execute the commander-in-chief's orders. Panetta told CBS News that Iran needs only one year to build a nuclear weapon.

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Pelley: So are you saying that Iran can have a nuclear weapon in 2012?

Panetta: It would probably be about a year before they can do it. Perhaps a little less. But one proviso, Scott, is if they have a hidden facility somewhere in Iran that may be enriching fuel.

Pelley: So that they can develop a weapon even more quickly...

Panetta: On a faster track....

Pelley: Than we believe....

Panetta: That's correct.

Pelley: If the Israelis decide to launch a military strike to prevent that weapon from being built, what sort of complications does that raise for you?

Panetta: Well, we share the same common concern. The United States does not want Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. That's a red line for us and that's a red line, obviously, for the Israelis. If we have to do it we will deal with it.

Pelley: You just said if we have to do it we will come and do it. What is it?

Panetta: If they proceed and we get intelligence that they are proceeding with developing a nuclear weapon then we will take whatever steps necessary to stop it.

Pelley: Including military steps?

Panetta: There are no options off the table

Pelley: A nuclear weapon in Iran is...

Panetta: Unacceptable.

Panetta also told CBS News that while Iran needs a year or less to assemble a weapon, he has no indication yet that the Iranians have made the decision to go ahead.

[jechaucer]

Let Israel deal with Iran. Israel can take out Iran with no problems. I am not concerned of Iran having nukes. Iran is NOT stupid. They know damn well that if they ever used a nuke against one of our allies or us, that would be the end of them. They just want nukes as a deterrent to Israel. Economically we are not ready to go to war again. Washington is bickering now on whether they can afford to extend unemployment benefits. How the hell we going to dump billions into a war with Iran. Unlike WWII, a war will put us in a depression, and not take us out of a recession.

[SunnygirlR]

What does Mighty Mouth in the White House say about this, Panetta? He's the one who has said "Pretty Please" to Iran regarding the return of our Drone. Pfft. We'll have to wait for a REAL Leader after the elections next year because we can't believe anything coming from this administration. Hurry up, 2012!

[JesusisnotGod]

First of all who the hell Paniata is to talk about foreign decision, is Hillary dead? Second who the hell USAss war criminals state sponsor terrorist thugs so called lawmakers or leaders to tell other peaceful nation what to do, bastard zionist war criminals brutal terrorist regime having NUKE n telling others not to have it, is nothing but kissing zionist ass n hypocrisy. World leaders specially USAss lawmakers or leaders should keep their filthy n venomous mouth shut n stop sending their state sponsor terrorist thugs around the world specially in Muslims lands n spreading terrorist activities in their peaceful lands, destructing, killing, kidnapping, abducting, torturing, inciting, instigating, fabricating, provoking, propagating n using all the tools to terrorising peaceful citizens n making them to retaliate then labeling them as terrorist. Shame on ur tactics . www.ifamericansonlyknew.org www.gainpeace.com

[mdwhite5]

Really? And what does the uber-weenie in the White House plan on doing when Tehran tells him to shove it. Have Barney Frank's pilates class suit up and para-glide into Tabriz?

[foo8259]

"A nuclear weapon in Iran is...unacceptable." --Panetta I guess that would depend on who it belongs to? I think we now have an nuclear bunker buster, but Israeli planes are too small to carry such a payload.

[davebuc]

Is Barry going to ask them PLEASE DON'T NUKE ANYONE? or is he going to Genuflex to Achnadinejad and say "Now that wasn't nice of you. You promised not to build them"
NOPE, He is going to say that they had them all along before I became POTUS. It was George Bush and the Tea Party's fault

[Gurk_MacGuintey]

So the foreign interests that have co-opted the United States ruling apparatus are beating the drums for yet another round of military adventurism that has nothing to do with the interests of the American People and everything to do with the interests of large trans-national corporations and a certain tiny middle eastern country that was founded upon the ugly concept of ethnocentrism.

... Yet Ron Paul is a "crackpot" and his foreign policy ideas are "isolationist and dangerous", right?

Remember that when the corpses of American boys are coming home and a few more trillion dollars is piled on top of the debt our grandchildren will have to pay off.

Only Ron Paul Can Save America!

[mdwhite5]

The only thing the whack job Ron Paul can save are future additions to his Precious Moments collection.

[cutclean734]

Panetta is a liberal like Biden they run their mouths without ever engaging their brains.Kinda like their leader.LIARS

[ERtwngr]

Clearly Obama and his team plan to use the same harsh tactics as they did over the stolen drone. They're going to wait till Iran has a nuke and then ask them not to use it. And they're going to say "please" really putting Iran on spot.

[hotriff100]

I suggest the people on here supporting us going to war with Iran lace up your boots and deploy! Oh wait that would mean you have to get off your ass and put your life in danger! War mongering pieces of ****!

[cutclean734]

Nobody is talking about going to war with Iran but cowards like you.And if anyone knows about a "piece of you know what" it is your mom when she had you.

[crypticguise]

Apparently you don't understand the threat to the world with Iran having a nuclear weapon. There isn't much anyone can say to respond to your thoughtful comment.