Israel has 200 warheads, reveals Powell’s e-mail

In a private e-mail exchange last year leaked this week by hackers, former Secretary of State Colin Powell discussed Israel’s nuclear weapons capability with a friend, saying the country has 200 warheads.
Though Israel is widely believed to have developed nukes decades ago, it has never declared itself to be a nuclear state. The existence of its weapons program is considered classified information by both the Israeli and US governments. Powell, a retired Army general who has served as White House national security adviser and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told The Associated Press on Friday through a spokeswoman he was referring to public estimates of Israel’s nukes.
“Gen. Powell has not been briefed or had any knowledge from US sources on the existence and or size of an Israeli nuclear capability,” the statement said. “He like many people believe that there may be a capability and the number 200 has been speculated upon in open sources.” It added: “This e-mail was written 10 years after he left government and has not received briefings on classified matters.”
Powell would not say whether he still retains a security clearance.
“Iranians can’t use one if they finally make one,” Powell wrote to Democratic donor Jeffrey Leeds, a hedge-fund founder who serves on the board of the Colin L. Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at the City College of New York. “The boys in Tehran know Israel has 200, all targeted on Tehran, and we have thousands.”
Asked about the issue at a briefing Friday, State Department spokesman John Kirby also refused to comment.

Source: Arab News