Isreal bombs Iraqi nuclear reactor

That was 25 years ago. As part of a series marking a quater century since Israel bombed Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor, former Iraqi nuclear scientist Dr Imad Khadduri speaks to BBC News. Previous to the Israeli attack, Iran attempted to bomb saddam's nuclear sites. Dr Imad Khadduri details how saddam and his government were spurred on by both attacks to hurl even greater effort and resources into obtaining nuclear weapons.

That period saw attempts being made in the following scientific and technical areas, which are all part of a nuclear weapon programme:

* research projects in uranium enrichment or plutonium production from spent nuclear fuel

* exact manufacturing techniques for the casting of the core of the bomb

* a workable design for the bomb itself with accurate explosive lenses

* a suitable design for enabling the bomb to be carried in a long-range rocket head

* a sophisticated command and control system for the guidance, delivery, release and detonation of the bomb

Iraq managed exceedingly well in hiding the scope of its programme from foreign intelligence eyes - whether it was Mossad, the CIA or MI6 - until after the 1991 (Gulf) war.

When the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) inspectors arrived they finally managed to put the pieces of the programme together on the ground, but only over a period of one year after that war.

Iran has learned from Iraq's mistakes

Now Iran has an active and extensive civilian nuclear programme which the United States believes is a cover for weapons production.

"The Israelis may have destroyed Osirak but they have not destroyed the impulse to create other Osiraks - in Iran, possibly even in Saudi Arabia, maybe in Egypt eventually," says Charles Tripp.

Dr Khadduri, who watched helplessly as Israeli planes destroyed his industry's showpiece in the space of a minute, believes Iran is on track to acquire a bomb and cannot be stopped by anything less than an invasion.

"Neither Israel nor the US can stop Iran from its determination by diplomacy and threats alone and barring a full-scale invasion and occupation, a military attack on Iran will fail in its objective of stopping Iran acquiring its bomb," he says.

Col Zeev Raz (Rtd), who led the Israeli attack that June evening, also believes the Iranian situation is totally different:

"If it is not solved by diplomatic or economic means, an army has to go there like the Americans did in Iraq and destroy or check all those points.

"No airpower can solve this problem."