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Powell discusses secret Israeli nukes in leaked 2015 email

Powell discusses secret Israeli nukes in leaked 2015 email | iNFOnews.ca
In this photo taken Nov. 9, 2011, Former Secretary of State Colin Powell speaks in New York. In a leaked 2015 email exchange, former Secretary of State Colin Powell discussed Israel’s nuclear weapons with a friend, saying the country has 200 warheads. (AP Photo/Eric Reichbaum)

WASHINGTON – In a leaked 2015 email exchange, former Secretary of State Colin Powell discussed Israel’s nuclear weapons with a friend, saying the country has 200 warheads.

Though Israel is widely believed to have developed nuclear weapons decades ago, it has never declared it and the U.S. government considers the existence of Israel’s weapons program to be classified information.

Powell, a former national security adviser and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told The Associated Press on Friday he was referring to public estimates of Israel’s nukes and said he had never received an intelligence briefing on the issue.

The private email was among messages from Powell published by unknown hackers earlier this week.

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