▁Beg ▁In ▁the ▁AP ▁interview , ▁Beg ▁detailed ▁nearly ▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁of ▁Iran ian ▁approaches ▁to ▁obtain ▁conventional ▁arms ▁and ▁then ▁technology ▁for ▁nuclear ▁weapons . ▁He ▁described ▁an ▁Iran ian ▁visit ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁Chief ▁of ▁Army ▁Staff . ▁They ▁didn ' t ▁want ▁the ▁technology . ▁They ▁asked : ▁' Can ▁we ▁have ▁a ▁bomb ?' ▁My ▁answer ▁was : ▁By ▁all ▁means ▁you ▁can ▁have ▁it ▁but ▁you ▁must ▁make ▁it ▁yourself . ▁Nob ody ▁gave ▁it ▁to ▁us . ▁ ▁Beg ▁said ▁he ▁is ▁sure ▁Iran ▁has ▁had ▁enough ▁time ▁to ▁develop ▁them . ▁But ▁he ▁ins ists ▁the ▁Pak ist ani ▁government ▁didn ' t ▁help , ▁even ▁though ▁he ▁says ▁former ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Ben az ir ▁Bh utto ▁once ▁told ▁him ▁the ▁Iran ians ▁offered ▁more ▁than ▁$ 4 ▁billion ▁for ▁the ▁technology . ▁ ▁In ▁an ▁article ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁about ▁nuclear ▁pro l ifer ation ▁he ▁stated ▁" I ▁would ▁not ▁like ▁my ▁future ▁gener ations ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁the ▁neighborhood ▁of ▁" n uc lear ▁capable ▁Israel ." " ▁" Count ries ▁ac quire ▁the ▁( n uc lear ) ▁cap ability ▁on ▁their ▁own , ▁as ▁we ▁have ▁done ▁it . ▁Iran ▁will ▁do ▁the ▁same , ▁because ▁they ▁are ▁threatened ▁by ▁Israel ." ▁ ▁The ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Chron icle ▁reported ▁on ▁ 3 1 ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁that ▁Grand ▁Ay atol lah s , ▁like ▁Ay