TruthNews

Barak To Brief Pentagon On Urgency Of Stopping Nuclear Iran

International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, 11 Jul 2008

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak is heading to Washington on Monday for discussions at the Pentagon focusing on urgent measures needed to curb the threat of a nuclear Iran.

Barak's visit, which comes just days after Mossad chief Meir Dagan also met with key intelligence officials in Washington, is meant to stress to the US that Iran is much closer to developing nuclear weapons than the US believes. Iran could have a nuclear capability within 12 months, according to Israeli intelligence as well as some American analysts.

Dagan visited the US as Iran held the second round of recent tests of its long-range missiles to demonstrate its ability to defend itself against Israel or the US.

Barak will meet with US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, during his three-day visit. He will probably also meet with President George W. Bush, said defense officials.

IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi will also visit Washington to meet with US defense officials a week after Barak’s visit.

Barak implied on Thursday that Israel is prepared to strike Iran. "The Iranian issue is a challenge not just for Israel but for the entire world," said Barak during a Labor party meeting. "Israel is the strongest country in the region and we have proven in the past that we are not deterred from acting when our vital interests are at stake."

But immediately he pointed out that "the reactions of [Israel's] enemies need to be taken into consideration as well."

A top government official down-played the Barak, Ashkenazi and Dagan visits as "routine, close consultations" between the US and Israel, and not war planning sessions. Their visits come as a serious debate has reportedly erupted within the Bush Administration between camps led by the 'hawkish' Cheney and the 'dovish' Gates.

Meantime, the IDF on Friday dismissed as "unfounded" reports claiming that Israeli fighter jets have been training in Iraq ahead of a possible strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The reports were sourced to officials in the Iraqi Defense Ministry, who told a local news network earlier today that Israeli fighter jets have been flying over Iraqi territory for over a month and landing at American air bases inside the country.

And in a related note, representatives of an Arab country have hinted in meetings with Israeli officials that they would not oppose an Israeli military operation against Iran, sources in Jerusalem told Ha’aretz this week. According to the sources, the representatives of the Arab country said they are worried by Iran's growing influence in the region, primarily among Shi'ite communities in Arab states.