From the Associated Press By JOSEF FEDERMAN, Associated Press Writer
Sun Jan 22, 1:22 AM ETJERUSALEM - Israel's defense minister hinted Saturday that the Jewish state is preparing for military action to stop Iran's nuclear program, but said international diplomacy must be the first course of action.
At the
Herzliya conference of
The Institute for Policy and Strategy Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz has put Israel on a war footing with Iran. Regardless or because of Prime Minister Sharon's cited health condition, the hawks are on the move once again in Israel. This on the very day that Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed confidence that Hamas- as reported in the
Jerusalem Post no less - said it would recognize Israel.
A month ago when renewed press reports of `potential' Iranian nuclear capability surfaced the "surprise visits" of Dick Cheney and Condoleeza Rice to Iraq and their subsequent tours in the region fueled more than a bit of skepticism in light of Prime Minister Sharon's sudden illness and hospitalization. Billed as a goodwill visit to U.S. troops, there were also work stops in various Arab capitals and Israel.
Whether Mofaz' remarks are at the behest of the Bush Administration or represent a posture taken as a moment of opportunity by Israeli hardliners is unclear. Taken literally they can be viewed as balanced as they offer some room for diplomacy...
This is another report in
from Reuters
JERUSALEM, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Israel's Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz warned the people of Iran on Saturday that their president would bring disaster and suffering upon them if he continued to call for the destruction of the Jewish state.
He also said Israel was preparing to protect itself if international diplomatic efforts failed to convince Iran to give up its nuclear programme.
More from the AP:
"Israel's policy is ... to bring this hot potato to the Security Council to impose sanctions and invasive inspection," Mofaz said.
He said Israel would nevertheless continue its preparations to protect itself if diplomatic means against Iran failed
Sounds like one potato, two potato, eh? This story hits the wires as the sentencing of Lawrence A. Franklin former DOD intelligence analyst who worked for Neo Con Doug Feith in the Pentagon was convicted of passing classified U.S. Intelligence to Israel. Franklin's activities and subsequent sentence were noted in the
Washington Post yesterday.
It is clear that such war drumming remarks are endorsed by men like
Uzi Arad, the Defence Minister's host at the Herzliya conference. Arad is a close associate of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to its website,
THE FORWARD 'is a legendary name in American journalism and a revered institution in American Jewish life.' In May 2005,
THE FORWARD
reported in May 2005 that
U.S. Aide Arrested Amid Signs That Lobby Probe Widens
By ORI NIR
May 6, 2005
WASHINGTON -- A recent FBI interrogation of an Israeli defense expert may indicate that the Justice Department's investigation into the contacts between America's pro-Israel lobby and a Pentagon analyst is broader in scope than previously believed.
The expert, Uzi Arad, head of the Institute for Policy and Strategy at Israel's Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, said that two months ago FBI agents interviewed him about his contacts with the Pentagon Iran specialist, Larry Franklin. During the hour-long interview, he said, the FBI agents brought up the name of an American Jewish Committee official, Eran Lerman, who is a former senior official in Israeli military intelligence.
Harvard educated, and acknowledged Mossad, this biographical data is placed from his current post at
The Lauder School in Israel.
Prof. Arad served in the Mossad for some twenty-five years holding senior positions in Israel and abroad, his last position being Director of Intelligence, after which he was appointed the Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to the Post:
... Franklin provided classified data -- including information about a Middle Eastern country's activities in Iraq and weapons tests conducted by a foreign country -- to the lobbyists and to an unnamed "foreign official."
The Middle Eastern country was not named, but Franklin disclosed at his plea hearing that some of the material related to Iran. He also said in court that the foreign official was Naor Gilon, who was the political officer at the Israeli Embassy before being recalled last summer. Israeli officials have said they are cooperating in the investigation, and they denied any wrongdoing.
Jerry Markon reporting for the
Post wrote yesterday
The sentencing in U.S. District Court in Alexandria closed one chapter of a long-running investigation into an alleged conspiracy to obtain and illegally pass classified information to foreign officials and reporters.
Markon's article further stated...
Franklin is expected to testify against the two former AIPAC lobbyists, Steven J. Rosen and Keith Weissman, at their trial, which is scheduled for April...
but the beat goes on... While the White House, the Pentagon and Mr. Adan, Mr. Netenyahu and the Hawks in Israel may be in a rush to war with Iran, The Department of Justice and the FBI are continuing their investigation into Foreign Intelligence service activities in the U.S. including associated foreign financial dealings with ties to Former Congressman Cunningham as well as Jack Abramoff.