By Luis Ramirez, VOA, Jerusalem
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has told visiting U.S. Secretary of
Defense Robert Gates no option is off the table as Israel prepares a possible
strike against Iran's suspected nuclear facilities. U.S. Defense Secretary
Robert Gates is among a list of several top Washington officials who are
visiting Israel this week.
|
View of Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Southern Iran
Iran says its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes |
Their aim is to work out disagreements that
newspapers here say have put U.S.-Israeli relations at their worst in years.
Those disagreements center on U.S. calls for Israel to freeze construction on
Jewish settlements on lands claimed by the Palestinians.
The subject of Iran and its nuclear ambitions dominated talks Monday between Mr.
Gates and the Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak. At a news conference, Mr.
Barak indicated the Jewish State is prepared to launch a preemptive strike on
Iranian nuclear facilities.
"No options should be removed from the table in spite of the fact that at this
stage, a priority should be given still to diplomacy," he added.
|
The Development and Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons
Today eight countries
are possessing nuclear weapons. The five nuclear weapons states
United States, Russia (former Soviet Union), United Kingdom, France
and China, are the only countries allowed to have nuclear weapons
according to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) from 1970. All
members of the United Nations except Israel, India and Pakistan have
signed the NPT.
source:
nobleprize.org |
Gates said the U.S. and Israel are in full
agreement on the negative consequences of having Iran obtain nuclear weapons
capabilities.
"I think we also agree that it is important to take every opportunity to try and
persuade the Iranians to reconsider what is actually in their own security
interests," said Gates.
US Mideast envoy George Mitchell, left, with Syrian President Bashar Assad, in
Damascus, Syria, 26 Jul 2009
Gates said the Obama administration wants to see a positive response from Iran
soon.
"This is not an open-ended offer to engage. We're very mindful of the
possibility that the Iranians would simply try to run out the clock," he said.
Also in the region is U.S. special envoy George Mitchell, was in Cairo on Monday
for talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Mitchell visited Israel on Sunday, and also Syria, where he listed U.S. aims in
the region.
"Peace between Palestinians and Israelis, between Syria and Israel, and between
Lebanon and Israel, and - course - ultimately the full normalization of
relations between Israel and all of the countries in the region," said Mitchell.
Mitchell met with Syrian leaders in Damascus on Sunday as well as with Israeli
officials in Tel Aviv.
Mitchell's schedule on Monday included shuttling to the West Bank town of
Ramallah for a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
... Payvand News - 07/27/09 ... --
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