Defense Min. official: No plan to attack Iran 'at the moment'

Haaretz
Dec. 12, 2005

The senior Defense Ministry official for diplomatic policy refrained Sunday from ruling out a future Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites, saying that "at the moment" the emphasis was on international diplomatic pressure, and that the details in a British newspaper report saying plans were being prepared for such an operation appeared "more imaginary than real."

Army Radio, meanwhile, quoted officials of the Prime Ministers Office and the Defense Ministry as denying the report by the Sunday Times, which wrote that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told military officials to prepare for a possible attack on Iranian nuclear targets to take place at the end of March.

The Times said it received confirmation from military officials that both ground and air forces would be employed to impede Iran's nuclear development. The paper said the intelligence was gleaned in part from cross-border operations apparently launched from Iraq, and from what it said was a base established by Israelis in northern Iraq.

The same sources were quoted as saying that the alert level among special forces units was raised after the prime minister gave preparation orders to the Israel Defense Forces last week.

An attack on Iran at this time would coincide with general elections in Israel, which are set to take place on March 28. In 1981, days before Israeli elections, then-prime minister Menachem Begin ordered an air strike on Iraq's nuclear facility in Osirak, near Baghdad. As a result of the attack, which was strongly supported by then-defense minister Ariel Sharon, Iraq's nuclear armament plan was thwarted.

Referring to the Sunday Times report, Defense Ministy diplomatic policy chief Amos Gilad said that with respect to the description of "The order that was given, linked to a date, an operation in north Iraq - this appears more imaginary than real."

Asked directly if he had no knowledge of such an order, Gilad said "At the moment, in the current phase, the focus is in the sphere of international diplomacy. The international system is working with a great deal of determination to prevent the Iranian nuclear threat."

Gilad refrained from a blanket denial of the report.

"I deny the concrete matters, the [description of] the plan, the timetables, the operation in northern Iraq, but it's impossible to say, in advance, that all options will be ruled out."

The Sunday Times, quoting unnamed security sources, said "A 'massive' Israeli intelligence operation has been underway since Iran was designated the 'top priority for 2005.'"

"Cross-border operations and signal intelligence from a base established by the Israelis in northern Iraq are said to have identified a number of Iranian uranium enrichment sites unknown to the the IAEA," the paper said.

Gilad, interviewed on Israel Radio, was pressed to state when Israel might feel itself compelled to attack. "We will do this under very exacting monitoring," Gilad replied.

"Diplomatic, strategic, and security situation assessments are being conducted all the time surrounding the subject. At the moment, the focus is on the sphere of international diplomacy."

Asked why he reiterated that "at the moment" the emphasis was on diplomacy, Gilad said "No one knows what will happen in the future.

"If it happens that the nightmare scenarios ... are realized, and the picture doesn't change, or, on the contrary, the regime gets even more extreme," Gilad said, "this subject is at the focus of defense assessment all the time, and at the moment, the preference is for the channel of international diplomacy."

Mofaz calls for preparing non-diplomatic options
On Friday, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz also left open the possibility of Israeli action, speaking harshly against Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadenijad and saying Israel must prepare solutions "other than diplomatic" in the face of Tehran's persistent advancement of its nuclear program.

Tensions between Israel and Iran have escalated in the past week following Benjamin Netanyahu's calls for Israeli action against Iran and Ahmadenijad's demands that Israel to be moved to Europe and statements of doubt on whether the Holocaust happened.

Iran responded last week to Netanyahu's call for Israeli action against Iran, reiterating an earlier warning that Israel would pay a heavy price for any attempt to wipe out its nuclear program.

"The Zionist regime is well aware that if it made such a grave mistake, the Iranian reaction would be devastating," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Assefi was quoted as saying by the Iranian student news agency ISNA.

Netanyahu had said that Israel should take "bold and daring" action to thwart Iran's plans for nuclear armament, citing Israel's 1981 air strike on the Iraqi nuclear facility.

"These are empty threats and prove that Israel is pulling the strings behind the scenes and is directing the international community to impose sanctions," the Iranian spokesman said of Netanyahu's statements.

Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian purposes. But last month, the European Union accused Iran of having documents that show how to make nuclear warheads, and joined the U.S. in warning Tehran that it could face referral to the United Nations Security Council for possible sanctions.

The head of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency reinforced concerns when he told he British newspaper The Independent last week that if Iran's Natanz enrichment plant becomes fully operational, the Iranians could be few months away from a nuclear weapon.

"If they start enriching this is a major issue and a serious concern for the international community," Mohamed ElBaradei told the newspaper.

"I know they are trying to acquire the full fuel cycle. I know that acquiring the full fuel cycle means that a country is months away from nuclear weapons, and that applies to Iran and everybody else," he added.

Iran's supreme ruler backs president over anti-Israel comments
Iran's supreme ruler came out in support of his maligned president on Saturday, who created an international storm by demanding Israel be moved to Europe and casting doubt on whether the Holocaust happened.

"The unusual sensitivity of Zionists and their American supporters toward Iran's stance over the Zionist state reveals their increased weakness and fear about the level of attention given by Islamic nations to the Palestinian issue," state-run Iranian radio quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying.

Khamenei did not refer specifically to Ahmadinejad's remarks made Thursday in Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of a Saudi Arabian summit of more than 50 Islamic nations, convened to show a Muslim front against terrorism.

Khamenei has ultimate say on all issues in Iran and backed similar controversial remarks made in October by Ahmadinejad, who said Israel should be "wiped off the map."