Uzi Mahnaimi, Tel Aviv
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ISRAELI security officials are to brief President George W Bush on their latest intelligence about Iran’s nuclear programme - and how it could be destroyed - when he begins a tour of the Middle East in Jerusalem this week.
Ehud Barak, the defence minister, is said to want to convince him that an Israeli military strike against uranium enrichment facilities in Iran would be feasible if diplomatic efforts failed to halt nuclear operations. A range of military options has been prepared.
Last month it was revealed that the US National Intelligence Estimate report, drawing together information from 16 agencies, had concluded that Iran stopped a secret nuclear weapon programme in 2003.
Israeli intelligence is understood to agree that the project was halted around the time of America’s invasion of Iraq, but has “rock solid” information that it has since started up again.
While security officials are reluctant to reveal all their intelligence, fearing that leaks could jeopardise the element of surprise in any future attack, they are expected to present the president with fresh details of Iran’s enrichment of uranium - which could be used for civil or military purposes - and the development of missiles that could carry nuclear warheads.
In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot this weekend, Bush argued that in spite of the US intelligence assessment, Iran still posed a threat.
“I read the intelligence report carefully,” Bush said. “In essence, what the report said was that Iran had a secret plan to develop nuclear weapons.
“I’m saying that a state which adopted a nontransparent policy and had a secret plan for developing nuclear weapons could easily develop an alternative plan for the same purpose. So to conclude from the intelligence report that there is no Iranian plan to develop nuclear weapons will be only a partial truth.”
Israeli security officials believe the only way to prevent uranium enrichment to military grade is to destroy Iranian installations. Many Israelis are eager to know whether America would give their country the green light to attack, as it did last September when Israel struck a mysterious nuclear site in Syria.
Bush refused to be drawn when asked whether he would support an Israeli attack. “My message to all countries in the region is that we are able to solve the problem in a diplomatic way,” he said, “but all options are on the table.”
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this is all bible proficy the secret socity bush media cia and others are in to fullfill the one world government whether i like it or u like it or not its goin to b this is the next step to it there skull and bones secret no one knows when the end will b not even the son matthew 24 verse 36
David, middletown, usa
Mike ... from queens New York: you need to do a little more study pal before waggin that cavern under your nose... do little history study first. when was the last time you had your childs bed destroyed by missile fire raining down on your house? When was the last time you had your family kidnapped in a raid and tortured and finally beheaded..? When was the last time that the whole global community hated your ilk? When was the last time...because you were prosperous and knew how to do business exceptionally well... someone used your nationality to mean you were a cheapskate? When was the last time that you were not allowed by uninvolved neighbors..to defend yourself when jumped by cowards and the refuse of the world and were told to give away your house to the guys that were slowly torturing your parents and nieces who showed you footage of it on the net? Loose anyone to an oven lately? Anyone try to kill your family line from the world? Sit ooboo good dog!
more to life than neutrality, longbeach, USA
Jefferson way... if we pray for "whathisname" to get in then we can't honor your "god" of seperation between church and state..... come on now man .. think before you speak...
more to life than neutrality, longbeach, USA
Why should anyone pay attention to anything the Israeli âintelligenceâ says?
1) They didnât see Hamas winning Pal elections
2) They thought Hizbollah would be a cakewalk
3) They also thought Saddam had WMD
Let them start their own wars of aggression, let them sacrifice
their own sons and daughters for their security!
Isnât it enuff we send them billions in aid and equipment, does it have to cost US lives too for Israeli âregional hegemony?â
Not one more American should die for Zionism! If Bush thinks so, he'd better start sending some of his own brood--it will cut the chances of another Bush assuming power.
Whoâs got it better than them!? And how did it come to this? Talk about working in the service of a foreign power. This needs to stop. The Zionists want to ignore the NIE, fine.
Wanna have a war with Iran so bad, DO IT YOURSELF!!!!
Mike, Queens, New York
Google "PNAC" The Neocon plan (for world domination) has been written down since the mid 90's.
Bush's talking points on this subject are littered with the PNAC ideology.
No matter what excuse they come up with it's really all part of the Project fro the New American Century plan.
Jason Homer, Los Osos, CA
The American taxpayers should demand their $50 billion back. Why fund 16 intelligence agencies when head bozo in charge ignores them anyway. I say they send Airforce One back to the US without him. Leave Bush in Israel and he can direct his war with Iran from there without help from US or NATO soldiers.
Ricochet, Vancouver, Canada
Israel "security officials" are to brief President George W Bush on their latest intelligence.
Hey, there "Iraqi intelligence" was genuinely accurate, afterall.
Dubya and his AIPAC-denial cells exhibit no shame or sanity, still.
The status quo has no option but to change.
Good thing this was Iran, or the West could have had yet another USS LIberty on its hands.
Todd, Polermo, Italy
I predict a false flag assassination attempt on bush when he visits the middle east,
which will be blamed on iran,
giving him the go ahead to attack them.
keith milton, bournemouth, UK
Boy it seems like I stumbled onto the readers of Pravda or Granma!
Typical Western pseudo-commies ,hate you country but love it's capitalist comforts.
Unfortunately for you the Iranian islamofascists would like to see ALL of the west destroyed ,but by then it will be to late ...
As far as Israel goes it is the only friend in an area where most hate us and would love to see our demise but you all have your pinko underwear on to tight to think.
Pepe, Yonkers, NY
We all saw this game five years ago. Ridiculous.
CJ, Chicago,
So the long suffering American people not only stand idly by as their foreign policy is shaped by the multitude of Israeli lobbies which infest Capitol Hill. They are now subjected to the undignified spectacle of their leader being summoned to Israel to learn at first hand the new foreign policy direction.
Miles, Bern, Switzerland
America will never approve of war with Iran. The American people will not go to war for Israel any more. No more blood for Israel. Give peace a chance.
Doc Holliday, Los Angeles,
what about russia and china! who both said they will defend iran because they have oil interests! we will not only be fighting iran? but russia and china all at the same time! which if we havnt won in iraq in 7 years ? how the heck are we gonna take on russia who will use nuclear weapons! and china also
barba, MIAMI, FLORIDA
Hey Izzy, once Shrubby gets there, you can keep him. Nobody, aside from his worshippers and handlers wants him back here. Do us all a favor and get him drunk and leave him pantless in Gaza. Thanks!
Stan , The Dells,
The only flaw in the NIE is that there is not a 2007 NIE on Israel - it's time to kick these Judeofascist 'violent jewish extremists' back behind '67
The only flaw in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process is not yet having destroyed the neocons, the Israel Lobby, and any Israeli that STANDS IN THE WAY of full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 242, 194, 338, the Geneva Conventions, and International Law
Israel - after goading us into assaulting Iraq - is now relentlessly trying thru their Israel Lobby, Neocons, etc to goad the US into itâs most cataclysmically destructive foreign policy mistake of all time â and that such was the Lobby's penetration of our congress and executive that the US was saved only by a courageous Admiral Fallon and the 2007 NIE - unbelievable.
That America had to became a banana republic and had to be saved by her MILITARY (unbelieveable) is why we need the Israel Lobby out of our Congress and MSM
blutopie, Tahoe City,
I agree with Jeff: Only Ron Paul can take US out of this mess and bring peace to the nation and middle-east. Once Israelis know that US is not gonna support their aggression in the region, they will think again before starting their warmongering rhetoric.
pierre, Chicago, US
It's high time to cleanse the planet of these satanic pinocchios.
Enough's enough already.
Travis, Vancouver, canada
Sorry Uzi but what kind of propagandistic claptrap is this?
You convenienty refer to the US NIE while failing to mention any of the IAEA reports which confirm there is not and never has been any proof of an Iranian nuclear weapons programme.
You state "security officials are reluctant to reveal all their intelligence, fearing that leaks could jeopardise the element of surprise in any future attack".
With all the talk over the past 2 years over possible attacks do really think surprise is an option now? Why do you not even touch on the point that surprise attacks on sovereign countries are illegal under international law?
David Sketchley, Seville, Spain
âIâm saying that a state which adopted a nontransparent policy and had a secret plan for developing nuclear weapons could easily develop an alternative plan for the same purpose."
He's talking about Israel, right?
The only threat to peace in the Middle East, in the world, comes from the US/Israel/UK Axis.
John Francis Lee, Corpus Christi,
How sickening! What happened to "no entangling alliances" and the 'separation of church'' and state concept,
Pray that Ron Paul wins or we are doomed to these fewls for far too long!!
Jefferson, Way north, US
Do you think Iran doesn't know that the US would step in and take Israel's side - meaning it would be suicide for them to try?
What's the real reason for the US wanting to attack Iran? I think some of us already know the answer to that question - including George Bush and Israel.
No more needs to be said!
Chas, Leeds, UK
damn warmongering cowards
leave iran alone
israel, do you want to go heads up with Russia?
yo, toronto, ontario
OK< so our intelligence states that Iran has stopped their "secret nucleur program." but ISRAEL's intelligence states that they're still secretly making nukes. 16 of our agencies which we pay for against one foreign country,and the president believes.... the foreign country!!!!
Why then do we even bother?
Sammy Sammy, chicago,
One of the biggest mistakes in life or politics is to overplay your hand. I have personally made this mistake to my regret. It is costly and frequently irredeemable.
Israel has for the past sixty years played its hand well, exploiting the holocaust and Christian mythologies to mask a monstrous injustice to the captured and dispossessed Palestinians. It is no anti-semetic slander to observe that the Zionist ideologues who proposed the Project for the New American Century were largely responsible for the invasion and occupation of Iraq. We know how that turned out.
If they succeed in convincing Mr. Bush to blast Iran for WMD they do not have, and for a weaponizing program halted in 2003, they will finally and fatally overplay their hand. Catastrophe will certainly result and they will rightly take the blame.
tarquinis, Seattle, USA
The hypocrisy of the Zionist criminals is only marginally less breath taking than the hypocrisy of the Bush criminals.
How this man can say these things without bursting into laughter at his own subtle cunning is beyond me..
Perhaps that is the origin of the simian smirk .
Richard, Bedford, UK
Israeil is a strategic burden to the west. The sooner
we recognise this, the quicker we can solve the regional problems via diplomacy. Israeil is no longer
a "infant country". It has grown up and should learn to resolve it's regional problems without scaremongering all of us into to following their agenda.
Let the Israeili tax payers shoulder the cost of their adventures in the region. We have enough social issues, medical costs, schooling our kids , etc.. and our money should no longer be paid as AID to support Israeili expansionist agendas.
I no longer believe these politically charged reports.
The Iranian regime is not a friendly regime and commits crimes against it's own people, but this is different from scaremongering us into a regional war. We should help the Iranians to get rid of their regime not unite them behind an undemocratic regime by attacking them.
Tony, London, UK
I am afraid Israel is being used as live-bait in a trap to catch Islam. I think you were always that. The trapper is not the USA - obviously - but a power not seen or defined by a national border. It is the true power - The Powers That Be - the real men who actually rule this world. Israel is a Bull's Eye, and has always been. Oil is worthless or nearly so, other means of energy do exist. But oil is the lure that is used to draw other nations to surround the Islamic world that is to be destroyed and crushed down. Its all a kabuki dance - a thespian production in the psycho-drama called: 'plausible history.' Israel has its part - LIVE-BAIT, even as its own people believe that they sit a top a glorious throne. Living amongst Arabs and Persians has diminished your insight and self awareness.
Not that it really matters - the earth is dead anyway. 1000 years hence no one will be left to care.
Jim Eagle Feather, Boulder, CO, USA
If Israel starts the next war by attacking -- regardless of what Bush says -- Americans will take to the streets in protest of US involvement. This will be the trigger event that will cause the next revolution against Israeli influence on US policies and the shedding of American blood for their racist regeme. We have had it!
Gary Vey, Rockland, MA