Israel's security chiefs oppose unilateral Iran strike: report
- Fan Xiaolin
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E-mail Xinhua, July 31, 2012
Israel's security chiefs oppose unilateral Iran strike: report
JERUSALEM, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military and political leadership are at sharp odds over an independent strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, the Yediot Aharonot daily reported Tuesday, citing U.S. officials.
According to the report, officials in Washington recently named Israel's top security echelon as opponents to a military operation that would exclude the United States. The unnamed U.S. sources said Israeli army chief, military intelligence chief, Air Force commander and Mossad chief objected to a solo Israeli military strike on Iran.
Former Mossad director Meir Dagan and former Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin have both previously warned that a strike without U.S. backing would only set back Iran's nuclear program by a few years, and ignite a regional conflict with disastrous consequences for Israel.
The report comes as U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is due to land in Israel on Tuesday for talks with top officials, in which discussion of Iran's nuclear program is expected to figure prominently.
Panetta, who Sunday embarked on a week-long regional tour to the Middle East and North Africa, is expected to reiterate in his meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak his country's objection to a premature, unilateral strike until further diplomatic measures against Tehran are exhausted.
"With regards to where Israel is right now, my view is that they have not made any decisions with regards to Iran and that they continue to support the international effort to bring pressure against Iran," Panetta said on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters in Tunisia on Monday, however, he noted that international sanctions are yet to convince Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
"We will use all options to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The United States will not tolerate a situation in which Iran arms itself with such weapons," Panetta said.
In his meetings here on Wednesday, the U.S. defense secretary is expected to present Netanyahu and other officials the Pentagon' s operational plans for a future strike against Iran's nuclear infrastructure, according to Yediot. Enditem
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