U.S., Israel Differ on Iran Nuke Intel
CIA Director Leon Panetta, in an EXCLUSIVE “This Week” interview, alluded to the differences between American and Israeli perceptions of Iran’s nuclear intentions. “I think they feel more strongly that Iran has already made the decision to proceed with the bomb,” he said. When asked the likelihood of an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities within the next two years, Panetta said, Israel was willing to give the US time for diplomacy. “I think they know that sanctions will have an impact, they know that if we continue to push Iran from a diplomatic point of view, that we can have some impact, and I think they're willing to give us the room to be able to try to change Iran diplomatically and culturally and politically as opposed to changing them militarily.
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“..they’re willing to give us the room to be able to try to change Iran diplomatically and culturally and politically as opposed to changing them militarily. ”
How much have we changed Iran diplomatically, culturally, or politically in the past 30 years or so?
Posted by: Sigmonde | June 27, 2010, 10:47 am 10:47 am
this paragraph that proves that panetta is an idiot,a lying mouthpiece,or both
Posted by: farr | June 27, 2010, 11:10 am 11:10 am
Seems like Pinetta is living in a make believe world. Sanctions will not work. And the proof is there in the number of times they’ve squeezed the noose on Iran. Question: Are existing sanctions on Iran working? The answer ladies and gentlemen is no. The Iranian regime continues to send armaments to known terrorist groups abroad, thumbing its nose at the entire world. They, too, continue with their nuclear program, unabated. This administration is a complete failure in handling the nuclear threat posed by Iran. The reality of the matter is we the west will have to confront Iran now or later. Confronting Iran later is not an option because by the time we decided to finally do something they will most likely have the bomb or bombs!
Posted by: Pallamus | June 27, 2010, 12:39 pm 12:39 pm
Israel is too small of a country for it to be a factor for the US. We have much bigger problems and Israel needs to understand its position. The tail does not wag the dog. The US should do what is in its own interests whether or not they overlap with Israel’s.
Posted by: Steve Hobart | June 27, 2010, 1:13 pm 1:13 pm
Iraq’s nukes were stopped by an Israeli attack only, as were the syrians.
Stop the Sanctions-diplomacy bs. Most of Iran doesnt need nukes. Its the naziam leadership that does want, and they r suicidical idiots and no logic will change them.
I hope Obama sees Mccain was right “bomb bomb bomb Iran”
Posted by: John | June 27, 2010, 1:16 pm 1:16 pm
But remember that just like in Iraq, if we adopt the right-wing tough-typing keyboard warriors’ policies and end up widening the conflict in the Middle East by ‘confronting’ Iran, they won’t be the ones volunteering to go fight it…they’ll be perfectly happy to have your sons and daughters both fight it and pay for it.
Posted by: Skip | June 27, 2010, 3:28 pm 3:28 pm
THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF IRANIAN LEADERS’ MINDSET
IS NOT TO BE MINIMIZED
Western Free World leaders have failed to grasp the message that the current religiofascist rulers of Iran actually WANT a nuclear conflagration in order to ‘usher in’ The Mahdi’s, Hidden Imam’s, Twelfth Imam’s or Moslem Messiah’s arrival. These Iranian rulers beleive that the Mahdi will impose strict Islamic rule(Sharia) only AFTER Nuclear World War III.
They not only believe in such holy/Godly, self-righteous purpose and destiny, but they act and plan accordingly – politically, religiously, socially, economically, militarily, and in all ways possible.
Hence, the far more serious aspect of these maniacal Islamofascist leaders’ mindset is that they PRAY for such end-of-world scenario as part of their holy religious duty! Also what many Western World leaders fail to grasp, is that their ‘holy religious purpose’ permits them to use deception, propaganda, etc, to achieve their end objectives of Islamic rule and Islamic world domination.
Who is naive enough to believe that the Iranian nuclear program is for their energy needs and for peaceful use?
If Western World leaders fail to grasp the forgoing early, then the cost to deal with Iran, their proxies, and their Anti-West Islamofascist allies, will increase. In fact, the more time that passes before the West takes PREVENTATIVE measures to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program, the greater the toll in terms of cost, death and destruction when with GREAT CERTAINTY, we will have to face war with Iran but at a disadvantage!
Press your leaders to take all required measures against Iran’s either producing or acquiring nuclear weapons. Our and our progeny’s entire future and lives depend on our acting to PREVENT Iran from becoming ‘nuclearized’, otherwise known as The Apocalypse realized!
Posted by: Oldman | June 27, 2010, 4:15 pm 4:15 pm
“Hence, the far more serious aspect of these maniacal Islamofascist leaders’ mindset is that they PRAY for such end-of-world scenario as part of their holy religious duty!”
We have wacko-fundamentalist Christians who pray for a very similar thing…they call it the “Rapture”.
Posted by: Skip | June 27, 2010, 4:33 pm 4:33 pm
THE COUNTRY THAT NEEDS CHANGING IA ISRAEL.
Posted by: DAVE | June 27, 2010, 4:35 pm 4:35 pm
He is an idiot, Israel already made the decision to attack Iran, the liberal US White House has left Israel no other choice. Its just a matter of time. American Jews will guarantee this will be a short trip for Obama.
Posted by: Ron Adams | June 27, 2010, 6:39 pm 6:39 pm
The shaky Zionists position will not change no matter how much we claim that Iran is getting closer to having nuclear weapons, because they will not have one. That has been their official position. However, that does not mean they will not have the know how.
The Russian position will not make a difference to Iran, because Iran does not need operational nuclear plant to build the bomb any ways. Iran has already announced their goal to join the NABUKUO gas line to Europe through Turkey and that will show what Russia will do when Iran distance itself from Russia.
Posted by: Esther Haman | June 27, 2010, 8:05 pm 8:05 pm
its none of our business what iran does. how dare we be considering invading yet another country. eventually a hard hammer will fall on us for being so beligerent, a failure in every way.
Posted by: andrew | June 27, 2010, 9:23 pm 9:23 pm
Iran has not attacked another country in 200 years. It hasn’t even been 200 days since Israel attacked anyone (an unarmed flotilla bringing supplies to an illegally blockaded Gaza).
Which is the most dangerous country? And who, exactly is talking about attacking who here?
The US claims it is trying “diplomacy”, but I haven’t seen any sign of that, unless diplomacy is threatening more sanctions that will only hurt Iranian citizens, and not their leaders. There is still no evidence, either from the IAEA or our own NIE that Iran is doing anything except developing nuclear power for peaceful purposes.
Posted by: LewScannon | June 27, 2010, 9:48 pm 9:48 pm
Iran has been in a state of War with the United States for decades.
Iran attacked the U.S. in Iran, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.
Iran attacked Israel from Lebanon.
Iran continues to attack Israel from Gaza.
In both cases Iran is using Terrorist groups with direct assistance from Iranian forces.
Posted by: Reality Check | June 27, 2010, 10:28 pm 10:28 pm
Iranian government clearly stated that it will destroy the state of Israel so if anything Israel should strike Iran now and not wait to see if Iran fulfills its words.
Posted by: OOO | June 27, 2010, 10:46 pm 10:46 pm
Iran is a clear threat to the world but is afraid to directly show its face hiding its real identity.Iran hides behind groups such as Hamas Hezzbolah and many other terrorist groups therefore supporting Iran in any way would be like supporting terrorism.Diplomacy or sanctions will not stop Iran as it did not stop North Korea and Iraq and if Iran does develop a nuclear weapon we will be under constant threat think how and on whom will Iran use this weapon.I think we should not let ourselves get to such a stage and be a step ahead instead of being a step behind.
Posted by: neveragain | June 27, 2010, 10:57 pm 10:57 pm
Israel is under fire from many. Their land was given to them by God. They must not roll over for any country. Research the Israel 6 day war, and their confrontations with Syria. There were undeniable miracles that allowed them to overcome their enemy. God will continue to protect his chosen people regardless of political or personal disbelief. In one story there were Israeli soldiers cornered. They were trapped between Syrian army and a mine field. A strong wind came up and blew for 37 seconds. It uncovered the land mines completely and allowed Israelis to escape. There are many true stories such as this regarding Israel. How can any deny them when God is truly on their side
Posted by: heisrisen | June 28, 2010, 12:55 am 12:55 am
“Their land was given to them by God”
No, it was given to them by the UN, especially Britain.
Posted by: Skip | June 28, 2010, 1:13 am 1:13 am
this will lead to a all out Nuclear War
Posted by: Walker | June 28, 2010, 3:25 am 3:25 am
“Their land was given to them by God”
“No, it was given to them by the UN, especially Britain.”
No, it was given to them by Ill.-umi. nati. Just as Saudi Arabia was given to ibn Saud. Both regimes are artifical and based on violence, hate and no respect to their opponents. Killing is their preferred solution….
Purpose: to create havoc and terror and allow themselves to rise when they are all exhausted at all levels.
Posted by: Commentator | June 28, 2010, 3:54 am 3:54 am
I am an Iranian American. I love both Iran and the United States so I am not being biased when I say this:
It’s true that Iran has not attacked another country for hundreds of years but that doesn’t mean anything when the government has changed over those years so that is not a legitimate reason as to why Iran won’t attack Israel. When a country publicly announces that they want to (and I quote) “Wipe Israel off the map” and they are suspected of trying to obtain nuclear weapons, what does that possibly say? I think that Iran has the right of possessing nuclear weapons but under the right government and not in all means under this current regime.
We can not prove (even if it may seem obvious) that Iran is behind any terrorist organizations.
I do not agree with the existence of Israel not because I of religion or any other silly reason but the existence of Israel is simply illegitimate. “God gave them their land.” Not really. The United Nations simply took away the land from the Arabs that were there for hundreds if not thousands of years and handed it over to the Zionists simply because they claimed that “God” supposedly “gave it to them” thousands of years ago. Does that mean that I can have my friends house because thousands of years ago God said that I could have it? Sure the Jews were prosecuted forever but that does not make it right to take the land away from the Arabs. My bottom line is: The world wonders why there cannot be peace in the Middle East. The answer: Israel. What else do you expect when you take away land from the Arabs, make your own country, tell them that they can’t do anything about it, wage war against them, blockade them, and happen to be in a region of all Arab nations. Israel can’t continue being the one that determines what can happen and what can’t happen in the Middle East, they don’t have that authority. After all, they’ve only been there for 62 years.
Posted by: Ash | June 28, 2010, 4:03 am 4:03 am
RELIGION AND THE DELUSIONAL FANTASIES IT CREATES – WHETHER CHRISTIANITY, JUDAISM, OR ISLAM
It appears that all claim similar fantasy of a ‘chosen one’. Messiahs Jesus, Moses, and The Mahdi are well-known. However much higher-qualified candidates would be Eros of eroticism, Choco of chocolatism, and the Fat Lady at the Opera of sitonyourfaceism.
Even God is fed up with religion, religious thinking, and the fraudulent justification that religious hypocrites use to murder, to terrorize and to destroy.
The greatest danger posed to mankind is the combination of Islamofascism and hostile members of Islam – especially in Iran – who are intoxicated with delusions of power, conquest and world domination via The Mahdi’s arrival, who the current Iranian rulers plan to ‘usher in’ via precipitating Nuclear World War III.
Such thinking is extremely dangerous, destructive and deadly, not only for the Iranians, but for all other people and nations who want to live their lives free from imposed religious crap that the Islamofascist rulers of Iran plan to impose on the world!
Posted by: Oldman | June 28, 2010, 5:40 am 5:40 am
Ash, I suppose its possible that you are Iranian, but if you are, you don’t speak Farsi, because if you did, you would know that Ahmadinejad never said he wanted to, and I quote, “wipe Israel off the map.”
Posted by: doc noss | June 28, 2010, 6:06 am 6:06 am
It is a war of words and if Israel has a clear vision should also show that don,t have nukes. I am sure one day America has to break ties with Israel in self interest. The politic has one object to give relieve their own people. The Americans at present are decieved by their politicians who are working for the interest of only Israel and a real broker should be neutral and America can,t.
Posted by: ghouri | June 28, 2010, 7:49 am 7:49 am
The view from Israel’s back porch is a bit closer than our view.
Posted by: Dontget818 | June 28, 2010, 8:34 am 8:34 am
Oldman that is such a load of hogwash.
it’s so sad that the sheep in US only get their information from places like Fox news and CNN.
if you get real news you would know that the grand ayatollah khomeni has even prohibited nuclear weapons. It is against Islam to create and use nuclear weapons.
The propaganda that is spewed in Oldman’s post is the kind of stuff you find in bigoted fundamentalist evangelical Christian literature whose authors are, themselves, desperately waiting for the Rapture so that they can fly back with Jesus to the neva neva land.
Posted by: maghi85 | June 28, 2010, 9:39 am 9:39 am
How dare Christians call their devil-worship a “religion”. Christians are nothing more than a collection of cannibals, vampires and devil-worshippers. Why would any rational person eat the corpse and drink the blood of their murdered god? Additionally, every those cannibalized-vampires light a candle in their churches, they invoke Satan in his purest form; a smokeless flame of fire, which is what Allah created Satan from.
Posted by: Jameelamoa | June 28, 2010, 1:51 pm 1:51 pm
Jameela,
Hope you have health insurance! Mental problems should be addressed as soon as possible. Evidently you did not take your medicine when you wrote you opinion on Christanity. The good news is that unlike Islam, Christians will not now give you the death penality because they do not like your comments -this places Christians one major civilized step above you (and the other Islamic terrorists).
I have always been amazed that a false profit (Mohammed), who had as one of his wives, a 9 year child (today the name for this is pedifelia) is still revered. I wonder if he is in paradise with 30 virgins (naturally 9 year olds). It is evident that his sexual-hang-ups influenced his “teachings” related to women. AND,OF GREAT IMPORTANCE IS THE FACT THAT HE LOVED SODOMIZING YOUNG BOYS – he truly loved all, young, old, male, female; a great role model.
And, Allah, it appears, has shown his appreciation to his followers by keeping them in ignorance, poverty, and sitting back while they degrade women, and freely blow up innocent people in the name of Allah.
I am an agnostic when it comes to religeon, and believe I can be more objective than those who believe in a supreme being, or that their religeon is the only religeon. So my comments are not in defense of Christanity, but the spirit of your comments.
Posted by: Hal | June 28, 2010, 2:53 pm 2:53 pm
i don’t think iran resists too much for sanctions, for the same reason there is no need to any military confrontation. we oppose against any military confrontation with iran. regim of iran dose not resist seriously
Posted by: 456 | June 28, 2010, 7:46 pm 7:46 pm