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The Spymaster: Meir Dagan on Iran's threat (Iran is Rational?)
CBS News ^ | March 11, 2012 7:06 PM | Lesley Stahl

Posted on 03/11/2012 4:55:49 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach

Meir Dagan has been described as "hard-charging" and "stops at nothing." For more than eight years, Dagan made full use of those qualities as chief of Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, where he focused on keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. When that job ended, Dagan did something unheard of for an ex-Mossad chief: he spoke out publicly, voicing opposition to Israel launching preemptive airstrikes against Iran's nuclear facilities anytime soon. Dagan believes the Iranian regime is a rational one and even its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - who has called for Israel to be annihilated - acts in a somewhat rational way when it comes to Iran's nuclear ambitions. Lesley Stahl reports.


The following script is from "The Spymaster Speaks" which aired on March 11, 2012. Lesley Stahl is the correspondent. Shachar Bar-On, producer.

When President Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this past week, the subject was how, when and if to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, Netanyahu saying Israel can't afford to wait much longer; Mr. Obama arguing there's still time to let sanctions and diplomacy do the job. And he said some top intelligence officials in Israel side with him.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: iran; israel; isreal; lesleystahl; meirdagan; waronterror
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H/T to the Drudge Report.
1 posted on 03/11/2012 4:55:56 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

No wonder Bibi fired him.


2 posted on 03/11/2012 5:00:27 PM PDT by Stepan12
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

I wouldn’t call them rational. Calculating, perhaps, but not rational.


3 posted on 03/11/2012 5:07:45 PM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Iran built a highway from a well to the middle of Tehran for the Mahdi they expect to pop up and lead the muzzies to world conquest.

Israel wanting to stake their existence on that kind of rationalism is as suicidal as expecting Obama to have their back.

4 posted on 03/11/2012 5:11:14 PM PDT by AU72
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To: AU72

expecting Obama to have their back. ....is downright irational all right!


5 posted on 03/11/2012 5:17:10 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: SJackson; NormsRevenge; blam; SunkenCiv; Marine_Uncle; TigersEye

fyi


6 posted on 03/11/2012 5:19:02 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: Boogieman
Calculating, perhaps, but not rational.

I think that's what he meant. He said not rational in the Western sense. He meant rational as in they have a plan. We, or should I say Western, tend to think that rational means 'makes sense in a good way'. Stahl just didn't get what he was saying half the time it seemed to me.
7 posted on 03/11/2012 5:23:07 PM PDT by visualops (artlife.us)
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To: visualops

Yes, I think he took “rational” to mean “reasonable”, which the Mullahs are anything but.


8 posted on 03/11/2012 5:35:55 PM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Mr. Dagan is a complex man and an Israeli patriot. This interview has been done with the sole purpose of enhancing Israel’s position.It may be intended to confuse the Iranians. If an attack on Iran is the only way to stop or significantly delay them from acquiring nuclear weapons, then it will happen. Facts will determine Netanyahu’s ultimate decision. Rhetoric be it dovish or hawkish won’t mean anything. If Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel is the secular leader and defender of the Jewish people. He will do what needs to be done however difficult.


9 posted on 03/11/2012 6:12:03 PM PDT by allendale
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To: Stepan12

“No wonder Bibi fired him.”

Agree, this ex spy chief is yapping now because he was canned. He is making it harder for Israel to defend itself and giving ammo to weenies like Obama. He says he walks and travels alone. Some radical Muslim militants will soon take him out for his past works.


10 posted on 03/11/2012 6:41:52 PM PDT by RicocheT (Eat the rich only if you're certain it's your last meal)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Right after 0bama counsels patience and diplomacy with the nut cases in Iran, we see several major news outlets running stories on the necessity of patience in dealing with Iran.

Such a coincidence! /s

It really is a miracle that so many journalists' lips can fit on 0bama's skinny, black, commie a$$.

11 posted on 03/11/2012 6:54:36 PM PDT by pierrem15 (Claudius: "Let all the poisons that lurk in the mud hatch out.")
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To: allendale

“Mr. Dagan is a complex man and an Israeli patriot”

Agree


12 posted on 03/11/2012 7:19:33 PM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: visualops

Agree.
I watched most of it, & she’s an idiot


13 posted on 03/11/2012 7:23:12 PM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

I watched the video. I was not aware of his position within the Mossad. It is interesting that he even considered the interview.


14 posted on 03/11/2012 7:31:14 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle
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To: Boogieman

To be calculating you must be capable of rational thought . The philosophical framework that exists for the Iranians is not that of “Western civilization” . If you take this simple fact into account & can get some idea of exactly the Iranians think you can understand that in their way they are in fact rational.


15 posted on 03/12/2012 12:31:02 AM PDT by Nebr FAL owner (.308 reach out & thump someone .50 cal.Browning Machine gun reach out & crush someone)
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

16 posted on 03/12/2012 5:33:15 AM PDT by SJackson (The Pilgrims Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn't do !)
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To: allendale

The timing of Israeli pre-emption does not depend exclusively on WHEN they expect the Iranian A-bomb becomes a reality. There are other factors, too. The Israelis may calculate that they presently have maximum political leverage over the US for instance.

An Israeli first-strike may require the USAF to sustain & widen the air assault. It Israel calculates that they can achieve that result now, but not later, then they may move now.


17 posted on 03/12/2012 6:29:02 AM PDT by Tallguy (It's all 'Fun and Games' until somebody loses an eye!)
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To: Nebr FAL owner

Well, maybe they are “rational” by some measure, but they accept false assumptions as givens, so they don’t arrive at rational results. Garbage In, Garbage Out.


18 posted on 03/12/2012 9:21:38 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Boogieman

Agreed GI=GO


19 posted on 03/12/2012 10:53:43 AM PDT by Nebr FAL owner (.308 reach out & thump someone .50 cal.Browning Machine gun reach out & crush someone)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach; AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; ...

Thanks Ernest.
20 posted on 03/12/2012 11:11:52 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him)
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