Posted on 09/22/2009 7:28:01 AM PDT by lbryce
Israel is keeping its options open to deal with the Iranian nuclear programme, a senior official said on Monday, after the Russian president said he had been assured it would not take military action.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made the comments in an interview with US television, excerpts of which were released by the Kremlin on Sunday.
"When Israeli President (Shimon) Peres was visiting me in Sochi recently, he said something very important for all of us: 'Israel does not plan any strikes on Iran, we are a peaceful country and we will not do this'," Medvedev said.
Peres's office declined to comment on the remarks on Monday.
But Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon reiterated what Israeli leaders have said repeatedly -- that the Jewish state is keeping all options open when it comes to its arch-foe.
"All options remain on the table," Ayalon was quoted as saying by his spokesman. "It is certainly not a guarantee."
Ayalon later told Israel's army radio that Medvedev could have misunderstood what Peres said, or that his words may have been wrongly interpreted.
"Notwithstanding our respect for the Russian president, he is not in a position to speak in the name of Israel. There has been no change in our position."
Israeli chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi joined in the debate, saying a nuclear Iran would be a threat to the Middle East and "the entire free world" as well as the Jewish state.
(Excerpt) Read more at spacewar.com ...
....after the Russian president said he had been "assured" it would not take military action.....
Ayalon later told Israel's army radio that Medvedev could have misunderstood what Peres said, or that his words may have been wrongly interpreted....
"Notwithstanding our respect for the Russian president, he is not in a position to speak in the name of Israel. There has been no change in our position."
As I commented at the post linked above, what Medvedev was saying that Israel was not planning an attack on Iran, made absolutely no sense, as the retractions, corrections are now being made.
It sounds like the Russian Foreign Ministry needs to get their act together. Medvedev being "assured" no attack was being planned, Medvedev having "misunderstood" what Peres said, sounds awfully amateurish.
How do you get to "misunderstand" an issue as fraught with danger as whether or not Israel is going to attack Iran?
I would use them .. while you still can
Sorry Israel, but just like the US, you’ve been betrayed by too many leftists and pusses. Just make sure the last Jew in the region turns out the lights.
The Iranian population has never been more hostile to its dictators or more favourable to USA style freedom. Let’s bomb them now...just brilliant.
and let Iran fully deploy nuclear weapons ... even more brilliant
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