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Last update - 14:21 16/04/2009
Peres: Talk of IDF attack on Iran is 'not true'
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Barack obama, IDF 

President Shimon Peres on Thursday dismissed speculations that Israel is planning to attack Iran over its contentious nuclear program.

Peres told visiting U.S. special Mideast envoy George Mitchell that the key to containing Iran's nuclear ambitions would not be found in a military realm.

"All the talk about a possible attack by Israel on Iran is not true," said Peres. "The solution in Iran is not military."
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He said that progress with Iran depended on international cooperation and exploring whether dialogue presented a real opportunity or if Tehran was just stalling, according to a statement from Peres' office.

During their talks, Mitchell assured Peres that the U.S. is committed to Israel's security as well as a two-state solution. The U.S. envoy is plannning to meet later Thursday with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The president's remarks came days after U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates declared that an Israeli attack would not end Tehran's nuclear ambitions, in a report released by the U.S. Army Times.

Gates told U.S. Marine Corps students in Quantico, VA that the use of military action would only unify the divisive elements in Iran and enflame hatred toward Israel.

He said such a move might delay the nuclear program from one to three years, but would also "cement [Iran's] determination to have a nuclear program, and also build into the whole country an undying hatred of whoever hits them," according to the Army Times.

Gates added that Tehran's nuclear ambitions could only be stopped if "Iranians themselves decide it's too costly."

In his address to Marines students, Gates suggested that non-military measures should be increased to apply pressure to Iran to drop the program, saying the U.S. needs "to look at every way we can to increase the cost of that program to them, whether it's through economic sanctions or other things."

Gates also called on the international community to assist efforts to convince Iran that a nuclear weapon would negatively affect their security "particularly if it launches an arms race in the Middle East."

Meanwhile, the U.S. administration will seek to persuade Israel that progress in reaching a regional peace treaty will also have an impact on efforts to contain Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Related articles:
  • U.S. envoy: Advancing peace talks will help curb Iran nukes
  • Clinton: U.S. has not dropped demands on Iran nuke program
  • ANALYSIS / Iran treating Obama declarations as policy
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      1.   Inflame Hatred Towards Israel 10:14  |  Jerry 16/04/09
      2.   Now I am worried 10:19  |  Edith 16/04/09
      3.   "Peres: Israel has no plans to attack Iran" 10:31  |  Esther 16/04/09
      4.   Peres: Israel has no plans to attack Iran 10:35  |  Joshua 16/04/09
      5.   Iran could attack Israel from Hezbollah controled South Lebanon 10:42  |  Mark Leaman 16/04/09
      6.   U.S. Defense Secretary 10:42  |  Joshua 16/04/09
      7.   1 Jerry - Mistaken Premise 11:19  |  Mark of Lewiston 16/04/09
      8.   Peres, go home! 11:20  |  virtu 16/04/09
      9.   THANKS TO YOU, MR PERES......FINALLY..... 14:50  |  HAVE A GOOD DAY! 16/04/09
      10.   More garbage from Peres 14:59  |  Damian Lataan 16/04/09
      11.   Mark of Lewiston: a deeply flawed analysis 15:07  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 16/04/09
      12.   Peres: Oh me??? No! 15:13  |  Westwell 16/04/09
      13.   Peres 15:29  |  GullyFoyle 16/04/09
      14.   No IDF attack? 15:33  |  WHG 16/04/09
      15.   #1 Jerry 15:55  |  Cool B 16/04/09
      16.   Then tehran gets nuked!! 16:02  |  Joe 16/04/09
      17.   WHAT was he saying just a FEW days ago.. 16:13  |  ali 16/04/09
      18.   Whaat?So Is it tomorrow morning? 16:23  |  Tayfun_Turkey 16/04/09
      19.   Gee, what a quick turn-around for Peres... 16:29  |  BBSNews 16/04/09
      20.   If Israel was going to do it 16:37  |  Nicole 16/04/09
      21.   Long-term Israeli-Iranian peace prospects trump present tensions 16:47  |  Tehran Joe 16/04/09
      22.   If it were true... 16:48  |  Dutch 16/04/09
      23.   Iran and reality 17:00  |  pro-Israel pro-peace 16/04/09
      24.   To #1 Jerry and #7 and #10 17:05  |  Brian 16/04/09
      25.   12.07 17:05  |  David 16/04/09
      26.   Listen to Secretary Gates 17:08  |  Anonymous 16/04/09
      27.   ok! now i`m convinced 17:10  |  atacan 16/04/09
      28.   Dutch.... 17:17  |  Brian 16/04/09
      29.   #1 Jerry from Eilat 17:21  |  Lou Medel 16/04/09
      30.   Gates is wrong 17:33  |  Brod 16/04/09
      31.   How many faces peres has? 18:10  |  kaled 16/04/09
      32.   17/23 Brian & Brod - What`s The Plan? 19:02  |  Mark of Lewiston 16/04/09
      33.   A deeply flawed analysis by Mark of Lewiston 19:29  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 16/04/09
      34.   Peres is a big mouth 19:54  |  Dwido 16/04/09
      35.   Peres: Talk of IDF attack on Iran is `not true` 20:10  |  Frank 16/04/09
      36.   24 Darth Zaider`s Assumptions 20:24  |  Mark of Lewiston 16/04/09
      37.   It is sad to be governed by blabbers who talked too much... 20:25  |  S 16/04/09
      38.   Peres is Saying that his PM, Secs of Defense/FA are Liars? 20:47  |  Monitor 16/04/09
      39.   Iranian Program 20:51  |  fred shapiro 16/04/09
      40.   Where Iran`s secret parallel unmonitored facilities located... 22:06  |  Jimmy 16/04/09
      41.   So Jimmy, do you like gladiator movies? 22:46  |  BBSNews 16/04/09
      42.   Mark of Lewiston ...big call. (2nd try) 02:15  |  Peter Williams 17/04/09
      43.   Senile Disinformation or Babbling? 02:26  |  Mark Lincoln 17/04/09
      44.   Mark Lincoln we missed you here. Welcome back 03:11  |  a reader 17/04/09
      45.   Peter Williams - Hiding Stuff from IAEA 03:12  |  Mark of Lewiston 17/04/09
      46.   I`m curious as to how people reconcile these two views 03:26  |  Johnboy 17/04/09
      47.   Brian from Raleigh 03:42  |  SC 17/04/09
      48.   Jimmy from BYC 03:45  |  SC 17/04/09
      49.   Darth Zaider (ed) & Mark of L 04:22  |  Persian Kitty 17/04/09
      50.   GIVE IT A TRY, IDF 09:03  |  indrajaya 17/04/09
      51.   Jerry # 1 American policy serves America not Israel. 14:28  |  American in NY 17/04/09
      52.   # 26 Mark of Lewiston: preach not to others that you would not 22:31  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 17/04/09
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