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Last update - 01:01 31/07/2008
Report: Obama 'gets the feeling' Israel to strike Iran if sanctions fail
By Barak Ravid and Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondents, and Haaretz Service
Tags: Israel, Iran, Barack Obama 

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama confided to fellow Democrats in Congress that he "gets the feeling from [his talks]" during his trip abroad that Israel would strike Iran if the sanctions fail to halt Tehran's nuclear program, ABC News reported Wednesday.

"Nobody said this to me directly but I get the feeling from my talks that if the sanctions don't work Israel is going to strike Iran," Obama was quoted as telling Democratic congressmen Tuesday, according to ABC News.

Near the close of his visit to Israel last week, Obama met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. A major topic of their long conversation was Obama's declared willingness to engage in direct dialogue with Tehran.
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Obama reportedly told Olmert that he is interested in meeting the Iranians in order to issue clear ultimatums. "If after that, they still show no willingness to change their nuclear policy, then any action against them would be legitimate," an Israeli source quoted him as saying.

Obama said it is clear that the Iranian nuclear issue would be a top priority for him as president, but said that as part of the diplomatic effort to end Tehran's enrichment program, the Iranians must be given an opportunity to change.

The presumptive nominee also emphasized the importance of solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He said he had been impressed by the Palestinians' assessment that there has been substantial progress in the talks.

Obama also met with Noam Shalit, whose son Gilad has been held captive in the Gaza Strip for over two years, as well as with the Goldwasser and Regev families. Shalit said Obama sympathized with the family and its public struggle to bring Gilad home. He declined to comment on whether Obama would intervene personally in talks for his son's release.

Barak to UN chief: No options off the table in dealing with Iran
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Wednesday that tough sanctions should be used to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and added that no options should be excluded.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Barak said he told Ban that harsh economic penalties were needed against Tehran.

"We emphasized to the secretary-general our expectation that the world community will take coherent, consulted, coordinated action to put an end to the Iranian action in the area of military nuclear technologies," Barak said.

He added he told Ban, "We believe that no options should be removed in this regard from the table."

Diplomats on the UN Security Council have said the council was unlikely to take firm action anytime soon on a new round of sanctions against Iran and would likely wait until a new U.S. president is in office next year.

The council has already imposed three rounds of sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

There has been increasing speculation that the United States or Israel could attack Iran's nuclear facilities, which Tehran says are intended solely for the peaceful generation of electricity, although both have said force should be a last resort.

The speculation has caused jitters on oil markets.

In addition to maintaining a steady policy on Iran, he said the Israeli government would continue with the peace process led by Olmert.

"I think that Israel will continue its basic strategies," he said. "We are trying to do whatever we can to move ahead with the peace process with the Palestinians."

On Lebanon, Barak said he reiterated to Ban his view that that UN Security Council Resolution 1701 was "not working well enough" due to violations by Hezbollah with the aid of backers Syria and Iran.

He said the smuggling of arms to Hezbollah continued and risked undermining stability in Lebanon.

Resolution 1701 was adopted on Aug. 11, 2006, ending a 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah and calling for a cessation of hostilities.

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      1.   I wonder what Ban said to Barak about Israeli violations of 1701? 02:08  |  BBSNews 31/07/08
      2.   ENRICHMENT AND BOMBING IRAN 02:25  |  Neutered Observer 31/07/08
      3.   feeling 02:26  |  Shmuelshachor 31/07/08
      4.   THE SANCTIONS HAVE ALREADY FAILED 02:33  |  BigBadJohn 31/07/08
      5.   Senator Obama,quite wrong! Any and every action against Iran is 02:34  |  lakshmi 31/07/08
      6.   It begs the question 02:38  |  Etherus 31/07/08
      7.   # 2 Neutered Observer 02:58  |  joe barnathan 31/07/08
      8.   #1 03:29  |  Jane 31/07/08
      9.   #5 03:32  |  Jane 31/07/08
      10.   israel strikes and gets struck back.... 03:52  |  jc 31/07/08
      11.   to# 7 03:55  |  ben 31/07/08
      12.   # 1 BBS.... 03:56  |  Shalom 31/07/08
      13.   Has Israel got the feeling she is hiding something? 04:16  |  Maureen Ann 31/07/08
      14.   #1 BSnews - I wonder what Barak said to Ban 04:18  |  * BEN JABO 31/07/08
      15.   BBS in his own words Part IV-rank hyocrisy 04:47  |  Stephen in New York 31/07/08
      16.   Iran gets the feeling that it`ll retaliate with 20K missiles/minu 05:22  |  Aounist 31/07/08
      17.   BBS in his own words Part IV-rank hyocrisy 06:11  |  Stephen in New York 31/07/08
      18.   What BS Journalist Says To Me 06:27  |  Tex 31/07/08
      19.   #7 Total nonsense, joe barnathan 06:52  |  Johnboy 31/07/08
      20.   When The Gasoline Or Money Runs Out 07:09  |  Yosemite 31/07/08
      21.   Obama doesn`t have a clue: Its the Occupation, Einstein! 07:33  |  Ivar 31/07/08
      22.   Shalom on "primitive antisemtism"... 07:44  |  BBSNews 31/07/08
      23.   When Humeni says "we wont back down"..what does that mean?Will 07:55  |  Iran is winning 31/07/08
      24.   S in NY, I don`t vilify Israel, its actions do... 08:00  |  BBSNews 31/07/08
      25.   #17 Obama knows exactly what he is doing, Ivar 08:08  |  Johnboy 31/07/08
      26.   #24, BBC news 08:25  |  JTA 31/07/08
      27.   re#19, Johnboy 09:08  |  JTA 31/07/08
      28.   BBSNews #1 you also wonder? 09:16  |  S 31/07/08
      29.   He probably also gets the "feeling" they want to nuke us... 09:44  |  S 31/07/08
      30.   What a pathetic limp reed this would make Obama 10:06  |  Clickfool 31/07/08
      31.   Responsibility for Consequences 10:08  |  Fritz 31/07/08
      32.   OT: Stop worrying about Peak Oil, worry about Peak Lithium 10:31  |  Clickfool 31/07/08
      33.   Clickfool #30 Amen; but add that he will handle himself Iran 10:47  |  S 31/07/08
      34.   This is all Israeli spin; everyone knows it dare not attack Iran 11:08  |  Chanalau, Tova 31/07/08
      35.   BIG BJ Actually casualties in Iraq are lower than Afghanistan 11:45  |  PETER SM 31/07/08
      36.   BBS Lebanese lied about 1701 to end their war 11:52  |  PETER SM 31/07/08
      37.   BBS SHEBA farms?really?Why hasnt the UN published an official map 12:02  |  PETER SM 31/07/08
      38.   CHANALAU Re "Everyone".Care to list the expert studies on the 12:18  |  PETER SM 31/07/08
      39.   25 Johnboy,don`t be so sure ,I mean about Obama`s ME policy! 13:18  |  lakshmi 31/07/08
      40.   The man in Iran has a plan 13:22  |  Natallie Durson 31/07/08
      41.   Clickfool - you really are a fool 13:22  |  Dan 31/07/08
      42.   What`s This "All He Has To Do" Clickfool? 13:36  |  Yosemite 31/07/08
      43.   #27 JTA poses a question to me 13:39  |  Johnboy 31/07/08
      44.   Thankyou Johnboy 19 13:53  |  Neutered Observer 31/07/08
      45.   #35 PETER SM: THE GREAT ZIONIST EXCUSE GIVER 14:01  |  BigBadJohn 31/07/08
      46.   FRITZ Excuse me" EVERYBODY--Owes Allegence to Israel"??? 14:03  |  PETER SM 31/07/08
      47.   BIG B.J. BIG HEADLINES Totally empty post 14:16  |  PETER SM 31/07/08
      48.   JOHNBOY"Nuclear watchdog IAEA slams Iran`s secrecy " 28/5/08 14:25  |  PETER SM 31/07/08
      49.   Israel attacking Iran? 14:30  |  Buick from Boca 31/07/08
      50.   #1 WRONG! PALS MURDER JEWS DEFEND! 14:34  |  PETRA 31/07/08
      51.   Yosemite blames "the Arabs" for America`s profligacy 14:55  |  Clickfool 31/07/08
      52.   Not the President nor will he be 15:14  |  David 31/07/08
      53.   #24 challenge to bbs WHAT ARE ISRAELS BORDERS 16:36  |  victor hardman 31/07/08
      54.   For David # 52 16:50  |  Clickfool 31/07/08
      55.   #7 17:05  |  Iamashamed 31/07/08
      56.   israelis know what they are doing 17:11  |  thierry 31/07/08
      57.   they`re neither `sovereign` nor a `state.` bomb them now. 17:46  |  frenz 31/07/08
      58.   #30 Clicky 18:10  |  Lynn 31/07/08
      59.   #56 THIERRY: UNFORTUNITLY, FOR YOU THAT IS, YOUR THREATS 18:30  |  BigBadJohn 31/07/08
      60.   LET`S JUST HOPE HIS FEELINGS MATCH THIS HEADLINE;BECAUSE HE 18:32  |  glenna 31/07/08
      61.   #57 The Problem is, Frenz, Iran will Bomb Back 18:43  |  Joe Momma 31/07/08
      62.   Can we count you as a "maybe", Lynn? # 58 20:43  |  Clickfool 31/07/08
      63.   OT: Americana 20:48  |  Clickfool 31/07/08
      64.   wrong, momma 61. hiroshima doesn`t `bomb back.` 20:58  |  frenz 31/07/08
      65.   #64 Frenz: Sorry to bust your bubble Bubba 22:41  |  Joe Momma 31/07/08
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