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Comments:  73
Last update - 09:32 20/08/2008
Ex-Mossad chief: Ahmadinejad is Israel's greatest gift
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Israel, Ephraim Halevy, Iran 

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's incendiary anti-Israel outbursts have united the international community against his country, thus serving a key Israeli interest, former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy told an American-sponsored Arab satellite television network on Tuesday.

"Ahmadinejad is our greatest gift," Halevy told the Arab language television network Al-Hurra on Tuesday. "We couldn't carry out a better operation at the Mossad than to put a guy like Ahmadinejad in power in Iran."

Halevy added that the Iranian president's extremist statements "proved to everyone that Iran of today is an Iran that is impossible to live with. [Ahmadinejad] unites the entire world against Iran."
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Halevy told Time magazine in an interview published last month that an Israeli attack on Iran "could have an impact on us for the next 100 years" and should only be considered as a last resort.

Halevy, who currently heads the Center for Strategic and Policy Studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, added that an Iranian attack on Israel would probably have little impact, because Iranian missiles would largely be intercepted by Israel's advanced anti-missile defense system.

Another former senior Mossad official, who reportedly served during Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's administration, told the American magazine that "Iran's achievement is creating an image of itself as a scary superpower when it's really a paper tiger."

An additional Israeli source told Time that Israel sees the period between the U.S. elections in November and the president's inauguration in January as the "window of opportunity" for a possible attack on Iran. The source explained that any military move against Iran would not be carried out before the elections, because it would negatively impact the presidential candidates, especially Republican candidate John McCain and "No Israel leader wants to be blamed for destroying the Republican chances," Time cited the source as saying.

However, the magazine quoted intelligence sources as saying that an Israeli attack on Iran would likely stall the Islamic republic's nuclear aspirations only by "a year or two."

Launching a long-range strike against a multitude of hidden targets in Iran entails huge risks and uncertain rewards, which makes the cost-benefit analysis weigh against an air strike on Iran, according to some senior Israeli officials who urge caution.

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      1.   Settlements and the Wall is the Pals BEST GIFT 23:47  |  THE LIQUIDATOR 19/08/08
      2.   tries to be smart. it`s easier than to take ahmadjad out 00:05  |  bird brain 20/08/08
      3.   I agree with him 00:39  |  Persian Kitty 20/08/08
      4.   really? 01:25  |  Jeff 20/08/08
      5.   Long time ago I have written same idea to Haaretz but censored 01:25  |  e.m.Jordan is Palest 20/08/08
      6.   Long time ago I have written same idea to Haaretz but censored 01:32  |  e.m.Jordan is Palest 20/08/08
      7.   Cost-benefit analysis 02:16  |  allang 20/08/08
      8.   GO Israel! 02:32  |  Samy 20/08/08
      9.   misconceived 04:06  |  Mark 20/08/08
      10.   Halevy between wishful thinking and self-delusional propaganda . 04:28  |  Fortuna Benmayor 20/08/08
      11.   Brutal irony uncovered by media 04:51  |  James 20/08/08
      12.   Kudos to James # 8. Well put. 05:17  |  Fortuna Benmayor 20/08/08
      13.   e.m Jordan is Palestine. 05:18  |  Akram Zekaria 20/08/08
      14.   Response to Fortuna ( #7) - Spoton 05:26  |  Tod Zuckerman 20/08/08
      15.   De-spinning Disinfo 05:35  |  Free Barwan 20/08/08
      16.   The world is united against Iran? 06:06  |  Natallie Durson 20/08/08
      17.   Maybe not gift to Israel, but a great gift to hardcore zionists 06:14  |  Voice of Reason 20/08/08
      18.   Fortuna Benmayor more to worry about 06:31  |  John 20/08/08
      19.   Halevy 07:02  |  Dani 20/08/08
      20.   Ahmadinejad`s hot air emmissions could generate 07:31  |  S Freedman 20/08/08
      21.   effect of Iranian missile attack on Israel 07:43  |  michael cohen 20/08/08
      22.   Disagree.................... 07:52  |  Igor 20/08/08
      23.   Re .Akram Zekaria.We are the most patient nation in the earth 08:35  |  e.m Jordan is Palse 20/08/08
      24.   Re .Akram Zekaria.We are the most patient nation in the earth 08:35  |  e.m Jordan is Palse 20/08/08
      25.   Ahmadj speaks to his own 09:09  |  ScotGuy 20/08/08
      26.   IRAN 09:20  |  Zoe 20/08/08
      27.   good article but disagree 10:06  |  gus 20/08/08
      28.   23# e.m. Jordan Is Palestine" No one should doubt that.. 12:07  |  Akram Zekaria 20/08/08
      29.   Hyperbolic rhetoric 12:35  |  Shtarka 20/08/08
      30.   Everything In Iran Today Is Labeled Martyr 12:38  |  Yosemite 20/08/08
      31.   i DON`T disagree...it`s very true...UNTIL... 12:53  |  eric 20/08/08
      32.   Iran is the champion against the OCCUPATION, not Israel 13:03  |  Ivar 20/08/08
      33.   when you have an ivar you dont need a parrot 13:14  |  v.hardman 20/08/08
      34.   lo siento 14:50  |  Di 20/08/08
      35.   For Tod # 14: Halevy wonders in Spookland 14:52  |  Fortuna Benmayor 20/08/08
      36.   Quite right, Victor, Israel evidently needs such a parrot 15:13  |  Ivar 20/08/08
      37.   to # 1 15:37  |  Solomon 20/08/08
      38.   #36 Ivar 15:40  |  H 20/08/08
      39.   lo siento 15:42  |  Di 20/08/08
      40.   IVAR.No Iran needs an apologist and you are here 16:07  |  PETER SM 20/08/08
      41.   For Free Barwan # 15 16:32  |  Fortuna Benmayor 20/08/08
      42.   Iran is the Greatest Threat to the West and the Arab Countries (n 16:56  |  Dr No 20/08/08
      43.   F.BARWAN. actually Ahmadinejad is on public record. 17:00  |  PETER SM 20/08/08
      44.   On giving gifts - Olmert is Arab`s greatest gift. 17:47  |  common sense 20/08/08
      45.   Peter, 40, Israel is the prime provocateur, not Iran or Arabs 18:00  |  Ivar 20/08/08
      46.   Not as big a gift as 9-11 18:22  |  Ibrahim 20/08/08
      47.   Livni and Olmert greatest asset of Iran 18:27  |  Jonathan S 20/08/08
      48.   Greatest Response to Islamic Hate 18:34  |  John Isenhower 20/08/08
      49.   The world of Ahmadinejad 18:40  |  Jonathan S 20/08/08
      50.   With gifts like these who needs Christmas! 18:49  |  Jew 4 Jesus :) 20/08/08
      51.   THE TROJAN HORSE 20:13  |  DENNIS MIV 20/08/08
      52.   For Di # 39 20:54  |  Fortuna Benmayor 20/08/08
      53.   the greatest gift 21:03  |  dani.a 20/08/08
      54.   He`s right: Ahmadinejad is used to justify Israeli crimes 21:36  |  peacelover 20/08/08
      55.   #16 Natalie Iran Poster girl of course this truth annoys you 22:16  |  Big Sur 20/08/08
      56.   More and more I doubt Jews are running Israel 22:22  |  Dennie 20/08/08
      57.   Question: Is Achmadinejad a Mossad agent after all? Hmmm... 22:24  |  curious 20/08/08
      58.   Obama would be better for Israel 22:36  |  Bruce Mainzer 20/08/08
      59.   Jonathan S, #47: What will Bibi do? 23:25  |  Joe Camel 20/08/08
      60.   IVAR1.If you stop trying to blame Israel for the excesses Islamic 23:34  |  PETER SM 20/08/08
      61.   What do they pay the Mossad to do anyway 00:27  |  free meals 21/08/08
      62.   THE WORLD IS CONCERNED OVER IRAN`S NUKES 00:59  |  RW 21/08/08
      63.   to you all 01:14  |  Rachel in USA 21/08/08
      64.   Israeli empty threats are a gift for Iran: Higher oil price 01:59  |  Aounist 21/08/08
      65.   48 John Isenhower, after the inglorious episode at Columbia in 03:56  |  lakshmi 21/08/08
      66.   #1. Our settlements will stay forever but the wall will go. 06:10  |  Chaim 21/08/08
      67.   IVAR Where have Iran Hamas&Hezb.said they will accept ANY Israel? 06:32  |  PETER SM 21/08/08
      68.   Ain`t about nukes 08:37  |  1984 21/08/08
      69.   The greatest joke 19:37  |  D 21/08/08
      70.   Jews in Iran 23:52  |  D 21/08/08
      71.   D 19:52  |  THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 22/08/08
      72.   #64 Aounist - while you`re on the way to pick up 16:06  |  * BEN JABO 24/08/08
      73.   Repeats of the past... 19:51  |  sanjosemike 09/09/08
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