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U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Minister Ehud Barak meeting in Jerusalem on Friday. (AP)
Last update - 00:00 07/11/2008
Barak to Rice: All options are on the table regarding Iran nukes
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and News Agencies
Tags: iran, condoleezza rice 

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Friday told visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that Israel would not rule out any course of action to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons.

"Israel is convinced Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb," Barak told Rice," adding that Jerusalem "is not taking any option off the table, and we don't recommend that others take any option off the table."

Western nations accuse Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of its civil nuclear program. Iran denies that, saying its atomic program is aimed at peaceful purposes.
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Barak's comments came amid speculation about the possibility of an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. Israel carried out an air strike last year on a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor.

During their talks, Barak referred to U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's declaration that he would be prepared to engage in dialogue with Iran.

Rice also visited the West Bank of Ramallah on later on Friday, where she met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. During their meeting she stressed that Israeli-Palestinian negotiations launched a year ago are
vibrant, vital and will eventually lead to a Palestinian state.

Rice has acknowledged that a year-end target for an agreement was no longer realistic, but insisted the talks have not failed.

"The distance to that peace has been narrowed, although the peace has not yet been achieved," Rice said.

"We knew ... that if that agreement was not reached by the end of the year, that there would be those who would say that the Annapolis process, the negotiations, had failed."

"In fact, it is quite the opposite. The Annapolis process has laid the
foundations for the eventual establishment of the state of Palestine," she said. "The Annapolis process ... is vital, it is vibrant, and it is continuing, and I am quite certain that carried to its conclusion, it will produce a state of Palestine."

Livni says disagrees with Obama over dialogue with Iran
Foreign Minister and Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni said on Thursday that Obama's stated readiness to talk to Iran could be seen in the Middle East as a sign of weakness in efforts to persuade Tehran to curb its nuclear program.

"We live in a neighborhood in which sometimes dialogue - in a situation where you have brought sanctions, and you then shift to dialogue - is liable to be interpreted as weakness," Livni said when asked on Israel Radio about policy change toward Tehran in an Obama administration.

Her remarks sounded the first note of dissonance with Obama by a senior member of the Israeli government since the Democrat's sweeping victory over Republican candidate John McCain in the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday.

Asked if she supported any U.S. dialogue with Iran, Livni replied: "The answer is no."

Later in the day, Livni described Obama's election as a source of inspiration to millions around the world as she stood next to visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at a joint press conference in the home of the American ambassador to Israel.

"I would of course like to congratulate President-elect Barack Obama on his historic victory, a man who has impressed Israelis during his visits here and throughout the campaign by what he represents," she said. "I would like to also express our appreciation to Senator John McCain for his leadership and long-standing friendship."

Then she returned to the subject of Iran.

"We need to fight extremism, Livni said. We need to continue the pressure on Iran and I believe that the idea of continuing the pressure comes with more intense and effective sanctions on the Iranians."

Livni, leading the centrist Kadima party in the February 10 parliamentary election, also said "the bottom line" was that the United States, under Obama, "is also not willing to accept a nuclear Iran."

Obama has said he would harden sanctions on Iran but has also held out the possibility of direct talks with U.S. adversaries to resolve problems, including the dispute over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

The West believes Iran's nuclear enrichment program is aimed at building atomic weapons, an allegation the Islamic Republic denies.

Israel, believed to have the Middle East's only atomic arsenal, has repeatedly said Iran's nuclear program is a threat to its existence and that it was keeping all options on the table to stop it.

Related articles:
  • Israel worried about effect of Obama win on U.S. ties with Iran
  • Israel expects U.S.-Iran talks under Obama
  • Iran's Ahmadinejad offers congratulations to Obama
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      1.   Israel would use nuclear blackmail to shape American policy 13:25  |  Natallie Durson 07/11/08
      2.   Problem for Livni 14:40  |  Chris Linthwaite 07/11/08
      3.   The world must awake to the threat this man poses to all of us. 16:21  |  Jean Van Daem 07/11/08
      4.   # 1 and # 2 thanks for the best wishes, you teach us how 17:18  |  Israeli citizen 07/11/08
      5.   Israel has until Jan. 20, 2009 17:32  |  Yonatan 07/11/08
      6.   #4 Israeli Citizen 17:44  |  Chris Linthwaite 07/11/08
      7.   What Israel and the US should tell 17:48  |  Moshe Benz 07/11/08
      8.   Tehran Natalie 18:18  |  Bill 07/11/08
      9.   Iran to Ehud Barak: Israel`s convinced that it cannot stop Iran 18:20  |  Aounist 07/11/08
      10.   Natallie is correct. 19:37  |  Yo 07/11/08
      11.   Israel should open its doors for inspections too 19:43  |  Antonio da Silva 07/11/08
      12.   I beg your pardon! 19:50  |  Jim 07/11/08
      13.   #1 Natalie Durson 20:08  |  Jim 07/11/08
      14.   Isreal is not convinced of Iran`s Nuke intentions 20:09  |  and knows 07/11/08
      15.   #2 Chris Linthwaite 20:21  |  Jim 07/11/08
      16.   no one should have nukes 20:33  |  nukes NOT an option 07/11/08
      17.   #3 Jean Van Daem 20:33  |  Jim 07/11/08
      18.   5. Yawnathon 21:16  |  your answer 07/11/08
      19.   I agree Nat... - 2nd try 21:28  |  BBSNews 07/11/08
      20.   All option must be on the table when it comes to a country that 21:59  |  Aldo 07/11/08
      21.   Utopians 22:19  |  Yonatan 07/11/08
      22.   Easy for Obama to stop Israel in its tracks 22:25  |  Clickfool 07/11/08
      23.   to Natalie 22:41  |  avi 07/11/08
      24.   Jim in Tennessee 22:53  |  Old MacDonald 07/11/08
      25.   dursons obsession 23:12  |  American-israeli 07/11/08
      26.   For Avi # 13 23:59  |  Clickfool 07/11/08
      27.   #13 aving a laugh? 00:19  |  Boycott 08/11/08
      28.   Iranian nuke strike 00:40  |  Douglas Fisher 08/11/08
      29.   Re:Natallie Durson 00:50  |  Fred Bainhauer 08/11/08
      30.   Weakness? 01:06  |  Alex Delp 08/11/08
      31.   American -Israeli # 23 are you related to Pollard? 02:16  |  American in NY 08/11/08
      32.   Barak is full of hot air 02:41  |  American in NY 08/11/08
      33.   You first Yonatan... 03:57  |  BBSNews 08/11/08
      34.   avi, if you are going to call people ignorant... 04:08  |  BBSNews 08/11/08
      35.   #24 Old MacDonald 04:26  |  Jim 08/11/08
      36.   Why in are you in PA Bainhauer? 04:28  |  BBSNews 08/11/08
      37.   #26 Clickfool 04:38  |  Jim 08/11/08
      38.   Do not do something insane 05:40  |  Mark Lincoln 08/11/08
      39.   Yes and no Yonatan 05:46  |  Mark Lincoln 08/11/08
      40.   This is an insane doctrine 05:47  |  Mark Lincoln 08/11/08
      41.   Utopian Solutions - Yonatan 05:53  |  Mark Lincoln 08/11/08
      42.   Failure Mode and Effects Analysis 06:17  |  Mark Lincoln 08/11/08
      43.   The final analysis 06:22  |  Mark Lincoln 08/11/08
      44.   I have lived my life under the mshroom cloud 06:29  |  Mark Lincoln 08/11/08
      45.   # 6 Chris Linthwaite: facts will not change your Israel hate 09:53  |  Israeli citizen 08/11/08
      46.   Problem for the Israelis, Mark Lincoln # 44 10:20  |  Clickfool 08/11/08
      47.   #33 BBSOlds - What logical fallacy? 10:33  |  Yonatan 08/11/08
      48.   #30 Mark Lincoln 10:42  |  Yonatan 08/11/08
      49.   #44 Mark Lincoln - nuclear deterrents 10:56  |  Yonatan 08/11/08
      50.   #46 Clickfool - I bow to your superior knowledge 11:01  |  Yonatan 08/11/08
      51.   For Yonatan, who swallowed the propaganda # 47 11:44  |  Clickfool 08/11/08
      52.   There - you did it again, Yonatan # 49 11:49  |  Clickfool 08/11/08
      53.   Barak and Obama send a double warning to Iran mullahs 11:58  |  Realist 08/11/08
      54.   US Base in Israel 12:04  |  General Melchett 08/11/08
      55.   # 6 Chris : facts will not change you hating Israel, it is a fact 12:10  |  Israeli citizen 08/11/08
      56.   For Realist # 53 14:43  |  Clickfool 08/11/08
      57.   yonathon..scare tactics 15:18  |  sam i am 08/11/08
      58.   Yonatan - how would the world react? 16:32  |  Mark Lincoln 08/11/08
      59.   Your logic Yonatan... 17:39  |  BBSNews 08/11/08
      60.   # 23 did you see Lebanon 17:54  |  Faris Zaidan 08/11/08
      61.   Clickfool 56 living up to his name 18:04  |  Realist 08/11/08
      62.   Realist, windmilling with words # 61 18:48  |  Clickfool 08/11/08
      63.   # 5 yonatan 19:11  |  Axel 08/11/08
      64.   # 48 yonatan letting the cat out of the bag 19:21  |  Axel 08/11/08
      65.   # 53 "realist" 19:27  |  Axel 08/11/08
      66.   #.63.axel 21:48  |  Stephen. 08/11/08
      67.   #.34. BBS NEWS. ?? Pure and utter trash. 22:08  |  Stephen. 08/11/08
      68.   Clickfool 62 still living up to his foolish name 22:56  |  Realist 08/11/08
      69.   People are mindless sheep 06:25  |  1984 09/11/08
      70.   what does it mean by semiet 21:34  |  anony 17/12/08
      71.   Iran`s nuke threat 03:44  |  Brod 18/12/08
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