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Last update - 00:00 17/05/2009
ElBaradei: Israel strike on Iran would be 'insane'
By Reuters
Tags: Israel News, Iran, Haaretz TV 

Israel would be crazy to launch a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, Mohamed ElBaradei, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in a magazine interview published Saturday.

"It would be completely insane to attack Iran," ElBaradei told Germany's Der Spiegel magazine. "That would turn the region into one big fireball, and the Iranians would immediately start building the bomb - and they could count on the support of the entire Islamic world."

President Shimon Peres said earlier this month other options remained open if U.S. diplomatic engagement with Iran failed to halt its nuclear program, which Israel and Western nations say is aimed at manufacturing atomic weapons. Peres did not say what the other options might be but they are generally understood to include military action.
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Iran, the world's fourth largest oil producer, insists that the program is for civilian purposes only.

The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog added that Iran should engage with the United States and negotiate over the program.

U.S. President Barack Obama is actively seeking to engage Iran on a series of issues, from its nuclear program to Afghanistan.

"I advise my Iranian negotiating partners: Grasp the hand that Obama is extending to you," the UN official said.

Asked what he meant exactly, ElBaradei added: "I think Freeze for Freeze is the next realistic step. The Iranians would install no more centrifuges, the West would forego further sanction measures. During this time, there would be intensive negotiations."

He was referring to the thousands of centrifuges Iran has installed, and is adding to, in order to enrich uranium.

Enriched uranium can be used in nuclear reactors or, if purified to a much higher degree, in an atomic bomb, although Iran denies it has any such intention.

The UN Security Council has imposed three rounds of sanctions on Iran for refusing to halt enrichment. Obama's administration has made clear that any overtures to Iran will be accompanied by ramped up sanctions if there is no cooperation.

Separately, Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon said in a speech that Israel would not, in his opinion, take action against Iran without coordinating with the United States.

"But we expect coordination on the part of the Americans with us," Ayalon added. "Iran, which has yet to cross the point of no return, can be stopped through diplomatic effort."

"Iran is a very weak country," he said. "They would not withstand real sanctions. Their banks and shipping companies are vulnerable. If the world would just handle them in a tough manner, imposing sanctions, then maybe we would not need military action."



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      1.   If i were isreali i will hear this arab 16:58  |  Siad 16/05/09
      2.   Iran`s Rights 17:09  |  Mark 16/05/09
      3.   Israel would be crazy to listen to Baradei 17:13  |  *BEN JABO 16/05/09
      4.   El Baradei cant be serious 17:13  |  Adon Emett 16/05/09
      5.   Unless Hamas and Hezbollah stop terror ...Iran will be struck. 17:25  |  The Equalizer 16/05/09
      6.   Siad #1 17:38  |  Michael 16/05/09
      7.   No! Insane would be... 17:41  |  Sven 16/05/09
      8.   Listening to Cypress Hill? 17:49  |  W 16/05/09
      9.   Just who is insane? 17:52  |  Morris Valentine 16/05/09
      10.   Insanity 17:53  |  "ALbert Einstein" 16/05/09
      11.   it would be insane, crazy, nutz 17:54  |  dave 16/05/09
      12.   Common Sense: Israel accepting nuclear Iran would be `suicide` 17:56  |  Brad 16/05/09
      13.   Israel will do the dirty job for the its neighbors 17:59  |  Dixie Wing 16/05/09
      14.   The world is insane. 18:01  |  Purple Canary 16/05/09
      15.   ElBaradei did not mention dismantling existing centrifuges 18:14  |  Jason 16/05/09
      16.   Who are you kidding? 18:17  |  Mike Jefferson 16/05/09
      17.   Iran 18:17  |  Maureen 16/05/09
      18.   Iran 18:36  |  Canadian 16/05/09
      19.   baradei 18:41  |  oz 16/05/09
      20.   Only Israelis, in all the world, are so paranoid and fanatical 18:46  |  Ivar 16/05/09
      21.   Won`t happen 18:47  |  Happen 16/05/09
      22.   INSANE? GOOD 18:48  |  indrajaya 16/05/09
      23.   Purple Canary #11 18:48  |  Mike 16/05/09
      24.   MAD is Not Insane 19:09  |  Reader 16/05/09
      25.   indrajaya 20:03  |  Oleg 16/05/09
      26.   indrajaya 20:08  |  Oleg 16/05/09
      27.   Much Ado about nothing 20:44  |  Ilias 16/05/09
      28.   "that would turn the region into one big fireball" 20:46  |  Colin Wright 16/05/09
      29.   Repetitive 20:56  |  Arie 16/05/09
      30.   SHUT UP AND DO YOUR JOB 21:04  |  Brant 16/05/09
      31.   But That`s What Iran Wants 21:46  |  crlman 16/05/09
      32.   Ivar wants Iran to have nukes 21:57  |  peter 16/05/09
      33.   The alternative would be thousand times worst 22:07  |  Brod 16/05/09
      34.   That`s OK, ElBaradei 22:10  |  Jeff Northridge 16/05/09
      35.   Common Sense - The time for WAR is Over. 22:18  |  Razi 16/05/09
      36.   Mohamed ElBaradei has no bias 22:25  |  Baruch Gold 16/05/09
      37.   Great Gamble 22:31  |  Ze 16/05/09
      38.   "ALbert Einstein" from Nablus, Who started bombarding whom... 22:38  |  Bruce 16/05/09
      39.   Iran nuclear bombs are really insane 22:38  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/05/09
      40.   Iran and the region 22:43  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 16/05/09
      41.   # 39 cjk 23:13  |  Axel 16/05/09
      42.   Where?? 23:27  |  Mark of Lewiston 16/05/09
      43.   Iran Deserves To Be Bombed 00:01  |  nate 17/05/09
      44.   to "albert einstein" in honor of his history degree from the Univ 00:05  |  jj 17/05/09
      45.   Israel and the region 00:08  |  Natallie Durson 17/05/09
      46.   ElBaradei could have said: Iran`s A Bomb quest is insane because 01:19  |  nacl 17/05/09
      47.   Real sanctions must be tried first... real soon. 01:55  |  Peter Williams 17/05/09
      48.   #34 Jeff Northridge 02:06  |  BDS 17/05/09
      49.   38/39 Cipora - Where?? 03:04  |  Mark of Lewiston 17/05/09
      50.   *Albert Einstein* 03:26  |  Jasper 17/05/09
      51.   life, ecology, economy beyond 03:50  |  Jim 17/05/09
      52.   cjk,Would You Say the Same If Egypt Had a Nuclear Arsenal? 04:16  |  Reader 17/05/09
      53.   Yeah but... 06:13  |  Colin Wright 17/05/09
      54.   #14 Purple Canary 06:22  |  Jim 17/05/09
      55.   Mark of Lewiston - Where? 06:29  |  Mark Lincoln 17/05/09
      56.   Israelis will have to move to another planet ... 07:17  |  dutch 17/05/09
      57.   Mark of Lewiston on where? 09:15  |  Peter Williams 17/05/09
      58.   # 2 how is it "israel`s right to decimate iran", mark? 09:26  |  eric 17/05/09
      59.   #51 Always best to read the entire thread, Peter Williams 10:13  |  Johnboy 17/05/09
      60.   israel has NO moral, ethical, legal, or even "defensive" grounds 10:27  |  eric 17/05/09
      61.   Another war may be devestating to the world economy but 13:01  |  Hector Bonifacius 17/05/09
      62.   Eric, I want to thank you for restoring sanity in this arguement 15:55  |  Dutch 17/05/09
      63.   Jeff Northridge 16:20  |  Persian Kitty 17/05/09
      64.   Cipora your fear not Iran, But loss of Israel*s nuclear hegemony 16:43  |  American in NY 17/05/09
      65.   #54 A point of order, eric 16:57  |  Johnboy 17/05/09
      66.   attacking iran 17:50  |  m.a. 17/05/09
      67.   I`ve followed this road to sanctions for a long time 17:54  |  Karl 17/05/09
      68.   Baradei is an Iranian Agent 19:05  |  Laila 17/05/09
      69.   Mark Lincoln, Israel just subject to same faults as other nations 19:26  |  Mark B. 17/05/09
      70.   A point of order, Johnboy re:eric 20:23  |  American in NY 17/05/09
      71.   It will be crazy not to destroy Irans nuclear program 20:27  |  dani Miller 17/05/09
      72.   Nuclear deterrence 20:54  |  Evren 17/05/09
      73.   Mark B., Israel is not subject to same threats as other nations 20:57  |  Genuine Tosefta 17/05/09
      74.   dani miller # 71 then nuke em! just leave us out of it! 21:48  |  American in NY 17/05/09
      75.   Just bomb Iran oil fields left and right 22:53  |  Jason 17/05/09
      76.   Johnboy firing from the hip 01:44  |  Peter Williams 18/05/09
      77.   It is very true but ElBaradi is part of the problem 04:45  |  Justin 18/05/09
      78.   Israeli paranoia 08:23  |  Cathy W. 18/05/09
      79.   # 65 to johnboy re: preemptive/pre-emptive (last try) 09:36  |  eric 18/05/09
      80.   # 74 that sums it up in a nutshell, cathy in seattle 09:59  |  eric 18/05/09
      81.   Let Israel bring "god" down on herself one more time... 11:37  |  Mike 18/05/09
      82.   Peter Willaims, What Hidden Program? 13:17  |  Reader 18/05/09
      83.   to nate in brooklyn 16:28  |  DRL 18/05/09
      84.   The world economy?!?!?! 16:53  |  James 18/05/09
      85.   I suppose you would prefer Isarel to sit around doing nothing to 16:59  |  glenna 18/05/09
      86.   Jewish/Iranian Mentality 23:05  |  Paul 18/05/09
      87.   Reader, Re evidence of the hidden program 01:57  |  Peter Williams 19/05/09
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