Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., December 17, 2007 Tevet 8, 5768 | | Israel Time: 04:29 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Advertising
Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File Hanukkah
Uranium enrichment facility at the Iranian city of Natanz (AP)
del.icio.us
Digg It!  new
Last update - 15:05 16/12/2007
Israeli envoys to U.S. to argue Iran still aiming for nuclear bomb
By Barak Ravi, Haaretz Correspondent and The Associated Press
Tags: U.S., intelligence, Israel 

Israel has dispatched an unscheduled delegation of intelligence officials to the U.S. to try to convince it that Iran is still trying to develop nuclear weapon - contrary to the findings of a recent U.S. intelligence report, security officials say.

The delegation, which set off last week on its unscheduled mission, will wind up its visit this week, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter with the media.

It was not clear what type of material the Israeli delegation - for the most part military intelligence officers - presented to U.S. officials.
Advertisement
"The U.S. and Israel will also hold additional joint formal meetings on the matter in coming weeks," the Israeli officials said. "Israel will use these forums to try to persuade the Americans that Iran is trying to development nuclear weapons, and intends to present information classified as top secret for security reasons," the officials
said.

The U.S. report, released earlier this month, concludes Iran halted its weapons development program in 2003 and that the program remained frozen through at least through the middle of this year. The findings reversed a key conclusion from a 2005 intelligence report that Iran was developing a bomb.

"Israeli officials who have reviewed all known intelligence on Iran's nuclear activities have concluded that Iran did in fact suspend its atomic weapons development in 2003, after the U.S. invaded Iraq," the Israeli security officials said.

"But Israel is convinced the Iranians set up a new production line whose details aren't known fully to Western intelligence agencies," they said.

Defense establishment sources said this week that Israel accepted 90 to 95 percent of the intelligence material on which the American assessment was based, including the assertion that Iran stopped the development of nuclear weapons in 2003 but was continuing uranium enrichment and the development of long-range weapons.

Israel considers the regime in Tehran to be its biggest threat because of its nuclear ambitions, its long-range missile program and repeated calls by its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to wipe Israel off the map.

Iran says its nuclear program is designed to produce energy.

Olmert to ministers: Don't make declarations about Iran
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday told ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting to refrain from making declarations about Iran or the U.S. assessment of its nuclear program on behalf of the cabinet.

Olmert's rebuke comes the day after Public Security Minister Avi Dichter issued the country's harshest criticism yet of the U.S. intelligence report, calling it a misconception that threatened to lead to a surprise regional war.

"Something went wrong in the American blueprint for analyzing the severity of the Iranian nuclear threat," Dichter said in a speech on Saturday.

The prime minister told ministers on Sunday: "I am asking ministers to stop delivering declarations on the Iranian issue and on the U.S. intelligence report. I want to remind you that the cabinet has held deliberations on the matter at the end of which was given the stance of the Israeli government with regard to the Iranian issue."

"There is no place here for the private declarations of every minister and minister on a subject as sensitive and complicated as this one. These declaration do not help with the struggle against Iran's nuclear program and do not help our relations with the U.S."

Earlier this month Olmert insisted that Iran hasn't
abandoned its attempts to develop a nuclear weapon.

Related articles:
  • Israel, U.S. to meet to discuss differing assessments on Iran
  • Israeli policy on Tehran unchanged by American assessment
  • Dichter slams U.S. 'misconception' of Iranian nuclear threat
  • PM: Israel will work to expose Iran nuclear program
  • For the first time, Iran directly confronts Israel on nuclear arms
  • Olmert: Nuke report on Iran shows need for tighter Iran sanctions
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us
    No rights
    The gov't won't grant rights to Palestinians west of fence, according to a report.
    Right to a child
    The Welfare Min. is launching a policy that would allow single-sex families to adopt.
      1.   Iran A Threat To Middle East 09:26  |  Khaled 16/12/07
      2.   Sorta maybe could be kinda 09:43  |  RW 16/12/07
      3.   Try Again 09:44  |  Clickfool 16/12/07
      4.   That`s News! 10:21  |  Cynical 16/12/07
      5.   Message # 3 is Fake Clickfool 10:37  |  Clickfool 16/12/07
      6.   Israel knows it can`t stop Iran`s nuclear programme by itself 10:45  |  Clickfool 16/12/07
      7.   "We need an enemy! ASAP" #1 11:13  |  Dave 16/12/07
      8.   Iran says its ok to use nuclear weapon against Israel 11:23  |  Stephen 16/12/07
      9.   Oxymoron of the week: Israeli intelligence 11:33  |  Danny 16/12/07
      10.   THIS IS AN UNBELIEVABLE STUBBORNESS 11:38  |  indrajaya 16/12/07
      11.   "We need an enemy! ASAP!" #2 11:41  |  Dave 16/12/07
      12.   "We need an enemy! ASAP!" #3 12:02  |  Dave 16/12/07
      13.   If Iran is so dangerous, why isn`t Israel 12:29  |  spyguy 16/12/07
      14.   Isreali envoys to visit USA 12:35  |  santa claus 16/12/07
      15.   Israel is reacting overly sensitive 12:36  |  Kris 16/12/07
      16.   Why Mossad did not challange US on Iraq then ???? 13:23  |  mehmet 16/12/07
      17.   #6 13:44  |  Moshe 16/12/07
      18.   To 13 Spy Guy 13:44  |  Yossi 16/12/07
      19.   Israel is a threat to the MIddle East 13:53  |  POP 16/12/07
      20.   Iran may bomb other countries than Israel 13:56  |  Petra 16/12/07
      21.   To Dave number 11 14:03  |  Yossi 16/12/07
      22.   #13 -Spyguy 14:18  |  JES 16/12/07
      23.   To Click Fool Number 6 14:29  |  Yossi 16/12/07
      24.   What does all this Israeli pestering signal to Americans? 14:31  |  Clickfool 16/12/07
      25.   Israel!! Iran!!!! Show!!!! This is not Broadway 14:31  |  Markus 16/12/07
      26.   And how do the American Politicians sell it to their voters? 14:33  |  Chris Linthwaite 16/12/07
      27.   Israel does not get it. 14:34  |  Wendy 16/12/07
      28.   Iran has never attacked ANYONE / Israel HAS 14:46  |  POP 16/12/07
      29.   #17 Moshe 14:46  |  Chris Linthwaite 16/12/07
      30.   It is so hard to give up old beliefs 14:47  |  Tosefta 16/12/07
      31.   #7, 11, 12 Dave 14:51  |  Dav 16/12/07
      32.   There will be no US attack on Iran whatever the IDF says 14:55  |  Michael 16/12/07
      33.   Zionist Influence 14:58  |  Dav 16/12/07
      34.   #27 Wendy 15:02  |  Chris Linthwaite 16/12/07
      35.   No more war for Israel 15:02  |  Dav 16/12/07
      36.   Wendy quite correct 15:02  |  Bill 16/12/07
      37.   Chris Linthwaite 15:11  |  MR 16/12/07
      38.   To Chris Linthwaite Number 34 15:21  |  Yossi 16/12/07
      39.   Clickfool 15:25  |  Suko 16/12/07
      40.   #13 Spyguy 15:27  |  Cool B 16/12/07
      41.   Chris Linthwaite 15:43  |  rich 16/12/07
      42.   Iran is a threat together with Israel to ME ???? 16:03  |  Sal 16/12/07
      43.   Markus in NY 16:12  |  rich 16/12/07
      44.   Israel wants to eradicate the Iranians 16:40  |  Doha 16/12/07
      45.   #41 Rich 17:03  |  Chris Linthwaite 16/12/07
      46.   Bush WMD 17:05  |  Jacob 16/12/07
      47.   Israel should make a peace pact with Iran 17:10  |  Alicia 16/12/07
      48.   Israel: 2+2 = 5 17:40  |  POP 16/12/07
      49.   #18 Yossi - Are you saying suicide is better 17:59  |  spyguy 16/12/07
      50.   #17 18:08  |  Moshe 16/12/07
      51.   To POP: Yoga will help relieve your stress 18:16  |  Dan 16/12/07
      52.   Danny ox & moron 18:20  |  Jasmine Murphy 16/12/07
      53.   #16 Mehmet: Israel DID: America refused to listen! 18:31  |  Alicia 16/12/07
      54.   #50 Moshe 18:45  |  Chris Linthwaite 16/12/07
      55.   #54 19:30  |  Moshe 16/12/07
      56.   #54 19:45  |  Moshe 16/12/07
      57.   #16 19:55  |  Moshe 16/12/07
      58.   #28 19:59  |  Moshe 16/12/07
      59.   The US should heed Israeli Intelligence 21:51  |  Michael A. Shoemaker 16/12/07
      60.   Iran determination to surprise and harm must not be mesetimated 22:22  |  Mawloud Ould Daddah 16/12/07
      61.   #13 23:40  |  Moshe 16/12/07
      62.   #60 23:51  |  Moshe 16/12/07
      63.   #44 01:27  |  Moshe 17/12/07
      64.   Stop manipulating our country 01:35  |  James 17/12/07
     Today Online
    Haniyeh tells Hamas rally: We will never recognize Israel
    Responses: 308
    Zvi Barel: In the end, the IDF will go into the Gaza Strip
    Responses: 153
    Qassam strikes Negev home; toddler lightly hurt
    Responses: 95
    Ehud Asheri: Israeli Arabs are right to skip Israel's 60th
    Responses: 81
    Was Hollywood's most famous censor an anti-Semite?
    Responses: 52
    Rosner's Domain
    Without the Reform movement in Israel, there's no Reform movement
    Guest: Americans say there's no need nor point in creating Palestinian state
    Who believes in intelligence reports?
    So, Should American Jews have a voice in shaping Israel's policies?


    More Headlines
    03:04 U.S. weighs plan to help Egypt block arms smuggling to Gaza
    04:08 Senior U.S. official visits Israel to hold high-level talks on Iran
    22:20 Report: Gov't won't grant rights to Palestinians west of fence
    02:26 States attending PA donors' summit to urge Israel to remove W. Bank roadblocks
    01:14 Top yeshivas sever ties with Jewish Agency program MASA
    03:31 Shas says will block plan to allow gay couples adopt children
    23:50 Prosecutors to charge Moshe Katsav's brother with sexual harassment
    03:05 Qassam strikes Negev home; two-year-old toddler lightly hurt
    20:30 2 years after appointment, Israel okays Greek Orthodox Patriarch
    19:42 Beilin drops out of Meretz leadership race, throws support to MK Oron
    Previous Editions