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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas shaking hands with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney following a press conference at Abbas' office in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Sunday. (AP)
Last update - 04:29 24/03/2008
Barak to Cheney: Iran is threat to region, world
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies
Tags: Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Israel

Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney in Tel Aviv on Sunday and told the American official that Iran's nuclear plans were threatening the stability of the entire region, as well as the world.

Barak added that Israel believes that financial sanctions against Iran could still prove effective, but that all options should remain on the table - a reference to military action.

Earlier Sunday, Cheney met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah, and told the Palestinian leader that the Qassam rockets regularly fired from the Gaza Strip into Israeli communities and Palestinian terror "do not merely kill innocent civilians. They also kill the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people."
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Cheney also had tough criticism for the Islamic militant group Hamas, saying "the U.S. remains strongly committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state. Achieving that will require tremendous effort at the negotiating table and painful concessions on both sides. It will also require a determination to defeat those who are committed to violence and who refuse to accept the basic right of the other side to exist."

The U.S. vice president was referring to Hamas, which took over the Gaza Strip last year and continues to target Israeli communities near the Gaza border with rocket barrages.

Quoting President George W. Bush, Cheney said a Palestinian state was long overdue, and promised U.S. assistance toward that end. "This can be done, and if all concerned stay at the work, success will be achieved," he said.

During their meeting, Abbas asked Cheney to help stop Israeli settlement expansion and military operations targeting Palestinian militants, Abbas' aide Saeb Erekat said.

Speaking at a press conference in Ramallah following the meeting, Abbas thanked Cheney for U.S. support, but also blasted Israel's settlements and checkpoints, an implied criticism of the U.S., Israel's strongest backer.

"To reach peace," Abbas said, "what is required is will, courage and strong support from the international community, especially the U.S."

Peres: We won't cede Golan only to have Iran, Syria control Lebanon

Earlier Sunday, President Shimon Peres dismissed recent Syrian calls for peace talks, telling Cheney that Israel would not consider ceding the Golan Heights to Syria only to have Damascus and Tehran increase their dominance in Lebanon.

During a meeting between the two leaders in Jerusalem, Peres said "Israel is not willing to return the Golan Heights to Syria in exchange for Iranian-Syrian control of Lebanon," referring in part to the Damascus and Tehran's support for the Lebanese guerilla group Hezbollah.

Last week, Peres made similar remarks to visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov , when he said "talk of peace from Syria arouses distrust within Israel."

The president added that while Israel is always ready to negotiate toward peace with Syria, the duplicitous game that Assad is playing in Syria cannot be ignored. He noted that a tremendous amount of Iranian-funded weapons are transferred to Hezbollah every day through Syria.

For his part, Cheney said at Sunday's meeting that it appeared Syrian President Bashar Assad was not interested in peace talks with Israel. Cheney also said that the U.S. is concerned about Syria's arming of Hezbollah.

Cheney also spoke about Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, while in the same breath referring to the threat posed by Iran, though he did not mention the country by name.

"We are obviously dedicated to doing all we can as an administration to try to move the peace process forward, and obviously actively involved in dealing with the threats that we see emerging in the region - not only threats to Israel, but threats to the United States as well," the U.S. vice president said.

On the subject of Iran, Peres said anti-Israel declarations made by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad against Israel, and Tehran's support for Lebanese and Palestinian militant groups, cannot be ignored.

"We have this problem of the Iranians who want to build two satellites, the Hezbollah [in Lebanon] and the Hamas in Gaza. ... Nobody can control us and say that declarations by Ahmadinejad are less serious," Peres said. "We have to take it seriously."

The president added that the U.S. and Europe must lead a campaign against Iran's bid to develop long range missiles.

"Right under the International Atomic Energy Agency's noses, the Iranians are spending a massive amount of money in order to develop long range missiles that can be equipped with a nuclear warhead. These missiles are damning evidence that Iran's nuclear plan is not for civilian purposes," Peres said.

He said time is of the essence in the peace process, but that he believes
progress is achievable. "The mere fact that in spite of the differences the negotiations go on is a great hope for the future," Peres said.

After Cheney's arrival in Israel on Saturday, the U.S. vice president vowed his country would never pressure Israel to take steps that threaten its security.

"America's commitment to Israel's security is enduring and unshakable, as is Israel's right to protect itself always against terrorism, rocket attacks and other attacks from forces dedicated to Israel's destruction," Cheney said ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.


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      1.   Peace with Syria and Cheney....... 11:41  |  Sam 23/03/08
      2.   Cheney and peace??? 11:51  |  The Prince 23/03/08
      3.   Assad is not interested in playing games with Israel 13:02  |  Natallie Durson 23/03/08
      4.   THE GOLAN 13:10  |  siem 23/03/08
      5.   Some history: Syria, against UN Resolution to establish the ... 13:22  |  Avihu 23/03/08
      6.   Syria will never get Golan back 13:29  |  Vitaly 23/03/08
      7.   Natallie 13:29  |  Jozef, 23/03/08
      8.   u can`t ask conditions to give back the Golan 13:46  |  Ivan 23/03/08
      9.   Thank You Peres!!! 14:03  |  virginia 23/03/08
      10.   # 1. Natallie...Not games, but reality ! 14:11  |  Stephen. 23/03/08
      11.   Durson is interested in playing games with Ha`aretz readers 14:33  |  Joe Sittizen 23/03/08
      12.   #1 Natallie 14:35  |  Millicent 23/03/08
      13.   Saddat bragged how he got Sinai without a shot-Assad trying same 14:52  |  Alan 23/03/08
      14.   For Joe Sittizen # 4 15:00  |  Clickfool 23/03/08
      15.   Natallie Durson #1 15:06  |  Jon 23/03/08
      16.   Assad has and will continue playing games with Israel 15:06  |  nabil 23/03/08
      17.   #3 and #5 15:35  |  shery 23/03/08
      18.   No excuse is good enough to mainatin hatred! 15:37  |  Bader S Abu-Ghosh 23/03/08
      19.   Forget the peace process... 15:39  |  Rafa 23/03/08
      20.   Abbas - "no Israeli right to self defense" 16:08  |  eddie 23/03/08
      21.   #1 Durson..syria wants Lebanon by whatever means necessary 16:13  |  Lynn 23/03/08
      22.   Joe Sittizen...go to the Arab News 16:16  |  Lynn 23/03/08
      23.   What a two faced hypocrite 16:19  |  POP 23/03/08
      24.   To Joe Sittizen (#4) and Millicent (#5) 16:27  |  Bader S Abu-Ghosh 23/03/08
      25.   The impertinence of the Arabs. 16:29  |  Jean Van Daem 23/03/08
      26.   Cheney,first things first! Dismantle the settlements! 16:30  |  lakshmi 23/03/08
      27.   Israel turns to its Rolodex of excuses 16:32  |  Tim 23/03/08
      28.   Yes, Abbas, peace requires will and courage, which YOU DON`T HAVE 16:33  |  McQueen 23/03/08
      29.   Israels objectives from the peace meetings 16:48  |  fredo 23/03/08
      30.   All of you could discover the decent Palestinians 16:56  |  H. Kollen 23/03/08
      31.   If The Arabs Want Peace, Then THEY Will Make Painful Concessions 17:30  |  Yishai Kohen 23/03/08
      32.   the impertinence of jean van daem 17:33  |  Michael 23/03/08
      33.   Natallie #1... the wannabe prophetess of doom... 17:36  |  Esther 23/03/08
      34.   Inalienable Rights are eternal! 17:44  |  Palistinian 23/03/08
      35.   Arabs never make any concessions 18:00  |  Gee 23/03/08
      36.   Wahhabhist painful concessions 18:02  |  Brod 23/03/08
      37.   Chaney is liar.. telling diffrent things on each capital 18:04  |  John 23/03/08
      38.   4.Millicent,yes I agree there are honour killings,but are they 18:18  |  lakshmi 23/03/08
      39.   For Natallie 18:21  |  Murray of Montreal 23/03/08
      40.   natalie, check your facts 18:24  |  natan 23/03/08
      41.   Cheney should be telling that to the Israelis 18:43  |  Dutch 23/03/08
      42.   ...i`m not worried nat... 18:43  |  SOI 23/03/08
      43.   Wonder if Cheney Knows who the `Palestinians` really are 18:49  |  Dagma 23/03/08
      44.   US/PA Do NOT Seek Peace. They Seek JEWISH ANNIHILATION 18:53  |  Linda Rivera 23/03/08
      45.   #7 Evengelical terrorism? 18:54  |  John 23/03/08
      46.   #1; Natalie Durson, at last we agree, it will be quick 18:55  |  Doc Holliday 23/03/08
      47.   Just out of curiosity 18:56  |  Jackie 23/03/08
      48.   News for Peres: Iran already owns Lebanon 18:59  |  Fortuna Benmayor 23/03/08
      49.   Seriously, Israel does not want peace 19:01  |  Harold 23/03/08
      50.   Military Photos of the Twin Towers - NEVER FORGET the 3,000 19:09  |  Linda Rivera 23/03/08
      51.   Concessions by whom? 19:09  |  Silkey 23/03/08
      52.   lame duck makes barking noises 19:12  |  blah 23/03/08
      53.   Cheney is an idiot... 19:13  |  betz55 23/03/08
      54.   Videos PA Muslims CELEBRATE 9/11 MURDERS of 3,000 INNOCENTS 19:15  |  Linda Rivera 23/03/08
      55.   Brod # 7 19:19  |  Janet 23/03/08
      56.   Milliecent 19:21  |  Judy 23/03/08
      57.   To Natallie Durson # 1 - THREATENING? 19:29  |  Dolly 23/03/08
      58.   Assad planning to kill Hamas 19:30  |  Hannah 23/03/08
      59.   Assad planning to kill Hamas 19:31  |  Hannah 23/03/08
      60.   #51 Silkey in Silkeborg 20:20  |  Labhras 23/03/08
      61.   Abu-Ghosh 20:53  |  JOJO (USA) 23/03/08
      62.   #59 Hannah 20:57  |  Gregor 23/03/08
      63.   Satellites within satellites 21:00  |  Morris Valentine 23/03/08
      64.   # 48 Fortuna Benmayor. Kol Hakavod. 21:08  |  Stephen. 23/03/08
      65.   Never accept hamas, and their games of deception 21:19  |  Johnny 23/03/08
      66.   Labhras #60 21:20  |  Gee 23/03/08
      67.   John #45 - to return you must have been here in the first place 21:27  |  Johnny 23/03/08
      68.   `Palestinian` Polls show that Militants win the Day! 21:31  |  Dagma 23/03/08