Gates in Israel: U.S. expects answer from Tehran by end of September

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said yesterday that the United States was expecting an answer from Iran by the end of September to its proposal to start a dialogue on Iran's nuclear program. That is when the U.N. General Assembly is scheduled to convene. Speaking at a joint press conference with Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Jerusalem, Gates said the offer to the Iranian president was not open-ended.

In Israel for a few hours, Gates met yesterday with Barak and with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Their discussions focused on the Iranian issue, but they also spoke about U.S. security assistance to Israel, particularly missile defense, and the Israeli demand for any future Palestinian state to be demilitarized, as well as the situation in the north.

Military Intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin and chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi joined Gates and Barak for part of their meeting.

Barak told reporters that long-term dialogue could give Iran the opportunity to mislead the entire world, while proceeding with its nuclear plans

"If there is an engagement, we believe it should be short in time, well-defined in objectives, followed by sanctions, preferably [United Nations Charter] Chapter 7-type of sanctions," Barak said.

Regarding a possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, Barak said: "We clearly believe that no option should be removed from the table," Barak said."This is our policy. We mean it. We recommend to others to take the same position, but we cannot dictate it to anyone.

"We are not blind to the fact that our operations or activity also affect neighbors and others, and we take this into account. But ultimately our obligation is to Israel's national security interest," Barak said.

Meanwhile, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gabriela Shalev, yesterday called Iran the biggest supporter of terrorism, because of the money, support and training Iran it provides to terror organizations in the Gaza Strip and South Lebanon.

Shalev's comments came during a special UN Security Council session held to discuss the Middle East, in which she also called on the international community to take serious, immediate action to put a stop to Iran's nuclear program and support of terrorism. Shalev also accused Iran of being responsible for sabotaging the peace process.

American envoy George Mitchell, who is also in Israel, is to meet this morning with Netanyahu to discuss ways of restarting negotiations with the Palestinians and the Syrians. They are also expected to discuss the U.S. demand for a freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank.

Mitchell met yesterday with President Shimon Peres and told him that in recent weeks Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates had called on Arab countries to fulfill their pledges stemming from the Arab peace initiative.

He said Arab countries must take significant steps toward normalization with Israel.

Mitchell, who met yesterday morning with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, told him the United States supported a comprehensive peace. "By comprehensive, I mean peace between Israel and Palestinians, between Israel and Syria, between Israel and Lebanon and the full normalization of relations between Israel and the countries of the region."

"We're not asking anyone to achieve full normalization at this time, we recognize that will come further down the road in this process," Mitchell also said.

The secretary of the Arab League, Amr Musa, has previously said he opposes normalization by Arab countries of their relations with Israel in exchange for a freeze on construction in the settlements.

Sources in the Israeli defense establishment said their impression following the recent talks between Israel and senior U.S. officials is that the Obama administration is gradually changing the way it looks at the Iranian threat.