'We reserve operational freedom on Iran'
May. 21, 2009
JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST
JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's adviser, Uzi Arad.
Israel will not let Iran attain nuclear weapons capability, said Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's National Security Adviser Uzi Arad on Thursday, adding that the US was aware of Israel's security needs and knew that it would not necessarily receive forewarning of an Israeli strike against Teheran's nuclear facilities.
Israel maintains its liberty to operate against Iran, Arad told Army Radio. During this week's visit to Washington, Arad said, the prime minister "clarified that Israel reserves operational freedom, and several of the most senior figures in the administration said 'of course.'"
Arad emphasized that the Americans were aware of Israel's unique security needs and accepted them. "There have been past instances," he said, "in which Israel did not update the United States regarding military operations."
On Wednesday, CIA director Leon Panetta said Israel knew it needed to coordinate its strategy on Iran with other nations and that attacking Teheran's nuclear facilities would mean "big trouble." 
Shihab-3 missile
Acknowledging that he had recently traveled to Israel to meet Netanyahu and warn him against a strike on Iran, the CIA chief told Global Viewpoint that he "felt assured" Israel would not break ranks with Washington's strategy.
"Yes," he said, "the Israelis are obviously concerned about Iran and focused on it. But [Netanyahu] understands that if Israel goes it alone, it will mean big trouble. He knows that for the sake of Israeli security, they have to work together with others."
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CIA Warns Israel: ‘Don’t Attack Iran Alone’
Iranian nuclear reactor.
Iyar 26, 5769, 20 May 09 01:42
by Hana Levi Julian(IsraelNN.com) The head of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has warned Israel not to go it alone and attack Iran’s nuclear installations. “The last thing we need in the Middle East is a nuclear arms race,” said Leon Panetta in an interview published Monday in the quarterly Global Viewpoint.
Panetta said the American intelligence community is well aware that Iran is a destabilizing force in the Middle East, regardless of the passive stance taken by the White House. “The threat posed by Iran has our full attention. Even though the administration is moving toward diplomatic engagement with that country, no one is naïve about the challenges,” he said.
Nonetheless, unlike their Israeli counterparts, U.S. intelligence officials apparently do not believe that Iran is actively involved in developing a nuclear weapon at present. Rather, the Islamic Republic is simply laying the groundwork for such preparations, he clarified.
“It is our judgment that Iran halted weaponization in 2003,” said Panetta, “but it continues to develop uranium enrichment technology and nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.”
Iran Launches 2,000-kilometer Missile
Even as military and intelligence officials debated whether Iran had the capability to produce a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile, the Islamic Republic surprised the world Wednesday by launching precisely such a weapon.
Even as military and intelligence officials debated whether Iran had the capability to produce a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile, the Islamic Republic surprised the world Wednesday by launching precisely such a weapon.
“We launched a Seji-2 missile, which is a two-stage missile, and it has reached the intended target,” President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad proudly proclaimed to the media.
The Iranian president added that the 2,000-kilometer range missile is powered by solid fuel, and said it represents an improvement from the country’s previous Shihab missile series.
The launch came one day after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu discussed the Iranian nuclear threat with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington.
The missile firing places in question a report by the U.S.-based EastWest Institute, which offered the assessment that it would take Iran at least six to eight years to produce a missile capable of delivering a warhead at a 2,000-kilometer range. The report, which was prepared by a team of six U.S. nuclear experts and six Russian experts, furthermore stated that Iran would not be able to produce even a simple nuclear device for at least another one to three years.
A separate report prepared by the Rand Corporation for the U.S. Air Force, also released Tuesday, said that Iran is a less potent foe than commonly thought and urged the U.S. to work together with other international powers to contain Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
The document claimed Iran’s military is poorly maintained and has outdated equipment and personnel shortages and said that the Tehran regime maintains less control over Hizbullah and Hamas than popularly believed.
The Rand report recommended that officials should focus on Iran’s actions, not rhetoric.
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