Did Israel just rule out airstrikes on Iran?

Posted By Blake Hounshell Wednesday, June 3, 2009 - 8:20 AM Share

The AP has a story, noted in this morning's Brief, that quotes Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman as saying that Israel does not "intend to bomb Iran." He adds, "nobody will solve their problems with our hands."

This comment is taken by the headline editor to mean: "Israel not going to bomb Iran: Foreign Minister."

But I don't think Lieberman said that at all. He said that Israel does not intend to bomb Iran, leaving open the possibility that Israel might find itself forced to do so by the international community's inaction.

Now, I am about 55 percent persuaded that Israel won't risk a rupture with the United States by bombing, and that Iran in any case won't go beyond a latent nuclear weapons capability, á la Japan. But I certainly don't think Israel has decided to close off the airstrikes option just yet.

EXPLORE:MIDDLE EAST, NUKES

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CURIOUS OBSERVER

8:31 AM ET

June 3, 2009

That sounds about right

On a related note, it was extremely interesting to see Obama, in his BBC interview, affirm Iran's right to pursue nuclear energy -- which I don't think the Bush administration ever acknowledged.

Makes me wonder if he's seen the Johns Hopkins research that says Iran's oil industry such a mess that it will cease to be an exporting country by 2015.

Which in turn makes me wonder if he's seen the estimates that Mexico will cease to be an exporting country by 2012. Or is it 2011 now?

HASS

11:12 AM ET

June 3, 2009

Bush did so

Bush did acknowledge -- eventually -- that Iran has a sovereign right to nuclear energy. See: http://tinyurl.com/qmf6w7

HASS

11:10 AM ET

June 3, 2009

hass

What exactly would they bomb in Iran anyway? Overt, IAEA-monitored civilian nuclear energy sites that are subject to 24-hour surveillance by international inspectors and which have been shown to produce only low-enriched uranium that cannot be used to make bombs? And that would accomplish what, exactly?

HASS

11:11 AM ET

June 3, 2009

Continued...

There are no nuclear weapons sites in Iran. And, you can't bomb "intentions to obtain capacities" to build nukes.

SWEEPPICKER

3:11 AM ET

June 7, 2009

Do Not Trust

Israel is not one to trust. In fact, I would not trust any goverment body. Also, there is no proof that Iran has nuclear weapons.

It's sad that we are even in this conflict. Israel is controls American policy.

Adam @ pheromones

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