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U.S. PLAYS DOWN WORRIES ABOUT ISRAELI ATTACK ON IRAN
PanARMENIAN.Net
02.07.2008 14:46 GMT+04:00
Iranian and Western diplomats played down worries about a looming
Israeli military attack on Iran's nuclear facilities on Tuesday after
reports of heightened tensions rattled nerves and helped drive oil
prices near record highs.
"The military option is the last thing that we need to do and it will
not be used easily," said a Western diplomat in Tel Aviv. "I don't
think there will be an attack in the next six months."
Concern about a confrontation flared again on Tuesday when ABC News
reported that an unnamed senior U.S. defense official said there
was an increasing likelihood that Israel would attack Iran over its
nuclear program, which could prompt Tehran to retaliate against both
Israel and the United States.
U.S. officials sharply dismissed the ABC News report.
"I have no information that would substantiate that," State Department
spokesman Tom Casey said.
"The official State Department reaction to that is one, laughter,
and saying 'Coward, get out there and talk about in on the record
if you've actually got something to say,'" he said, referring to the
unnamed official cited in the report.
"You know, I need to find this guy because, apparently, he's an expert
on the Israeli military, an expert on Iran and an expert on nuclear
issues at the same time. Let's get him a Nobel Prize," he said,
Reuters reports.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
PanARMENIAN.Net
02.07.2008 14:46 GMT+04:00
Iranian and Western diplomats played down worries about a looming
Israeli military attack on Iran's nuclear facilities on Tuesday after
reports of heightened tensions rattled nerves and helped drive oil
prices near record highs.
"The military option is the last thing that we need to do and it will
not be used easily," said a Western diplomat in Tel Aviv. "I don't
think there will be an attack in the next six months."
Concern about a confrontation flared again on Tuesday when ABC News
reported that an unnamed senior U.S. defense official said there
was an increasing likelihood that Israel would attack Iran over its
nuclear program, which could prompt Tehran to retaliate against both
Israel and the United States.
U.S. officials sharply dismissed the ABC News report.
"I have no information that would substantiate that," State Department
spokesman Tom Casey said.
"The official State Department reaction to that is one, laughter,
and saying 'Coward, get out there and talk about in on the record
if you've actually got something to say,'" he said, referring to the
unnamed official cited in the report.
"You know, I need to find this guy because, apparently, he's an expert
on the Israeli military, an expert on Iran and an expert on nuclear
issues at the same time. Let's get him a Nobel Prize," he said,
Reuters reports.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress