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Olmert Iran's Nukes Can Be Stopped
ARON HELLER
AP
Sunday April 22, 2007
JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday that
there was still time for international diplomatic efforts to curb
Iran's nuclear ambitions, without the need for military action.
"I believe the international efforts will achieve the goals,"
Olmert said. "There is no need to get caught up in any apocalyptic
prophecies that have no basis in reality."
He warned against panic over Iran's nuclear program, telling Israel
Radio that, "Iran is far from crossing the nuclear threshold
... Unfortunately, it is not as far as I would like it to be but
it is also not as close as it proclaims to be."
Israeli concerns have been heightened by Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad's repeated calls for Israel's destruction. Olmert has
never ruled out taking military action, but he has repeatedly said
he would prefer a diplomatic solution.
The U.N. Security Council imposed limited sanctions in December
and strengthened them slightly last month because of Iran's refusal
to suspend uranium enrichment, which can produce fissile material
for a weapon or fuel for civilian energy. The council has set a
new, late May deadline.
"The security council has passed two resolutions, which impose
unprecedented sanctions," Olmert said. "I think there
is a possibility, even without a military operation, to stop Iran
from going nuclear."
Olmert also said that last summer's war against Hezbollah guerrillas
in south Lebanon was painful but succeeded in changing "the
rules of the game" in the region.
"The threat is not as it has been for many many years. At
this moment the northern border is totally quiet," he said.
"The main goal we wanted to achieve, changing the equation,
I think it was achieved but at a very heavy price."
He said the time would not be ripe for peace negotiations with
Syria until Syrian President Bashar Assad stopped supporting Palestinian
militants.
"We want to have peace with every Arab state, including Syria,"
he said. "But ... it is not enough to say publicly 'I want
peace,' you have to act on this."
The prime minister traditionally grants Israeli media outlets two
sweeping interviews a year, one in the fall, ahead of the Jewish
New Year, and another prior to Independence Day, which begins Monday
evening.
INFOWARS:
BECAUSE THERE'S A WAR ON FOR YOUR MIND
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