Will Israel Really Strike Iran? SECDEF Won’t Comment On Ignatius Assertion

Posted Feb 2, 2012 by Howard Altman

Updated Feb 2, 2012 at 10:55 PM

I’ve been focusing a lot these days on U.S. relations with Iran.

With good reason.

If this is the run-up period to a war with the Islamic Republic, then now is a good time to have a vigorous and informed debate whether such a course is wise. That’s why I reached out to a few folks with expertise in the region to see what they think. Not a one, so far, thinks war is a good idea.

Questions about Iran and Isreal were raised today at the Pentagon, at the end of a presser given by SECDEF Panetta. After talking about the future of the war effort in Afghanistan, Panetta was asked to respond to a David Ignatius column laying out his presumption of what Israeli thinking is about attacking Iran.

The column surmises Panetta believes “there is a strong likelihood that Israel will strike Iran in April, May or June — before Iran enters what Israelis described as a “zone of immunity” to commence building a nuclear bomb. Very soon, the Israelis fear, the Iranians will have stored enough enriched uranium in deep underground facilities to make a weapon — and only the United States could then stop them militarily.”

Ignatius never intimates he spoke with Panetta or how he comes to believe what Panetta believes. But the media picked it up and ran with it.

At the presser, Panetta was asked whether Ignatius was accurate. Panetta would not go there. But he did say that any indication of what the Israelis are thinking has already been in the public domain.

Here’s a transcript of that portion of the presser, courtesy of the Department of Defense (which provided the entire transcript).

  Q:  Mr. Secretary, our colleague David Ignatius reported today a column saying that you believe there is a strong likelihood that Israel will strike Iran in April, May or June.  And this is before Iran could enter a zone of immunity to build a nuclear weapon.  Is that accurate?  And if so, are you becoming increasingly concerned that Israel is, in fact, preparing to take action?

          SEC. PANETTA:  Yeah, I - frankly, I’m not going to comment on that.

          Q:  Why not?

          SEC. PANETTA:  Because that’s something that, you know, is - David Ignatius, you know, can write what he will but, you know, with regards to what I think and what I view, I consider that to be an area that belongs to me and nobody else.

          Q:  OK.  But, I mean, obviously your thoughts carry a great deal of weight in our country.  (Laughter.)

          SEC. PANETTA:  No, I understand.

          Q:  Are you disputing what he’s reporting?

          SEC. PANETTA:  No, I’m just not commenting.

          Q:  Can you just give a sense of something general about your concerns about Israel’s position right now?  I believe someone said - who was it who said –

          Q:  Barak.

          Q:  Barak said today that they’re stepping up their rhetoric about a strike on Iran.  So can you just address what’s out in public right now about Israel and its views about Iran?

          SEC. PANETTA:  Well, I think - I mean, I - there’s not - you know, there really isn’t that much to add except that, you know, Israel has indicated, you know, that they’re considering this and, you know, we have indicated our concerns.

          STAFF:  And finally, David, did you have a question or –

          Q:  I wanted just to follow up on Gale’s (sp?) question about whether this transition strategy that you discussed - (inaudible) - yesterday and discussed here, is conditioned based.  I’m unclear about that.

          SEC. PANETTA:  Yeah
.
          Q:  Would you say that is going to begin the second half of 2013 - (inaudible)?

          SEC. PANETTA:  Only thing - I didn’t hear that.

          (Cross talk.)

          Q:  (Inaudible) - added the phrase you have not used either yesterday or today, which is –which is conditional.

          SEC. PANETTA:  Well, I think - you know, I think when you’re in combat, when you’re in war, every step that you take is conditions based. 

          STAFF:  All right. Thank you. 

          Q:  (Inaudible) - comment, just to make sure, when you said Israel has indicated that they’re considering this, you mean has indicated to you that they’re considering –

          SEC. PANETTA:  No, they’ve indicated it publicly. 

          STAFF:  All right.  Thank you.