29 Mar 2024
Thursday 10 January 2013 - 12:53
Story Code : 16973

Peres: Obama will strike Iran if all else fails

peresIn comments published by the 'New York Times,' the president says if sanctions, negotiations do not work, US will attackIran.
In comments published byThe New York Timeson Wednesday, President Shimon Peres said he is sure that his US counterpart will use military power against Iran "in the end," if all other efforts to stop Tehran from pursuing a nuclear weapon fail.

In a series of interviews published byThe Timesand conducted byYedioth Ahronothjournalist Ronen Bergman in July last year at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, the president said "America knows how to throw a punch when it has to."

"They [America] dont begin by shooting. They try all the other means first economic sanctions, political pressure, negotiations, everything possible. But in the end, if none of this works, then President Obama will use military power against Iran. I am sure of it, the president said.

Addressing therift that arose between himself and Prime MinisterBinyamin Netanyahu in August of last year over theoption of using military force against Iran, Peres said: "I expressed my opinion, and that was my duty."

The president spoke out publicly against attacking Iran, to which Netanyahu responded, saying that Peres had "forgotten what the presidents job is."

In an apparent dig at the prime minister over ongoing disagreements regarding the viability of Palestinian Authority President MahmoudAbbas as a 'partner for peace,' Peres said that if the "people of Israel heard from the leadership that there is a chance for peace, they would take up the gauntlet and believe it.

Continuing, the president said: "He [Netanyahu] may do nothing, but that doesn't mean that things won't be done. This idea, that history is a horse that can be held by the tail, is a foolish idea. After all, the fire can be lit in an instant: another word, another shot, and in the end everyone will lose control. If there is no diplomatic decision, the Palestinians will go back to terror."

On the future of peace talks, the president told Bergman that, like the Oslo process, any future negotiations have to be secret.

"Abu Mazen [Abbas] and I met for long talks, with Netanyahus knowledge, and even reached more than a few agreements. To my regret, in the end there was always some rupture, and I do not want to go into the reasons for that now. This is not a simple negotiation but I thought the conditions exist to set out on the path."

In spite of Western accusations thatsettlements are an obstruction to the two-state solution, Peres defended continued building, stating: "the settlers have not eliminated the chance for the establishment of a Palestinian state."

Addressing the issue reigning in headlines over the past year, Peres said the use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar Assad "would be a suicidal act."

The president told Bergman that should Syria aim the weapons at Israel, or Syrian civilians, Israel would take "decisive and immediate action...No less important, Assad is liable to transfer the chemical weapons to Hezbollah, which from our point of view will constitute crossing a red line. It is incumbent upon Israel to prevent such a thing from happening, and it will take firm military action to do so."

In a hopeful conclusion to the interviews, the president added that if he has another 10 years to live, he is sure he will see peace.

"I am sure that I will have the privilege of seeing peace come even to this dismal and wonderful and amazing part of the world," Peres said.

By Jerusalem Post

 

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