Panetta doesn't think Israel decided to attack IranFebruary 14, 2012 - 23:10 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Tuesday, Feb 14, he does not think Israel has made a decision to launch a military strike on Iran to thwart its nuclear ambitions, The Associated Press reports. And he said he does not have a view on whether it is likely that Israel would attack this spring. A Washington Post columnist wrote recently that Panetta sees a high likelihood that Israel will attack in April, May or June. During a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., pressed Panetta on his personal assessment. "And so you do not have a position as to whether it is likely that Israel will make such an attack this spring?" Wicker asked. Panetta replied, "I do not." Panetta emphasized that the Obama administration is deeply worried by Iran's behavior and its nuclear ambitions. "We have common cause with Israel," he said. "We have common cause with the international community with regards to the concerns about Iran. We've made very clear that they are not to develop a nuclear weapon. We've made very clear that they are not to close the Straits of Hormuz. We've also made very clear that they are not to export terrorism and try to undermine other governments." He said the U.S. and other nations have taken strong steps with sanctions and stressed the importance of keeping the international community together. Israel has blamed Iran for recent attacks on Israeli diplomats overseas. Tehran has denied responsibility. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |