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Israel will decide independently on force against Iran - minister

Israel Materials 4 March 2012 15:54 (UTC +04:00)
Israel will decide independently whether to use military force against Iran, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Sunday, a day before the Israeli premier was due to meet with US President Barack Obama.
Israel will decide independently on force against Iran - minister

Israel will decide independently whether to use military force against Iran, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Sunday, a day before the Israeli premier was due to meet with US President Barack Obama, DPA reported.

"There is no doubt we are talking about the strongest power in the world," Lieberman said, referring to the United States. "We are talking about Israel's most important friend."

"But we are an independent and sovereign country and at the end of the day the Israeli government will take decisions, the best ones, as we see fit," he told Israel Radio.

If the international community was incapable of stopping the bloodshed in Syria, it made him wonder how much worth foreign promises to guarantee Israel's security were, he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on Monday scheduled to discuss Iran's alleged nuclear weapons programme with Obama in Washington.

The Israel-US discussions on Iran should be kept confidential, Lieberman added, saying that Israel was not trying to dictate to the United States on the issue.

"President Obama doesn't need our advice. He knows the situation. He knows our position. He certainly, certainly knows exactly what he'll say and we'll listen and consider," Lieberman said.

Israeli media have reported that Israel wants Washington to adopt tougher language against Iran and state clearly that it too is ready to use military force if Tehran does not abandon its nuclear programme.

Obama said in an interview with the Atlantic magazine published Friday that all options were on the table to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, including political, economic and diplomatic measures, and "a military component."

"I think that the Israeli government recognizes that, as president of the United States, I don't bluff," Obama said.

Netanyahu said in Ottawa Friday that Israel should be given the "freedom to act" against threats.

"We ask to maintain the state of Israel's freedom to act against threats which seek to wipe us off the map," he said in a news conference with Canadian Premier Stephen Harper.

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