[R-G] Leon Panetta's mission to stop Israel bombing Iranian nuclear plant

[Anthony Fenton]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6289593.ece

May 15, 2009
Leon Panetta's mission to stop Israel bombing Iranian nuclear plant
A pilgrim holding mementoes and rosary beads awaits the arrival of  
Pope Benedict XVI for the celebration of holy mass in Nazareth
James Hider in Jerusalem

America’s spy chief was sent on a secret mission to Israel to warn its  
leaders not to launch a surprise attack on Iran without notifying the  
US Administration.

As Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, prepares to visit  
Washington, it emerged yesterday that Leon Panetta, the head of the  
CIA, went to Israel two weeks ago. He sought assurances from Mr  
Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, the Defence Minister, that their hawkish new  
Government would not attack Iran without alerting Washington.

Concerns have been rising that Mr Netanyahu could launch a strike on  
Tehran’s atomic programme, in the same way that Israel hit Saddam  
Hussein’s Osirak reactor in 1981. Israel has been preparing for such  
an eventuality. It has carried out long-distance manoeuvres and is due  
to hold its largest civil defence drills this summer. The country’s  
leaders reportedly told Mr Panetta that they did not “intend to  
surprise the US on Iran”.

Mr Netanyahu will leave for Washington this weekend. He will meet  
Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State, and Mr Obama, whom he will  
try to convince of the need for tougher action against Iran. Mr Obama  
favours trying to engage Tehran, but his efforts have been received  
coolly by President Ahmadinejad.

The Israeli leader is expected to insist that the US stays focused on  
Iran, rather than tackling stalled talks with the Palestinians.

Mr Netanyahu has held meetings with Arab leaders this week, including  
President Mubarak of Egypt and King Abdullah of Jordan. Both Sunni  
leaders share Israel’s fears of a resurgent Shia Iran.

In Aqaba, Jordan, yesterday King Abdullah told Mr Netanyahu there  
could be no regional peace without a Palestinian state. So far Mr  
Netanyahu has refused to commit to a two-state solution. Instead, he  
has talked about developing the Palestinian economy, with Palestinians  
having only limited sovereignty. That view is likely to cause  
confrontation with Mr Obama.

Mr Netanyahu raised the issue of Iran during a private meeting with  
Pope Benedict XVI in Nazareth yesterday. “I asked him as a moral  
figure to make his voice heard loud and continuously against the  
declarations coming from Iran of their intention to destroy Israel,”  
he said. .

“I think we found in him an attentive ear.” The Pope, who reiterated  
his calls for peace yesterday, did not give an account of the meeting.