Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said Thursday he hopes that statements from Israel’s top military chief describing Iran’s leadership as rational and their weapons program as non-existent were “correct.”
Israeli Lieutenant General Benny Gantz told Haaretz on Wednesday that the Iranian leadership “is composed of very rational people,” and that he didn’t think Iran would actually start to develop nuclear weapons.
In response, Panetta said, “I would hope he’s correct and he knows something more than I do. I do not have any specific information that indicates (the Iranians) have made any decision one way or another” regarding nuclear weapons.
The statement is a strange one because presumably if Iran has not yet decided to develop nuclear weapons, that means they’re not developing nuclear weapons, which seems like a decision in and of itself.
Gants addressed where the confusion might be coming from. Iran, he said, has a defensive posture, not an offensive one. “[Iran] is going step by step to the place where it will be able to decide whether to manufacture a nuclear bomb. It hasn’t yet decided whether to go the extra mile.”
“If the supreme religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wants, he will advance it to the acquisition of a nuclear bomb, but the decision must first be taken,” he added. “It will happen if Khamenei judges that he is invulnerable to a [military] response.”
It might be safe to conclude that Panetta is about the stupidest SecDef America has EVER been saddled with. Panetta "hopes" that Benny Gantz is correct? Are you freaking kidding me? Oh wow, maybe Uncle Leon isn't on speaking terms with CIA Petraeus. You know, cause CIA is 'allegedly' responsible for intelligence and stuff like that there. Of course the obvious angle in all of this, Panetta is simply spineless and servile as the day is long. Hmmm, lickspittle?
Panetta has a new problem. Which Israeli should he listen to?
I beg your pardon, Danton, but Gen. Panetta knows exactly who to obey first – he has a chain of command to follow in Israel.
Even if Iran had nuclear weapons, it would not represent a serious threat to the US 'Homeland'. The US is not here to protect Israel or to fight its wars. Besides, Iran has every right to develope a nuclear option as has Israel, but it has wisely chosen not to.
Pannetta Hopes they wont, Every US Intelligence Agency says they are NOT even Mossad says they are Not Most Israeli Generals say they are not, even Bibi has said they are not in the recent past, finally the IAEA says they are not, in fact the ONLY people that say they are, are US politicians, This isnt about Nuclear weapons its about Regime Change and Giving th Oil Fields BACK to BP, it was that in 1954 and it has been that since the Shah was deposed!
“Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said Thursday he hopes that statements from Israel’s top military chief describing Iran’s leadership as rational and their weapons program as non-existent were “correct.”
The above quote is meaningless as Panetta himself a few days ago had asserted on Anti-war that Iran is not engaged in making nuclear weapons. Looks like these people don’t keep track of their blabbers.
How pathetic is this! The guy has more control over the Italian mafia than he's got over these warmongering hucksters.
“It will happen if Khamenei judges that he is invulnerable to a [military] response.” That's the new fantasy to keep America's 'vigilant' posture seemingly relevent; damage control for the hard won false association between Iran and nukes.
Empire USA so good — Iran so evil
This is the mainstream propaganda that gives our mainstream public a false sense of security, that the word of Iran is so worthless in the eyes of the world, that we can bomb their people into being honest and give all their oil fields to the Western corporate rich who are so rich and desirous.