IRAN, ISRAEL: Locked in potentially deadly dance

Iran and Israel are at it again. After a few weeks of calm that saw oil prices drop and concern cool about a third hot war breaking out in the Middle East, tensions are building again.

The latest brouhaha began with a comment by an Israeli minister that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could be the target of a kidnapping by the Mossad. This new row between Iran and Israel brought back to the forefront the issue of the Islamic Republic's alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons.

In an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel, Rafi Eitan, a minister in the Israeli Cabinet and an ex-Mossad agent who was once in charge of hunting down and kidnapping former Nazi war criminals, said:

It could very well be that a leader such as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suddenly finds himself before the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

When the interviewer asked Eitan whether he meant that "seriously," he answered: "Absolutely. Those who spread poison and want to eradicate another people has to expect such consequences."

The Iranians took the declarations as threats. They complained by addressing a letter Tuesday to the United Nations secretary-general:

These dangerous threats ... not only constitute manifest violations of international law and contravene the most fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations, but are against the basic values of the civilized world.

In all likelihood, both sides are posturing ahead of the opening of the U.N. General Assembly session in about 10 days. That's when world powers will begin discussing a fourth round of sanctions on Iran for its refusal to stop enriching uranium, a key process in the development of an atomic bomb as well as a peaceful civilian energy program.

Israel promptly snapped back. In a statement Wednesday, Israel's new U.N. ambassador, Gabriela Shalev, called Iran's complaint "absurd":

Iran's president repeatedly denies the Holocaust and calls — again and again — for the destruction of the state of Israel.... [Ahmadinejad leads a country] that develops nuclear capabilities endangering the entire world.... As such, Iran is under United Nations sanctions for its non-compliance with the international community.... Furthermore, Iran openly and actively supports and arms terrorist organizations.

Shalev also urged the international community to stay focused on the Iranian nuclear issue.

The United States, for its part, continues to tighten the screws on Iran. On Wednesday, U.S. officials said they would impose sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, or IRISL, and 18 affiliated companies for helping Iran advance its nuclear weapons program.

Stuart Levey, U.S. undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement:

Not only does IRISL facilitate the transport of cargo for U.N.-designated proliferators, it also falsifies documents and uses deceptive schemes to shroud its involvement in illicit commerce.... IRISL's actions are part of a broader pattern of deception and fabrication that Iran uses to advance its nuclear and missile programs.

The shipping company rejected the U.S. claims as unfounded.

Although the U.S. apparently still considers economic pressure the primary means of slowing Iran's drive toward perfecting advanced nuclear technology, not so Israel. According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, the Americans have made clear to the Israelis lately that Jerusalem does not have a green light from Washington for an attack on Iran.

The newspaper said in its Thursday edition that for the last few months the United States has declined to give Israel "a large number of 'bunker-buster' bombs, permission to use an air corridor to Iran, an advanced technological system and refueling planes."

Haaretz said the refusal came out of concern that Israel would use the aid to attack nuclear facilities in Iran.

With a new U.S. administration taking office next year, the question of whether Israel will ever strike Iran with Washington's approval remains open.

Sarah Palin, the vice presidential running mate of Republican candidate John McCain, called for a hands-off approach to Israel if it decided to strike Iranian nuclear facilities.

"We cannot second-guess the steps that Israel has to take to defend itself," she said in a televised interview with ABC News. She warned that nuclear weapons under the control of Ahmadinejad would be "extremely dangerous to everyone on this globe."

— Raed Rafei and Borzou Daragahi in Beirut

Photo: An Iranian clergyman walks past mock coffins bearing a U.S. flag where skulls have replaced its stars and an Israeli flag, along with pictures of Indian-born British author Salman Rushdie, at the International Koran exhibition at the Imam Khomeini grand mosque in Tehran this month. Credit: Behrouz Mehri / AFP/Getty Images

P.S. The Los Angeles Times issues a free daily newsletter with the latest headlines from the Middle East, as well as the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. You can subscribe by logging in at the website here, clicking on the box for "L.A. Times updates," and then clicking on the "World: Mideast" box.

Comments

[George]

Rafi Eitan was a big part of the deliberate Israeli attack on the USS Liberty in 1967, which killed or wounded over 100 American military and intelligence personnel. He was the handler of arch-traitor Jonathan Pollard, and helped pass Pollard's stolen intelligence to the USSR. Patriotic Americans everywhere pray Eitan is wiped off the face of the Earth.

[Papa]

Taghi,

Iranians have a right to protect their country and revolution. As an American sick of our pro-Israeli foriegn policy, I support you. We need a powerful Iran to bring Israel and it's influential supporters to understand the real world.
Iran and USA were good friends before and if not for Israeli's mischief they would be very good friends again.

[kaveh]

hahahaha taqi "our wise supreme leader" ? lol u call a moron who orders nothing but hate wise??? "our brave president" ? are you talking about the guy who has ecextued SOOOOO many for stupid things? oh yes his so brave ur a disgrace to every iranian and shouldnt even be talking about our 3000 year history

[Hamed]

Taqi,

You are a shame to Iranians!

[Laker]

Taqi ,
You are low life that like many of you people do not have any respect to life.
because of your stipid monkey leader like achmadinazad, you and you country will be exterminated.
bybye tariq aziz

[musa hayim]

ur 3000 yr history cant even make a pin without western or eastern help.
ur Ajad is a luni
ur quran is a third rated copy of Turat.
ur revolution hasnot done much of anything. you still depend on us formyour refind gas and industrial goods and food and medical.
your morality, you stone women to death.
your leader is a opiom addict leading a third world country

[Arash]

Taghi,
First of all speak for yourself. I am an Iranian too and personally despise your revolution, your Qoran, your islamic religion, yourpresident and your leader. You fashist bigots are not much better than the zionist, as you are the same. Both are religious fenatics that kill in hte name of God. I want a UN resolution eventually passed that NO nation can be a religeous nation and apply it to Iran, Israel, and TIbet to name a few. Remeber Taqi, you and a bunch of reveluotionary retards are not all IRANIANS.

[BC]

What does Israel know of an International Criminal Court? They've dodged it and hid behind the US veto for years. Israel avoids at all costs, the judgement of an international (or non-US dominated) court. Point in case: Ariel Sharon

[Kiumars]

If we all boycott US products they will not have the money to kill people all over the world; it is our own fault! Every one of us must encourage people to boycott U.S. goods; and as Israel cannot survive a single day without U.S. financial handouts, we actually hit two birds with one stone.

[Saint Michael Traveler]

Just Compensation for war aggressions:
UN Demands $1-Billion for Israeli Damage During Lebanon War

Richard Silverstein in his article (September 8th, 2008):
http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2008/09/08/un-demands-1-billion-for-israeli-damage-during-lebanon-war/

“After a failed war that ended up killing 1,000 Lebanese and 150 Israelis and caused billions in damage to both Israel and especially Lebanon, a partial bill has been presented to Israel by the UN:
“UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will demand that Israel pay Lebanon $1 billion in compensation over damages caused during the Jewish state’s 2006 war against Hizbullah, Lebanese media reported Saturday.
According to the report the sum, based on World Bank appraisals, is aimed at covering the environmental and material damages caused by the Second Lebanon War to neighboring countries as well.
The fundamental part of the compensation demanded is for the damage caused to the Lebanese coast due to an oil spill following an Israeli bombing of a southern Beirut power plant, which the Lebanese said had caused “an ecological disaster.”
According to the report, Ban plans to submit a report to the United Nations General Assembly at the end of the month, stating that damage Israel caused to the oil reservoir polluted Lebanon’s coast, and that the pollution spread to neighboring countries, especially Syria.
…The oil spill, which was defined the greatest natural disaster in Lebanon’s history, took place after Israel Air Force planes hit a power plant and caused some 110,000 oil barrels to leak into the Mediterranean Sea.
The report said that the UN wants Israel to compensate the countries harmed by the oil spill and restore the environmental situation along the Lebanon coast.”
Should Iraqi people demand compensation from USA for our attack on their country, killing their people and destroying their nation?

Kuwait and Iran both have demanded compensation from Iraq for the damages and death imposed on their countries. Are they receiving compensation? Have not Jewish people been receiving compensation from Germany for Hitler's period of slaughter and economic damages?

World should use the World Court and the United Nations to resolve grievances and conflicts among nations. War is just too uncivilized!

Israel and Iran should use the International Court and the United Nations to resolve their differences.

[BiBiJon]

Thank you for printing that picture. The Iranian government needs to understand that tasteless displays, chants of down with US/Israel, etc. is destroying Iran, and garners it little support among the poor of the world. It is possible to take a principled stance against imperialism and appertheid without such tackiness.

For a reality check on Iran, please see
http://www.bibijon.org/iranimage/

[We Mustrepent]

The problem is that it means
World War 3 no matter if the U.S.
attacks or Israel attacks.
Everyone should forget about what
kind of anti-ship missiles whoever has
or how many friends whoever has
in the potential theater of war!

The beginning will mean that there is
no gas available, which means that there
will be alot of civil unrest and selfishness.
Food and medicine will become less available.
Curfews and crackdowns will
begin upon unrest in the cities
of the world that depend on modern things
for their very survival.

The global police are responsible for
naked aggression for sure, but striking back at
what price? Burning all the little children
and adults all over the world alive?

The argument should be about preventing an obvious
world war scenario happening before our eyes, and
nothing else.

Israel will not allow Iran to have the capacity to
build a Nuclear weapon- and everyone knows this
including Iran and it's leader -which is why
he's is so brazenly sucking up to our potential
world war 3 enemies at this very moment.

I consider all players in this field Sick In The
Head and I consider the world as watching helplessly as we spin around the drain for a final time before we go in for another round in the sewer
and it is there that all of us will finally perish.

No standing leader in the world today is worth us dying such deaths as will come.
They are so piddly and cartoonish that I laugh crazily.

They are very well aware of what they are provoking
and what the results will be. They are sick.

"The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking... the solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker."
~Einstein

[Haroon Abbasi]

Why is the US more worried about Israel than her own citizens? Surely with the housing slump and credit crunch driving millions to despair, the US should be focused on her domestic problems.

Do Israelis citizens hold the Green Card?

[Taqi]

Jealous Zionists:
They are jealous of
1) Out three thousand year old ancient civilization
2) Our Oil
3) Our wise supreme leader
4) Our brave president
5) Out morality and Islamic religion
6) Our Quran
7) Our revolution

We will protect all above to our last drop of blood against Zionists.

Taqi Isfan Iran