IDF Watching Post-Election Iran

Posted: Tue 30th June 2009 9.58 AM  | Author: ICEJ

IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi warned on Thursday that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s fraudulent but irreversible victory in the country’s recent elections requires Israel and the IDF to be prepared for the worst.

"The reelection of the Iranian president, his remarks on his intention to harm Israel, and his efforts to obtain unconventional weapons, require us to be prepared to deal with every threat," Ashkenazi said. "Only a strong and high quality IDF will keep war at bay and if necessary, will subdue the enemy and win."

Defense Minister Ehud Barak agreed, saying, "in the Middle East, the threats posed to our security are not theoretical. The scope of threats against us has widened from Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists to Iran, which is working to attain nuclear capabilities.”

Meanwhile, Israel continues to watch the unfolding events in Iran very closely. "What is happening in Iran has a direct influence on every Israeli," said Ely Karmon of the Interdisciplinary Centre in Herzliya. "For many years Iran has supported most of the terrorism against Israel" and threatens "to destroy Israel, to raze it from the map", he said. "The Israelis want two main targets: first is stopping Iran from having the bomb and second to stop Iranian support for terrorist organizations," said Menashe Amir, head of Israel Radio's Persian-language service.

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