Sunday, September 14, 2014

Don't forget Iran

In a major foreign policy address, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu warned against cooperation with Shiite Iran in the fight against the Islamic State.
While praising the U.S. for leading an international coalition against extremist terror groups, Netanyahu reminded the world of Iran and its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons, saying this would cause the "ultimate terror."
"I think it's crucial not to let the fight against Sunni extremism make us forget the danger of Shiite extremism. They are two sides of the same coin. We don't have to strengthen one to weaken the other. My policy is: Weaken both and most importantly, don't allow any of them to get weapons of mass destruction," Netanyahu said, according to a report in Israel Hayom.
Israel's Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz, reiterating Israel's worry the U.S. focus on ISIS will distract it from more serious threats, was quoted as saying the Islamic State "is a five-year problem. A nuclear Iran is a 50-year problem ... with far greater impact."

Speaking Sept. 11 at an international anti-terrorism conference hosted by the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Netanyahu also said Israel is "playing our part" in U.S. President Obama's offensive against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, including action which he said may not be made public.

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