JERUSALEM, July 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary
Robert Gates has given Iran a deadline until fall to respond positively to the
request of U.S. President Barack Obama to enter negotiations over its nuclear
program.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
(R) meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem July
27, 2009. (Xinhua/pool-Darren Whiteside) Photo Gallery>>>
Gates made the comment after a meeting with his
Israeli counterpart Ehud Barak on Monday. Analysts say the deadline will tie in
with the opening of the UN General Assembly in September.
"I
don't think the timing of these comments is coincidental," said Uzi Rubin, the
former head of Israel's defensive Arrow anti-missile program.
In his opinion, events in Tel Aviv dovetail with
those in Moscow earlier this month, when Obama was hosted by Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev.
There is an attempt by politicians in some regions,
including the United States, to present the Iranian threat merely as regional--
something that will not affect Europe or the U.S., said Rubin.
Yossi Mekelberg, an associate fellow at the
London-based institute Chatham House, echoed that "when it comes to nuclear
development, the timetable is very important, because there is a point of no
return and that's the problem."
But Mekelberg said the fact that the U.S. is setting
a cut-off date for talks does not mean that a day after the deadline passes it
will launch an attack on Iran. The possibilities after September are
"open-ended," he said.
Analysts expect that at the 64th session of the UN
General Assembly, to open on Sept. 15, the five permanent members of the UN
Security Council would be divided on what level of nonmilitary action can be
taken in a bid to twist Iran's arm.
China and Russia are nowhere near as enthusiastic
about a new round of sanctions as are France, Britain and the United States.
Each of the five permanent members can veto proposed resolutions brought to the
council for approval.
Given the standoff at the UN and other prevailing
international pressures, Israel is increasingly aware that it may have to take
the initiative when it comes to Iran's nuclear program.
Israel is now pushing to keep the Iranian issue at
the top of the international agenda and to remind the world that Iran's
capabilities go far beyond the Middle East.
In the meeting with Gates, Barak said Israel will
rely on its own force to defend itself -- another clear signal that should Iran
develop a nuclear weapon, Israel is prepared to take military action.
However, Mekelberg warned that there could be a
problem for Israel as it tries to keep the Iranian nuclear issue to the fore.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
(R) meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem July
27, 2009. (Xinhua/pool-Darren Whiteside) Photo Gallery>>>
Too much talk in the international community about
nuclear proliferation could well give rise to additional support for the idea of
an entirely nuclear-free Middle East, he said.
While Israel sticks to a policy of ambiguity over its
nuclear capabilities, it could find itself the subject of intense pressure over
its reported nuclear arsenal as this issue continues to rumble on, he added.
The meetings in Israel come in the broader context of
ongoing U.S.-Israeli tension. Relations between the nations have been somewhat
strained since Obama became U.S. president and Benjamin Netanyahu became Israeli
Prime Minister earlier this year.
Obama's views on the Middle East are set almost 180
degrees from those of his predecessor George W. Bush. He believes in engagement
where Bush sought to isolate. That means negotiating with Iran and Syria,
something Bush was loathed to do.
With the visits to Israel this week of Gates,
National Security Adviser James Jones and special regional envoy George
Mitchell, the Obama administration has sent a clear public message to Israel:the
"special relationship" between the two will continue, despite ongoing
disagreements about Israel's settlement policy.
Key among the personnel flying into Israel were Gates
and Jones, because their agendas clearly include Iran and the bilateral defense
relationship. Israel needs assurances from Washington that the U.S. is serious
in its determination to deal with the Iranian nuclear situation.
A day before the Gates-Netanyahu parley, U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent a clear signal of support to Israel when
she appeared on the TV show Meet the Press, saying that "We are united in our
continuing commitment to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons... Your
pursuit is futile."
Following Gates' meeting with Barak and his
subsequent talks with Israeli PM Netanyahu, the message from the Pentagon was
one of wholehearted support for Israel.
Israel is also trying to suggest that Washington is
fully behind Israel on this issue.
"It's always good to know that the U.S., the
strongest nation in the world and the leader of the free world, stands at the
side of free, moderate nations against oppressive regimes in the Middle East and
elsewhere," Barak said.
But at the same time, Tehran sent out its own message
to Washington on Monday. Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK) have the potential to further bolster ties, Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali
Larijani was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency.
"The two countries enjoy abundant capacities to
strengthen and expand bilateral friendly ties, which must be utilized within the
framework of common interests," Larijani said during a meeting with DPRK's
ambassador to Tehran So Se Pyong.
