French FM to Haaretz: Israel will act before Iran gets bomb

Haaretz ^ | October 6, 2008 | Aluf Benn and Barak Ravid

[Schnucki]

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner dismisses the idea that even one nuclear bomb makes the Iranians immune to attack, he told Haaretz in an interview Friday.

"I honestly don't believe that it will give any immunity to Iran. First, because you will hit them before. And this is the danger. Because Israel has always said that it will not wait for the bomb to be ready. I think that they [the Iranians] know. Everybody knows," he said.

Kouchner says he is pleased with developments over the past few months in the Middle East. He is happy with what he has heard about the work of the Palestinian Authority in Jenin, where he visited Saturday, and with the indirect talks between Israel and Syria, the political arrangement in Lebanon and the cease-fire in Gaza. Only two issues worry him, he told Haaretz during his sixth visit to Israel - Iran and the future of the Annapolis process. Kouchner says he knows Israel is preparing a military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, and wants more time for diplomacy.

"Iran with an atomic bomb is unacceptable at all," Kouchner said, in keeping with a number of aggressive statements in the past on the issue. But how can it be prevented?" "Talking, talking, talking, and offering dialogue, sanctions, sanctions, sanctions. Is the alternative to bomb first - I think not," he said.

When reminded that France has been trying to talk to Iran for years with no success, Kouchner responded: "Since the election of President [Nicolas] Sarkozy our strategy was the same - sanctions but always dialogue. But you are right - dialogue with whom - we tried, we talked to the Iranians and a lot of people tried with no real result.

[Ranald S. MacKenzie]

“...talking, talking, talking,...dialogue...sanctions, sanctions, sanctions...”

blah...blah...blah...

[Schnucki]

Yeah but “the one” offers change and hope!