Panetta doubts Israel has decided on Iran attack

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, right, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey testify before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing at the Senate Dirksen Office Building in Washington Feb. 14, 2012. / AFP/Getty Images

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said he does not think Israel has made a decision to launch a military strike on Iran to thwart its nuclear ambitions.

Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday, Panetta was pressed on the growing possibility that Israel would attack Iran. Israel has blamed Iran for recent diplomatic attacks overseas. Tehran has denied responsibility.

Panetta said Iran was a great concern and the U.S. has a common cause with Israel and the international community to ensure that Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon. He said the U.S. and other nations have taken strong steps with sanctions and stressed the importance of keeping the international community together.

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Panetta said that, as President Obama suggested, the administration does not think Israel has made a decision.

Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey also defended the Pentagon's slimmed-down, $614 billion budget, telling lawmakers it's time to show Congress is serious about reducing the deficit. Panetta warned lawmakers that budget cuts will hit all 50 states, but he said the reductions have been carefully planned and there is little room for changes.

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Panetta cautious on Guantanamo Taliban release

Panetta also said he will not approve the release of any Taliban from the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, military prison as part of Afghan peace talks unless he's sure they won't return to the battlefield.

Panetta told the committee that no decisions have been made on such a release.

The Obama administration is considering the release of five top Taliban leaders from Guantanamo as a starting point for peace negotiations between the U.S.-backed Afghan government and the Taliban movement in an effort to end the war.

The five would be sent to custody in the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar. Congressional Republicans oppose the release. Dempsey said he backs reconciliation but worries about maintaining control of the released individuals.

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Dempsey: Egypt generals underestimated U.S. outcry on crackdown

Dempsey said Egypt's ruling generals underestimated the U.S. outcry and threat to relations with Washington after their crackdown on American nonprofit groups that promote democracy.

Dempsey told the committee Tuesday that the generals now understand the impact. Dempsey recently met with Egypt's generals and spent a day-and-a-half encouraging them to resolve the issue that could jeopardize more than a billion dollars in U.S. aid to Egypt.

Egypt recently referred 19 Americans, including the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and 24 other employees of pro-democracy nonprofit groups to trial before a criminal court. The Americans were accused of illegally using foreign funds to foment unrest in the country.

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[eddiebutch]

Logical123---Do you hold a political position in Iran? you sound a bit like a Persian when you spout your talking points "fundamentalist" and "Zionist". the one you left out was "Radical" of which you sound like one. you would rather fight the Zionist than correct the horrible conditions that the Iranians live under especially now when the economy is failing and the most important thing in your country is the "BOMB"
I have a problem much like yours it's called "Obama" and his fundamental changes. Unlike Iran we can vote him out, hopefully we will in November!

[eddiebutch]

Logical you're not.we can see from your post that Israel means nothing to you as you are probaly gentile. That in itself means little. the fact that you are stuck in the Obama knows it all "foriegn policy" where we throw our old friends under the bus, like Panetta did when he launched the story about Israel and how they were considering bombing Iran. If Israel is an ally and they are, who was Panetta helping? This administration is the most crippled bunch of politicos since the Carter Administration. They are new jerks on the block when you compare them to the rest.Iran supports terror throughout the world and has vowed to wipe Israel off the map.In their own words they cannot live while Israel exists. Once Obama no longer needs the Jewish money and votes for re-election he will abandon the 60 year friendship and not stand behind our only friend in the mid-east. I am gentile too, but I don't share your logic. I don't believe anything that "two faced" Obama says nor would I trust any of his Marxist regime.

[Logical123]

eddiebutch: You sound like another one of the Christian fundamentalists who is more Zionist than the Israelis themselves. I agree that Obama is totally incompetent and Panetta is just stupid. But, the fact is that Iran is not involved in any terrorism, whereas Israel is the biggest terrorist and racist state in the world. Israel assassinates people all over the world, it launches terrorist viruses on other countries, it attacked the USS Liberty viciously trying to blame Egypt, and it massacres Palestinians left and right. It is a rogue state. It is not even a democracy since they have numerous laws that discriminate against its Palestinian citizens who cannot own land in 93% of the Israeli land. So, you need to educate yourself about facts before expressing such devotion to the biggest bull in the China shop.

[Logical123]

Panetta is one of the stupidest Defense Secretaries in recent history. Most of the time, he doesn't know what he is talking about and contradicts himself all the time. He should not be making these statements about Israel and Iran like an ignorant little boy. He and Obama should lay the law down to Israel: No more loose talk about attacking Iran and absolutely no attempt to attack Iran.

There is absolutely no justification for any attack Iran. Any such stupid action will result in a major world catastrophe. If the Israelis are too crazy to see it, then the US should prevent them from any crazy action. A simple solution will be to stop all military aid to Israel until they shut their mouths.

[Logical123]

earth5646: You sound like a child who believes everything he hears on Fox News. So, when did Iran threaten 'the elimination of an entire country?" You still believe that garbage? It is unbelievable how simple-minded American are (you cannot be anything else). You still don't know that it was all because of a mis-translation of a single sentence in 2005? How long are you going to drag on this idiotic claim? Poor little Israel. My heart bleeds for this racist and apartheid country that is the biggest terrorist country in the world (well, maybe after the US or is it the other way around).

[dnha14]

If you know something about this, you shouldn't say it.
If you don't know something about this, anything said is pure conjecture and hyperbole. (Probably with a political goal)
Lesson...keep quiet. The world does not need your musings on this subject. It's kind of like saying the US will attack so and so on February 21 at 3:00 PM. Nothing that you say helps the situation.