(Ha'aretz) Barak Ravid - Mossad chief Tamir Pardo issued a rare statement on Thursday denying reports that he told U.S. senators he was opposed to further sanctions on Iran. Pardo noted that he did meet with a delegation of senators on Jan. 19, at their request, and with Prime Minister Netanyahu's approval. "Contrary to what has been reported, the Head of the Mossad did not say that he opposes imposing additional sanctions on Iran," read the statement. Rather, "the Head of the Mossad emphasized in the meeting that the exceptional effectiveness of the sanctions imposed on Iran in recent years are what brought Iran to the negotiating table." "The Head of the Mossad noted that in negotiating with Iran, it is essential to present both carrots and sticks and that the latter are currently lacking....In the absence of strong pressure, the Iranians will make no meaningful compromises....The Head of the Mossad pointed out explicitly that the bad agreement taking shape with Iran is likely to lead to a regional arms race."
2015-01-23 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive