Israel is not urging the United States to expedite military action against Iraq, Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told the Cabinet during its weekly meeting Sunday.
Sharon said that while Israel backs the U.S. in its fight against Iraq, it is not advising the Americans when to strike. The Israeli prime minister said that in his recent talks with George Bush, he told the American leader that Israel supports the intention of the U.S. to attack Iraq, but "will not get inolved any more than that."
For his part, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said Israel was not trying to pressure Bush administration to speed up a military strike against Iraq and the timing of such an assault is solely a U.S. decision.
A Foreign Ministry statement was published Saturday, a day after other Israeli officials said that delaying action would only allow Saddam to expand his arsenal. The new statement quoted Peres as describing Israel as "a soldier in the camp of nations fighting terror, at the head of which stands the President of the United States."
"As such," Peres added, "Israel is not making proposals or pushing the United States." (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
