Israel Matzav

Loose lips sink ships: Knesset FADC member discloses Gantz remark implying Israel behind nuke scientist's liquidation

At what was supposed to be a closed meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday, IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz made a comment that implied that Israel might be involved in 'unnatural' events that damage Iran's nuclear program (Hat Tip: Chayma).

While officials never comment on covert military activities, testimony by Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz to a closed parliamentary committee on Tuesday appeared particularly prescient.

The Israeli military leader told the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday that "2012 is expected to be a critical year for Iran." He cited "the confluence of efforts to advance the nuclear program, internal leadership changes, continued international pressure and things that happen to it unnaturally."

Someone who was present at the meeting leaked the comment to AP anonymously.

Gantz's testimony was leaked by a meeting participant who spoke on condition of anonymity because the testimony was closed.

While this does not prove definitively that Israel did it, a lot of people sure think that's the case.

Israeli officials in the past have spoken somewhat giddily of the "unnatural" setbacks that have plagued Iran's nuclear program. The timing of Gantz's testimony, just hours before Wednesday's assassination, was perhaps the strongest hint yet of Israeli involvement.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the chief military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, said: "I don't know who settled the score with the Iranian scientist, but I certainly am not shedding a tear."

Hazhir Teimourian, an Iran expert at the Limehouse Group of Analysts in London, stressed it was impossible to be certain who carried out the attack. But he said Israel was a logical candidate.

"The Israelis really have the ability and the incentive," he said.

The Knesset should find out who is responsible for this leak and throw them off the FADC. This isn't the stupidest thing someone in a position of power has done with respect to the Iranian threat, but it ranks pretty high up there. And when you combine it with Hillary Clinton's denial of US involvement, it looks pretty bad.

Labels: Iranian nuclear program, Mossad, sabotage

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:16 PM