US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Photo: AJN file

WASHINGTON — Iran and North Korea are the countries posing the gravest threats to American interests, according to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Asked by CNN which countries she thought posed the greatest threats to the US, Clinton said: “In terms of a country, obviously, a nuclear-armed country like North Korea or Iran pose both a real or a potential threat.”

She immediately clarified that she did not believe Iran — unlike North Korean — was nuclear armed, but was close to it.

She also qualified her response, saying that non-state terrorist networks pose a greater threat than countries.

Clinton referred to the recent revelation of a second uranium enrichment plant at Qom and Iran’s rejection of a compromise enrichment offer brokered through the International Atomic Energy Agency.

“We believe that their behaviour certainly is evidence of their intentions,” she said.

“And how close they are may be the subject of some debate, but the failure to disclose the facility at Qom, the failure to accept what was a very reasonable offer by Russia, France and the US through the IAEA to take their uranium, their low-enriched uranium and return it for their research reactor.”
Read the full story

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Photo: AJN file

WASHINGTON– The Obama administration wants to “keep the door to dialogue open” with Iran, according to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

She told reporters on December 4 that although the United States has avoided using the term deadline, it cannot wait indefinitely to hear from Iran about curtailing its nuclear program and has begun talking to its international partners about “pressure and sanctions”.

“Our goal is to pressure the Iranian government, particularly the Revolutionary Guard elements, without contributing to the suffering” of Iranians, “who deserve better than what they currently are receiving,” Clinton said in answer to a reporter’s question during a news conference with the prime minister of Qatar.

Clinton said the Obama administration is “disappointed” by Iran’s response and counter offer to a proposal for shipping Iran’s low-enriched uranium to a third country to further enrich it for use in a medical research reactor. This would have left Iran with very little uranium for at least a year.
Read the full story

A Jewish settlement in the West Bank. Photo: AJN file

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has announced a 10-month freeze on settlement construction.

“This is a very difficult step for me and my fellow ministers,” Netanyahu said in a televised news conference on November 25. “This is a far-reaching and painful subject.”

Israel’s Security Cabinet had approved the freeze almost unanimously shortly before the evening announcement.

“The government of Israel has taken a very big step towards peace today,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu also addressed the Palestinians directly.

“This is the time to advance peace together,” he said. “Now the Israeli public expects that you will take a courageous step, too.”

National Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau of the Yisrael Beiteinu party was the lone dissenter among the Security Cabinet’s 17 voting members.
Read the full story

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on October 31. Photo: Isranet

JERUSALEM — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has praised Israel for offering “unprecedented” concessions on West Bank settlement construction.

The concessions include not building any new settlements or expropriating land for additions to existing settlements, according to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu who was speaking at a news conference in Jerusalem on Saturday night with Clinton.

Clinton said a settlement freeze has never been a precondition for restarting negotiations.

“What the prime minister has offered in specifics of a restraint on the policy of settlements which he has just described — no new starts, for example — is unprecedented in the context of prior-to negotiations,” she said at the news conference.

During a meeting between Clinton and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah earlier on Saturday, Abbas reportedly rejected an Israeli proposal brought by Clinton that Israel be allowed to complete 3000 housing units and temporarily freeze other construction.
Read the full story

RONI SOFER
JERUSALEM - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will arrive in Israel on Saturday night and meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday in order to further the political process with the Palestinians, Ynet learned on Tuesday.

US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell will also be arriving in the Jewish state on Friday to set the ground for Clinton’s visit.

Read the full story

Roni Sofer

JERUSALEM –- United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Israeli prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak and received a strong message that dialogue with Iran required a deadline.

“Our shared goal is the need for creative thinking to move forward and out of the maze,” Netanyahu said after the two met at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, their session extending beyond the originally scheduled one hour.

In comments made after the meeting on Tuesday afternoon, Netanyahu confirmed that the conversation had touched on the Iranian threat, the situation with the Palestinians and other issues relevant to the Middle East. Read the full story