BREAKING NEWS

Dagan: 'Israel in middle of rapidly changing environment'

By JPOST.COM STAFF

DECEMBER 20, 2010 14:10

In a newly released Wikileaks cable outgoing Mossad Chief Meir Dagan met with US Under Secretary Burns in 2007 to discuss the situation in the Middle East.

According to the report Dagan said Israel sees itself "in the middle of a rapidly changing environment, in which the fate of one Middle Eastern country is connected to another."

Dagan said that the "Gulf states and Saudi Arabia are concerned about the growing importance of Iran and its influence on them."

"While Jordan has successfully faced down threats from the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, and that Egypt is struggling with the question of who will replace President Mubarak. He said he sees no hope for the Palestinians, and that Israel looks at Syria and Lebanon, and sees only instability. Further afield, it looks at Turkey and sees Islamists gaining momentum there. The question, he asked, is how long Turkey's military -- viewing itself as the defender of Turkey's secular identity -- will remain quiet," the report stated.

Burns in turn explained to Dagan that the Middle East was "now at the heart of American interests."

As for the question of Iran Dagan laid out Israel's "5 pillar strategy" which involved a "political approach, covert measures, counterproliferation, sanctions, and forced regime change" and urged the US to follow suit.

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