USA: Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak meets with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in Washington to discuss defense assistance and Iran's nuclear program

Record ID: 863559

  • Title: USA: Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak meets with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in Washington to discuss defense assistance and Iran's nuclear program
  • Date: 18th May 2012
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (MAY 17, 2012) (REUTERS) HONOR GUARD STANDING AT ATTENTION MEMBER OF HONOR GUARD MEMBER OF HONOR GUARD U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY LEON PANETTA WALKS DOWN STEPS ISRAELI FLAG BLOWING IN WIND ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER EHUD BARAK STEPS OUT OF CAR AND GREETS PANETTA BARAK AND PANETTA WALK UP STEPS INTO THE PENTAGON BUILDING
  • Embargoed: 2nd June 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAD8OD1CPXDM2258PAJXW4ZX4EX
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak arrived at the Pentagon on Thursday (May 17) for a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and other U.S. officials.
    The talks are expected to focus on U.S. assistance for Israel's "Iron Dome" missile defense system, which can intercept and destroy short range rockets and artillery shells as far as 70 kilometers away. The U.S. has pledged $680 million to Israel over three years to help pay for the equipment, on top of the more than $3 billion in U.S. military aid for 2013.
    Barak is also expected to raise the issue of Iran's nuclear program, gaining assurances from the United States that they are doing what they can to stop it. On Wednesday (May 15), in an interview with TV network CNN, Barak expressed concern about the upcoming meetings with Tehran and their prospects for success.
    On May 23, envoys from the so-called P5+1 group, which includes Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the U.S., will meet Iranian negotiators in Baghdad to discuss the country's nuclear program, a follow-up to a previous round of talks in Istanbul in April.
    Barak also told CNN that Israel has not ruled out a military operation against its rogue neighbor, insisting the Jewish state has a right to defend itself.
    The former Israeli prime minister also plans to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon while in Washington.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register