Israeli general's meeting with Adm. Mullen gives rise to speculation
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 E-Mail this story Free Headline Alerts
Geostrategy-Direct.com
IsraelÕs army chief, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, recently flew secretly to France for meetings with U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen and Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin, chief of the French Defense staff, fueling speculation about ongoing military plans for a strike against Iran.
Senior U.S. officials have said they remain confident that Israel will not conduct unilateral military action against Iran over its refusal to halt the secret nuclear program.
The Jerusalem Post reported Oct. 5 on the meeting of the three military chiefs in Normandy Oct. 4.
ÒThe meeting in Normandy focused on assessments regarding Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and the joint Israeli-US Juniper Cobra missile defense exercise that is scheduled to start later this month,Ó the newspaper reported.
The exercise is scheduled to involve testing of the Israeli Arrow missile defense system as well as three U.S. systems Ñ the THAAD, Aegis and PAC3 Ñ that will all be deployed in Israel for the duration of the exercise.
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