WarSclerotic

Attacking Iran: Did US just torpedo Israeli deal for a base in Azerbaijan? – CSMonitor.com.

Israel is developing a ‘secret staging ground’ in Azerbaijan for a possible attack on Iran, reports Foreign Policy magazine. US officials aren’t happy with that, and may have leaked the story.

By Brad Knickerbocker, Staff writer / March 29, 2012

The three-way tension between the United States, Israel, and Iran became tenser this week with a widely cited report that Israel is developing a “secret staging ground” in Iran’s neighbor to the north – Azerbaijan – for a possible attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The three-way tension between the United States, Israel, and Iran became tenser this week with a widely cited report that Israel is developing a “secret staging ground” in Iran’s neighbor to the north – Azerbaijan – for a possible attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Tehran has accused Azerbaijan of working with Israel’s spy services suspected of assassinating Iranian nuclear scientists, and individuals accused of plotting terrorist attacks with Iran have been arrested in Azerbaijan.

For their part, officials in Azerbaijan deny granting aircraft landing rights to Israel combat aircraft.

“This information is absurd and groundless,” defense ministry spokesman Teymur Abdullayev told Agence France Presse (AFP).

“We have stated on numerous occasions and we reiterate that there will be no actions against Iran … from the territory of Azerbaijan,” presidential official Ali Hasanov told journalists in Baku, AFP reported.

So far, there’s been no official comment on the Foreign Policy article by Israeli officials, who may be just as happy to increase the psychological pressure on Iran.

Early this month, President Obama made clear his position on Iran’s nuclear potential, both in meetings with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and in his speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the prominent pro-Israel lobbying organization.

“Iran’s leaders should understand that I do not have a policy of containment,” Obama told AIPAC. “I have a policy to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.”

“I will take no options off the table, and I mean what I say,” Obama said, adding for dramatic effect, “There should not be a shred of doubt by now: when the chips are down, I have Israel’s back.”

Still, the US continues to act as a diplomatic brake of sorts on any rush by Israel to attack Iran. Which may be why John Bolton – a noted hawk who served as UN ambassador in the most recent Bush administration – could be right when he says that administration officials leaked their concerns about any basing agreement between Israel and Azerbaijan.

“We’re watching what Iran does closely,” one of the US intelligence sources was quoted as saying in the Foreign Policy article. “But we’re now watching what Israel is doing in Azerbaijan. And we’re not happy about it.”

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