Defense minister says Israel-US cooperation very good, world knows Iran needs to be stopped

Several attacks against Israeli targets abroad were foiled recently, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Monday morning. He was speaking, with bitter coincidence, as a shooting attack in Toulouse, France, left a rabbi, his two children and another child dead outside a Jewish school.

Barak added that strategic cooperation with the US was close to an all-time high and the global community was ready to stop Iran.

Speaking at the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Barak said Hezbollah has been trying to carry out attacks against various Israeli targets and that the attempts have been blocked.

Attacks against Israeli targets in Georgia and Thailand were thwarted in February, while an explosion in India injured an Israeli diplomat.

Barak added that security and strategic cooperation with Washington were at a high level, allowing Israel greater latitude to maneuver in the global arena.

Asked about Iran, Barak said the global community knew Tehran was seeking a nuclear capability. He added that leaders all over the world saw the need to stop Iran from obtaining such arms before it was too late. (© 2012 THE TIMES OF ISRAEL 03/19/12)