ISRAEL: Nuke Menance One to the Middle East?

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Israel "Number One Threat" To Mid East: ElBaradei

IAEA Director Mohamed ElBaradei meets Iran President Ahmadinejad Sunday
IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei called Israel the "number one threat to the Middle East" because of its nuclear capabilities, during a meeting with Iran President Ahmadinejad Sunday.

"Israel is the number one threat to the Middle East given the nuclear arms it possesses," ElBaradei was quoted by Iran's official news agency IRNA as saying.
While the quote was picked up by several international news agencies and even bloggers, it was left out of mainstream news reports, including The New York Times.

ElBaradei went on to say that Israel has not been cooperative with the IAEA for three decades, whereas Iran has agreed to allow inspectors to visit a new uranium enrichment plant and other facilities on October 25.

The IAEA Director did say he had "concerns about Iran's future intentions," and while at a "critical moment" in relations with the Islamic Republic, he does "see that we are shifting from confrontation into transparency and cooperation."

Agency inspectors are concerned that a month is sufficient time for Iran to remove some of the equipment. "The longer you wait, the less you learn," a senior European official familiar with inspections said last week.