Israel says Gaza assault was preparation for attack on Iran

Australian News Channel Was Invited "Accidentally" to Very Open DialoguePosted January 30, 2009After ordering a cameraman to turn off his camera, Israeli Ambassador toAustralia Yuval Rotem engaged in a very frank discussion about the recentIsraeli war in the Gaza Strip, calling it ³a preintroduction² to an attackon Iran that Israel apparently expects within the year.Before the camera was turned off, Ambassador Rotem said ³the best thing todo is to have a very open dialogue if there are no reporters or journalistshere,² adding ³I am far more reserved in the way I am saying my things (oncamera).² Unbeknownst to him however Sarah Cummings, a reporter forAustralia¹s Seven News service, was actually in attendance at the meetingafter having been ³accidentally² invited.Israel has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran, and while its officialshave repeatedly attempted to tie the Iranian government to its war on theGaza Strip this is the first time one of their officials has publicly (ifinadvertently so) suggested that the attack on the strip was a warm-up toits long talked about attack on Iran.