In Israel, Mossad Head Talks about Iran Election

Head of Mossad Meir Dagan says that a Mousavi win in Iran’s presidential election would have spelled bigger problems for Israel.

Speaking to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee of Knesset on Tuesday, the chief of Israel’s national intelligence agency said, "The world and we already know [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad."

"If the reformist candidate [Mir-Hossein] Mousavi had won, Israel would have had a more serious problem, because it would need to explain to the world the danger of the Iranian threat, since Mousavi is perceived in the international arena as a moderate element," he added. "It is important to remember that he is the one who began Iran’s nuclear program when he was prime minister."

The country’s spy-master, meanwhile, predicted that the street protests in Iran over the disputed election results would die out soon.

"Election fraud in Iran is no different than what happens in liberal states during elections," he told committee, Haaretz reported. "The struggle over the election results in Iran is internal and is unconnected to its strategic aspirations, including its nuclear program."

Mousavi, was Iran’s last prime minister from 1981-89 during a defensive war against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.

He re-entered the political arena after nearly 20 years to stand against the incumbent President Ahmadinejad in the crucial presidential election.

The Interior Ministry declared him the runner-up with about 33 percent of the votes and the President Ahmadinejad as the runaway winner with about 65 percent in the June 12 election.

Mousavi and his supporters, many of whom have taken to the streets in Iran to protests the final count, have rejected the veracity of official results.

(Press TV)

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