New statement: Iran may have nukes before 2015

The Jerusalem Post, Outgoing Mossad chief tells Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee: Iranian nuclear threat, global jihad are major challenges to Israel.

Outgoing Mossad Chief Meir Dagan addressed the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for the last time on Monday, and changed his previous statement that Iran will not have nuclear weapons before 2015.

"The Iranian nuclear challenge will stay significant," Dagan said. He explained that the timing "will not change the fact that Iran is working towards nuclear military capabilities and in certain scenarios can shorten the time" it takes to have nuclear weapons. Previously, Dagan said that Iran will not have nuclear capabilities before 2015.

"It is important for us to learn the lesson of North Korea, which wasn't taken care of properly and didn't get attention from the international community," Dagan said.

The outgoing Mossad head also discussed other "challenges" that Israel may face in the future, including the possibility of a Palestinian state and the war against terror.

Dagan mentioned Shi'ite terror in the north, specifically Hizbullah, which he called a significant threat due to its stockpiles of weapons and its ability to attack highly populated areas of Israel.

He also said that Israel has to deal with the threats of global jihad.

Israel "will need to deal with these challenges, and in my estimation it will do so successfully," Dagan said.

After Dagan spoke, MK Avi Dichter (Kadima), former head of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), told him: "Many people owe their lives to the organization you lead. Maybe some people owe their deaths to you. I'm happy for the former and not sorry for the latter."

MK Shaul Mofaz (Kadima), head of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, as well as opposition head Tzipi Livni and Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin said parting words to Dagan and thanked him for his contribution to Israel's defense.