Iranian defense minister threatens Israel in case of attack

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BEIRUT (AFP) - Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani threatened Israel with a blinding response if the Jewish state attacked Iran, despite ruling out the possibility of such a strike.

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Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) would "suffer a lot ... if he commits the stupidity of attacking Iranian targets," Shamkhani told reporters, calling Israel a "glass fortress."

He added, however, that he "totally excludes" an Israeli attack against his country.

On December 21, Israel's Haaretz newspaper quoted Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz as saying that the Jewish state could, if necessary, attack Iran's nuclear sites.

Asked about a report on Iran's state radio earlier Saturday that Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) had been captured in Pakistan, Shamkhani said he "was not sure about the information".

Instead, the minister said he had conducted "fruitful" meetings here with Lebanese leaders and Hassan Nasrallah, chief of the Shiite Hezbollah movement, which is supported by Iran.

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