US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta hosted President Shimon Peres at
the Pentagon on Monday, saying that military cooperation between the
US and Israel was stronger than it has ever been as well as stable and
ongoing. Peres visited the Pentagon as part of a multi-day visit to
the US in which he is scheduled to receive the Presidential Medal of
Freedom from US President Barack Obama. In addition to meeting
Panetta, Peres took part in a roundtable discussion with other senior
US officials, including US military chief Gen. Martin Dempsey. Peres
took the opportunity to voice Israel's concerns about Iran potentially
obtaining nuclear weapons, accusing the Islamic Republic of desiring
to "take control of the Middle East" as part of its religiously
inspired imperialistic ambitions.
