WEBVTT - Israel Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon Talks  Israel's Attack on Iran

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.

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<v Speaker 2>Israel launching another round of attacks on several locations in Araun.

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<v Speaker 2>President Trump republicly telling ABC QUO, I think it's been

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<v Speaker 2>excellent and there's more to come. Joining us now to

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<v Speaker 2>discuss is Danny Toon on, the Israeli Ambassador to the

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<v Speaker 2>United Nations Ambasadoric and Monic.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you for having me journal. Thank you for.

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<v Speaker 2>Sharing some of your time with this because I'm sure

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<v Speaker 2>you've been exceptionally busy. Let's just talk about where things

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<v Speaker 2>stand right now. Is this operation ongoing and ultimately one

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<v Speaker 2>of the gals.

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<v Speaker 3>Whether the growth are very clear.

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<v Speaker 1>We want to be sure that they want will not

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<v Speaker 1>put the threat not only against but against the entire

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<v Speaker 1>Western civilization. And specifically, we have two main goals to

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<v Speaker 1>eliminate the nuclear capabilities and to stop the production of

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<v Speaker 1>baddistic missiles and len me laborators at You know, it's

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<v Speaker 1>not only the nuclear weapons.

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<v Speaker 3>We all know about the you.

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<v Speaker 1>And you enrichment and about that they're getting very close

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<v Speaker 1>to put a bomb together, but to look at what

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<v Speaker 1>they're doing with the ballistic missiles. They want to they

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<v Speaker 1>wanted to be at the same level of the US

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<v Speaker 1>and Russia. In terms of the quantity and the technology

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<v Speaker 1>of the ballistic missiles, we couldn't allow it to happen.

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<v Speaker 1>We got intel about their intentions to create another attack

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<v Speaker 1>against Israel. You know, we all remember what happened on

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<v Speaker 1>October seventh, but this time they wanted to use thousands

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<v Speaker 1>of ballistic missiles and invade into it well with their proxies.

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<v Speaker 3>So it was a preemptive attack.

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<v Speaker 1>So we will continue until we will be sure that

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<v Speaker 1>we eliminated those two capabilities.

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<v Speaker 2>How share rank you right now?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, we will.

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<v Speaker 1>Have to wait and see the result of the attack

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<v Speaker 1>of last night. It was a major attack. More than

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<v Speaker 1>two hundred aircraft participated in the attack, many targets, many

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<v Speaker 1>senior military officials were eliminated last night, and we will

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<v Speaker 1>continue until we know that one is in the point

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<v Speaker 1>that they cannot continue with their efforts.

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<v Speaker 4>Including the IRGC General commander. Is there an intent for

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<v Speaker 4>regime changing around from Israel, Well.

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<v Speaker 1>That's not our goal. You know, we are concerned about

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<v Speaker 1>the threats to it. Well for the Iranian people, I

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<v Speaker 1>wish they would have a different regime.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, we saw what happened in i Onan.

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<v Speaker 1>The people are suffering there, that have no way hitting

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<v Speaker 1>the winter, no ac in the summer, that are suffering there.

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<v Speaker 1>But our goals is to eliminate the capabilities of A

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<v Speaker 1>one so they will not be able to threaten us.

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<v Speaker 1>And then might look at the map. We have no

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<v Speaker 1>border with A one. It takes us hours to fly

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<v Speaker 1>there in order to attack those facilities. But still they

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<v Speaker 1>spend billions of dollars to create threats against Israel.

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<v Speaker 4>This nuclear enrichment is deep into the mountains. How long

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<v Speaker 4>will that victory actually take? And it's called Rising Lion?

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<v Speaker 3>Why is that?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, you know, every time we pick a name when

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<v Speaker 1>we have a military operation, sometimes the computer is doing

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<v Speaker 1>it for us, so there is no real meaning for

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<v Speaker 1>the world of the operation. But I would say that

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<v Speaker 1>I A published recently that enough urvenium to create not

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<v Speaker 1>only one bomb, multiple bombs, So it's only it was

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<v Speaker 1>a matter of days to put it together. We decided

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<v Speaker 1>not to wait, not to take that risk. We believed

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<v Speaker 1>the threat of the Iranian when they said that they're

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<v Speaker 1>going to use those ballistic missiles to destroy Israel.

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<v Speaker 3>We took it very seriously.

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<v Speaker 4>How much did the Israeli government brief the US.

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<v Speaker 1>Government so we talked with the US, but this decision

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<v Speaker 1>was decided in Jerusalem, and we took that decision independently,

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<v Speaker 1>not for the first time in the eighties.

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<v Speaker 3>And I want to remind you.

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<v Speaker 1>We attacked the nuclear actor in Iraq. We took the

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<v Speaker 1>decision by ourselves when we attacked the reactor in Syria.

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<v Speaker 1>I think it will serve the US and other Western democracies,

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<v Speaker 1>but it was a decision that was made in Israel.

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<v Speaker 4>Do you think the United States will come to not

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<v Speaker 4>just Israeli defense, but potentially if you're needing help with

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<v Speaker 4>more attack if this continues for days and weeks.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, since the day that was established, we never asked

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<v Speaker 1>the US to fight for us. We know how to

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<v Speaker 1>fight and we know how to defeat our enemies. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>we have heard threats that Direnia there threatening the US,

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<v Speaker 1>targets that are threatening.

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<v Speaker 4>The allies of the US in your embassy, right.

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<v Speaker 1>So we take precautions in different places around the world.

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<v Speaker 1>We are aware over the threats, but we will continue

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<v Speaker 1>also in Israel. We have to be honest, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>in needwel today we are getting ready for serious attacks

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<v Speaker 1>coming from Iran. It will be very intense intense in neither.

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<v Speaker 1>In the next few days, we are preparing the population

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<v Speaker 1>in this operation. It's not only about the bravery of

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<v Speaker 1>the pilots, it's about the population in Israel. They will

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<v Speaker 1>have to follow the guidelines in order to avoid casualties.

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<v Speaker 2>Ambassadors, you know the United States is system themselves from

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<v Speaker 2>this in the last twenty four US and said they

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<v Speaker 2>weren't pound of the attack. What's not clear to us

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<v Speaker 2>is whether they assisted in the defense of Israel.

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<v Speaker 3>Did I, Well, you know we.

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<v Speaker 2>Have capabilities and we are Did they assist you when

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<v Speaker 2>they sent out drafts from a run to Israel? Did

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<v Speaker 2>you receive any help from partners outside of Israel?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, as far as I know that we were able

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<v Speaker 1>to deal with the ones by ourselves and in a way.

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<v Speaker 1>But we have to realize, you know, the threat is

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<v Speaker 1>not only against Israel. As I said earlier, Iran is

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<v Speaker 1>threatening the allies of the US in the Gulf. So

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<v Speaker 1>we have the capabilities. I'm not sure they have the

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<v Speaker 1>same capabilities.

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<v Speaker 4>Are you worried about an asymmetrical response from Iran?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, we took into consideration that there will be retaliation

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<v Speaker 1>and marine and.

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<v Speaker 3>Will be proportional.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, they know that we have capabilities as well, so

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<v Speaker 1>they will have to think, you know, twice before the

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<v Speaker 1>attackers and what they are doing. And I would say

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<v Speaker 1>that today we can reach every target in Iran. We

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<v Speaker 1>have the control in terms of our.

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<v Speaker 4>Pilot to reach every target.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, you know, we have the capability. We focused on

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<v Speaker 1>the goal earlier. I mentioned earlier the ballistic missile infrastructure

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<v Speaker 1>and the nuclear facilities.

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<v Speaker 4>How long will that take if you were to reach

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<v Speaker 4>every target.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, it's not going to be a show operation, and

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<v Speaker 3>it will day, two weeks or months.

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<v Speaker 1>No, I wouldn't say months, but it can take days

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<v Speaker 1>or weeks.

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<v Speaker 2>How lonely this is round at the United Nations at

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<v Speaker 2>the moment.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I will let you know in a few minutes

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<v Speaker 1>when I go there, Jonathan, But it's gonna be it's

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<v Speaker 1>gonna be tough for us. I want already called for

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<v Speaker 1>the Security Council to meet public.

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<v Speaker 3>Will happen this afternoon.

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<v Speaker 1>But you know, I will tell my colleague that the

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<v Speaker 1>UN where were you in the last ten years when

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<v Speaker 1>I ran threatened these? Well where were you when the

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<v Speaker 1>same ballistic missions?

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<v Speaker 3>Where were you.

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<v Speaker 1>When they actually acquire the nuclear capabilities? So you know,

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<v Speaker 1>words will not stop Iran is.

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<v Speaker 4>Well will the international response Saudi Arabia calling it heines,

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<v Speaker 4>the Native Secretary General calling for de escalation, the UN

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<v Speaker 4>Secretary General calling for maximum or strain. Do you think

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<v Speaker 4>there is a diplomatic group when it comes to dealing

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<v Speaker 4>with this regime?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I think that you know already you have the

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<v Speaker 1>Diplomatic Act and the time for that will come. But

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<v Speaker 1>we thought that the diplomacy didn't convince Iran to change courts.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, for decades they negotiated, they played the game.

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<v Speaker 1>The light we found we had the intel that they

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<v Speaker 1>are developing nuclear capabilities for military uses.

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<v Speaker 4>There's some analysis so that under the JCPOA they were restrained,

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<v Speaker 4>they were capped. They are not capped. Now when it

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<v Speaker 4>comes to enrichment.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, you know, without the JCPOA, they were continuing and

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<v Speaker 1>what we only recently that you know, alongside the reactors

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<v Speaker 1>and the plan that was supervised by the international community,

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<v Speaker 1>they developed a military capability that they were hiding it

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<v Speaker 1>from the international community. So once we realized that going

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<v Speaker 1>to that direction, we decided to stop that.

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<v Speaker 2>Ambassador, we preciate your time this morning, thanks for making saying.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm sure you can have an exceptional pas ahead of yes,

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<v Speaker 2>so thank you sir. This is running Ambassador to the

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<v Speaker 2>UN janneton there and the latest attacks on the Round