Israeli Army chief calls for involvement

HERZLIYA, Israel, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- A former Israeli military chief of staff told a conference in Israel politicians and military leaders must work together more closely in war planning.

"Strategic decisions must be taken into consideration in the dialogue between the political and military echelons before a war," former Israeli army chief Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi told the Fisher Institute conference at the Israel Air Force Center in Herzliya, stressing the discourse shapes whether the goals of a war are realistic, The Jerusalem Post reported Friday.

Speaking at the same conference, opposition political leader Tzipi Livni commented on speculation regarding cooperation between the United States and Israel in dealing with potential threats from Iran, saying, "The strong dialog flowing in recent weeks is just another leader friendly to Israel standing up and saying, 'Do not attack Iran.'"