Olmert says not looking for war with Iran

WASHINGTON, Nov 13 (Reuters) Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said ahead of White House talks today that he was not looking for war with Iran over its nuclear program but was willing to compromise.

''Every compromise that will stop Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities which will be acceptable to President Bush will be acceptable to me,'' Olmert said in an interview with NBC's ''Today Show.'' ''I am not looking for wars. I am not looking for confrontations.

I'm looking for the outcome. This campaign will be tested in only one way -- whether it will succeed to stop Iran from possessing nuclear weapons,'' he said in the interview, recorded in Israel on Friday and broadcast today.

Israel's concerns over Iran's uranium enrichment program, the war in Iraq and Palestinian moves to form a unity government to replace a Hamas-led administration are likely to top the agenda of Olmert's talks with President George W Bush, and that he did not believe Washington's strong backing for the Jewish state would waver.

''Support for Israel traditionally has been bipartisan. I don't see anything changing in the next two years that can alter the balance of feeling towards us,'' Olmert told reporters accompanying him on the flight to Washington yesterday.

In preparation for his talks with Bush, Olmert had a working dinner with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday.

Israel, which is widely believed to be the only country in the West Asia to have atomic weapons, fears that a nuclear Iran would threaten its existence.

''If someone wants to reach a compromise with Iran, he must understand that Iran won't be ready to do so unless it is afraid,'' Olmert had told reporters earlier. ''Israel has various options which I am not prepared to discuss.'' Last month Olmert said there would be a ''price to pay'' if Iran rejected every compromise.

Iran says it intends to use its uranium enrichment program purely for electricity generation, but its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has called for Israel's destruction.

Tehran also warned on Sunday its Revolutionary Guards would respond swiftly if Israel attacked the Islamic Republic.

INTERNATIONAL DEMANDS Olmert's visit comes on the heels a US election that gave the Democrats majorities in both houses of Congress and raised speculation in Israel that Bush, weakened by setbacks in Iraq, might try to cap his presidency with progress on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

Olmert reiterated that Hamas, which came to power in March, must first meet US, Israeli and international demands to renounce violence, recognize Israel and accept existing interim peace accords. Hamas has refused.

The Islamist group has opened talks with President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction on allocating cabinet seats in a unity government that Palestinians hope will lead to a restoration of direct foreign aid, which has been cut off from the Palestinian Authority.

In comments to reporters, Olmert again voiced caution over any hasty US withdrawal from Iraq. ''If and when the United States decides to change its attitude towards Iraq, it will have to assess the ramifications of every type of pullout,'' he said.

Olmert flies on to Los Angeles on Tuesday to address the 75th General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities of North America.

REUTERS PDM PM1932