In Din Over Iran, Rattling Sabers Echo

New York Times:

WASHINGTON — The United States has now endured what by some measures is the longest period of war in its history, with more than 6,300 American troops killed and 46,000 wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan and the ultimate costs estimated at $3 trillion. Both wars lasted far longer than predicted. The outcomes seem disappointing and uncertain.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[nk5otr]

04:49 PM on 02/24/2012

It's no secret that Iran will do anything to get nuclear weapons regardless of the costs.

The below article is instructive of how long they have been working for their goal.

"Formerly secret telexes reveal Iran’s early use of deceit in nuclear program"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/formerly-secret-telexes-offer-window-into-irans-nuclear-deceit/2012/02/11/gIQAOiBlTR_print.html

[Yasser Yousufi]

04:03 AM on 02/23/2012

According to the News Report 58% Americans are OK with a war with Iran. This nation of war mongers and its appetite for human blood never ceases to amaze foreigners. The single biggest threat to the peace and stability of our beautiful world, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!

[742]

02:29 PM on 02/22/2012

We have thousands, the hysteria over 1 is amazing! In addition to the damage it would do to Egypt, The Pali's, Syria, Jordan etc., etc. depending on wind patterns would harm more Muslims than Jews.

That and the horrific response from "anonymus" countries would ensure the destruction of their country.

They want to keep their oil? OK, we can keep our food and a significant amount of other material that they can not produce themselves. The largest amongst those items, GASOLINE.

[Larabee]

02:25 PM on 02/22/2012

Please Iran! It's gonna be difficult for you to enjoy that nuke with a collapsed economy and your military completely destroyed. This sounds like a very good time to take out a piece of paper and list the +'s and the -'s

[beauwulff]

02:09 PM on 02/22/2012

And the chickenhawks are rising to the bait just as they did with Iraq and Afghanistan.

[dbrmn1]

02:07 PM on 02/22/2012

We have no idea exactly what Iran is doing because they refuse to allow inspectors to view their nuclear facilities or interview their scientists. If their program was only about producing fuel for their reactor why are they hiding it and refusing to cooperate? Why are they relocating it deep underground? Israel took out Saddams reactor project, took out Syria's nuclear project, and unless the Iranians quickly become transparent on the issue Israel will attempt to take out Irans nuclear projects.

[piul05]

03:09 PM on 02/22/2012

"The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, claimed on Tuesday that the IAEA team was not actually there to inspect nuclear facilities. "The titles of the members of the visiting delegation is not inspectors. This is an expert delegation. The purpose of visit is not inspection,"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/22/iran-nuclear-talks-failure-iaea

There was a similar "incident" back in 2004 with Brazil, as there were fears that the "inspection" was, in effect, industrial espionage.

http://articles.cnn.com/2004-04-04/world/brazil.nuclear_1_nuclear-weapons-uranium-enrichment-facilities-low-enriched-uranium?_s=PM:WORLD

This is what the Iranian de facto leader had to say on the matter:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/22/iran-supreme-leader-nuclear-weapons-denial

[dbrmn1]

11:44 AM on 02/23/2012

"A visit by international nuclear inspectors to Iran ended in failure Tuesday. Tehran not only blocked access to a site the inspectors believe could have been used for tests on how to produce a nuclear weapon, they reported, but it also refused to agree to a process for resolving questions about other “possible military dimensions” to its nuclear program."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/22/world/middleeast/iran-says-un-weapons-inspectors-wont-visit-nuclear-sites.html

[ancientuno]

01:57 PM on 02/22/2012

Fighting wars are the only jobs left in America.

[13champlain]

01:49 PM on 02/22/2012

bomb them back to the stoneage...then again, they are already there

[Internet Privacy Hah]

02:12 PM on 02/22/2012

77 million people live in Iran. What did they do to you?

[13champlain]

04:34 PM on 02/22/2012

the literal mind is always fearful of the ironic mind, you would make a good mullah

[Dan Stewart]

01:20 PM on 02/22/2012

In December, Haaretz reported that Mossad chief Tamir Pardo had called Iran a threat, but not an existential one. Earlier this month, former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy echoed that view, declaring that “it is not in the power of Iran to destroy the state of Israel.” That same week, former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz said virtually the same thing: that “Iran poses a serious threat but not an existential one.”

[TeeSC]

12:50 PM on 02/23/2012

They need to say it a bit louder and a bit more often.

[Dan Stewart]

01:19 PM on 02/22/2012

Last week, Gen. Ron Burgess, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told Congress that “the agency assesses Iran is unlikely to initiate or provoke a conflict.” Last weekend, Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria: “We are of the opinion that Iran is a rational actor.”

[dbrmn1]

02:08 PM on 02/22/2012

Iran is initiating and provoking conflict on an almost daily basis via their rhetoric, threats, and military movements. They refuse IAEA inspections of their nuke sites.

[Dan Stewart]

02:58 PM on 02/22/2012

Is Israel doing the same -- "provoking conflict almost daily basis via their rhetoric, threats, and military movements"?

[piul05]

03:16 PM on 02/22/2012

So did Brazil in 2004 as they was the suspicion that the inspection was a cover for industrial espionage.

[Desert Dune]

01:19 PM on 02/22/2012

I long to see a day when the mainstream media shows pictures of Iranian children playing in the streets, Iranian women shopping, and Iranian men working in a farm instead of a nuclear site. Our media has reduced ALL images of Iran to just a few around nuclear installations. So much so that Iran does not appear to be a country inhabited by a vibrant 80 million people, rather a country full of toxic waste.

I guess we gain public blessing for attacking other countries by first dehumanizing those countries.

[TeeSC]

12:58 PM on 02/23/2012

Well in all fairness to the media... WHAT country is portrayed with laughing children and moms shopping?  That isn't news.

However I like your sentiment.  There is a great book called "Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn".  It's a terrible title but the book was written by a Brit hiking around Iran.  It's a fabulous and extremely real look at the average Iranian society.

[taylor5]

01:18 PM on 02/22/2012

To the Hawks I simply ask who amongst them would sacrifice their child's life in order to prevent Iran from acquiring nukes. Now tell your child.

[dbrmn1]

02:10 PM on 02/22/2012

Why would we need to have a body anywhere near Iran? We can bomb their sites with missiles. Nobody is talking about boots on the ground.

[Yasser Yousufi]

04:45 AM on 02/23/2012

Apparently Israel firsts don't care much about the 145000 US soldiers in the immediate neighborhood of Iran who will be the first pawns in yet another war US fights for Israel in Middle East

[mcartri]

01:00 PM on 02/22/2012

Tired of rising gas prices? Elect a Republican president and after they bomb Iran, you'll be lucky to even be able to get gas at any price. Think back to the OPEC embargo during the Carter administration.

[dbrmn1]

02:11 PM on 02/22/2012

You don't see the writing on the wall? Obama is going to bomb Iran or support the Israeli's bombing Iran...he just prefers to hold off till after the election.

[TeeSC]

12:59 PM on 02/23/2012

Not hardly.

[American 69]

12:34 PM on 02/22/2012

Iran has proven itself to be a supporter of wordwide terrorism. Period.
Now, experts in the field believe that Iran, by its actions and evidence so far, is creating nuclear weapons. If factual, it is a logical assumption that these weapons could become available to Hamas and the PLO and other hate groups. A nuclear weapon, set off in any major city in the world by a suicide bomber (we know there are plenty of volunteers) could create an international crisis and kill millions. There are Muslim zealots that believe that this would be "a good thing".
THEREFORE, it just makes sense to do "due diligence" to ensure that this outcast and violent nation does not posess nuclear weapons and the world needs to DEMAND that their peacefull allegations are confirmed.
A mistake, when dealing with this cunning and untrustworthy government could be catastrophic !
"Cooler heads" are just fine but the phrase, "Trust but verify" comes to mind........

[taylor5]

01:06 PM on 02/22/2012

Pakistan has nukes and is the epicenter of AQ/Taliban. The Persians have not attacked anyone in centuries. I do not mind blasting them but I do not want to drop a trillion or 2 dollars and get nothing for it.

[dbrmn1]

02:12 PM on 02/22/2012

Pakistan has been privately cooperating with the US on all levels.

[Mikeeee]

01:14 PM on 02/22/2012

Rah rah, ziss boon bah!! You can put your pompoms away now.
Now go to the library, do a little research and find out about America's meddling in Iranian affairs for the last 60 yrs and then get back to us about who you think has been doing the threatening and provoking.

[742]

02:29 PM on 02/22/2012

Go back even further and find the same has been done by Britan. And?

[kilndog]

12:32 PM on 02/22/2012

Way more than 3 trillion. But hey, lets allow genocide in Syria in the meantime.

[Enroh Mot]

12:56 PM on 02/22/2012

6 thousand killed in Syria, 2 thousand of those are Syrian soldiers and policemen, but the corporate warmongering media never mention that.

[taylor5]

01:07 PM on 02/22/2012

No oil= No problem

[dbrmn1]

02:13 PM on 02/22/2012

Strap solar panels to the roof of your truck!