Here we go again. Just as the UN Security Council was finally getting closer to adopting a tougher package of economic sanctions against Iran's illegal nuclear program, Tehran suddenly agrees to transfer to Turkey 2,645 pounds of low-enriched uranium in return for nuclear fuel rods for a Tehran's medical research reactor.
Excuse me for not falling over backwards to applaud Tehran's so-called last ditch magnanimity. The arrangement smacks of the "Peanuts" cartoon strip where Iran in the guise of Lucy yanks the football away from Charlie Brown as he is about to finally score a sanctions touchdown.
I've seen this comedy before.
Last October, the U.S. and its allies offered Tehran virtually the same deal in Geneva. Iran agreed to surrender temporarily half of its stockpile of low grade nuclear material to the IAEA, and diplomats broke out the champagne. What a waste of good bubbly. It took but a few days for Tehran to sabotage the very deal it had agreed to by lathering it up with conditions so laughable that rendered it meaningless.
Moreover, even if Iran lives up to its own deal (and that remains to be seen) and transfers to Turkey this amount of enriched fuel, it represents little more than 50% of Iran's declared nuclear stockpile. And what is it doing with the other 50%? Take one guess. You guessed correctly! Iran will continue to enrich its remaining stockpile outside the prying eyes of IAEA inspectors --leaving it more than enough to develop a nuclear weapon -- a proposition now substantiated by the IAEA.
No doubt as it buys more time to continue its illicit nuclear enrichment program, Tehran is betting that this latest ploy will derail the tougher pending UN sanctions against it. Its latest diplomatic gambit may indeed succeed courtesy of Brazil and Turkey -- two nations whose leaders have pretentions of global diplomatic grandeur even if it means aiding a felonious nation like Iran.
Don't be fooled! Swapping fuel for fuel rods is a circus side show.
Iran's latest subterfuge masks the fact that it still openly refuses to stop its uninspected nuclear enrichment program -- THE central issue on the table before the UN Security Council. And Turkey doesn't even have the nuclear fuel rods to fulfill this so-called swap agreement. So where are those fuel rods suppose to come from? The U.S., Russia and France -- the very nations that offered the same deal in October that Iran sabotaged. What was so wrong then about the very same deal that Iran is willing to accept today?
OK, despite being a skeptic (and who wouldn't be at this point) I am willing to be proven wrong. If this eleventh hour "breakthrough" heralds an ironclad commitment by Iran's ruling clique in the face of a tougher sanctions hammer to come clean and fulfill its international treaty obligations to abide by the NPT and UN Security Council resolutions, well then, "Hallelujah!"
And just in case I'll place a bottle of Champagne Philiponnat Clos de Goisses on ice.
All the rest is noise and warmongering (for Israel and against US interests).
http://www.campaigniran.org/casmii/index.php?q=node/9989
"Albright and ISIS play the role of patsy, the middleman peddling misinformation to a media too lazy to conduct their own due diligence before running with a story."
Ritter concluded that "Albright, operating under the guise of his creation, ISIS, has a track record of inserting hype and speculation about matters of great sensitivity in a manner which skews the debate toward the worst-case scenario".
"Albright is fed sensitive information from a third party, and then packages it in a manner that is consumable by the media." I wonder which 3rd party?!
Scott Ritter, "The Nuclear Expert Who Never Was"
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20080626_the_nuclear_expert_who_never_was/
The cat is out of the bag and the people have woken up
What do you have to say to Scott Ritters report on your "expert", ISIS and "Doctor" David Albright?
Mr. Ritter seems to have years of actual experience as an actual employee in the field, while Mr. Albright went on one field trip and suddenly creates himself a doctor (honorary) and becomes a world renowned expert.
Can you address this specific question?
Can you justify presenting Mr. Albright as an expert?
Can you do this without bringing other issues into your argument which have nothing to do with Mr. Ritters expertise and experience?
I checked out the website of the people you consider experts on this subject and I've provided comments and links down thread.
But, for the other posters here, you might find it interesting to note that the supposedly non-partisan organization that Marc uses to condemn Iran, just happens to list other troublesome countries as well as other non-npt countries...except he leaves Israel off the list.
Click on the countries they monitor:
http://isis-online.org/about/staff/
Trying to find an honest way to support Israel actions is like trying to support Hannity, Rush, O'Reilly, Palin, et al...with a straight face.
Is this better?
I am constantly embarrassed by the transparent dishonesty of ...some....of my fellow Jews.
Trying to find an honest way to support many of Israel's actions is like trying to support Hannity, Rush, O'Reilly, Palin, et al...with a straight face.
No matter what they do, we'll just keep moving the goalpost so that they can never satisfy us.
"Also Monday, IAEA chief Yukiya Amano verified that Iran has not been diverting its declared nuclear material to a weapons program"
"IAEA doesn't say Iran 'violated' NPT"
If there is no evidence, what are we talking about here, just Israeli propaganda I suppose. Discuss
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/0504/NPT-101-Is-Iran-violating-the-nuclear-treaty
I don't get this then... "Marc Ginsberg currently serves as a FOX News contributor in which he addresses foreign policy, economic policy, and defense issues."
From here ... http://www.foxnews.com/bios/talent/marc-ginsberg/
Why not deal substantively with any of my comments above, they are pretty major claims. But you don't deal with them, you make some oblique sophistic circular point with no evidence...
As you may have noticed from the vast majority of comments below ( apart from those from Israelis and you, if there is a difference!) we have all woken up, and are silently watching what the Israel lobby is doing (again), we have not forgotten and will remember, and are aware that this is all a mirage, its only about Israeli paranoia, warmongering and entirely against American interests.
Marc, stop shilling for Israel, (its rather treasonous isn't it) and try be loyal to America for God's sake.
Now, please respond to the SUBSTANCE of my previous post.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/LE19Ak01.html
Turn to foreign press, as even the once independent Huffington Post can no longer provide a viable perspective on foreign affairs...
Thanks.
His undiplomatic rant, says the rest.
Does AIPAC pay its invoices in US Dollars or Israeli Shekels?
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=5122
http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_59903.shtml
Translation of China's response to the US/Israel/UK/France/et al.: BACK OFF FROM OUR INTERESTS.
So let me get this right, Israel can claim 'ambiguitiy' over nukes BUT Iran who is publicly stating 'we're not intersted in nukes' is only good for a 'defensive' war started by yourselves? I've heard it all now.
And as long as Israel defends nuclear ambiguity as 'strategic advantage', Iran can also defend it's nuclear ambiguity as 'strategic advantage'. So leave Iran alone as long as you allow Israel and any other country to defend it's nuclear ambiguity as 'strategic advantage'.
If the US and Israel want Iranian nuclear transparency, then Israel better be just as tranparent. They started the ME arms race, now they have to live with it. Israeli exceptionalism is over.
"Every time Iran violates a UN Security Council Resolution (7 already), blatantly,violates NPT obligations" - Israel does not belong to the NPT. If you want Iranian nuclear transparency then Israel better be just as transparent. No double standards. Period.
"kills in cold blood innocent demonstrators" - you mean like what happened here in the US at Kent State or over in Greece a few days ago?
"violates basic human rights of its own citizens" - like what? The jews in Iran don't want to leave. But you must mean apartheid Israel and the Palestinians and the Gazans right?
"engages in terrorism around the world' and "provides arms and trains terrorist organizations" Unlike Israel right? You might want to talk about all those illegal settler terrorists, especially Jack Teital. And don't forget the Mossads failed targeted assassination attempt in Dubai.
"interferes in Iraq's internal affairs" - unlike the US on Israel behalf, unlike the US in Iran, and unlike AIPAC et.al. here in the US right?
You certainly have your ditto corner of neoCONservatives who put the interests of a foreign government waaaaay before those of the United States of America, but you're not fooling anyone else...especially the Chinese, Russian, Brazilian, cross-Hispanic, Pakistani, Afghani, and cross-African readers on this site.
P.S. What did you mean by "false moral equivalency"? That Israel is above the standards of international laws and standards? Shill?
1st rule of a propagandist:
If the facts are not on your side, don't use any.
I think Obama would have to replace him. But, the dude is very well connected, so it's not likely he is going anywhere unless he wants out.
Click on his name and check out his articles. Unmistakable what his positions are.