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Misunderestimating Iran: Week 415
The Bush White House and its State Department, in their final days and even as Hillary Clinton undergoes the confirmation process to become the next Secretary of State, continue to be oblivious to irony, or at least to the almost comical aspects of their records and official statements. On Sunday, the New York Times reported that George Bush specifically denied Israeli requests for assistance in bombing Iran's nuclear sites, instead advising the Israelis that covert activities were underway by the U.S. to "sabotage" Iran's efforts in gaining proficiency in nuclear technology. Given that few native U.S. citizens (and I don't mean American Indian, but Americans who don't also hold Iranian citizenship) roam about Iran, let alone its nuclear sites, at will, one supposes that Iranians working for the U.S. government, either directly or indirectly, were a part of that "sabotage" team.
Two days later, Iran announces that it has arrested four Iranians accused of working for the U.S. in attempting to undermine the Islamic government and system. Duh. The Iranians read the New York Times, even if George Bush doesn't. But perhaps the State Department doesn't, either. Where have we heard the phrase "....using charges of violating national security as a pretext for targeting...." before?
STATE DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE
Alleged U.S. Involvement in Iran Coup Attempt (Taken Question)
Question: What is our response to the claim that the United States worked with four Iranians charged with attempting to topple the Iranian government?Answer: Any charge against an Iranian that he/she is working with the United States to overthrow the Iranian government is baseless.
In the past, Iran has used similar charges to falsely accuse and detain civil society activists and Iranians working to enhance understanding between our two countries. We urge the government of Iran to adhere to international norms by ending its policy of arbitrarily detaining its citizens or using charges of violating national security as a pretext for targeting any Iranian citizen.
2009/047
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The right way to combat Iranian theocracy is by exposing their atavistic tendencies, sponsoring Iranian dissident writers to ridicule and satirize whats going on inside Iran.
On the economic are-- restrains such as sanctions and embargoes are a must. Iranins do little to nothing RD and produce no high tec. Attempt to place limitation on hi tech equipment sold to Iran. No easy but doable. Low petrol prices help.
Military-- Iran MO has always been to fight by proxy. Better job must be done to chock off the conduits of funding, training and various Iran controlled terrorist groups. Since money moves through Syria. Do the same to Syrians.Be
A closed ended system such as Iran is unstable and will collapse on its own, given time. We don't need to fight the current Iranian theocracy. Only to contain, ridicule it. It will wobble and it will fall. Patience.
But if they do get out of line, I am sure Obama administration will be ready for them.
Well done, except I don't have faith that Obama will do anything..
Covert ops is the way to go as well as support the internal resistance
You mean treason?
"Better human intel.... better human intel. "
It's bad the BushCo GOP conservatives
outed Valery Plame's spy network in Iran.
Think about this...
Egypt over the last few months has said things like "Iran is now on our border..." Referring to Hamas and has made it clear to Israel, go get em but fast...
We know that Hamas, OBL's boys, the Muslim Brotherhood are getting $, weapons and Training in Iran.
So the real problem is obviously Iran giving nukes to these who hate the West... Plausible deniability.
As far as them using them against Israel, UK and the West... they has said frequently, "We love Death more then you love Life."
National Security is all about "Acceptable Risks" and this comes up on the daily threat assessment as unacceptab
Dear Hooman,
I beg to differ.
Anybody who knows the history of how Islamic Republic has treated opposition parties including torturing opposition party leaders into "confessions", executing low-level members of parties not just the leaders, putting thousands of people just for their ideas into prison, forcing thousands more to leave the country, knows better. We know that just because US wants to "sabotage" Iran's efforts in gaining proficiency in nuclear technologyn, it does not mean Iranian government is waiting for any valid reason to arrest people. We have to be careful to make sure neocons do not win the upper hand in US policy. Meanwhile, we cannot forget that Islamic Republic is not a democracy and it continues to arrest various people for their political activities even if these activities are not result of any foreign government interference.
Actually, sometimes the detention of opposition groups ARE with the connivance of other countries. The US gave the new Islamic regime a list of members of the TUDEH communist party who were arrested during the initial days of the revolution, for example.
Nixon Pot Liberals FBI
Good post. It is true that Iranian hardliners will accuse anyone they deem a threat to themselves of being traitors to the country, and their brutality on members of these groups, is horrendous. It is also true that members of our congress have in the past supported Iranian opposition groups that our own State Department considers a terrorist organization.
Iran's nuclear energy program was started in the late 1970's at the behest of the Ford administration following a study that indicated the depletion of those reserves. Iran had a major population boom during the war years and domestic consumption is huge. If Iran were to acquire nuclear energy, it could sell more oil on the international market than it is forced to consume at home. So, it makes an economic argument. Aditionally, many countries around the world are looking into nuclear technology for environmental reasons. Of course, the debate on this is still out, but Iranian cities suffer from major polution and on those grounds in addition to their economic argument, nuclear energy might provide a wanted alternative.
Hmm, I don't think Iran is investing ANY money in solar energy or ANY alternative fuels. Why not? Maybe they can also buy Israeli solar tech. Like the major solar station being installed in California. No? Only nuclear would do, eh. Keep on selling this nuclear-for- peace pitch. No one is buying.
Apparently, most people on this page are.
Actually, Iran has one of the largest programs in wind power in the world and exports the wind power generators to Armenia. It recently completed construction of a major hydroelectric dam, and is investigating solar power. So why not use Google before you type nonsense?
http://www
http://en.
Iran has invested in and applies in solar, hydro, and wind power.
I'm wondering how the oil agreement between Iran and China will affect this.
If at all.
The real issues under the chitter-chatter are:
1) How to set the stage (manipulate the situation) for a showdown with Iran before it is half-an-inch from nuclear weapons.
2) The ends justify the means. The contrary view is a philosophical ideology for those with the luxury to appear high-minded, but when the world is clearly on the line, who can really afford it?
We knew even back during the Cold War that sooner or later smaller and smaller powers would get a place at the table by gaining nuclear secrets. In other words, we knew the world was heading towards an impossible situation. Here it is, and the time for talk is past. I'm a left-wing peacenik type, but at a certain point playing the role of being idealistic and high-minded can easily block the path of the actions that are needed. I was never an ostrich sticking his head in the sand.
Didn't Iran arrest 3 or more is ra hellis in November 2008 for spying too?
we should sit down with them without preconditions, even if they want the destruction of Israel then the United States
It's true. Iran has never recognized Israel. Hardliners refer to it as the "usurper". They cut off relations with Is r a el in 1979 when the revolution came to power, and they cut off relations with South Africa at the same time because they considered it a racist government. Their opposition was to the ideology of both states. It is true that there are people in Iran who are blatantly anti-semitic, but you can find those around the world, including right here and in Europe. Recently a popular Iranian series was about an Iranian man who falls in love with jewish girl in I believe Nazi occupied France, and works to get her and her family out safely. Iran does not question U.S. legitimacy. The hardliners might talk about the end of U.S. imperialism, etc., they said the same things about the Communist USSR, but it is not mainstream to talk about the destruction of the United States.
Who is threatening to destroy whom? The US has explicitly threatened Iran with nuclear first strikes -- the threat itself is a war crime, by the way.
since iran hasn't invaded another nation in more than 100 years we need to come up with another whopper to justify bombing and invading that country.. this could be tricky, unlike the palastinians who are totally defenseless ,their are indications iran may be able to defend themselves.
So you're "Ok" with this country getting Nukes? Surely you know they have defied all attempts by the UN, US and others to comply with some peaceful standards.
Point is, the New York Times are anti-American by posting anything like this... Freedom of Speech comes with responsibility.
Also, yes, we (civilized world) should act now in that you deal with a man loading a gun differently than how you deal with a man that is pointing a loaded gun at you.
Sorry for butting in here, but....
What proof do you or anyone have that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon?
Iran has the "inalienable" right under the NPT, to which she is a signer, to low-enriched uranium for power reactor fuel.
That includes enrichment facilities.
This is Iran's stated intention, and the IAEA inspectors have found nothing to contradict that statement.
An INALIENABLE right.
Meanwhile, Israel, which is not a signer of the NPT has acquired massive quantities of nuclear weapons, on a fools-errand of national security.
In other words, quite simply, it is Israel that is the "rogue" nation, acquiring nuclear weapons without international safeguards, and is Israel that already has the fully loaded gun, locked and ready.
You can't go around trying to topple governments around the world, and expect the press not to report it: these are acts of war.
Time have changed. The world is small.
Our country has nukes, Israel has nukes, Pakistan got them and sold them all over the owrld, Russia has nukes, India has numes. If I were Iran, I would want them too. If no one had nukes, then Iran would not want them. The NPT should have required all nukes to be destroyed. It is not like anyone can use one without the end of the world occurring.
We know that Iran is developing a nuclear energy program, and since they are set on enriching their own uranium we are concerned about the capability that they can go further at a later date. Iran is a member under NPT and has the right to develop a nuclear energy program, in fact, under NPT it is entited to receive help from the international community for such a program. In 1979 after the revolution, Iran refused to continue its nuclear energy program because of its opposition to nuclear anything. One of its biggest anti-American criticisms had and continued to be the U.S.'s use of the Atomic Bomb over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The nuclear energy program had been started under the Shah through the urging of Ford/Kissinger. Later, when Iran wanted to continue the plant at Bushehr, the Germans, presumably under U.S. pressure refused to fulfil their contract with Iran. To my knowledge that plant which would rely on external technology is still incomplete. Perhaps because it does not trust that other countries will fulfil their contracts, Iran decided to go at it alone and enrich uranium. The UN, under U.S. pressure imposed additional protocals on Iran. No other country has these. This is what the conflict with the UN/US is about, the additional protocals to which Iran itself initially agreed. -- Beyond this, if Iran did develop nuclear weapons, it is doubtful that they would be used, as Iran would in turn be obliterated.
Hamas is only the tip of the iceberg and they are supported by the majority of the Arab world. There is no psychological difference between members of Hamas and the residents of Gaza---they are all in collusion with the forces of terror. Severe punishment to Gaza will solve the problem. Human nature never changes and civilized behavior is not far from the fear of punishment.
Israel has engaged in "severe punishment" of Gaza for 60 years. How has it been working for Israel?
"Hamas is only the tip of the iceberg and they are supported by the majority of the Arab world."
That is WRONG. Most of the Arab word cannot stand Hamas. have you ever been to the Arab world? Obviously not.
There is a leadership vacuum. Groups like Hamas come up through the vacuum.
Actually, Iran has a decent history of breaking up CIA covert ops. The NY Times reported in 1989:
Iran Broke C.I.A. Spy Ring, U.S. Says
By STEPHEN ENGELBERG WITH BERNARD E. TRAINOR, SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES
Published: August 8, 1989
LEAD: Early this year, Government officials say, Iran ended what was thought to be one of the Central Intelligence Agency's rare successes in that country: a network of agents who provided intimate details and documents about Iranian military planning.
http://que
Russia pulled the plug on gas for Europe before and that is why the European made a contract with
Iran to get their energy from Iran. Halliburton was to deliver nuke parts to Iran when Valerie Plame was
ousted I hear. But the war drums are still beating here and if we ever attack Iran it will turn out a lie
just like Iraq! Have we no shame.
I don't think this is the case. Iran shows their progress even proudly.
And I wasn't a victim of Bush. I never believed the US position on Iraq, like many people in Europe. I think much of Bush's lies could be identified as such or at least as doubtful. At the time the war started Bush and his people had already lost their credibility.
The more I saw TV discussions with Richard Perle, the more I knew it's BS.
I wasn't a victim either. I didn't buy it. And I figured at the time, there were IAEA inspectors on the ground in Iraq, let them finish their job, why the rush to war?
They show their progress on developing nuclear energy.
Gaza is just the warmup act preliminary to the main event, Iran.
So bombing and burning women and children is a good practice before fighting an actual army?
If you're an IDF supporter it seems to be.
There is evidence that the US and Britain overthrew the elected government of Iran. There is evidence that the US Navy shot down an Iranian airbus. There is evidence that the US gave Saddam the Chemical weapons he used on Iran. There is plenty of evidence that Imperialism is alive and well. Long live Ron Paul, stay off small airplanes Doctor .
There is no EVIDENCE that Iran has ever pursued nuclear weapons. NONE
If our military had not become stuck in the quagmire of Iraq, we would have launched an attack on Iran for the same reason we attacked Iraq. Both refused to accept US Dollars in exchange for oil, making the beginnings of an oil 'bourse' based on the Euro vs. the Dollar. Since our economy is based on the dollars traded in the oil commodity market, this is unacceptable.
EXACTLY.
The only reason Iran is in the news at all is because of P...N..A..
Bu$.h and his junta were the only time in my life where i kind of wish America would be invaded...
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