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'Ball of Fire' if Iran Attacked: IAEA Chief
DUBAI - The UN atomic watchdog chief warned on Saturday that an attack on Iran over its controversial nuclear programme would turn the region into a fireball, as Tehran rejected an Israeli strike as "impossible."
Mohamed ElBaradei also warned that he would not be able to continue in his role as International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general should the Islamic republic be attacked.
His stark comments came as Iran stressed yet again that it will not negotiate with world powers over its nuclear programme if it is required to suspend its controversial uranium enrichment.
"A military strike (against Iran) would in my opinion be worse than anything else ... It would transform the Middle East region into a ball of fire," ElBaradei said in an interview with Al-Arabiya television.
A report by the New York Times on Friday cited US officials as saying a major Israeli military exercise earlier this month seemed to be a practice for any potential strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.
In Athens, an official with the Greek air force's central command confirmed the substance of the US media report, stating that it had taken part in "joint training exercises" with Israel off the Mediterranean island of Crete.
The manoeuvres, code-named "Glorious Spartan 08," took place on May 28 and June 12, and consisted of aerial exercises and knowledge exchange, said the Greek source, who requested anonymity.
The goal was for more than 100 Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighter jets to prepare for long-range strikes and demonstrate Israel's serious concern over Iran's nuclear ambitions, the Times reported.
But ElBaradei said any attack would simply harden Iran's position in its row with the West over its nuclear programme.
"A military strike would spark the launch of an emergency programme to make atomic weapons, with the support of all Iranians, including those living abroad," he said.
He did not believe that there was an "imminent risk" of proliferation given the current status of Iran's nuclear programme and made it clear he would "not have a place" as IAEA head in the event of a military strike.
The West fears that Tehran could use uranium enrichment to make an atomic bomb although Tehran insists it only wants nuclear technology for peaceful energy purposes.
ElBaradei's comments come as Iran stressed on Saturday it will not negotiate with world powers over its nuclear programme if it is required to suspend its enrichment activities.
"Suspending uranium enrichment has no logic behind it and it is not acceptable and the continuation of negotiation will not be based on suspension," Iranian government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham told reporters.
He responded to talk of a military strike by saying "such impudence and audacity to have an aggression against our national interest and integrity is an impossible action."
For his part, Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, said Tehran would "continue uranium enrichment non-stop since this activity is under the 24 hour surveillance (of IAEA cameras).
"The request to stop uranium enrichment is an old issue and does not have any legal or technical foundation," he added.
In Jerusalem, the Israeli parliament foreign affairs and defence commission chairman Tsahi Hanegbi said Saturday that Western diplomatic efforts to halt Iran's nuclear programme had failed.
"Next year and the year after that will be crucial. The world must must decide if it gives more time to diplomatic efforts, which currently do not seem very promising," he told Israeli public radio.
"Western measures against Iran's nuclear programme have failed."
On June 6 an Israeli Deputy Prime Minister, Shaul Mofaz, warned that Iran would face attack if it pursues what he said was its nuclear weapons programme.
A week ago, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana presented a new offer to Mottaki on ending the six-year standoff over Iran's nuclear drive, offering economic and trade incentives. Iran is still considering the plan.
It was made on behalf of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.
© 2008 Agence France Presse



81 Comments so far
Show AllYou are so right, sir. But that ball of fire will extend far beyond the Middle East region. So-called "US interests" are not the only ones involved. There is simply no way that members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, for example, are going to sit idly by like a bunch of disinterested spectators.
I am slightly puzzled -- Iranian websites were talking about this as early as Wednesday, 18 June
http://www.mehrnews.ir/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=702025
But it becomes news, sort of, first the 21st. I say, sort of, because is was on the 6AM radio news in Denamark but vanished on the 7, 8 and 9 AM news, replaced by a news slice about pig guts being shipped to China to be cleaned, then sent back to the Happy Little Kingdom to be filled with goo to make sausages...
Acually, this is a real scary news item -- if Elbaradei is talking about an imminent attack, the immediate thought is that it might actually be imminent. I'm sure glad that I filled up my heating oil tank up last month, not that it helps all that much in the long run, which might be a short run...
A ball of fire, you say? Well, the oil companies will like it. The financiers will like it. The arms manufacturers will love it. The rapturists will shriek with delight over it. The racists will strut about like roosters. Were it not for these likely reactions, it would be "impossible".
I complained to my local Public Broadcasting station twice yesterday because they were disseminating that old cannard through their reporters that Iran's President said they wanted to "wipe Israel off the map". No response of course. It is inflammatary to be continuing to broadcast that lie across the public airwaves without checking the original text, translating it correctly and putting it in context:
http://tinyurl.com/yhe6b7
The oil speculators and war mongerers in the meantime are laughing and running to the bank with all their short term spoils.
GWB would like nothing better than Iran launching an emergency atomic weapons program. The greater the threat, the more likely US citizens will be to accept his excuses for imposing martial law.
He is not sane. If we survive his term in office it will be no thanks to the intelligence of the US public.
Yes, yes, yes, let them strike Iran. This will be the final straw in igniting Islamic
war against the imperialist west. What else can they do? Roll over like the American
and British populations who aren't quite feeling the pain of "others" yet. Hell no.
It's all intellectual discussion on this bulletin board
but no one is dying here. Anyone on this board lost children to suicide bombers?
We're so privileged. Our perspectives would be different if we were experiencing
1/100th of the pain those in iraq and palestine feel. We're above all this pain and suffering
because we're special, privileged, mostly white.
We privileged few can experience the pain and suffering of others as mere info-tainment,.
worthy of discussion, but too trivial for action. May the cockroaches evolve with more grace.
"It's all intellectual discussion on this bulletin board
but no one is dying here. "
That's insensitive. How do you know? Besides, I know people here who have lost their child to this illegal war. Please go away.
Is there a better way to bring forth Armageddon, and undo Lord Balforur's and T.Herzl's work, and 50 years of the State of Israel?
Powerful people sometimes have no brains!
Amazed Spectator.
ANYONE CLAIMING TO BE PISSED OFF AT THE LACK OF "ACTION" IS ALOS A HYPOCRITE..FRANKLY..BECAUSE SOME OF US..ARE TAKING RISKS TO COMBAT THE INSANE ANGLO WARLORD (RONALD WILSON REAGAN..WHEN SCRAMBLED..SHIT YOU NOT..) BUT ANYWAY...TAKE RISKS..DO NOT PAY FOR IT..THAT IS ALL YOU CAN DO SHORT OF PICKING UP A RIFLE..AND IT IS A RISK..SURE IS..AND WHILE MOST..HAVE NOT LOST LOVED ONES TO THE CORPORATE FASCIST THEOCRACY..SOME OF US HAVE...DON'T FORGET..THIS WAR ON FREEDOM EMINATING FROM THE RIGHT WING NEO-FASCIST FEDERAL GOVERNMENT..TAKES SEVERAL FORMS...DON'T FORGET THE "DRUG WAR"...AND DON'T BE TOO QUICK TO STIGMATIZE THOSE VICTIMS OF IT...SMOKING A DRIED FLOWER AINT NO REASON TO DO 40 YEARS IN SAN QUENTIN...OR ANY SUPER MAX...AND I PERSONALLY HAVE LOST THREE CLOSE..CLOSE..CLOSE..FRIENDS...AS IN "TRUE" FAMILY...TO SOCIOPATHS WITH BADGES..THE SAME HELICOPTERS..THE SAME EQUIPMENT..AND YES..EVEN THE SAME MILITARY ILLEGALLY INVOLVED IN "MARIJUANA ERADICATION"...C'MON..WE ARE TALKING DRIED FLOWERS HERE PEOPLE..AND WHAT IS THE RAMIFICATION OF BEING PERSECUTED FOR THIS IF CAUGHT? CAN'T VOTE..SO THERE GOES A HUGE CHUNK OF THE VOTING PUBLIC..CAST ASIDE..CAST OUT OF THE AMERICAN PROCESS ON A STRICTLY SOCIAL ISSUE...LOSS OF FREEDOM TO EXTREME EXTENT...LOSS OF LIFE..LOSS OF PROPERTY..LET'S NOT FORGET "ASSET FORFIETURE" IN WHICH IT ACTUALLY BEHOOVES THE POLICE STATE TO GO AFTER THE PERSON WITH THE MOST REAL PROPERTY AS OPPOSED TO THE PERSONS ACTUALLY POSING THE MOST "REAL THREAT"...BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING PAID BY THE "ASSETS" THEY "FORFIET"..UHHH..SHERRIF OF NOTTING HAM ANYONE?
SO..THERE ARE MANY..MANY..MANY..MANY VICTIMS OF AMERICAN CORPORATE FASCISM..MANY..MANY..MANY..AND THE FORMS OF VICTIMS KEEP GROWING...KEEP ADDING UP..
TACITUS STATED..A COUPLE THOUSAND YEARS AGO.."THE MORE NUMEROUS THE LAWS, THE MORE CORRUPT THE SYSTEM.." OR TO THAT EFFECT..AND I MIGHT ADD, IN THIS PERIOD OF INTENSE SOCIOPATHIC VIOLENCE COMING AT THE HANDS OF EVER INCREASING NUMBERS OF SOCIOPATHS WITH BADGES..VICTIMS..YES VICTIMS AS WELL AS CORRUPTION...ARE THE RESULT OF THESE..."LAWS"
(SIDE NOTE: HEY FEDS..IF YOU WANT TO JUSTIFY YOUR SOCIAL WAR AGAINST OTHER LIFESTYLES..I GOTTA SAY THE "PUBLIC HEALTH" EXCUSE IS GETTING OLD..BECAUSE IN A WORLD OF UNBREATHABLE AIR..UNDRINKABLE WATER..AND YOUR UTTER LACK OF INTEREST IN DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THAT..THE HYPOCRISY IS BECOMING..OBVIOUS EVEN TO YOUR SUPPORTERS...)
FOLKS WE ARE IN AN ACTUAL COLD WAR RIGHT HERE IN THE USA...A COLD CIVIL WAR...CONSTITUTIONAL PROGRESSIVES V. FEDERAL LOYALIST'S...AND IT IS GETTING "HOT" IT WILL SNAP EVENTUALLY..HOW CAN IT NOT..
BUT NOW BACK TO THE POINT..IF YOU REALLY WANT TO "DO SOMETHING"..THEN STOP FOOTING THE BILL..DUHHH...YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DIE..AS YET....ALL YOU MUST DO...IS IMPOSE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AGAINST THIS ROGUE GOVERNMENT...THAT IS ALL...AT THIS TIME...THE REALLY STUPID THING IS...YOU ARE FOOTING THE BILL FOR THE SALLERIES OF PEOPLE..ARMIES OF CLERKS AND FEDERAL LOYALIST FORCES..THAT ARE SPENDING ALL DAY AT COMPUTER SCREENS OR THE LIKE...TAKING YOR RIGHTS AND YOUR PRIVACY AND YOUR FREEDOM...YOU PAY THE SALLERIES OF THE SOCIOPATHS COMMITTING THE ACTS OF TORTURE...THE KILLING OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN..YOU..YOU..Y-O-U! YOUR MONEY..YOUR FEAR OF ACTUAL ACTION..YOUR FEAR OF THE IRS AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHO'S ACTIONS YOU RAIL AGAINST..AND YET YOU PAY THEM TO ENGAGE IN THOSE ACTIVITIES...I AM SO AMAZED BY THIS SIMPLE REALITY..SO AMAZED THAT 50 MILLION OF YOU..FOR THAT IS ALL IT WOULD TAKE..AND POSSIBLY FAR LESS..TO HAVE A MASSIVELY EFFECTIVE TAX STRIKE...AN UN-IGNORABLE REALITY..AND THE WORLD..WOULD TAKE NOTICE..THE ENTIRE WORLD WOULD KNOW..THAT IN AMERICA...THERE ARE SOME WILLING TO TAKE ACTION..TO DEPRIVE THEIR ROGUE REGIME OF THE FUNDING IT NEEDS I ORDER TO ALLOCATE, WITH NO REGARD AT ALL..$162 BILLION..THAT WE KNOW OF..FOR AN ILLEGAL WAR...AND THAT..WAS YESTERDAY...TO SAY NOTHING OF ALL THE OTHER WARS ON FREEDOM...AKA THE DRUG WAR..ETC..ETC..IT'S TIME YOU WOKE UP AND JOINED IN A CITIZENS WAR...A WAR ON WAR FUNDING...MARCH..TO NO AVAIL..MAKE COMMENTS..TO NO AVAIL...BUT DENY THEM THE MONEY...AND STOP THIS MADNESS..POSSIBLY IN 6 MONTHS TIME...STRIKE STILL WORKS..IT REALLY DOES...STRIKES WORK..STRIKES WORK...COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PEOPLE..WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU ALL? CAN YOU NOT SEE THAT?..RATIONALIZE AWAY YOUR ONE TRUE POWER..GO AHEAD..I CAN HEAR YOU DOING IT NOW..BUT THAT 60% OF EVERY DOLLAR THAT GETS SPENT ON DEATH...COMES FROM YOU..NO WHERE ELSE...FROM YUO..EVERY APRIL...NOT FROM ME..NOT ANYMORE...BUT FROM YOU...
SO..DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT OTHERS NOT TAKING ACTION..IT IS REALLY AN EASY THING TO DO...ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS........................NOT DECLARE...OR..IF YOU LIKE..DECLARE THAT YOU WILL NOT DECLARE..RISK..BUT..NO CHANGE IS POSSIBLE WITHOUT RISK..ESPECIALLY WHEN DEALING WITH FASCISTS..AND WE ARE...SO..WAKE UP! LIVE FREE OR DIE..
YOU PEOPLE ARE MOSTLY CONTENT TO LIVE ON YOUR KNEES..TOO BAD...
I hate to have to say it, but what this country needs, fully deserves, and may soon get, is for all of this nasty stuff to actually happen, and America finally gets to personally feel the pain that it has been inflicting on the people in the Middle East and others (Koreans and Vietnamese) ever since 1948.
Only then can we hope for "change" - and it won't be Obama that we will look to.
Even if they can't reach us with IED's or dirty bombs, just wait until that oil stops flowing and we start killing each other over it, as the nation sinks into poverty.
Just remember - our affluence is built on the mushy foundation of "cheap oil" - and we cannot prevent it from becoming very expensive.
Wow, this is on the Front of CNN.com. I suppose nothing will lube average folks up to accept their government's decision to detonate said "ball of fire" quite like some liberal wing-nut from the liberal UN supposedly "warning" against it...
Why are oil prices so high, the world is still discussing? Could it be that well-connected individuals with hundreds of billions of dollars to burn know this is coming, and so are getting/bidding the price of oil to where it will be after any attack? Perhaps. The best part of this mechanism is, that, after any military action, the price of oil will already BE up, so it won't GO up, so the talking heads can say that the liberal whiners were wrong about the price of oil going up, too.
John C June--right on.
It's coming home to roost, folks, and it is not going to be pretty. But then I have been screaming this since the 2000 elections, when Bush's background and ambitions became well known facts and he was elected anyhow. Tolstoy: the people get the government they deserve. I guess then we (Americans)may need to change our approach a bit...and probably will do so if we end up creating a firestorm in the Middle East.
Buffalo, Ken,
It's not your state; any writing that is not organized into coherent paragraphs is hard to read.
JCromb is just a victim of the USAn education system. Being genuinely educated is the biggest threat to the elites - that's why they are trashing public education.
But, going back to your criticism of randolfski, I found that his post was very, very rich with "points". So maybe you are a victim of our education system too?
Timing is everything right now.
The Bush administration can do any crazy thing, and by now the world will just throw up it's hands.
If the US attacks Iran close to the change in administrations, then Iran can do one of two things. It can fight back, or like the riest of the world, it can just accept the craziness, and wait for Obama.
If Iran fights back, then Bush can cancel the US elections, and impose his dictatorial powers indefinitely. If Iran doesn't fight back, they their prestige in the region will be greatly heightened, and they will establish their position as the Middle-Eastern super power.
Luckily for the world, Iran is smarter than America, and they will choose the second course.
Until Iran is attacked there's no point musing on what might be the consequences. I'm tired of hearing about how Iran is about to be attacked any month now. It's been any month now for the last three years!
Malfoyd, if you think Obama is a knight in shining armor, you're going to be sorely disappointed. Obama has already said his populist rhetoric has got a bit overheated, and over amplified!
Reasons Oil Prices are high
1) Oil commodities speculators are driving up the price of oil so its primarily Wall Street behind the high prices.http://tinyurl.com/5gjqse
2) All oil is traded in dollars...dollars are inflated as a result of the housing bubble and the costs of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars so purchasing power is down in all things including our ability to purchase oil.
3) Oil is need to run the tanks in Iraq and Afghanistan, the naval ships, and Hummers in the war zones.
4) Exxon Mobil and the rest of the Middle men are also driving up costs.
5) Peak oil bullshit and lots of suckers buying into this stupid theory so they accept higher prices.
Jonn C. june: Since 1948? Aren't you forgetting a few little misdeeds by the US before then? My personal favorite was the unwarranted, immoral, and illegal rape of the south, not meaning to belittle the abuse of indians and negroes.
Why is Iran hell-bent to produce electricity with nuclear reactors? My hunch is that Iran's oilfields (but not their gas fields yet)are already past peak production (the pressures of these oil fields are maintained by huge daily injections of....natural gas!)and on their way to eventual global insignificance. When oil gives out Iran must earn dollars/euros by exporting gas and that is true even if a Shah were to return to rule. If oil and gas are not to be used for domestic energy production then nuclear is the only good alternative for Iran. Then why are the Iranians hell-bent to produce their own nuclear fuel rather than relying on "external sources?" Simple, outside sources have Iran by the balls because they can always stop delivery. For these reasons I believe that Iran's objective at this time and for a long time to come is to enrich uranium for the use in reactors and not for bombs.
Ah, I forgot. I accept the motto: "believe but verify" which is exactly what El Baradei is doing for me.
lizard says:
"Jonn C. : Since 1948? Aren't you forgetting a few little misdeeds by the US before then?"
Yes of course. Americans have been guilty of misdeeds since 1615. I just didn't want to look like I'm "piling on"!
My personal favorite was the unwarranted, immoral, and illegal rape of the south, not meaning to belittle the abuse of indians and negroes.
Sunken Carrier. Guaranteed. Big orders for Russian SUNBURN anti-ship missiles to follow. SS-N-22, or, Have A Nice Swim.
Why?
Why?
poopdeck - "(the pressures of these oil fields are maintained by huge daily injections of….natural gas!)"
I'm told it is seawater, which is more logical I think.
Think you can fuck around with war and not get burned? El Baradai is a genuine man of the human world, as opposed to the American and Israeli leadership....And when you do the homework on Israel's own big nuclear arsenal, what do you find at the very beginning? They told the world---quote---that it was "for peaceful purposes."
By the way, If Mohamed ElBaradei is saying that he's willing to walk if Iran is attacked, this should prove to everyone that the whole 'Nucular Weapons Program' line is pure pablum. This man is and can be trusted to tell the truth about any such program. He clearly has stated that there IS NO PROGRAM!
Please don't take the piss. Whatever reason that USAsrael comes up with to justify violating Iran, it's not nukes. Remember that. It's not nukes. I hope that that fact doesn't disappear down the memory hole.
dab, you expect a muslim to be honest about a muslim state's nuclear program?
A guy named mohammed no less? You lefties would be up in arms if it was a jew, even if he was saying the same things as mohammed here does.
It doesn't matter though. Israel doesn't have the ability to attack iran, and neither does america.
Ariel, as much as I know you're a trolling, disgusting, racist nutjob, I'll indulge myself.
Mohamed ElBaradei is well known for his honesty and straight shooting. I'd back him even if he was an animist. If this man says that Iran has no nuclear program, then they don't have one.
Besides, I'd trust a guy named Mohamed before I trust someone who calls themselves by the name of the butcher of Sabra and Shatilla.
"dab, you expect a muslim to be honest about a muslim state's nuclear program?
A guy named mohammed no less? You lefties would be up in arms if it was a jew, even if he was saying the same things as mohammed here does.
It doesn't matter though. Israel doesn't have the ability to attack iran, and neither does america."
-------------------------------------------------------
This has to be one of the dumbest postings yet placed on this board...Because his name is "Mohammed" and he's "Muslim", so PRESTO, he's lying?!!!
Also, why has this ingrate chosen to assume the name of a war criminal as a screen name?
10:52 post; I queried A Sharon about Shatilla/Sabra on another thread-it inverts the facts in specious asinine rascist arguments.
No mas por moi.
This is a definite case of the pig likes it and it only sully's one's self.
.........
dablackanarch June 21st, 2008 9:35 pm
"As for Iran, I'm not getting worked up. Either we'll attack them or we won't."
I can understand that. I myself have been sounding the false alarm for years now, and it haasn't happened yet.
But we must be vigilant. It is too late to save Iraq. Iraq has gone from being the country in the middle east with the best education, health, etc, to a complete basket case that will not be healed in 50 years.
If Israel attacks Iran, then Iran WILL respond. If they dont respond, then the US and Israel will attack just whenever they like. They have no choice but to respond. There will be many Israeli deaths, and the main stream media will trumpet it just like they trumpeted 9/11. On our televisions million Iraqi deaths will seem as nothing compared to the lives of 1000 Israelis. The USA WILL respond. We would see the entire Iran, the only democracy in the middle east destroyed, and possibly with nukes. It might make Iraq look like a picnic.
If we can just stave off the attack of Iran until Obama gets in, it might not happen.
There is no point in crying wolf, but ...
Braith,
Don't mistake calm for lack of vigilance. However, may I remind you that our government is more than willing to turn their weaponry upon us? That said, while we would react with total horror if this runs away to a nuclear WW3, at that point, there wouldn't be much to be done about it.
If someone has to die because the Amerikkkan government has to kill, then let it be us. I simply don't understand what it will take to have us in the streets and the politicians and pigs being given a short drop and a sudden stop. It's way past time and soon it will be too late to matter.
I heard today that thousands of South Koreans are expected to riot in the streets because they don't feel it's safe to import US beef due to the risk of mad cow disease.
Wish we had the teeniest fraction of their pluck here.
Bush is messianic in his thinking. I'm stocking up on more food, water, and medicine. Steney and Nancy seem to be carrying water for the decider. Nationalistic fervor is building in the U.S. and too many people are again buying into it. Soon it will likely be "bombs away." When that happens then any resources Iran has in the U.S. will probably take action here. It is at this point that the President will declare martial law and any internal resistance inside the government will collapse along with our economy. After that the nuts will be lose in the streets. I guess I better stock up on coffee and tea too. It's going to be a long summer.
people on this forum seem pretty mature so i assume everyone of you remembers the israeli strike on the Osirak reactor in Irak. magnificently executed operation BTW.
so what happened after? every country filed a token complaint but unofficially was really happy Irak's nuclear capability was eliminated. Same is going to happen now in case of a strike on that Iran's Natanz facility.
F.Y.I-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_Iran
Wind power in Iran
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
As a further drive toward diversification of energy sources, Iran has also established wind farms in several areas......Iran has been experiencing a growth in wind generation in recent years, and has a plan to substantially increase wind generation each year.
In 2006, Iran generated 45 megawatts of electricity from wind power (ranked 30th in the world). This was a 50% increase over 32 megawatts in 2005. Total wind generation in 2004 was 25 megawatts out of 33,000 megawatts total electrical generation capacity for the country.
Iran is a member of the Global Wind Energy Council.
Israel is the attack dog for the USA. There is no basis for the USA and the EU to hold Iran to ransom for wanting to ligitimately harness nuclear power for peaceful uses.
All your responses are from USA or westerners and the truth is not so readily revealed. Let me utter the truth. The USA has already with the cpmplicity of the Al Malaki puppet government taken control of all the oil in Iraq; and the only nation that stands in the way for the wholesale theft of all Middle East Oil is Iran. Let it be known that. The oil agreement that Al Maliki had sell out to the Americans give physical control of Iraq oil to the USA. What is more free of charge than that ? Iraq oil for useless US$. Oil for free is more descriptive of the sell out !.
100 Isreali planes is intended to scare the Iranians but you will fail because the Iranians will resist you to the last man. It is not Israel that is attacking Iran but the USA !
Funny thing about this nukular weapons threat from Iran. The IAEA says that Iran's enrichment program IS for nuclear (whew! got it right that time) energy (peaceful) and so do all 16 of the U.S. of A.'s intelligence agencies. Every one of them has said that recent intelligence has found that Iran discontinued their nuclear weapons program in 2003. Betcha don't see Charlie Gibson parroting that though! No, he will be "reporting" on whatever the Whitehouse tells him to report.
@chameleon2 June 22nd, 2008 12:14 am
"people on this forum seem pretty mature so i assume everyone of you remembers the israeli strike on the Osirak reactor in Irak. magnificently executed operation BTW.
so what happened after? every country filed a token complaint but unofficially was really happy Irak's nuclear capability was eliminated. Same is going to happen now in case of a strike on that Iran's Natanz facility."
So... since the Iranians dont actually have a nuclear weapons capability, and there is none on the horizon, and given that Iran has never attacked any country nor threatened to attack any county, you must be advocating a strike on the rabid dogs of Israel to eliminate their nukes. Frought with danger, I would think.
chameleon2 June 22nd, 2008 12:14 am
"people on this forum seem pretty mature so i assume everyone of you remembers the israeli strike on the Osirak reactor in Irak. magnificently executed operation BTW"
Chameleon2, mature people are not so easily swayed by statements reflecting neo-con delusions.
My two cents regarding those commenting that they've heard talk of invading Iran for months now and yet nothing has happened.
I believe the only reason it hasn't happened (and hopefully never will) is that there are still enough sane members in the higher ranks of the military who strongly oppose any such action. If it weren't for these few folks still in service at the highest levels, Iran would have been attacked months ago. Fallon is one example, but he opened his mouth and paid for it by being "retired."
braithwa842
"you must be advocating a strike on the rabid dogs of Israel to eliminate their nukes"
Nowhere in my statement am i advocating a strike on anyone. i was merely stating a fact: officially world politicians will deplore an israeli strike on Iran but behind the courtains they will be thankful someone did the dirty work. It's as simple as that.
same statement goes for Doom n Gloom: first, i am not a neo-con. Second, what i said is no delusion. I was stating a historical fact and trying to be realistic.
Members of the US congress could put a stop to this madness if they were willing to risk losing the next election. I suspect they are all telling themselves that this or that compromise is the best they can do given the politics. That is a rationalization for not giving it their all. The soldiers from all sides know that is B***S***, and they really do give it their all.
It seems that Mohamed ElBaradei is doing about all he can to avert massive human death. Our congress people are most likely out soliciting campaign contributions. Collectively, the US congress has more power that Bush, Cheney or anyone else. Congress has the power to declare war and to impeach. The Iraq war could not go on without the cooperation of the congress critters. Impeachment would take only an afternoon if they put their minds to it. I wonder if they talk about impeachment privately, in the rest room or on a walk?
Ariel_Sharon says:
" It doesn't matter though. Israel doesn't have the ability to attack iran, and neither does america."
Neither England or France had the ability to attack Germany in 1939, but they did anyway.
dablackanarch says:
"I simply don't understand what it will take to have us in the streets and the politicians and pigs being given a short drop and a sudden stop. It's way past time and soon it will be too late to matter."
It will happen when we have no gas for our cars, no fuel in the winter, no steaks and pork chops, and when the "spoiled generation" can't get what they demand no matter how loud they scream.
And yes, it will then be way too late!!
J June; exactly, this shill inverts the facts, twists basic premises, and bald-facedly defends murder and occupation as rights of return and self-defense.....oh yeah, 'it's,' a Zionist!
Definition Zionist; See Above.
Told me Shabra and Shattilla were good things! (From the Zioperspective!) Good Things! 1000 dead, butchered babies? Good for israel! That's good baby blood.
Maybe the Sharon Moniker is inappropriate. It's like calling yourself HITLER.
The elites want to destroy the US, and a devalued dollar and an eviscerated middle class is a necessary precursor to full fascist implementation. If gays, immigrants, and Osama Bin Laden have to be scapegoated to deflect attention from the evil doers at the top, then so be it. Check out Alex Jones' Prison Planet for more information --this is not a matter of "Left vs. Right." There is no such thing. It's an illusion promoted to divide and conquer the US. Everything is going according to plan in Iraq and Iran. There was never any intention to allow democracy or self governance over there, as doing so would undermine US interests/hegemony. Iran and Venezuela have to go (hear about that naval fleet being dispatched to South America?) not because they are actually a threat to the US, but because they represent an alternative to the US corporate fascist model.
***
buffalo_ken: "Logging out for the day."
You already said you were leaving.
Your posts would appear less spammy if you consolidated your one liners into a coherent paragraph or two and posted once, rather than posting several short messages one after the other.
All the best.
Recommended survivial gear for a post Iranian bombing.
1. Large mouthed garden hose
2. Duck tape
3. An auto with at least thirty minutes worth of gas.
4. A bottle of vodka
5. Something like Gorecki's third symphony on the sound system
lisa, excuse me???? When did I say anything about shabilla snd shantilla being a "good thing"? As usual you lefties put stupid words in my mouth. Why don't you go back and read what I really said before spewing that nonsense.
You lefties continue to display knuckledragging retardedness. There is 0% chance of an israeli attack on iran. I'd say there's a 3% chance of an american attack. This is all for the bluff, they are trying to get ahamalama overthrown...
dcb...unfortunately correct
chameleon2 June 22nd, 2008 9:00 am
"same statement goes for Doom n Gloom: first, i am not a neo-con. Second, what i said is no delusion. I was stating a historical fact and trying to be realistic."
Your words reflect the same false realism of the neo-cons. The implication is that if we bomb Iran nothing will happen.
Pretty mature people here strongly disagree with you. There is no God given nor legal justification for violating the sovereignty of Iran. Bombing Iran is an unprovoked and illegal act of war except in the minds of neo-cons and zionists.
The broader picture is one of political alignments opposed to American imperialism and expansionism. World dominion is a christian and neo-con dream that is destined to failure. American economic and religious elites will bankrupt America attempting to achieve their delusional megalomaniacal beliefs. They will sacrifice liberty for fascism, liquidity for bankruptcy, truth for lies, and life for death in their march toward certain failure and defeat. ElBaradei is right, the region will turn into a fireball and America will not be spared.
Iran is not my enemy, never was, never will be.
It's the nuclear-armed Israeli mad dog that worries me about the future of the world.