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Ahmadinejad Provokes Western Anger
To fete the 31st anniversary of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gleefully announced his nation will enrich uranium to 20%.
The fiery Ahmadinejad seems to delight in provoking howls of outrage from the West. They were not long in coming. Western media and politicians loudly denounced Iran's latest nuclear effort, claiming it would put Tehran within striking distance of achieving the 85-90% enrichment needed for nuclear weapons.
In fact, Iran will only enrich 40 kilos of low-grade uranium to 20% to fuel a small research reactor in Tehran to produce medical isotopes for cancer treatment and imaging. Iran insists it has no plans to produce nuclear weapons.
Tehran has offered to swap its low-enriched uranium for fuel rods from Europe and Russia. But Iran says the swap must be simultaneous, while the U.S.-led western powers demand Iran hand over its uranium first, then get the fuel rods at some later date - if it behaves.
This latest tempest in a teacup comes as Iran slowly develops a nuclear power industry to produce what it maintains will be electricity. Iran's oil is being depleted. Forty other nations are at similar or more advanced stages of nuclear power generation. This is all quite legal under UN nuclear agency rules.
Both UN nuclear inspectors and U.S. intelligence say there is no evidence Iran is developing nuclear weapons. Documents claiming the contrary have been debunked as fakes. But nuclear-armed Israel and its partisans warn Iran is developing nuclear weapons and demand sanctions or war.
Why does Iran keep provoking western anger, defying the Security Council, inviting sanctions and risking devastating Israeli attack when it could simply buy fuel rods from Europe that cannot be used for nuclear weapons?
Thirty-one years ago, Iranians overthrew the hated, U.S.-backed monarchy of Reza Shah Pahlavi. The revolution was led by an exiled Shia cleric, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and an old university friend of mine, Sadegh Ghotbzadeh. This historic uprising was ignited by Iranians' anger at being misruled by a western-installed despot who mocked Islam, allowed his thieving family to loot the nation and spent billions on U.S. and British arms when his people went hungry and illiterate.
The dreaded U.S. and Israeli-trained secret police, Savak, kept the Shah in power through a reign of terror and torture. Iranians later blamed the U.S. and Britain for engineering and financing Saddam Hussein's 1980 invasion of Iran which cost one million Iranian casualties.
In the 1970s, Washington offered to sell the Shah's regime 31 nuclear reactors. Israel reportedly offered to swap medium-range missiles with nuclear warheads for oil. But after the revolution, Iran was declared a "terrorist regime" when Khomeini demanded Mideast oil money go to its people rather than U.S.-supported monarchies, and championed the Palestinian cause.
Nuclear power has become Iran's key national issue. Ali Khamenei, Iran's current spiritual guide, claims Britain and the U.S. are determined to deny the Muslim world modern technology in order to keep it backwards, weak and forced to buy western arms and exports. Imperial Britain did the same to India, keeping its colony economically backwards for two centuries.
For most Iranians, developing nuclear power means breaking out of their western-imposed technological ghetto and modernization. It's a matter of profound national pride and defiance: Iran was repeatedly invaded by Britain and Russia, its governments were overthrown by western powers and its oil exploited. Nuclear technology offers independence and weapons for self-defence, if Tehran so chooses.
To western dismay, most of the current Iranian protest movement's leaders back its nuclear program. If Ahmadinejad were replaced, Iran's nuclear efforts would continue unless the U.S. and Britain managed to achieve their strategy of imposing a new, compliant royalist regime in Tehran.
In the Iranian view, if France and Britain, and neighbours Russia, Israel, Pakistan and India (now with U.S. help), can have nuclear arms, why can't Iran at least boil water for tea using nuclear energy?
- Posted in
44 Comments so far
Show AllBecause Israel says so!!
Israelis have learned - through their own texts - that the world is full of enemies who are jealous of their incredible talent and success. They are wise to the ways of petty tyrants from foreign countries.
Americans - via commercial media and the War on Terror - are becoming equally world-wise.
And I believe I am right in saying that Norman Schwartzkopf's father organised the training ofSavak. And of course the British up to their neck in the overthrow of popular Mossadeq (hope spelling correct, have a blank and can't find reference book.)
Apparently the Shah's son is angling to go back and bring the dreaded democracy, liberation, freedom.
Why can't we just LEAVE POPLE ALONE (bleat, bleat ...)
Jassim 9:55 ---- the person who actually physically, tactically and in situ overthrew Mossadeq was Teddy's nephew Kermit Roosevelt.
Kermit even continued with his instigated riots ( sound familiar?) after DC told him to desist because his cover was blown, but he persisted and was soon successful in installing an US/Brit puppet vicious dictator.
Same scenario today.
jassim, the Shah's secret police, Savak, were created, trained, and run by the C.I.A. from a special center at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor...
Mohammad Mosaddegh... I'm not in the least criticizing, but I find it amazing how often people admit to not having simple facts at hand... when posting on the internet. It took me 22 seconds to get Mosaddegh's correct spelling using Wiki. (It only took that long because I had to open another browser.)
With Google and Wiki, it's hard to imagine any fact or factoid that you can't get in max. 60 seconds. Just sayin'
But I agree with the content of your post. (Good luck to the Shah's son... ain't going to happen.)
Seconded.
Trivial discussions of facts and factoids are largely obsolete in this fine internet-age. - So much interpersonal noise simply GONE, as soon as we want it to be.
But "we the people" are still catching up to this new state. Cf. so many mindless, unfactual discussions happening, in the media and everywhere else.
That's why lies are getting louder, to stay ahead of facts catching up. Strange to behold.
The cross-referencing of the collective human mind is an ongoing process taking time to complete. A reservoir takes time to drain and streamline into a steadily flowing river, even when the dam's blown open.
The problem is that when one is transliterating names from the Arabic alphabet (which has many sounds we don't have and don't have letters for) to the Latin alphabet some sounds are up for grabs. You'll probably notice that different newspapers adopt different spellings. Remember Qadafy, Kaddafy, Khadafy, Gaddafy, etc?
The reason the Iranian leadership acts so "gleefully" defiant is because they know that whenever the imperialists see ANY sign of weakness, they will devour you.
Look at who the U.S. allies with - Monarchies, Tyrants, and aggressors.
Look who the U.S. devours - the vulnerable.
Look who the U.S. most hates - Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, North Korea... The one thing these nations definitely have in common - defiance of U.S. domination.
"whenever the imperialists see ANY sign of weakness, they will devour you."
Exactly. Iraq was not invaded because Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, but because he did NOT (which he knew very well). The US would not have gone near the place otherwise.
WMD -- remind me what those are again. Is that like depleted uranium, white phosphorous, pilotless drones, 500 kiloton bombs? Or is it some really nasty?
Iran has every right to have nuclear weapons and it is the height of arrogance and hypocriscy to say otherwise. Israel is a greater threat than Iran.
I hope there is no personal reason why you have chosen your moniker Thal. But that is beside the point: you are absolutely correct as I said late last night on the "What Do Empires Do?" thread. Sometimes I think many of these writers are channeling me: I post a statement and Poof! the next day someone writes a piece that makes the same point I did, not 24 hrs earlier.
Yes, Iran has every right to obtain a weapon that might spare it the same fate as Iraq or Afghanistan. Should they though? Well no, no-one should have these weapons, but it is too late for that. Wish in one hand and crap in the other and see which one fills up first.
great aphorism, just tried it, my keyboards a mess.
Ha-ha & yuk!
Actually the saying used to go: spit in one hand and wish in the other, see where you get the most. Same result, easier on the keyboard. :-)
Any wonder that humankind is going to end badly?
Though it seems politically sensible for nations to have credible nuclear defense weapons, it should be apparent that the justification of there use is becoming more and more acceptable to progressive minds.
How can anyone justify the possession of nuclear weapons by any nation? Were war has a political purpose, complete annihilation has no justification.
Complete annihilation is were humankind is headed.
I think it is arrogant of the "west" to feel provoked.
How is it that anybody in "Israel", USA, Britain, France etc feel provoked by Iranian advances in nuclear technology? Is Iran uttering threats? No. The only threatening entities are "Israel" and AIPAC.
Aside from that please, I ask all to join in the International Boycott of the entity known as "Israel", and to do what you can to advance the Goldstone Report on atrocities and war crimes committed by "Israel" in last year's Christmas massacre in the Gaza Ghetto.
We need to bring an end to these holocausts.
Sophie Scholl-The Final Days
The US Navy had its Fleet off Irans Coasts. They hav e Nuclear submarines in striking distance of all of Irans Cities. With a single order they can turn the country to a sea of glass.
They routinely fired on Iranian Naval vessels.
Yet when Iran test fired a missile, they claimed it a provocation. When Iran tried to buy the S300 anti air missile system (a defensive weapon) they claimed it a provocative act .
Israel chimed in claiming that trying to buy the s300 systemw as proof Iran wanted war. You see Israel demands the RIGHT to attack any nation it wishes and Israel feels that if their pilots are flying Over iranian territory and dropping bombs on Iranian Cities were Iran to fire upon those aircraft, it a provocation and act of war.
Israel does the same thing in Lebanon. The Continually violate her airspace and when the Military in Lebaonon fires upon those planes in Lebanese airpsace, Israel claims it a "provocation".
The US and ISrael are joined at the hip. Thier policies are mirror images of one anothers. The NATO nations go along all of them wanting a hand in divvying up "The Spoils".
Update: The Moscow Times reported today that the Russians will deliver the S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran. They also point out that they are only defensive in nature. Of course the US and Israel have been whining about these missiles because they know that they would be very effective in shooting down Israeli planes if they are insane enough to attack the Iranians. The Israelis and US don't seem to understand the concept of irony and hypocrisy. They screech about those Iranians getting the S-300 systems after they have installed defensive Patriot missile systems in Israel and other Gulf coutries.
Iran has been the most stable and non-aggressive nation in the entire region for over two centuries. The primary reason the "western" (read Zionist) media has launched a frenzy of propaganda against Iran is that it has challenged Zionist hegemony in the region and has ceased to be US and UK's gas pump since 1979. Eric's conclusion is sound, and this is just a storm in a teacup and Iran has every right to have full nuclear cycle as its large population and depleting energy resources require an alternate energy source, and nuclear energy is the most logical source for Iran's requirements . The utter failure of Iran's enemies to instigate even a minor propaganda victory by stoking riots at the anniversary of its 31st revolution has embarrassed the US and its lackeys into waging this latest round of Iran bashing and promoting the usual discredited hypocritical Iranophobia. This is largely a futile effort as Iranian regime remians popular domestically, its youthful population is very nationalistic the country is too big to "attack" without catastrophic global consequences. Anyway. the "military option" is suicidal, and the Chinese superpower is not playing ball.
Iran's tiny Arab neighbours in the Persian Gulf are looking for a modus vivendi in the post-American Asia centric multi-polar world order. The twin US disasters in Iraq and AF-Pak are a stark reminder to all of the people in the region about the rapid decline of US and the sheer lunacy of this nine year old neo-con misadventure that has bankrupted the US economy and exposed the military overstretch to all potential adversaries. A "war" against Iran, a nation of 74 million with a mountaineous landmass of 1.64 million square kilometers, 3000 year old civilization, a battle tested military with a well developed national identity and fierce nationalism is beyond the realm of even the most insane Iranophobes. It would be in everyones interest to cease and desist from hollow threats and worthless sabre-rattling. The the sun is rapidly setting on the battered American empire of delusional global conquest and hegemony.
a mostly air war, destroying infrastructure and killing as many civilians as possible is what is being contemplated....
How did that work in Iraq and AF-Pak? Please.
Excellent post, GlobalSoul.
Just a footnote: I was living in the Middle-East when the USA put Saddam up (and armed him) to invade the new Islamic Republic of Iran. The Iraqis, who had the biggest, best equipped and best-trained military in the region, were forced to give up in the face of the Iranian counter-attack. The Iraqis were scared witless when Iranian civilians wrapped only in white burial shrouds and chanting from the Q'uran, advanced to meet their guns. I never knew whether this actually happened, but my neighbors all believed it and they had no more interest in sending troops to help their brothers in Iraq.
Yes, there were Iranian human wave attacks like you described.
Thanks!
The fear that "it would put Tehran within striking distance of achieving the 85-90% enrichment" seems slightly inconsistent with "not believ[ing] they have the capability" to enrich uranium even to the claimed 20 percent level as stated recently by Whitehouse spokesman Robert Gibbs.
Seems like AIPAC's sub-commitee for programming official U.S. announcements must have misqueued somewhere along the line. Or perhaps Mr Gibbs is "anti-Semitic" and must be dismissed.
Awfully clever those Iranians. Apparently they have found a way to enrich to 90 percent without being able to get over 20 percent.
Maybe President Ahmadinejad is the reincarnation of Yogi Berra?
Yogi is still living.
Being against nukes and nuke power is a conundrum for us progressives who think that Iran should have the same rights as other countries and need nukes to protect themselves from attack and invasion by Israel and US.
Perhaps the two principles aren't quite so diametrically opposed as they might appear. At least one can hope that actual recogition of equal rights for all nations might just possibly provide the incentive needed to encourage conformance with the original true intent and purposes of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
So far nothing else has, especially in the case of the U.S. In some ways, Isreal was more forthright in refusing to sign it altogether, a fact which always seems to escape any mention in corporate "news" reporting.
I agree. I think it is absolutely logical that Iran would want nuclear weapons, given that the US has attacked just about everyone in the area or hada hand in propping up pro-US regimes. Also, if it is okay for Obama to make the horribly bad decision to go nuclear in the US, then it is equally okay for Iran to do it. Bad for the goose, bad for the gander. The US (I think) looks totally ridiculous and transparent to say otherwise. What a bunch of dumbshits "we" (not me and you) are.
We in the west have more to fear from the US than from Iran. We already know what the US is willing to do with it's nukes.
RV---
Quite so.
Meanwhile, it's interesting that Margolis brought up his "old university friend," Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, who was shot by a firing squad in 1982 for allegedly betraying the Revolution, after he had claimed that the Reaganites had interfered with Jimmy Carter's efforts to end the hostage crisis.
One wonders what Margolis knows about that rather important, and tragic, episode...
-30-
There was some really high-stakes games going on there, in the Iran-contra-cocain triangle deals.
Iran blew the Republicans' cover by releasing the US hostages 20 minutes(!) after Reagan's inauguration Jan. 20, 1981, thus revealing the deal they'd made with the Republicans (to withold the hostages until after the November 1980 Presidential elections, so Jimmy Carter would have no success in securing hostage-release and due to that most likely be defeated, as he was). The Iranians couldn't describe the deal out loud(er) more than in this action, as they were still awaiting the payment in weapons. But they gave a clear tell-tale sign.
Ironic that Iran's goal is nuclear power generation, something that really doesn't work well elsewhere. But just because the West is greed-oriented to the point of poor planning and safety doesn't mean the Iranians are. Perhaps they have already figured out how to build power plants under budget, to be operated safely, and with some idea what to do with the waste. We should ask them.
Otherwise, doesn't the wind blow in Iran?
Even the most unthinkable is possible. A world free of nuclear weapons and at peace is possible.
What is impossible is to believe anyone who is saying that there will be peace on this earth, and soon, within the lifetimes of most of us, and that the entire planet will become a nuclear free zone.
But, then, I am not the writer of the Book of this World. And neither are you.
"Why does Iran keep provoking western anger, defying the Security Council, inviting sanctions and risking devastating Israeli attack when it could simply buy fuel rods from Europe that cannot be used for nuclear weapons?"
Why would Iran trust any country to supply fuel rods given the pressure that could be applied to that country and the past foreign meddling in Iran?
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delights in provoking US/Israel because he can, because he is a loose cannon and because of his ideology.
It helps him domestically. He with his own religious version is like evangelical Bush, Obama, Harper and all the other religious wackjobs that seem, like the big chunks in a septic tank, to rise to the top.
They will all do everything in their power to facilitate the necessary Armageddon so that they can get to heaven first. It is almost beyond belief.
Iran calls for Global Nuclear Disarmament
Raw Story, Feb. 14, 2010
The American public has not been informed by the US news media about highly newsworthy statements made by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday February 12.
He said the era of nuclear weapons is over, suggesting Iran has no plans to build "inhumane" A-bombs. Ahmadinejad called for a world free of nuclear arms in an interview with Russia's NTV channel.
"We believe that not only the Middle East but also the whole world should be free of nuclear weapons because we see such weapons as inhumane," he said.
"Today, no one can use a nuclear weapon and we believe that the US is taking a wrong move by stockpiling nuclear weapons," he added. "Those who claim that they are against nuclear weapons should dismantle their nuclear weapons first to prove that they are honest."
Full and unedited at:
http://rawstory.com/2010/02/media-omission-iran-calls-nuclear-disarmament/
Halliburton Sold Nuclear Technology to Iran in 2005
Iranian dot com, Feb. 2010
Halliburton, the notorious U.S. energy company, sold key nuclear-reactor components to a private Iranian oil company called Oriental Oil Kish as recently as 2005, using offshore subsidiaries to circumvent U.S. sanctions.
Video and story at:
http://www.iranian.com/main/2009/mar/halliburton-sold-nuclear-technology-iran
Maybe we need world peace through all out nuclear war. We have at least several thousand atomic bombs, which should go a long way to eliminating mankind as functioning war maker.
Don't even think that thought - it carries a heavy danger of being self-fulfilling. It's the meme of Christian Fundamentalism's "Rapture" by another name.
Living with the tension and slowly reducing nuclear arsenals is much more "peaceful" than "letting it all blow". The aftermath would be centuries of backward hardship, with all of the survivors cursing US forever for not bothering to stop and disarm nuclear weapons.
Don't invoke a dark age - we can so easily go to the Enlightened Age. The choice is ours, the balancing is now. All we need is to stop growing materially and be content with what we have. While our need for growing gets directed inwards, to understand in external consensus more of the miracles of our existing, closer to our core. Do some regular meditation on what this phenomenon of "living" really is. Feel what you are, discern the exciting structures and details of the "me-feeling" we tend to take for granted.
Drop the dependence on external drama. High-level politics is filled with drama-queens, getting their kicks from external pressures rather than internal measures. See through political games as an unecessary method for feeling strong and good.
smarter, excellent post.
I'm so relieved to see all the well-informed comments on the Western pressure on Iran in this thread. Tells me the US-adm's propaganda is failing re Iran. Very good.
I do not know how long it will take Iran to start producing medical radioisotopes. Most commentators do not seem to know that the High Flux Reactor in Petten, The Netherlands, which produces approximately 60% of European demand for such radioisotopes, will close coming Friday for repairs lasting at least six months and the replacement for this aging reactor will not be ready until 2017 if then. The need, hence demand for medical radioisotopes, especially in heart medicine, will continue to increase. Therefore, instead of hindering the Iranians to start producing, albeit with an aging nuclear reactor too, the world should help and encourage Iran's start up under strict control of the International Atomic Energy Commission.
Poor Hillary went to the Persian Gulf to stoke Iranophobia, but looks like her lies in Qatar did not work out as the Emir of Qatar is headed for Tehran to sign a major economic cooperation deal. The Zionist warmonger Nothing Yahoo is not faring much better in Moscow either as the Russians are also stalling and hedging their bets on Iran. None of Iran's neighbours or any Asian nation is interested in US and Zionist anti-Iran propaganda after witnessing US "democratic regime change" and "nation building" first hand in Iraq, Afghanistan and now Pakistan. I believe the public in western nations is not as gullible now as was in 2003, despite the corporate media and the bodyguard of lies.