-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
Possible nuclear weapons capability, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections, a threat to Israel, economic sanctions, fears of links to al Qaeda, and a compliant news media. Sounds like the hype leading up to war with Iraq, but this time it’s Iran.
Israel has been threatening to strike Iran’s nuclear enrichment plants unilaterally. Obama dispatched General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to tell the Israelis that the US wouldn’t participate in a war against Iran begun by Israel unless Washington had given its prior agreement.
On the map on the left, each star indicates the location of a US airbase.
The fear mongering about Iran building nuclear weapons may not work this time. From McClatchy, “The 16 U.S. intelligence agencies believe that Iran’s covert nuclear weapons work remains suspended for now, but could be restarted if the Iranian regime decides to do so.” Bloomberg is reporting that Gill Tudor, spokesman for the IAEA, said “All nuclear material in the [Fordo Fuel Enrichment Plant] remains under the agency’s containment and surveillance.” According to the AP, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says Iran “is not yet building a bomb.”
The Wall Street Journal is playing up some new freedoms given to five “top” al Qaeda operative who have been under house arrest in Iran. The trouble is that al Qaeda just doesn’t generate the same fear it once did. The Washington Post is pushing the plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador by a used-car salesman with a conviction of passing bad checks as an indication that Iranian terrorists are operating inside the US. Of course the Washington Post would not consider the assassination of Iranian scientists, by either Israeli or US operatives, as an act of terrorism.
It also appears that intelligence analysts are not going to be pushed around this time. A retired senior intelligence officer said “the guys working on this are good analysts, and their bosses are backing them up.” A Defense Intelligence Agency analyst summed it up by saying “if Iran is not a nuclear threat, then the Israelis have no reason to threaten imminent military action.”
The logic of using economic sanctions to force Iran to stop a nuclear-weapons program that does not exist eludes me. The real reason for sanctions appears to cause, illegally, the collapse of the current Iranian regime. Such was the initial report from the Washington Post before a sharp sequence of phone calls compelled a “revision” to the article.
I’m the last person who wants to see anyone live under religious tyrants, but these wars seldom help those who need it the most.
H/T: Glenn Greenwald, Juan Cole, IPS News, Seymour M. Hersh, Hamid Serri, Juan Cole.
Evidence that they are building a nuclear weapon or two? Someone asked that.
They admit that they are developing nuclear materials but that it is for the purpose of electric power not a bomb. If so when will they start on the nuclear power plant? They take a while to build. They would be taking bids from people and companies who know how to build a plant. The kilowatt produced from such a plant would cost hundreds of times what an oil or gas fired plant would cost to produce a kilowatt.
“The Constitution of Iran says that Jews are equal to Muslims. Imam Khomeini visited with members of the Jewish community and issued a decree ordering the adherents of Judaism and other revealed religions to be protected.”
Indeed the Ayatollah Khomeini saved the Jews after the Revolution. One of the colleges I attended has a very strong Jewish Iranian presence. \
“After looking at that map Im really confused….how can a country with failing infrastructer, the inability to take care of it’s citizens, heck even thinking about selling parts of national parks have some 40 military bases in that one small area? Who is paying the bills for all of this…surly its not the citizens of the USA we know this country is hard up for cash…Maybe it’s our billionaires who are picking up the slack….? NO I don’t think so…this country is nuts….What in the hell goes on is Washington? Have they all lost their mines?”
Oil.
I don’t think it is wise to wait until Iran builds an actual weapon to take action against them. They are enriching Uranium past levels needed for power plant use that is a fact confirmed by the nuclear inspectors who are not even given full access to the nuclear sites. I wonder though what would happen if you bombed a nuclear reactor.
If Israel attacks Iran, we should stand aside and let their military and economy deal with it alone. The $64,000 question has yet to be answered by the Obama administration.
Bob, Esq.
Think Bush the First….We have been there….But I am in agreement that the case for war has not been made by an American President against Iran…yet…yet….If Israel gets involved…with our history….will they stand alone?…..even though they are pushing all of the buttons….we may be stuck…..
The Israeli Jews took long time ago a separate and unique branch of the Human / Jewish Evolution!
Now they are playing the madman who shouts
“Hold me, ’cause I’m crazy.
Restrain me ’cause I’m goin’ to kill!”
No matter how crazy they are, they still know on which side of the bread the butter is spread – who is filling their coffers with
5 Billion $$$ each year!!!
Here we have to point our fingers to our Scholar-in-Chief, Our Nobel Laureate and tell him to ORDER Israel to F***ING STOP!!! (And MEAN it this time…)
I am convinced that our Administration in toto is actually wishing that the regional bully will make good on its intentions and orchestrate a small war. It is always good in Election times.
All those trips to Israel of Generals and Paneta Beans are only good to save their posteriors. They are all masters of the “wink-wink, nudge-nudge” psychology. [Just recall the 1st. Iraq war.]
I don’t think Obama is going to want $8 a gallon gasoline in an election year. Bibi might be happy though as it would all but guarantee Romney’s election.
But I’m all ears….
I fail to see the comparison between an administration that defrauded the country into war with Iraq and the current issues with Iran.
If Iran can make such threats, as they have and continue to do, against innocent Americans and Israelis, without having nuclear weaponry in their possession; what would they do if such were in their possession? Do we want to take that risk? I say, leave them no choice.
junctionshamus:
To your point,what makes it worse is the original slideshow I was sent included,buildings,mosques and other landmarks which the video I posted dosen’t even come close to showing.
“I’m sure Berlin was just as beautiful in ’36, and its people just as unaware of what their government was planning.”
Not sure about that.
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?Itemid=74&id=31&jumival=6309&option=com_content&task=view
Madness is as madness does. We have about 700 bases around the world ’cause, you know, the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. I suspect that Jefferson would spin in his grave if he knew the manner in which his observation had been perverted and externalized over the years.
Iran is THE most dangerous country in the world…where have we heard this B.S. before?
Oh, that’s right…the Cheney administration on behalf of the cowardly Israeli
government.
How many American servicemen and women will be killed this time for Israel?
Here in the Republic of Arizonastan (due to the likes of Jan Brewer, Russell Pearce, Joe Arpaio et al) on the local electronic fish-wrap known as AZ Central/Arizona Repulsive, some war-mongering, bloodthirsty fools are just itching for someone other than themselves to get into a fight with Iran.
Some of the comments are appallingly ignorant:
“But bring it on, anyway…we need the practice.”
“The first phase of battle against Iran would be standard warfare and we would clean their clock in a matter of a month.”
“Just so you know, we still owe Iran big
time since it was one of their escapees
who altered the course of US history when
he assassinated Robert Kennedy in 1968.”
“Iran should be punished.”
“DEATH TO THE PERSIANS!!”
“. . . would you prefer that or 5000 independent terrorists, each armed with coffee-table-sized nuclear weapons, bent on making a name for themselves so they don’t have to clean Allah’s Vomitorium?”
I won’t bore or insult this august group with the link and the above quotes are but a small sampling of the daily Arizonastanian capacity for what passes as critical thinking on the matter of Iran. If this is common in other areas of the country then I am confident that HL Menken had it correct:
“The American people, taking one with another, constitute the most timorous, sniveling, poltroonish, ignominious mob of serfs and goose-steppers ever gathered under one flag since the end of the Middle Ages.”
USMC Uniform mistaken for a Wehrmacht/Nazi Uniform…wtf!?!?!?!
Oh God, sometimes I slay me… Told you it was a brief glimpse. Had to Google tUS and realized my mistake.
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima marine culpa…
Bob
@Dredd – Funny thing – I tried to click on your “Universal Smedley” link, and I get nothing until I click the back arrow. Then it’s a brief picture of a man in a Nazi/Wehrmacht uniform, then the screen goes white….
I click back, and the same thing; again, and again, and again, and again…
After looking at that map Im really confused….how can a country with failing infrastructer, the inability to take care of it’s citizens, heck even thinking about selling parts of national parks have some 40 military bases in that one small area? Who is paying the bills for all of this…surly its not the citizens of the USA we know this country is hard up for cash…Maybe it’s our billionaires who are picking up the slack….? NO I don’t think so…this country is nuts….What in the hell goes on is Washington? Have they all lost their mines?
junctionshamus 1, February 5, 2012 at 2:56 pm
@eniobob –
I’m sure Berlin was just as beautiful in ’36, and its people just as unaware of what their government was planning.
=================================
And that brings up The Universal Smedley once again.