Once again the United States has presented a slide show of satellite pictures to “prove their case” that Iran has nuclear capabilities and poses a threat to our National Security. The problem this time around while the United States is crying wolf, no one is apt to believe the “intelligence” as it is too eerliy like that Colin Powell presented almost three years and 2000 Americans later.
WaPo fills us in.
There’s more.
According to the article, “Sept. 13 — With an hour-long slide show that blends satellite imagery with disquieting assumptions about Iran’s nuclear energy program, Bush administration officials have been trying to convince allies that Tehran is on a fast track toward nuclear weapons.”
“The PowerPoint briefing, titled “A History of Concealment and Deception,” has been presented to diplomats from more than a dozen countries. Several diplomats said the presentation, intended to win allies for increasing pressure on the Iranian government, dismisses ambiguities in the evidence about Iran’s intentions and omits alternative explanations under debate among intelligence analysts.”
No alternative explanations? Of course not that wouldn’t be the style of these warmongers.
“Several diplomats said the slide show reminded them of the flawed presentation on Iraq’s weapons programs made by then-secretary of state Colin L. Powell to the U.N. Security Council in February 2003. “I don’t think they’ll lose any support, but it isn’t going to win anyone either,” said one European diplomat who attended the recent briefing and whose country backs the U.S. position on Iran.”
Even our “backers” are skeptical. And why wouldn’t they be after what our President has done and failed to do.
“Several influential nations such as India, Russia, China, South Africa and Brazil share U.S. suspicions about Iran’s intentions. But they maintain profound differences with the Bush administration over how to respond, and are apprehensive about the goals of a U.S. president who has said “all options are on the table,” in dealing with Tehran.
Three years ago, the White House used the same annual gathering to put both Iraq, and the world community on notice. In a toughly-worded speech, delivered six months before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Bush warned that the United States would deal alone, if necessary, with a dictator bent on launching nuclear weapons.”
Will this maniac that has his finger so close to the button destroy the world as we know it? Will he lead us into a nuclear war? Will we allow him to? He has three more years to achieve this insane take over of the Middle East. Calling Pat Lang and Larry Johnson. We need your help now. We MUST stop this insanity before it is too late.
This scares the crap out of me. The big question imho is what if they do have nuclear weapons?
If they do have nuclear weapons, will they launch a war? No. They are not crazy the way Americans are crazy. Nor is bringing on the End Times part of muslim theology.
They would, most likely, respond to an attack, but that is a possibility we are just going to have to accept as a part of our disrespecting our own Non-Proliferation Treaty. (We are currently, blatantly, in violation, not they.)
Iran is no longer part of America’s empire. What did you expect? If a different outcome was desired, different policies should have been implemented.
Too late now. “What’s done can not be undone.”–Macbeth Too true.
The Third World War unfolds. But slowly, still.
The worry is not so much that Iran will use nukes. It’s that the Bush regime will defile the civilazation of man by deploying their own nukes. Such an unconscionable act would never be forgiven, and America would never again be able to cast itself as worthy of respect.
This is what the BushCo psychopaths are incapable of understanding. If we use nukes we are finished as a civilized country in the community of nations.
How can using Iran as another excuse to execute another illegal war be irrelevant?As some have said here, it is not Iran using nuclear weapons(if they even have them) it is the risk of Bush the warmonging, war profiteering, greedy for oil and power using ours. This we can agree on?
While it’s true that wherever the US might use a nuke, it will be a US atrocity, it remains that Iran is the primary target for such a thing, and is the target for specific reasons. Ergo, Iran itself is relevant.
Aloheezy & sbj–
Iran is an excuse, not a cause. The US will go to war because it wants to. Iran is merely there. If it weren’t there, the US would go to war somewhere else. And may do so anyway: Syria and Venezuela are, right now, still on the list . . .
Another excuse.
Oil has a good deal to do with it.
Also, Iran hinted–through minor officials speculating indirectly–that it might start pricing oil in Euros. US talk of “Iranian nukes” ramped up overnight.
We are already in the Third World War. It is a war for oil, economically, and for world domination by force, politically. The US will lose.
shame on you…
Fool me twice shame anyone but me…
Priceless:
“Several diplomats said the slide show reminded them of the flawed presentation on Iraq’s weapons programs made by then-secretary of state Colin L. Powell to the U.N. Security Council in February 2003. “I don’t think they’ll lose any support, but it isn’t going to win anyone either,” said one European diplomat who attended the recent briefing and whose country backs the U.S. position on Iran.”
Crap – you stole my thought! Oh well, great minds blog alike, I guess… 🙂
But I thought the quote was:
“Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice… …we won’t get fooled again.”
I guess a nuclear war WOULD shift the focus from the Katrina mess he made…and we have the bonus now of knowing exactly how the government would respond and protect us citizens.
A man who can’t be trusted with rising water sure can’t be trusted to nuclear weapons.
Ain’t that the truth!
Can he even find Iran on a map, or did his aides have to make a DVD of that, too?
Thanks for the Newsweek link, Auntie. It explains a lot more about how things work in the Bush White House than I had previously understood.
I am going to do something I really don’t believe. Please may I ask for recommends? This is truly imperative for folks to see?
This may sound like a dumb question, but here goes…what is the eifference in India and Pakistan and Isreal having the nukes as opposed to Iran? I see the whole world making a mistake. Why can we all not get rid of the whole mess of nukes. Am I missing something here? Either we all have nukes or not one country needs nukes.
Because India, Pakistan and Isreal are our “allies”. Iran isn’t and therefore must be stopped from having nukes.
</stupid rationale>
what is an ally nowadays…..<snark> seems like we are far from having may allies when it comes to being right…I do understand your point tho….:o)…mine was really not a rational, just a snarky statement….hugs
The important point is that we made Iran into an enemy. First, by supporting a Saddamesque butcher like the Shah, who tortured and killed tens of thousands of his own people. And second, by being utter pricks to Iran over the last six years, we have effectively destroyed the democratic reform movement there. Hardliners are enjoying renewed popularity because the pro-democracy faction can be painted as traitors ready to sell the country out to the American enemy.
That, in the end, is the reason why Bush-style gunboat diplomacy doesn’t work. You can win over the not-quite-sane suckups like Qadafi, but people with an ounce of self-respect would rather fight you to the death than submit and kneel. The Iranians are not primitives or savages. They are the inheritors of a civilization that was building temples to the stars when Europeans were still painting themselves blue and worshipping horses, and there’s a certain amount of pride that goes with that. It’s not necessary for us to treat Iran with kid gloves, but a little respect would go a long way. That, and getting rid of a president who gives speeches — with a straight face, no less — using fairytale howlers like “the axis of evil”.
If I had been then-president Khatami, I’d have made some snarky remark about “the hubcap of dimwittedness” and otherwise ignored Dubya. But then, it’s those same snarky remarks that keep me from being president of much of anything at all.
“Iran’s Oil-For-Missile Program and Israel’s Economy”
Its a nuclear spiral.
There is a photo of an Iranian ballistic missle – Shehab 3.
You have allowed the Bush administration to cloud your judgement. The reality of the situation is that Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapons program they have nuclear energy program and they have every right do have one. The IAEA has never found Iran in breach of NPT safeguards and they have signed no added provisions.
The real issue is: does Iran, and other developing nations, have the same right to nuclear technology as do other western nations (Canada, U.S, France, Britain etc) and why should they be forced to sign additional protocols that no other nation is required to sign on to?
The Bush administration has used Iran’s failure to declare certain materials they acquired from China in 1991 as a pretext to all of this rubbish but the reality is that no less than 15 member states have failed to comply at one time or another. The job of the IAEA in those cases, and it should be the in the Iran case, is to ensure that they comply with existing protocols and not to escalate this to a major international issue. I strongly suggest you (and others) read my diary on Iran’s right to nuclear technology. Hopefully it will uncloud the issue. Voices In The Wilderness
I cannot speak for anyone else hear but I agree with some of your well researched points. It is not Iran that scares me it is Bush. Bush has not clouded my judgement at all. I never drank from the Kool Aid pitcher.
You say in your well researched piece the following:
“Iran definitely has built a good case for their right to build the technology but if they want better relations with European nations they’ll have to bite the bullet and play a much more proactive role in solving the problem peacefully. It is in the best interest of Iran to resolve this quickly with the strong backing of Europe. The stakes are high for the United States as well because if Iran and Europe can come to an agreement then Iran will have fully been excepted into the international community of trade (with the odd exception no doubt). The world community may well be inclined to play a bigger role when it comes to dealing with major crises; as a consequence, the American dominance of international affairs will take an even greater blow than in the aftermath of the realization by the world community that the intelligence on Iraq was almost completely wrong.”
I agree with you on this.
“
The contrasting cases of Iraq and North Korea show that the only way for a nation to avoid being invaded by the US at whim is to have a convincing counter-response.
Both nuclear weapons and nuclear energy are long time disasters–but–Nothing convinces the US better than a large nuclear arsenal.
This drives the decision-making in other countries.
There are other counter-strategies, but they are far more arduous.
Exactly. The strongest argument against Iraq having WMDs at the time was “Okay, then why are we invading? Won’t they just use them against our troops?”
The hawks have never and will never seriously call for the invasion of a nation that they know actually has working nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons. To do so would be to invite a military disaster that would make Iraq look like a fight in a sandbox.
Iran has lots of petroleum and Israel, Pakistan and India don’t.
What pisses me off… ok ONE of the BUHzillions of things about this that pisses me of:
They whine that they can’t predict the damage a storm could probably cause – YET these buttwipes say they KNOW who has WMDS.
Clue me in here – but aren’t we, THE USA, the only ones EVER to lob WMDS on civillians? Doesn’t that make us the terrorists.
Oh and George W., you can go kiss my ass. You are a warmongering chickenhaw. The worst kind of a coward. You expect others to do what you yourself wouldn’t AND you expect them to do it on blind faith.
No confidence.
Instead of creating a mess to take the heat off of your ass over NOLA and the tens of thousands your lazy, greedy ass caused… why don’t you resign and let someone else begin the healing of America.
OH and Mr. Bush, go Cheney yourself.
(((AlohaLeezy))) read and recd!
Thank you for reading and rec. It’s not that I ask for myself but for all of us. These are extremely troubled times.
comparing Hitler to W wasn’t a proper or fair comparison. As another day goes by though I’m seeing the two very much alike. I’m positive that the only reason why W hasn’t visited our nation with aggressive genocide is because he couldn’t get away with it here and that is the only reason he hasn’t gone there……New Orleans though was passive genocide. He put people to death in Texas who still to this day many have lingering doubts about their guilt! People die due to him and it barely registers with him, it is his way of showing himself how important and omnipotent he is and then he orders a sandwich for lunch and eats it while feeling bad for all the fetuses in the world and how precarious their existence can be (sounds a lot like Hitler and his canary). If he is so out of touch with reality that he thinks he has enough capable troops to pull off an Iran right now he is really out of it everybody! There will always be those soldiers ready to fight no matter what, but our guys and girls are pretty exhausted. 30% are coming home with these anxiety disorders and I don’t know how you send those people back out there until they are healed and have them be affective. My husband can’t sleep without Trazadone. A soldier who can’t sleep is headed for some delusionalness! Say though that he goes and takes his Trazadone with him. For about three hours after taking the stuff he is out of it, like rag doll out of it. So what happens if you start getting mortared in the middle of the night? What the hell do you do with rag doll? Roll him out of bed and out the door? Should all of these soldiers sleep on a gurney to make transporting them in emergency situations when they are sleeping easier? What if you need rag doll to jump up and fight with the rest of you? I can tell you guys that rag doll would make a pretty sorry fighter as he makes a really sorry bed partner sometimes and there isn’t a lot of precision or skill required to just sleep next to someone! Who would be the worst fighter though? The person who hasn’t had their anxiety treated and who isn’t sleeping and who is headed for that brand of insanity that comes with repetitious sleeplessness or the drugged up one who moves around as if someone clocked him and he managed to stagger back up again? Only 22% of Army officers have managed to make it to this day and stay married……too much stress, too much fatigue, and how can W not understand where his troops are emotionally right now? I would say with the level of detachment he functions on, if he ever has to attach he is going to blow his brains out too. He won’t be able to deal with it.
on this.
I’m positive that the only reason why W hasn’t visited our nation with aggressive genocide is because he couldn’t get away with it here and that is the only reason he hasn’t gone there……New Orleans though was passive genocide.
I said the same thing in Booman’s thread yesterday. The difference between Bush and Hitler is cultural context. They’re both mental defectives, incapable of empathy or conscience. There are different targets for their restless anger, and those targets are presented by the circumstances of their times. Hitler grew up in the anti-Semitic, xenophobic climate of Germany and Austria. Bush is acting out the xenophobia against Muslims, in the way our culture will allow. Other human beings do not matter to him. We’re all just props in his internal drama.
Do you feel better after letting that out Tracy? This one reminded me of Burn it Down. I have to agree it would be interesting to get GW on a polygraph and ask these questions.
(ps you use your hands when you speak don’t you:)
Been very blue after the NO ordeal. Left Crawford feeling so good..hell of a way to start a new month! Yes I talk with my hands a lot.
I just had a visual when I read that of a person waving their hands and pulling out hair while making the keyboard smoke.Keep pushing it is always a little further to the top than you think
Wow Tracy, I was feeling/thinking the same thing. Coming home from Crawford I had so much hope for us, so much confidence that people really do care and less than 48 hours later all that hope just kind of whoosed out of me. I do have faith though in our citizens. I keep trying to hang on to that. I have lost total confidence however in our government. I cry for our children and grandchildren almost every day. What they have facing them as they grow up is horrifying to me. I MUST do everything I within my power to assure these children they have a bright future to look forward to. I never used to even think in these terms about our country. That is what is so breaking my heart these days. I never thought that the things that have happened in these last five years could happen in America.
I’m guessing Detroit.
That is another very scarey notion Ductape.
Doesn’t mean that Iran isn’t working to develop Nuclear weapons. GW has us in a real spot now. The “crying wolf” thing and all. Most other governments will view this as another example of the Iraq argument. We will have a tougher time convincing anyone this time around.
So one could say that GW has us more isolated internationally than three years ago.
When you consider the new preemptive tactical nuclear strike strategy that Rumsfield and the boys at the Pentagon are considering, things are looking real scary.
An isolated GW with his finger on the button. Not a pleasant thought to try to fall to sleep with.
For anyone interested in a different perspective on Iran, there is a poster from Tehran on Dkos who posts occasionally under the name vsredthoughtsecondedition.
Thank you for the information.
Like, really not that fucking worried:
http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3667
(Cross-posted at Sully)
Doh! Check that:
I meant I found this at Sully’s site, I did not ‘cross-post’ it there (I don’t have posting privileges, I ain’t Dan Savage, sadly).
that Bush isn’t the stupidest man in Washington, it is Rumsfeld.
I just can’t see the US attacking another country while they have that gaping wound in the Southern Gulf States.
it’s what the neocons can see.
Cheney wants nukes to be used to take out Iran. What Cheney wants Cheney gets in this administration.
The neocon lunatics running the Bush regime have had Iran at the top of their hit list since the 1970’s. The Iraq invasion was always just the prelude to their aims, and now they’re setting about with great fervor to expand the insanity of their warmaking.
This is the primary reason why BushCo chose to take the pr heat by recessing Bolton into the UN slot. Bolton’s #1 job is to sabotage any efforts to reach any agreements with Iran that would make military assault unnecessary.
This very excellent article in the Asia Times here provides an informed anaysis of the overall situation with Iran, the UN and the US, and clearly the neocons are in a tough spot now. They have to pull off a very hard sell now when even the majority of the american public now understands that basically they are liars who’ve endangered the country even more by what they’ve already done with Iraq.
Hence, the new pressure blossoming in the media. I expect to see lots more irrational op-eds from neocon gasbags like Gary Schmitt, Michael Ledeen and others. And ots of UN bashing and again soon , EU bashing, as once again the false construct of US cooperation with the rest of the world is once again revealed to be the sham it truly is.
I’m not so naive as to view Iran as an “innocent” country terribly wronged by the imperialist West. Iran’s government has much atrocity to answer for, and it is a strong and often dangerous player in foreign affairs. But regardless of that, a US attack on any level is so completely insane of an idea that it’s sure to be the #1 priority for the neocon crowd.