Ahmadinejad: Iran poses no threat to 'Zionist regime'/ Haaretz

[TexasLawyer]

Last update - 18:21 26/08/2006
Ahmadinejad: Iran poses no threat to 'Zionist regime'
By Reuters and Haaretz Service

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Saturday that his country poses no threat to Israel, and that no one could deprive Iran of its right to nuclear technology.

Ahmadinejad's defiant stance comes days ahead of a United Nations deadline for Iran to halt uranium enrichment work. "No one can deprive a nation of its rights based on its capabilities," he said in a speech to inaugurate a new phase of a heavy-water reactor project southwest of Tehran.

"Iran is not a threat to anybody, not even to the Zionist regime," he said, using the Islamic Republic's term for arch-enemy Israel, which it does not recognize.

The Iranian president affirmed Iran's right to develop nuclear technology even if sanctions are imposed.
"They may impose some restrictions on us under pressure. But will they be able to prevent the thoughts of a nation? Will they be able to prevent the progress and technology of a nation? They have to accept the reality of a powerful, peace-loving and developed Iran. This is in the interest of all governments and all nations whether they like it or not," he said.

<snip>

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/754957.html

[maalak]

1. well i'm convinced....

i guess all those Iranian weapons smuggled to Hezbollah were just like little love notes... :eyes:

[bluedog]

2. as the US taxpayers weapons shipped to Israel......

[maalak]

3. Israel is our ally... if Iran considers Hezbollah an ally...

then they can't claim they aren't a threat to Israel.

nice try tho. ;)

[angstlessk]

4. Is Israel a threat to Iran? I would say so...just cause we are a bigger

dog don't make us the righter dog...all three regimes as they are now positioned are all right of Attila the Hun!

[maalak]

7. i haven't heard Israel or the US calling for the annihilation of Iran...

i've heard calls for dealing with the fundamentalist regime, but nowhere near the level of rhetoric of those who call for Jews to be "purged" from the region, pushed to the sea or making the sands run red with their blood.

i just don't see a reasonable equivalency between the 3.

[MannyGoldstein]

10. And Don't Forget Hezbollah's Vow

To murder every Jew on Earth.

But I'm assured that they're just kidding. So I won't worry about it.

[angstlessk]

17. Ever hear of sovereignty? I think ALL 3 have it...only the USA and Israel

do not accept it. Sorry, Iran has NOT invaded ANY country in hundreds of years, but Israel AND the US have. Rhetoric is just that...remember 'axis of evil'...YOU DO NOT THINK EVIL SHOULD BE WIPPED OPFF THE MAP? GIVE ME A BREAK...USA INVADED #2 IN THE AXIS...IS #1 FAR BEHIND? 'Iran, Iraq and N. Korea'..They ONLY included N. Korea because they were not muslim and did not want to 'appear' racist.

[maalak]

18. Iran supplies weapons to groups like Hezbollah & Hamas...

just because they prefer to fight through proxies hardly makes them unaccountable...

[angstlessk]

23. And the US supplies weapons to Israel...and your point is?

just cause WE call them terrorists they are NOT HUMAN..and do not deserve to live? Even though Hezbollah is rebuilding southern Lebanon while we still have not STARTED rebuilding in New Orleans? HUH...what's that you say...brown/black people? Is that the magic elixir here..begin white makes one MORE important?

[maalak]

31. Israel isn't an illegal terrorist organization...

Hamas and Hezbollah were both supposed to be disarmed, and both of them have made it very clear they intent to continue to EXPLICITLY target civilians in their attacks.

and in case you hadn't noticed, Israel is made up primarily of people who are brown/black themselves... that's a lame attempt to try and play the race card.

not to mention Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah have made it extremely clear their hatred of Israel is based on their hatred of Jews... why are you defending intolerance?

[lumpy]

56. Annan say it is up to the Lebanese

government to disarm Hezbollah not the UN troops or Israel.

[maalak]

58. and if they are unable/unwilling to?

what then?

[lumpy]

64. Israel will have a shit fit,

stamp their feet and take up where they left off. Just because Israel and Aunty Sam declares Hezbollah a 'terrorist' organization doesn't mean Lebanon does at this point. Annan has made it pretty clear that it is up to Lebanon to make that decision as well as doing the deed.

[Binka]

101. Stop Making Sense

Israel hasn't finished it's temper tantrum.

[The Stranger]

96. Then you don't start invading other people's countries. That's what then.

[Binka]

104. When My Five Year Old Starts This Crap I Stand Her Against A Wall

For a five minute time out. Israel needs to have a BIG FUCKING TIME OUT.

[Behind the Aegis]

106. You let others pelt your 5yo with rocks?!

Then, when they do, you tell her to "play nice?!" interesting tactic. :eyes:

[Binka]

109. I Only Tell Her To Play Nasty When She Is Being Bombed

You know helpless with just sticks and stones when a blood thirsty enemy funded by the US with F-16S and tanks is killing her family and friends.

[Behind the Aegis]

110. Decided to clean up your post?

Good for you. It would be nice if you actually understood what has happening there. But, it seems you do not.

[Name removed]

111. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Behind the Aegis]

112. Yes. I read it, thus my comments.

Still nothing substantial from you other than more insults, and the name-calling in your edited post...that is more along the lines of a 10yo. You obviously know little to nothing about the events there. What does my being there have to do with the price of tea in China?

[The Stranger]

95. The question is who is declaring whom to be "terrorist" -- is it not?

And Israel has explicitly and intentionally targeted innocent civilians. This is as clear as precision guided munitions falling on apartment complexes.

[Pavulon]

39. Germany too

those evil germans.

Iran is paying the bill.

[Warren Stupidity]

46. You do understand that a nuclear attack against Iran

has been on the table for several years, and that right now a massive air assault against Iran, perhaps only with conventional weapons, is under serious consideration? There have been repeated threats by both the US and Israel to attack Iran, to initiate another act of belligerance against a muslim nation. So it is I guess ok to 'deal with the fundamentalist regime' killing thousands, perhaps 100,000s of Iranians in process, as that is not calling for making the sands run red with their blood, it is just making the sands run red with their blood.

By their deeds you shall know them.

[maalak]

47. "By their deeds you shall know them."

yes, this is exactly how we know what to expect from Iran...

[Warren Stupidity]

49. and from Israel and from the USA.

From our side the muslim world can expect that their lives are worth nothing and they may be attacked and killed for even the flimsiest of excuses. Iran has attacked no other country for the last 200 years or so. We all see what we want to see, however there is a reality, and in terms of belligerant behavior Iran just doesn't register very high compared to other nations.

[maalak]

51. it's not Israel or the US that glorify child martyrs....

nor do they revel in civilian casualties.... how much advance notice do Hamas and Hezbollah provide of suicide attacks or rocket launches?

[lumpy]

63. How many Lebanese children were

killed in Israel's attack on civilian centers??? And don't try to argue that it was someone else's fault for those deaths. The advance notice shit doesn't fly. Leaflets were not dropped during the initial bombings of Lebanon and, as a praticality, a useless PR attempt to soften the blow.

[lumpy]

59. "By their deeds you shall know them"

That is probably the last quote in the world you should not have used.

[Warren Stupidity]

76. Which nation has Iran invaded?

Which nations is Iran currently occupying?

The regime's deeds at home are hideous, however within the community of nations Iran's misdeeds cannot handle a candle to our own, nor to Israels.

"That is probably the last quote in the world you should not have used."
I don't think you meant the double negative there.

[Binka]

105. No Shit n/t

[treestar]

72. Interesting thought.

No one ever puts it that way.

There are Americans I think would advocate the destruction of Iran, at least its government. We've already done it with Iraq. Those Muslims all "want to kill us" - I hear that all the time. I think the speakers are looking for an excuse for the genocide of Muslims (or at least an excuse to take control of their countries - read: oil).


I have no doubt Israel would be willing to conquer all the nations around it. There are some in Israel who don't think Palestine has a right to exist and I have seen pro-Israeli arguers on the subject of the inferiority of Muslim culture, etc. to the point where the next step is, easily, that the Muslim theocratic regimes "have no right to exist."

[stepnw1f]

90. Actually I Have on Fox News

and from mouth breathing neo-cons that lurk here.

[wordpix2]

22. Iran is a bigger threat to Israel, just listen to the public statements of

der leader in Iran who is supporting the SS Hezbollah troops with their Heil Hitler salutes.

[Warren Stupidity]

77. Hezbollah does not represent a military threat to Israel.

They are a nuisance and nothing more. Israel is sitting on quite a large nuclear arsenal and has the capability to deliver nnuclear weapons anywhere on the planet. Israel recently purchased two MORE nuclear missile capable submarines, to enhance their ability to attack anyone anywhere. Who is the greater threat?

[The Stranger]

94. Not necessarily -- Sharon is Right Winger, not an ally of the Left, and

many on this Progressive site align with the Left. Bombing innocent civilians doesn't comport with being an ally of Progressives. Olmert may be just another incarnation of Sharon.

So big, broad statements that seek to cover the never-ask-questions support are going to have to be examined and questioned.

[muryan]

5. israel does not exist to destroy another country

the same cannot be said for hezbollah.

[wakeme2008]

8. I guess you missed all the bombing and killing of kids Israel

just did. :shrug:

[wordpix2]

11. I guess you missed all the killing of Israelis Hezbollah just did

[Bucky]

13. I think you both miss the point that events are getting uglier because of

Bush's reckless warmaking foreign policy. Israel and Iran are regional rivals. They both do ugly shit to counter each other. But the main reason tensions are escalating is the vanity war in Iraq is stirring up the existing hatreds there.

[wordpix2]

25. I agree- *'s "easy cakewalk" in Iraq is stirring up the ME hornet's nest

but it IS a hornet's nest even without Bush.

I long for the days of Bill clinton who was able to help keep a lid on things.

[azurnoir]

21. A link to the BBC list of causalities

and damage to both sides in the recent conflict
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5257128.stm

[lumpy]

67. Thanx

Figures sound realistic

[wakeme2008]

65. After Israel started killing them

Go read the ADA site and get your facts stright. :grr:

[MannyGoldstein]

14. Israel Could Have Destroyed Lebanon & Iran A Long Time Ago

Israel has had nuclear weapons for 30 or so years. They have never called for the annihilation of another country, nor have they attempted it. Obviously, they have no interest in annihilating these countries, or they would have done it long ago.

Iran and Hezbollah have called for the annihilation of Israel, (and in Hezbollah's case, for the murder of every Jew on Earth). And now Iran is seeking nuclear weapons.

Use your head. There is a big, big difference between defending yourself and seeking the annihilation of an entire people.

[wordpix2]

27. not only that, but a lot of ME countries could have joined Hezbollah in

fighting Israel. These ME countries didn't join Hezb. because they know it is a radical, destabilizing force in the ME. They let Israel do the dirty work for them and looked the other way.

[MannyGoldstein]

30. But Iran Joined in, Big Time

And Iran seems to want nuclear weapons.

[Pavulon]

36. No

they want all that enriching capability for peaceful reasons. Those two samples of heu beyond 90% were nothing to worry about..

[angstlessk]

35. For how many years did we fear Russia would annihilate the USA?

remember Kruschevz (sp?) "We will bury you"..and EVEN then Kennedy negotiated with the Soviet Union...you people who think Iran is scary must have either not lived during the Cuban missile crisis..or forgot all the air raid sirens of those days. WE LIVED IN FEAR...but I do not recall launching bombs at Russia nor they at us...rhetoric is JUST THAT...ACTIONS are what count..and from where I stand...ONLY the USA and Israel have invaded and occupied other countries. (except Iraq during the Iraq/Iran war..and we supplied BOTH sides with arms)

[maalak]

37. Russia wasn't driven by a belief that Allah wanted it to destroy the US..

[angstlessk]

40. If you are so scared...move to New Zeland...and look for a thick matress

so you can hide under your bed...I for one am not afraid of a country that has NO POWER other than in their region..you think Jews will rule all the arab countries before a persian one will? I think you are sadly mistaken!

[maalak]

43. huh?

what are you even talking about? when did i ever claim that Jews will rule any arab countries?

Israel has negotiated and maintained peaceful coexistence with many of it's former enemies, one might wonder what the barrier is with Syria & Iran if it weren't so obvious...

[wtmusic]

114. And Hezbollah isn't driven by that insane invention of your mind

WTF do you get that shit? Go run and hide from the hook-nosed boogeymen, and leave discussion of foreign policy to people who don't need to parrot RW talking points :eyes:

[lumpy]

68. Israel just invades and kills

any resistence to their invasions.

[springhill]

15. Yes, they shouldn't have invaded Iraq..........

man the chaos and utter destruction they have created. Oops, excuse me, that wasn't Iraq that was the United States. Well, I'm sure there is some other country they must have invaded. Oops, I guess not.

[The Stranger]

97. Who is in who's country again? Remind us.

Then we can talk about occupation, ethnic cleansing and who is out to destroy whom.

[CoffeeCat]

19. Yes, and that sickened me...

We shipped the bombs that were dropped on innocent babies in Lebanon. We knew damn well
that our actions and weapons would cause the deaths of innocent civilians.

We stand on our high-and-mighty platforms and shake our fists at the terrorists, yet
we are engaging in the same atrocities that we rally against.

Iran and Syria funneled weapons into Hezbolla. That was wrong. However, we cannot
provide weapons of mass destruction to one side---and claim innocence--just because
we're on the the other side.

Patriotic, true, American leaders would find a way to broker peace. America used to
bring opponents to the table. We used to talk about peace and diplomacy. Unfortunately,
we have a renegade cowboy in the White House with no creativity or wisdom.

We had the ability to call for a cease fire, lead this area of the world toward stability
and help to bring about peace. We enabled slaughter and untold suffering.

I don't call that commendable. It's shameful and it's weak.

[MannyGoldstein]

9. Idle Saber Rattling, Right?

With a side order of blown-up civilians.

[IndianaGreen]

61. What about those American cluster bombs and secret agreements

it has with Israel? What other deals has the American Hitler made with his pals in Jerusalem? Do they include the preemptive use of nukes on Iran?

Sorry, but it was Ehud Olmert that chose to join Bush in the pantheon of war criminals, and turned his country into a pariah state.

[lumpy]

69. What about those cluster bombs

that are still killing Lebanese people? Of course, at first, Israel denied they used them. It just wasn't enough that Israel bombed Beirut since 1978 and( I forget how many times) then occupied S. Lebanon for 18 years and just refuses to get off someone else's land. Now they leave death behind in the form of cluster bombs, just a little reminder how vicious they can be.

[VegasWolf]

78. Exactly, nice little toys for children to find for years to come. Sickenin

[SOS]

91. That's been happening since 2000

"The U.S. State Department records that after 2000, 130,000 landmines remained “in the former Israeli security zone” – and Israel did hand over maps of many of those minefields. But, the same document states, “In December 2001, the Government of Israel informed the Government of Lebanon of the presence of another 300,000 landmines, mainly along the border between the two countries.” The problem was, they didn’t tell the Lebanese where those landmines actually were.
Since then, Israel has been consistent in refusing to tell the Lebanese government where they were laid. Despite their protestations to the international community via the UN, Lebanese politicians have had no further luck in trying to force the release of military maps to aid demining teams and rebuild broken communities."

[MrPrax]

6. Good for him...

What did this guy do, get an image consultant?

It's good he's figure out the difference between being a 'statesman' and just a politician appealing to the base -- that's the type of thing Bush does...makes exaggerated overreaching grand statements about the world and all the people in it.

Good move Mahmoud -- stick to the self-autonomy stuff and the right to defense and you'll win the propaganda war...the other side ONLY has propaganda and racism on it's side.

[maalak]

16. what do you think the Iranian president has on his side?

the other side ONLY has propaganda and racism on it's side.

honestly curious... what do you think he has on his side by comparison?

[grassfed]

12. Kurds and Greeks want to wipe Turkey off map!

Let's cluster bomb their shopping districts!
They're kinda dark anyway, not like they're real humans.

[HongKonger]

26. Kurds

Kurds, arguably have more a right to have their own nation than any. With 20-30 million of them segragated as minorities with no land to call their own... Thanks to the West's ridiculous carving of the Middle East.

More of a right than Israel.

[grassfed]

44. agreed

just an example of countless international vendettas.

[azurnoir]

57. Iraq does not want an independent Kurdistan

Kurdistan is important to Iraq in geographical way. It is more temperate, snow in winter, then the rest of Iraq, it has relatively abundant water and more arable land. Also Kurdistan has oil and other mineral resources. In a real way Iraq needs Kurdistan more then Kurdistan needs Iraq.

[azurnoir]

20. A couple of questions

If Iran were to attack Israel, what would be the end result for Iran? During the recent "hostilities" between Israel and Hezbollah a number of Iranians volunteered to go to Lebanon to help Hezbollah, how many got there?

[Pavulon]

24. Depends on the attack

they would either be pummeled by air on a massive scale by israel..or in the event of a nuclear attack we would honor our agreement with israel and launch a second strike.

Either would be bad for them.

[Strelnikov_]

50. "Pummeled By Air On A Massive Scale By Israel"

"Either would be bad for them."

So, Israel bombs southern Lebanon for a month, a relatively tiny area, with no air defence, a country just across their border, to little strategic effect.

Now, you propose that Israel could 'pummel by air on a massive scale' a country much larger, with a limited air defense network, located nearly beyond the range of their aircraft.


I am sure the General Staff could use your vision. My only question is, when do you enlist?

[Pavulon]

81. Already did

that is an asshole thing to say. Makes the focus me, not my point.

Israel used a small portion of its capability. They could have flattened all of Beirut. They could cripple iran.

You think they have gotten less sophisticated since the 73 war?

Do you read history, do you know what happened to Egypt's air force?

Like I said Iran would be bombed. Both the f-15 and 16 can refuel mid air. Israel probably has limited refuel capacity (kc-135). Jane's suggests it but does not confirm.

The effect is that a country would be thrown into disarray with no civil works.

If israel is attacked by Iran you think they will do nothing. Iran runs soviet era trash.

[Strelnikov_]

87. Quite Frankly, I Am Getting Tired Of The Militaristic Pornography

showing up on this board.

And yes, I do read history, maybe you should.

If Iran attacks Israel, unprovoked, then yes, they have the right to defend themselves. And we should provide Israel any assistance required.

I have no doubt that Israel would rapidly gain air superiority and be capable of bombing at will. I also have no doubt that it will ultimately fail due to the size of Iran, and its distance from Israel's air bases.


Amateurs talk strategy, professionals talk logistics. Remember that one.

[Pavulon]

89. Ignore

it then.

I answered some posters question on a hypothetical situation. I am not advocating the position. Like what would you do if you got kidnapped by space aliens? same deal. I am not advocating for space aliens, or their victims.


My statement was pretty broad, Iran would get an ass kicking. Forgot to add gas would go up.

Logistics go hand in hand with strategy.

[MannyGoldstein]

28. Here's The Problem

"We are all obliged to keep alive the culture of martyrdom-seeking in the society." - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Since the Iranians have demonstrated that they're fans of martyrdom, the only result that affects the equation is what happens to Israe, i.e., we have no evidence that the Iranians would not attack Israel if it resulted in Iran's destruction - in fact, we have words that indicate the opposite.

[High Plains]

34. So, the Iranians are suicidal? Somehow I don't buy that.

"We have no evidence that the Iranians would not attack Israel..."

Ah, yes, those insane, bloodthirsty, towel-headed fanatics would destroy their own civilization rather than reach an accomodation with Israel. Somehow, I don't buy that, either.

[MannyGoldstein]

38. Please Interpret This Quote

"We are all obliged to keep alive the culture of martyrdom-seeking in the society." - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

[grassfed]

41. context and translation are hard to define

especially when most Arabic quotes in US media are filtered through the tender mercies of the virulently racist and insatiably war mongering MEMRI.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,773258,00.html

[maalak]

45. you think it's MEMRI's fault that Iran's anti-semitism...

.. and violent rhetoric is known to the world?

there are sources other than MEMRI, you know... but i can also see how it would be easier to be in denial of Iran's intentions.

i guess.

[grassfed]

53. chanting anti-Semitism while

enabling anti-Arab crimes is getting really fucking old. Which came first, the ethnic cleansing of Palestine or Iranian "anti-Semitism"? Israel is constantly kvetching about threats to it's existence while furiously pursuing a relentless policy of land theft and colonial subjugation backed up by nuclear weapons and the US. Cornered animals talk tough and the Israelis pose a "grave and gathering" threat to the other countries of the region. I didn't want to see it this way. I was comfortable with the lie - but the Israeli narrative is a big fat lie. And inhumane and uncivilized. Blind pro-Israeli victim hood narcissism will only lead to more dead kids.

[stepnw1f]

92. Good Post... Welcome to DU! (nt)

[VegasWolf]

102. Great argument. Welcome to DU!! nt

[Binka]

107. Welcome You Make So Much Sense

Expect to be attacked. But I love you :loveya:

[MannyGoldstein]

42. Martyrs, Martyrs, Martyrs

A whole oration on martyrdom by Ahmadinejad is here.

Wouldn't it be very, very important to deny control of nuclear weapons to this fellow?

[The Stranger]

100. He appears worried that once they don't have to be martyrs, they will

lose whatever crazed support they recieve from that.

If they do get nukes, they will likely be less required to be "martyrs" to defend their nation.

[Warren Stupidity]

48. We do have the last 200 or so years of Iranian history.

In that time they have attacked exactly no other nations. Now of course that does not prove that they won't suddenly get belligerant and start all out war against other nations in the region over minor incidents and perceived threats, there is no way to prove what the won't do in the future. However past behavior does shed some light on how they are likely to behave.

[Igel]

108. Not perfectly true.

They attacked Russia in 1826, but it was part of a long series of attacks by Russia and the Ottomans and responses by Persia. Persia got a Russian boot up its behind. For the next 150 years it was basically stuck: It didn't have an army sufficient to dare to attack again. Even its Afghanistan games were trumped by the British. And the country wasn't as nationalistic for a while.

Iran grabbed a few square meters of land (3 puky little islands), land disputed with Bahrain, I guess it was, in '71. Pissed off a lot of people. Stronger Iran, weaker Iraq.

I have this feeling that the perception of potential gain and advantage coupled with the perception of being strong and surrounded by weaker countries may account for Iran's feeling its oats. Few countries that have a history of both strength and weakness show the same kinds of aggression when weak as when strong.

So you're right, allowing for some trivial rounding. But I'm not sure that 200 years of relative weakness gives a good track record for predicting future behavior; older history shows a more violent Iran, but things can change in a couple hundred years, so that's no better for predicting.

[lumpy]

70. Anyone who dons a military uniform

becomes a potential martyr. We all praise and glorify our young who are willing to die for our country. The US during WW2 was a fine example of demonizing the enemy and volunteering to fight for 'God and country' with the objective of wiping the enemy off the map. The martyrdom-seeking argument is old hat.

[Pavulon]

82. Kamikaze

tactic. Nothing new, allah, the state, whatever.

A more realistic quote was made "you don't win wars dying for your country(or god) you win wars by killing the other guy..

paraphrased.

[The Stranger]

98. Nonsense, the notion they would immediately attack with nukes is racist

and bigoted. On the contrary, if they had the bomb, they would make damn sure that it was not used, especially against another nuclear power, of which Israel is the fourth or fifth most powerful.

It is the doctrine of mutually assured destruction and it has preserved the planet for half a century despite far worse public claims for the destruction of other nations and peoples.

[wordpix2]

29. I don't know, how many Iranians went to Lebanon to fight Israel?

Do you have the number?

[azurnoir]

54. Took a minute to find link

but none they were stopped at the Iran/Turkey border.
http://www.easybourse.com/Website/dynamic/News.php?NewsID=32929&lang=fra&NewsRubrique=2

[leesa]

32. That'll piss Israel off. Iran has a right to develop nuclear technology.

I also believe they should have a right to develop nuclear bombs because Israel is loaded with them and the US is more than willing to use them on Iran and other countries in the ME. Haven't we always said a country has a right to defend itself? Or is that only CERTAIN countries?

Actually, I prefer disarmament all around, but the US and Israel refuse to go that route.

[Pavulon]

33. Umm no

the french, russians, english, india, and pakistan are all nuclear powers. disarming is not a reality.

Israel is not a npt signatory, israel has not used nuclear weapons.

They do not chant death to america every friday in the streets in france.

[Strelnikov_]

52. To Those That Feel Military Action Is Justified To Deny Iran 'The Bomb'

My only question is, when do you enlist?

If you feel so strongly about this issue, and considering the abuse of the current soldiers due to our overstretched military, there is only one moral course of action.

[TexasLawyer]

113. My question too

And if you're too old for combat when are you suiting up your children and grandchildren? Don't worry if they're too young now. We'll be in Iran for many moons, and it will be bloody for all involved.

Also, what financial sacrifices will you make? Just like Iraq, this would be a commitment of many decades.

It's already costing us over $5.6 billion/mo just for the military occupation of Iraq. Much more than that if you calculate the interest on that money since it's ALL borrowed.
http://www.ips-dc.org/iraq/quagmire/

So are you willing to give up your children and your standard of living?

If we break it, then we bought it.

[VegasWolf]

55. Given the way Israel was willy-nilly bombing homes, office buildings,

hospitals, etc. and incurring massive civilian deaths in Lebanon, then Israel should be
put on the axis of terror list.

[maalak]

60. there was nothing willy-nilly about it... Hezbollah made them targets.

if not, then why hasn't Israel been declared a terrorist nation?

let me guess.... AIPAC, PNAC or some other "vast jewish conspiracy", right?

[Name removed]

62. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[grassfed]

66. 300+ apartments bldgs leveled

by the humane Israelis. Evacuation leaflets dropped as escape routes bombed. A refinery blown up in pro-US Christian Beirut causing the worst ecological disaster in eastern Mediterranean history. Massive killing, maiming and barbaric terror inflicted on old people, children, pets. Homes, mementos, lives obliterated. Shameless stories about "dead baby arrangers" saturate US media leading to resignation of FOX reporters. If these nazi tactics have failed to clear the way for a nuclear war with Iran then Hezbollah has saved the world. Go figure.

[VegasWolf]

74. Exactly! Hezbollah's surprising strength may have been the only thing that

prevented Bush's end-of-world Armageddon/Rapture of WW3!

[lumpy]

71. Oh for Christ's sake

Israel has been bombing, invading, incarcerating and occupying Lebanon since 1978. Sounds like some Lebanese are not going to take it anymore. I won't even mention the I/P situation.

[maalak]

73. they went in after the PLO took up residence there...

remember what happened after Black September?

they left in 2000 when one of the terms of their withdrawal was the disarming of Hezbollah.

[lumpy]

85. Refresh my memory, what happened

after Black September? Tell me the terms of Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. If I remember correctly, wasn't it, according to the terms that Syrian troops withdraw from Lebanon in 2000. Where is it mentioned the disarming of Hezbollah?

[grassfed]

86. IDF refused to provide land mine maps in 2000

Another term of withdrawal.

[The Stranger]

103. Israel intentionally bombed innocent civilians that had no Hezb. tie and

did not support Hezbollah. It was intentional -- which, you are right -- is not "willy nilly."

[VegasWolf]

75. It is a little hard to fault Iran when there leaders like Bush in this

world who have both nuclear weapons and little compunction about occupying countries that have oil.

[Pavulon]

79. Lots of people have nuclear weapons

should everyone have them? We could sell them some of our spares...

They don't need nukes, just ups the probability they will all die in a nuclear war.

[VegasWolf]

80. That is one viewpoint. I just don't believe that anyone is really planning

to die in a radioactive dust cloud. Mutual destruction hasn't happened in spite of all the dire predictions. People go to war for profit, not to kill themselves. Just my thought.

[Pavulon]

83. Get god

all mixed up in the equation and people do irrational things. The soviets did not want to die, neither did we.

Personally I don't believe these guys are all about the martyr. Just using religion to manipulate simple people. They (mullahs)want money and power too.

But you throw nukes and religion on the table all bets are off.

[VegasWolf]

93. True! But I don't think even god can overcome the human preservation

instinct. If true, Bush, perhaps the most messanic, self-deluded 'leader' on the planet, would have killed us all by now.

:toast:

[Name removed]

84. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[grassfed]

88. Ottoman Palestine, British Mandate

and Jordanian rule in Palestine were detached administrative governments that left the basic affairs of state to traditional local authorities. They did not introduce colonizing settlers, expel or subjugate the people.

[TexasLawyer]

99. MSM Coverage

It seems as if US MSM is quick to quote Ahmadinejad's fiery language, but reluctant to quote things that are conciliatory. One "Iran is not a threat to Israel" proclamation cannot cancel out his other utterances, but it is (apparently) what Ahmadinejad did say, and I think it should be reported.

It's interesting that Ha'aretz featured this aspect of the story-- the "we're no threat" statement in the headline of the story. I'm hoping that our own media will report on this story with a similar emphasis.

I don't hold out lots of hope for that, though.


http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-08-26T104732Z_01_BLA618392_RTRUKOC_0_UK-NUCLEAR-IRAN.xml
Ahmadinejad launches new nuclear project
Sat Aug 26, 2006 11:47 AM BST167

By Parisa Hafezi

ARAK, Iran (Reuters) - Iran's president launched a new phase in the Arak heavy-water reactor project on Saturday, saying Tehran would not give up its right to nuclear technology despite Western fears it is aimed at producing a bomb.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was speaking just days ahead of a United Nations deadline for Iran to halt uranium enrichment or face possible sanctions.

"No one can deprive a nation of its rights based on its capabilities," Ahmadinejad said in his speech to inaugurate the project. The plant's plutonium by-product could be used to make atomic warheads.

<snip>

<Paragraph 6:> "Iran is not a threat to anybody, not even to the Zionist regime," Ahmadinejad said, using Iran's term for its arch-enemy Israel, which the Islamic Republic does not recognise.

[Moderator]

115. Locking

This thread has become a flamefest.