After reports of Israeli military exercises as rehearsals for an attack on Iran, and about US administration and Congress sanctioning covert operations against Iran, the Iranian Foreign Minister dismisses the idea saying that Israel is in too much internal turmoil to "resort to such craziness." He adds that the US is in no position to "take another risk in the region."
Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff says "opening up a third front right now would be extremely stressful on us." Comments from Registered Members | (Register or log in to make your comment.) | Van 2008-07-12
Their intent is not to invade Iran, they won't touch the ground, it will be an nuclear air strike justified by another 9/11 type of false flag. Zionists are all active now. | Shel_TR 2008-07-09
Stranger things have happened than having the #3 in the chain-of-command take actions that commit the entire regime.
And "Iranians have not done a thing"?!?! What ignorance. AMIA bombing (Argentina), USS Cole, US Army barracks, etc., etc., etc.
Lastly, this has nothing to do with Israel. This is a policy issue affecting the entire world. Israel is only a factor in that they have the ability, and more importantly, the WILL, to prevent a disastrous outcome.
I don't dispute that, if Iran is attacked, the ME could become much more difficult. But as John McCain rightly said: "There's only one thing worse than the United States exercising the military option. That is a nuclear-armed Iran".
Go back and think on this again. Or once even.... | Shel_TR 2008-07-09
And your suggestion would be, what? Capituation?
A nuclear-powered Iran would de-stabilize every country in the ME (no government would stand against them).
There's also the Shia-Sunni schism. Do you think that the Arab Sunni's will be comfortable with a Persian-Shia "bomb"??
For 60 yrs, we've prevented nuclear proliferation. Even non-nuclear "friendlies" have been prevented from nuclearization. That was, and IS, the right way to go. Or have you suddenly decided that the best way to prevent proliferation / nuclear holocaust is for the West to let any radical, religious fundamentalist oligarchy get the bomb? That would guarantee a ME nuclear arms race.
If a schoolyard bully says menacingly: "Let me have your baseball bat, or I'll go construct a gun", would you give him the bat? What foolishness!
BTW: Smug "talking-head" prognostications downplaying Ahmdinejad's influence are arrogant. No one can predict the future! Stranger things have happened than having th | roeVETforPeaceNOW 2008-07-04
Of course it would only cause greater threat of nuclear pre-emptive strikes By the US of Israel which would then bring us in. Iranian's have not done a thing. Because Ahmadinejad rants now and again, so what? He's only the President, he does not have the power to launch any strikes. Damn Israel stop being the greatest Provocateur alongside us and get about your business. Isn't much of your time taken up by Genociding Palestinian's in Gaza? last year, 7 Israelis to 400 Palestinian's. |
TranscriptCARLO BASILONE: The New York Times reported in late June that Israeli warplanes staged a major rehearsal for an attack on Iran.
MARTIN VAN CREVELD, ISRAELI MILITARY HISTORIAN: They are talking of about a hundred aircraft, which may or may not be. We don't really know about a general rehearsal.
BASILONE: A New Yorker report by Seymour Hersh says that the Bush administration and US Congress are planning covert operations against Iran. Hersh told CNN:
Courtesy: CNN
SEYMOUR HERSH, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST & AUTHOR: I don't think we can safely say that any military action is off the table, no matter what happens.
BASILONE: On Wednesday, Iran's foreign minister dismissed the threat of an attack, asserting that the United States couldn't afford to open another front in the Middle East, and that Israel is in a state of too much internal turmoil.
MANOUCHEHR MOTTAKI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (VIA TRANSLATOR): We do not perceive such a possibility at the moment. The Israeli government is facing a political breakdown within itself and within the region. But we do not foresee such a possibility for that regime to resort to such craziness. The United States too is not in a position where it can take another risk in the region. Of course, there are people in the United States who are interested in that, but we think that the rational thinkers in the United States will prevent from that action being taken, and will prevent the imposition of another adventuresome act that would put pressure on the American taxpayers.
BASILONE: Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also responded.
ADMIRAL MIKE MULLEN, CHAIRMAN, US JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: I've been pretty clear before that from the United States perspective, the United States military perspective in particular, that opening up a third front right now would be extremely stressful on us. That doesn't mean we don't have capacity or reserve, but that would really be very challenging. And, also, the consequences of that sometimes are very difficult to predict.
BASILONE: Mullen refused to say what Israeli leaders told him during meetings last week about any intentions to strike Iran.
MULLEN: I won't discuss the details or the concerns they expressed, nor will I comment one way or any other about the speculation surrounding Israeli intentions. Those are matters for the Israeli military and the Israeli government to address.
BASILONE: On June 21, UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei told Al Arabiya Television, "A military strike, in my opinion, would be worse than anything possible. It would turn the region into a fireball. If you do a military strike, it will mean that Iran, if it is not already making nuclear weapons, will launch a crash course to build nuclear weapons with the blessing of all Iranians, even those in the West."
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Please note that TRNN transcripts are typed from a recording of the program; The Real News Network cannot guarantee their complete accuracy. | |
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