US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?

I will bomb Iran nuclear sites: Santorum
Sun Jan 1, 2012

US Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has said he would bomb Iran's nuclear facilities upon his election as president if Tehran does not open up its sites for international arms inspectors.

Talking to NBC television's "Meet the Press," Santorum said he would tell the Iranian leaders to either open up those facilities, begin to dismantle them and make them available to the inspectors - or the US would attack them.

The former Pennsylvania senator also slammed US President Barack Obama for not doing enough to disrupt Iran's nuclear program. This, he said, risked turning the US into a "paper tiger."

The remarks come as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has conducted numerous inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities, but has never found any evidence indicating that Tehran's nuclear program has been diverted towards weapons production.

Last week, Head of Iran's Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi welcomed the presence of IAEA inspectors in Iran, saying this can guarantee the presentation of realistic reports by the Agency.

On Monday, December 19, Western diplomats said Iran has reinstated an invitation offer for IAEA inspectors to visit the country after the IAEA chief rejected a previous October invitation, claiming that Tehran has refused to address the agency's specific concerns.

Following the invitation, Iran's Ambassador to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh said on Tuesday, December 20, that Tehran is ready to address any concerns about its nuclear program.

Iranian officials have also expressed numerous concerns about repeated efforts by the IAEA inspectors to leak data about Iran's nuclear program and scientists to foreign governments, leading to terrorist attacks against a number of Iranian nuclear scholars. The IAEA has so far ignored Iran's concerns.

The United States, Israel, and some of their allies accuse Tehran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear program and have used this pretext to push for the imposition of sanctions as well as to call for an attack on the country.

Iran, however, refutes such allegations as “baseless” and maintains that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the IAEA it has every right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes

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US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?

Romney calls for military strike on Iran
Sun Jan 1, 2012

US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney urges Washington to prepare options for a military strike against Iran over its nuclear activities.

“Right now, the greatest danger that America faces and the world faces is a nuclear Iran,” Des Moines Register quoted Romney as telling roughly 250 people crowded into the Family Table restaurant in Le Mars, Iowa, on Dec 31, 2011.

He went on to say, “At this stage, what we have to do is to aggressively put in place crippling sanctions against Iran as long as they pursue their nuclear program.”

Former governor of Massachusetts said he also would support Iranian dissidents who want to overthrow Tehran's government.

Romney's remarks come as his GOP rival, Ron Paul, said on December 30 that he would not attack Iran since there is no military element in the country's nuclear program.

Paul told Iowa voters on Friday that he would not initiate an attack on Iran because “they don't threaten our national security,” ABC news network reported.

“If some other country thought they had to go to war with them [Iran], that is their business,” he said, adding that there is no proof or reliable evidence of the existence of a military aspect to Iran's nuclear program.

This comes while Romney and other Republican candidates have said they would take military action against Iran if the economic, diplomatic and other pressures would not stop the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

Romney criticized Paul in an interview on the Fox News Channel on December 30, saying, “I don't think Ron Paul represents the mainstream of Republican thought with regards to issues, particularly in foreign policy.”

The United States, Israel, and some of their allies accuse Tehran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear program. Washington and Tel Aviv have repeatedly threatened Tehran with the "option" of a military strike against its atomic facilities.

Iran argues that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has every right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

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US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?


Obama should put an end to Iran war threats, if it doesn't want the destruction of Israel, former CIA analysts say.

'Iran war to ruin Israel, global economy'
Sun Jan 1, 2012

Two former CIA analysts have advised US President Barack Obama to immediately put an end to the “torrent of war propaganda against Iran” as this will lead to the destruction of Israel and devastation of world economy.

Ray McGovern and Elizabeth Murray wrote on the consortiumnews.com that Obama's “repeated use of the bromide that 'everything is on the table'” indicates that the US president does not fully recognize the consequences of a military confrontation with Iran.

They said a war with Iran would be to the advantage of “no one but the arms merchants,” adding, “If your advisers have persuaded you that hostilities with Iran would bring benefit to Israel, they are badly mistaken.”

War with Iran is likely to bring the destruction of Israel in the long term, “not even to mention the disastrous consequences for the world economy, of which you (Obama) must be aware,” the duo contended.

Washington and Tel Aviv have repeatedly threatened Tehran with the "option" of a military strike, based on the allegation that Iran's nuclear work may consist of a covert military aspect.

Last week, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey said the US military is ready to launch a military strike against Iran, if occasion necessitates.

"We are examining a range of options. I'm satisfied that the options that we are developing are evolving to a point that they would be executable if necessary," Dempsey said.

Dempsey's warmongering tirades came on the heels of the equally aggressive remarks by US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta that "no options were off the table" regarding Iran's nuclear program.

This is while the Israeli officials have similarly stepped up their war rhetoric against Iran. On November 21, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that "time has come" to deal with Iran.

Israeli President Shimon Peres also threatened on November 6 that an attack against Iran is becoming "more and more likely."

Iranian officials have promised a crushing response to any military strike against the country, warning that any such measure could result in a war that would spread beyond the Middle East.

McGovern and Murray described the claims about the diversion of Tehran's nuclear program to a militarized dimension, the pretext for the war threats against Iran, as “incendiary but false,” which are propagated “fast and furious.”

Iran argues that it has the right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The ex-CIA analysts have urged Obama to “be up-front with the American people,” and publicize the latest National Intelligence Estimate on Iran's nuclear program.

“You (Obama) know that the Herculean efforts of US intelligence to find evidence of an active nuclear weapons program in Iran have found nothing.”

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US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?

'Strait Hormuz part of Iran defense line'
Sun Jan 1, 2012

A senior Iranian military commander says the strategic Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf lies within Iran's line of defense, and that the Islamic Republic will deliver a crushing response to any act of aggression.

Deputy Commander of the Islamic Republic Guard Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Hossein Salami said on Sunday that Iran would take any possible measure to implement its defense strategies if necessary.

He warned that Iran will make use of all available means to hit back if the vital interests of the country are ever threatened.

Brigadier General Salami stated that Iran's response to any possible act of aggression would know no time or geographical limitation.

Iran has warned that it can respond to the proposed Western oil sanctions and threats against the Islamic Republic by choking the oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi said on Tuesday, December 27, 2011, that the imposition of oil sanctions against the Islamic Republic will prompt Tehran to prevent oil cargoes from passing through the strategic route.

“If they impose sanctions on Iran's oil, not even a drop of oil will be allowed through the Strait of Hormuz,” he added.

Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari also announced on December 30 that the country's naval forces can readily block the strategic Strait of Hormuz if need be.

“Our (Iran's) intention is to bring stability and security to the region and we would like to show everyone that we can provide the security of the region without needing extra-regional powers,” he said.

Rear Admiral Sayyari said the presence of foreign navies in the region causes regional insecurity and emphasized that Iran does not need the presence of other extra-regional powers.

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US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?

'Hormuz Strait vital to world economy'
Sat Dec 31, 2011

Head of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi says global economy highly depends on the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's massive Velayat-90 naval exercises, currently underway in an area stretching from the east of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Aden, convey the message of “peace” and “security”, and pose no threat to the regional states, the senior Iranian lawmaker pointed out.

He added that the war games, which began on December 24, actually demonstrate the power and capability of Iran's Navy in the establishment of peace in the Middle East.

Boroujerdi stressed that the Strait of Hormuz has great strategic significance. Nevertheless, it is not Iran's intention to close the narrow passage.

Iran has warned that it can respond to proposed Western oil sanctions and threats against the Islamic Republic by choking the oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi warned on Tuesday, December 27, that imposition of oil sanctions against the Islamic Republic will prompt Tehran to prevent oil cargoes from passing through the strategic route.

“If they impose sanctions on Iran's oil, not even a drop of oil will be allowed through the Strait of Hormuz,” he added.

Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari also announced on December 30 that the country's naval forces can readily block the strategic Strait of Hormuz if necessary.

“Our (Iran's) intention is to bring stability and security to the region and we would like to show everyone that we can provide the security of the region without a need to extra-regional powers,” he said.

Rear Admiral Sayyari said the presence of foreign navies in the region causes regional insecurity and emphasized that Iran does not need the presence of other extra-regional powers.

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US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?

The UN has imposed four rounds of sanctions on Tehran over the nuclear enrichment, while the US and the EU have also imposed their own sanctions.

The US and Israel have not ruled out a military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities if Tehran doesn't stop its nuclear programme. Jalili warned that any attack on Iran would be met with retaliation. "We will give a response that will make the aggressor regret any threat against the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.

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There will always be wars because the Americans and the British will not allow other races to disobey their dictates or be more prosperous than the Anglos.

quote:

Originally posted by Lucas:
There will always be wars because the Americans and the British will not allow other races to disobey their dictates or be more prosperous than the Anglos.

By the way, what do you reckon? Should the black races show its loyalty to the whites and help them maintain supremacy as the Indians did under British rule over 6 decades ago?

quote:

Originally posted by Lucas:

quote:

Originally posted by Lucas:
There will always be wars because the Americans and the British will not allow other races to disobey their dictates or be more prosperous than the Anglos.

By the way, what do you reckon? Should the black races show its loyalty to the whites and help them maintain supremacy as the Indians did under British rule over 6 decades ago?

Bai, massa days done a long time ago.

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quote:

Originally posted by Lucas:
There will always be wars because the Americans and the British will not allow other races to disobey their dictates or be more prosperous than the Anglos.

Yu saying Americans and British are racialist?

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quote:

Originally posted by asj:

quote:

Originally posted by Lucas:
There will always be wars because the Americans and the British will not allow other races to disobey their dictates or be more prosperous than the Anglos.

Yu saying Americans and British are racialist?

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Even worst, they want to wipe out those countries that do not follow their doctrine. They are the NAZIS of the 21st century.

quote:

Originally posted by Lucas:

quote:

Originally posted by asj:

quote:

Originally posted by Lucas:
There will always be wars because the Americans and the British will not allow other races to disobey their dictates or be more prosperous than the Anglos.

Yu saying Americans and British are racialist?

.

Even worst, they want to wipe out those countries that do not follow their doctrine. They are the NAZIS of the 21st century.

you know you is a mad man.

quote:

Originally posted by warrior:

quote:

Originally posted by Lucas:

quote:

Originally posted by asj:

quote:

Originally posted by Lucas:
There will always be wars because the Americans and the British will not allow other races to disobey their dictates or be more prosperous than the Anglos.

Yu saying Americans and British are racialist?

.

Even worst, they want to wipe out those countries that do not follow their doctrine. They are the NAZIS of the 21st century.

you know you is a mad man.

I know. Everyone who doesn't believe in White Supremacy is a mad man, a terrorist.

S. Korea disregards US oil sanctions
Wed Jan 4, 2012

South Korea has announced that it will buy around 10 percent of its needed crude from Iran in 2012, which will be slightly higher than last year.

Seoul's demand for more Iranian oil follows the approval of a new act by the US Senate for imposing tougher sanctions on Iran's financial and energy sectors.

Ignoring the sanctions, South Korea, which is the world's fifth largest oil importer, is planning to buy 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian crude this year, a little more than the 190,000 bpd in 2011.

According to Reuters, South Korean authorities are going to meet with US officials to lobby for an exemption to US sanctions which will enable the country to buy and pay for Iran's oil.

SK Energy Company will buy the additional amount of Iran's crude by increasing its Iran oil import 10,000 bpd compared to last year's figure.

Hyundai Oilbank, the only other South Korean refiner that buys Iranian crude, will import 70,000 bpd in 2012, unchanged from 2011, a Hyundai spokesman said on Wednesday. He added that Hyundai is also making contingency plans for any disruption in oil flow.

"We are planning for various scenarios, including diversifying supply lines, if the situation changes," the spokesman said.

On Saturday, US President Barack Obama signed into law fresh economic sanctions against Iran's Central Bank in an apparent bid to punish foreign companies and banks that do business with the Iranian financial institution.

The bill aims to prevent refiners across the world from paying for Iran's oil, while the European Union is considering measures that would ban its member states from importing the crude.

The legislation will not go into effect for six months in a bid to provide oil markets with time to adjust.

It also includes a "waiver," allowing the president to suspend the sanctions in case he decides that the anti-Iran attempt will adversely impact the national security interests of the US.

The inclusion of the “waiver” in the bill reflects major concerns among American lawmakers that the bullying approach of the US to the Islamic Republic will backfire.

Meanwhile, energy experts say the sanctions could lead to a major hike in crude oil prices and disrupt the interests of the US and its allies that depend on oil imports from Iran.

US sanctions, as well as unilateral embargoes imposed on Iran's energy and financial sectors by Britain and Canada came after the International Atomic Energy Agency issued a report on the Iranian nuclear program early in November, accusing Tehran of seeking to weaponize its nuclear technology.

Despite the widely publicized claims by the US, Israel and some of their European allies that Iran's nuclear program may include a military diversion, Iran insists on its civilian nature, arguing that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

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US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?

Israel pushing US towards war with Iran
Wed Jan 4, 2012

The US has played down fears of an escalation of tensions with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, saying it does not seek a confrontation with Tehran.

The Pentagon, however, still insists that it has no plans to withdraw American warships from the region. Iran has long accused the US of adopting hostile policies.

Press TV talks with James Morris, a political commentator in Los Angeles, to get his insight on the issue. Below is an approximate transcription of the interview:

Press TV: Oil prices have gone up following the recent rhetoric exchanged by Iran and the United States. For how long can the US afford to do this given its economic crisis, especially its debt dilemma?

Morris: Hello and thank you for having me back on Press TV in such dangerous times. I'd, first of all, like to say that I am America first patriot and I do not want to see any Americans die or get horribly wounded in a war for Israel against Iran, like we saw in Iraq. But I felt compelled to come on the air today and I appreciate your invitation for me to do so to explain why we are facing what we are facing with regard to a possible war with Iran which could be manifested into a wider war in the region which could even become the next world war if Russia and China get involved. It is very dangerous and that is why I was compelled to come on the air with you today.

The bottom line is the pro-Israeli lobby in America, AIPAC, the neo-conservatives which are the vanguard of that lobby have been pushing these sanctions against the Iranian regime and the bottom line to that is not the nuclear program because we see Israel with 200 to 400 nuclear weapons that they won't open up to inspection by the IAEA.

What this war, if it comes, and by the look of it, it looks like it is going to come and please with the aircraft carrier Stennis coming back in the [Persian] Gulf, do not give the Zionists what they are looking for to start a war against Iran. I know you all have to be on the lookout for a possible USS Liberty incident with the Israelis could stage an attack against an American ship to draw the US into war against Iran.

We have to be aware of that as well when Israel murdered 34 American sailors on marines on the USS Liberty on June 8, 1967 and tried to blame it on Egypt to get us into a war against Egypt which could have led to a world war as well back then. So we have to be on guard against that.

But the bottom line here is that the Zionist lobby in America has pushed these sanctions against the Iranian regime and it is taking us to the brink of a war; it is driving up the oil prices, as you just said. In fact, Congressman Ron Paul, if you go to my blog USHijacked.com which is also america-hijacked.com, he is saying that any of these sanctions that are being pushed for against Iran are acts of war and that the Iranians have the right to self-defense.

It is imperative that the world wakes up to this to see what these American Israeli Public Affairs Committee [AIPAC], the neo-conservatives which own the US Congress; they own the Republican party, they are pushing us to war and it is utterly unacceptable for patriotic Americans who put America first, like myself.

Press TV: With the talk of these threats about a war between Iran and America, the question is how ready militarily is the United States for another war after Iraq and Afghanistan?

Morris: You have to realize the US has a very formidable air force and its navy is the best in the world and I am glad for that. Like I said, I am a patriotic American who puts Israel first. But I just do not like to see the American navy, the American air force and US troops which are being repositioned out of Iraq; there are still 17 thousand personnel in Iraq, contractors or not, but Americans troops have been repositioned out of Iraq and they are basically going to be staged in Kuwait for a coming war with Iran.

So we have to realize that, yes, even though troops have been removed from Iraq and the American military stretched all over the world, that is what Ron Paul has so accurately said, that America is going broke and we need to bring those troops home to defend American wars instead.

But they are also, the American air force, like I said, is very formidable and that is still in full effect and also the American navy and they can bomb Iran into the stone age if a war breaks out. Please the Zionists in America, Israel's friends would like nothing more than for your country to attack an American war ship, Stennis, or the air crafter Stennis or any other American ship to set the stage for war and it will be all over the pro-Israel biased media here saying Iran has attacked an American ship and we have got to retaliate.

No mentions will be made about the sanctions that have been imposed on Iran by the pro-Israeli lobby here which actually took this situation to the brink of war. It is utterly unacceptable. Again, go to USHijacked.com, look at the recent posts at the top there and please do not let the USS Liberty incident get us involved in war as well. The Israelis got away with that attack and they very well would try to pull another one to get us into a war between Iran and America.

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US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?

Iran-U.S. war of words escalates

Don't need anyone's permission on defence strategies: Tehran

The war of words between Iran and the United States escalated sharply on Thursday with a top military commander of Iran dismissing the warning from Washington not to close the Strait of Hormuz — the principal gateway through which the world's oil supplies pass.

Hossein Salami, deputy chief of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), announced on state-run Press TV that the “Islamic Republic of Iran asks for no other country's permission for the implementation of its defence strategies.” He was responding to a Pentagon statement which asserted that Tehran's interference “with the transit or passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz will not be tolerated”.

Tensions have heightened after the U.S. began to prepare for sanctions that would cripple Iran's oil exports — the lifeline of the country's economy.

With these sanctions possibly kicking in next month, Iran's First Vice President had on Tuesday threatened to block oil supplies flowing out of Gulf terminals from the Strait of Hormuz. A day later, Iran's naval chief, Adm. Habibollah Sayyari said his country would find it “very easy” to close the Strait the Hormuz — a prospect which can cause oil prices to zoom and undermine the fledgling recovery of the ailing western economies.

The back-and-forth between the Iranians and the Americans have acquired a sharper edge as both sides are backing their threats with large deployments of warships in an area east of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian navy's ongoing exercise is being closely monitored by several U.S. warships which have been deployed in the vicinity, say media reports. Coinciding with its show of military strength, the Iranians on Wednesday asserted that the West was losing its ideological influence worldwide. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei whose pronouncements echo in large parts of West Asia said that the U.S. had no control over the wave of uprisings in Arab countries, which were bringing Islamists into power.

Speaking to Iranian diplomats, Ayatollah Khamenei chose to address a deep-seated apprehension among the region's intellectual, official and clerical elite that, in the end, the U.S. was manoeuvring the Arab rebellions which had already toppled entrenched regimes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

Choosing his words carefully, Iran's chief jurisprudent said it would be a “delusion” to conclude that Washington has been steering the Arab revolt. He also compared these rebellions with the Iranian revolution of 1979, which toppled the regime of the Shah of Iran, a pillar of America's strategic influence in the oil-rich region.

“Some assume that the United States is stage-managing these developments behind the scenes, but it is sheer delusion, just as 30 years ago some were under the illusion that the Islamic revolution was engineered by the United States,” he said.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the Arab Spring was an expression of an “Islamic Awakening”.

However, this “does not mean that they all want an Islamic government or approve of the model of Iran's Islamic government.”

Iran's top cleric anticipated that the leaderships thrown up by the popular Arab uprisings would stand naturally opposed to the United States and Israel.

In line with the Ayatollah Khamenei's assertions, Iran's judiciary chief, Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani, compared the upheavals in the Arab world to a “political earthquake” that had shaken the West.

He stressed that “Islamic thoughts” were defeating “principles of western liberal democracy”.

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quote:

Invading Iran is invading Russia, China'

Well, China and Russia clearly are the final targets of US racist foreign policy: "Only Anglosaxons will rule the world forever, other races obey and make demonstrations of loyalty"

quote:

Originally posted by Lucas:

quote:

Invading Iran is invading Russia, China'

Well, China and Russia clearly are the final targets of US racist foreign policy: "Only Anglosaxons will rule the world forever, other races obey and make demonstrations of loyalty"

We have a very long time before we get there, but with China and Russia coming together to stop the halocaust I doubt that we will ever get there.

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quote:

Originally posted by Lucas:

quote:

Invading Iran is invading Russia, China'

Well, China and Russia clearly are the final targets of US racist foreign policy: "Only Anglosaxons will rule the world forever, other races obey and make demonstrations of loyalty"

IRAN is only acting like they crazy,the AMERICAN CAN DISTROY them, russia and china cant do shit,but talk and protest.is like a fly and a elephant.

US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?

US sanctions no coup de grace for Iran
Wed Jan 4, 2012

Will Washington dispense with a new round of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran? Or will the warmongers in the White House march for war against the country?


In a dramatic move which was apparently contrary to his desire, US President Barack Obama on Saturday signed into law tough new sanctions against Iran targeting the country's Central Bank and financial sector in a bid to administer an economic coup de grace against Iran.

Foreign firms are now to make a choice between doing business with the Iranian financial sector and Central Bank or the US economy and financial sector. In signing the bill, Obama harbored some secret fear that such an act would skyrocket the oil prices and that it would be terminally detrimental to the ailing economy of Washington as well as to global economy.

Needles to say, such a measure was encouraged and propelled by the warmongers in the White House and the powerful Zionist lobby.

The UN Security Council has already imposed four rounds of sanctions against Iran for 33 years, inflicting adverse damage on the economy albeit with no determining impact on the political approach of the country. However, decades of anti-Iran US-engineered sanctions have failed to stall the progress of the Islamic country which is moving towards self-sufficiency in all economic spheres. Therefore, Washington officials have been ill advised in believing that by slapping more sanctions on Iran, they will be able to bring to knees a nation who adheres to their ideology of no submission.

In a show of prodigious naval prowess, Iran launched a ten-day military drill codenamed Velayat 90 and successfully test-fired indigenous missiles e.g. a surface-to-sea Qader cruise missile, a shorter range Nasr and later, a surface-to-surface Nour missile and other warefares. Despite Washington's claim that the naval exercises were a distracter from the US sanctions, they were in fact carried out under the prudent instructions of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who had ordered Iranian Armed Forces to be on alert and thwart any potential threat in view of the anti-Iran war rhetoric the US hawks have renewed in recent weeks.

In a military brinkmanship, Iran has announced that it will block the Strait of Hormuz if oil sanctions are imposed on the country. Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said that closing the Strait of Hormuz is "as easy as drinking water for Iranian naval forces,” and that "we would close it if need be."

In Iowa on Thursday when asked if Iran would be justified in responding to the sanctions by blocking the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, US Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul meticulously compared the Western sanctions to a hypothetical move by China to block the Gulf of Mexico, which Americans would consider an act of war. He also said the tough sanctions against Iran are "acts of war," warning of a war with devastating consequences in the Middle East.

On Tuesday (December 30, 2011), the Iranian Navy identified and recorded footage of the USS John C. Stennis in the area where Iran was conducting military drills.

With commendable courage, Commander of Iran's Army Major General Ataollah Salehi warned the US aircraft carrier not to return to the Persian Gulf, saying that Iran is not in the habit of repeating a warning.

The USS John C. Stennis left the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. One of the US navy's biggest warships, the nuclear-powered vessel can accommodate around 3,300 personnel with the capability to carry 50 fighter jets and 6 helicopters.

The war of words which ensued between Iranian army commanders and the American military men testifies to the fact that the wall of fear has collapsed before the eyes of the Iranians and that the US is no longer seen as an indomitable enemy.

It is very painful to see that political ignorance is rife in the West and the Western powers are seeing the whole illusion of the saga of Iran threat through the purblind eyes of Washington. On Tuesday, France urged the EU to follow in the footsteps of the US government by slapping an embargo on its oil exports and freezing its Central Bank assets by next month, thereby crippling the entire economic system of the country.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said he was convinced "Iran is pursuing the development of its nuclear arms."

"I have no doubt about it... The last report by the International Atomic Energy Agency is quite explicit on this point," he told French network i-Tele.

"This is why France, without closing the path of negotiation and dialogue with Iran, wants stricter sanctions," he added.

To France and the rest of the West, Iran is essentially seen as a threat with or without a nuclear weapons program as they have been mainstreamed into this ill manner of thinking. Despite the fact that Iran has repeatedly announced that its nuclear program is geared for peaceful purposes, the West is reluctant to listen and instead turns a deaf ear to Iran and disregards the country's efforts for nuclear transparency.

Clearly, sanctions are currently the only available tool in the hands of Washington but behind-the-scene efforts are being made to prove that sanctions cannot mollify the threat in the long run and that the threat of the so-called nuclear Iran will only be eliminated through a war thus justified thanks to the sinister powers long at work.

The table Washington has set for Iran seems to be big enough to hold more options for the Islamic Republic. This is a point Iran has grasped well and the ten-day military drill in the strategic Strait of Hormuz is to be taken as a message to the warmongers that threat is the only answer to threat.

-- Dr. Ismail Salami is an Iranian writer, Middle East expert, Iranologist and lexicographer. He writes extensively on the US and Middle East issues and his articles have been translated into a number of languages.

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quote:

With commendable courage, Commander of Iran's Army Major General Ataollah Salehi warned the US aircraft carrier not to return to the Persian Gulf, saying that Iran is not in the habit of repeating a warning.

The USS John C. Stennis left the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. One of the US navy's biggest warships, the nuclear-powered vessel can accommodate around 3,300 personnel with the capability to carry 50 fighter jets and 6 helicopters.

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US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?



'US deploys troops in Israel for Iran war'
Wed Jan 4, 2012

The US military is preparing a massive military campaign against Iran, sending thousands of American troops, warships and weaponry to Israel.


An unnamed source said the military deployment of US anti-missile ships and accompanying support personnel will occur in January and later this spring, Global Research reported.

Commander of the US Third Air Force based in Germany Lt.-Gen Frank Gorenc said it is not just an "exercise," but a "deployment," The Jerusalem Post said.

Washington and Tel Aviv have planned to hold what they call the largest-ever joint military exercise this spring.

The US commander visited Israel two weeks ago to confirm details for “the deployment of several thousand American soldiers to Israel.”

The US General also visited one of Israel's three Iron Dome anti-missile outposts. The Israeli Air Force has announced plans to deploy a fourth Iron Dome system in coming months.

While US troops will be stationed in Israel for an unspecified amount of time, Israeli military personnel will be added to United States European Command (EUCOM) in Germany.

This is while the US is reportedly bringing its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and ship-based Aegis ballistic missile systems to Israel.

The White House has resumed its anti-Iran war rhetoric after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a report in November, in which Tehran was accused of conducting activities related to developing nuclear weapons. Iran strongly dismissed the allegations.

US analyst Robert Parry said the documentary evidence showed that IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano was installed with the support of the US and that he privately indicated to US and Israeli officials that he would help advance their goals regarding Iran.

In December, Iran's Navy launched massive 10-day military drills in the strategic Strait of Hormuz to show that the country is ready to defend itself against any attack.

"We wanted to send this message to certain powers that Iran is always prepared to defend itself against foreign aggression," Iran's Navy Deputy Commander Admiral Amir Rastegari told Press TV.

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama on Saturday signed into law fresh economic sanctions, targeting Iran's Central Bank and financial sector.

Anti-Iran measures provoked by the US and Israel are aimed to deny Iran's right of having peaceful nuclear program.

Tehran, as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the IAEA, has repeatedly stated that its nuclear activities are solely for civilian purposes

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US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?

'Iran counters US economic scenario'
Tue Jan 3, 2012

Following new US sanctions against the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), a senior Iranian lawmaker says the Islamic Republic has adopted strategies to manage Washington's new economic scenario.


Banking sanctions will be detrimental to the United Stated and ultimately beneficial to Iran, said Deputy Chairman of the Majlis Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy Esmail Kowsari on Tuesday.

On January 1, US President Barak Obama signed into law fresh economic sanctions against the CBI and Iran's financial sector.

The bill requires foreign financial firms to make a choice between either doing business with the CBI and Iran's oil sector or with the US financial sector.

The Iranian legislator emphasized that the US-led economic sanctions have repeatedly been imposed on Tehran and stated that such moves have led to Iran's self-sufficiency in various fields.

Sanctions have been beneficial to the Islamic Republic, Kowsari said, adding that, Iran possesses great capabilities in confronting Western economic pressures.

The United States has already barred its own banks from dealing with the CBI. Thus, the new US sanctions are intended to dissuade other foreign banks from doing transactions with the CBI by threatening to cut off their access to US financial institutions.

The US sanctions as well as unilateral embargoes imposed on Iran's energy and financial sectors by Britain and Canada came after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued a report on Iranian nuclear program early November, accusing Tehran of seeking to weaponize its nuclear technology.

Despite the widely publicized claims by the US, Israel and some of their European allies that Iran's nuclear program may include a military diversion, Iran insists that its nuclear program has a civilian nature.

Tehran argues that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the IAEA, it has the right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

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US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?

Has Iran pushed the button mistakenly as

IRAN SENTENCED US CITIZEN TO DEATH

Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, Former U.S. Marine, Sentenced To Death In Iran
01/09/12

TEHRAN, Iran — An Iranian court has convicted an American man of working for the CIA and sentenced him to death, state radio reported Monday, in a case adding to the accelerating tension between the United States and Iran.

Iran charges that as a former U.S. Marine, Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, received special training and served at U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan before heading to Iran for his alleged intelligence mission. The radio report did not say when the verdict was issued.

The 28-year-old former military translator was born in Arizona and graduated from high school in Michigan. His family is of Iranian origin. His father, a professor at a community college in Flint, Michigan, has said his son is not a CIA spy and was visiting his grandmothers in Iran when he was arrested.

Behnaz Hekmati, his mother, said in an email to The Associated Press that she and her husband, Ali, are "shocked and terrified" that their son has been sentenced to death. She said the verdict is "the result of a process that was neither transparent nor fair."

Under Iranian law, he has 20 days to appeal. Hekmati has a court-appointed lawyer who was identified only by his surname, Samadi, and there was no word about an appeal.

Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehei, spokesman for Iran's judiciary said if the verdict is appealed, it would go to Iran's Supreme Court, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Hekmati's trial took place as the U.S. announced new, tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, which Washington believes Tehran is using to develop a possible atomic weapons capability.

Iran, which says it only seeks nuclear reactors for energy and research, has sharply increased its threats and military posturing against stronger pressures, including the U.S. sanctions targeting Iran's Central Bank in attempts to complicate its ability to sell oil.

The U.S. State Department has demanded Hekmati's release.

The court convicted him of working with a hostile country, belonging to the CIA and trying to accuse Iran of involvement in terrorism, Monday's report said.

In its ruling, a branch of Tehran Revolutionary Court described Hekmati as a mohareb, an Islamic term that means a fighter against God, and a mofsed, or one who spreads corruption on earth. Both terms appear frequently in Iranian court rulings.

In a closed court hearing in late December, the prosecution asked for the death penalty for Hekmati.

The U.S. government has called on Iranian authorities to grant Swiss diplomats access to him in prison. The Swiss government represents U.S. interests in Iran because the two countries don't have diplomatic relations.

Hekmati is a dual U.S.-Iranian national. Iran considers him an Iranian since the country's law does not recognize dual citizenship.

Similar cases against Americans accused of spying have heightened tensions throughout the years-long standoff over Iran's nuclear program.

Iran arrested three Americans in July 2009 along the border with Iraq and accused them of espionage, though the Americans said they were just hiking in the scenic and relatively peaceful Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

One of them was released after a year in prison, and the other two were freed in September in deals involving bail payments that were brokered by the Gulf sultanate of Oman, which has good relations with Iran and the U.S.

On Dec. 18, Iran's state TV broadcast video of Hekmati delivering a purported confession in which he said he was part of a plot to infiltrate Iran's Intelligence Ministry.

In a statement released the same day, the Intelligence Ministry said its agents identified Hekmati before his arrival in Iran, at Bagram Air Field in neighboring Afghanistan. Bagram is the main base for American and other international forces outside Kabul, the Afghan capital.

It is not clear exactly when he was arrested. News reports have said he was detained in late August or early September.

Hekmati's father said in a December interview with The Associated Press, that his son was a former Arabic translator in the U.S. Marines who entered Iran about four months earlier to visit his grandmothers.

At the time, he was working in Qatar as a contractor for a company "that served the Marines," his father said, without providing more specific details.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...lnk2%26pLid%3D125883

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US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?

China slams US military adventurism
Mon Jan 9, 2012

China says the accusations leveled against the country in the new United States defense strategy are “groundless” and aim to counter the Asian country's growing power.


“The charges against China in this document are groundless and untrustworthy," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said on Monday, dismissing the notion that Beijing poses a threat to any other nation.

The remarks come days after US President Barack Obama unveiled a defense strategy to expand the country's military presence in the Asia-Pacific in a bid to switch the Pentagon's focus to the Far East and shift away from large ground wars against militants.

The US document demands that China clarify its strategic intent as its military power grows.

Liu said China's “defense modernization” focuses on increasing national security and peaceful development while “playing an active role in maintaining regional peace and security.”

Washington's recent shift has been prompted by its concerns China's growing military and its arsenal of anti-ship missiles.

On Friday, China's Xinhua news agency warned that any American militarism in the Asia-Pacific region would “endanger peace instead of enhancing regional stability.”

Tensions have escalated since the US said it would strengthen its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region despite fiscal constraints.

China is concerned that Washington's new defense stance is aimed at encircling Beijing. There are rising concerns in the United States about the growing size and capabilities of the Chinese military.

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US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?

IRAN WORK ON NUCLEAR BOMB 'BEGINS'

Iran has started uranium enrichment at an underground site protected from possible airstrikes as fears grow that it is building a nuclear bomb.
Tehran began injecting uranium gas into sophisticated centrifuges at the Fordo facility near Qom 'amid heightened foreign enemy threats', the hardline Iranian newspaper Kayhan reported yesterday.


Iran already has a uranium enrichment facility in Natanz, where 8,000 centrifuges are operating. The ones in Fordo, however, are reportedly more efficient, and better shielded.

Nuclear chief Fereidoun Abbasi would admit only that the country is 'soon' to begin enrichment – which can produce both nuclear fuel and fissile warhead material.

That said, President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad (pictured) makes no secret that nuclear capabilities are soemthing the country wants.

Leon Panetta, U.S. Defence Secretary, said nuclear bomb fears were premature and called for diplomatic and economic pressure on Iran.
He said that the news that the country was 'trying to develop nuclear capability' was not welcomed.
'That’s what concerns us. And our red line to Iran is do not develop a nuclear weapon. That’s a red line for us,' Mr Panetta said Sunday.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...h.html#ixzz1iyvXpGwI

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The Brits want the US to fight Russia and China, and inventing a problem with Iran is the quickest way to achieve that objective.

US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?

EU members to meet on Iran oil ban
Tue Jan 10, 2012

European diplomats say European Union (EU) member states will meet later this month to discuss the proposed embargo on Iran's oil exports.

EU ambassadors met in Brussels on Tuesday to make a final decision on the Union's forthcoming summit which was originally scheduled to be held on January 30, Reuters reported.

"It looks likely that it will be brought forward to the 23rd [of January]," one of the diplomats said.

EU states have already agreed on the general outlines of Iran's oil embargo as the latest in a series of measures taken by Western states to ratchet up pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program.

So far EU members have failed to reach a final agreement on details such as the exact timing of the sanctions. According to EU diplomats, it may take months before sanctions are actually enforced because certain EU members have asked for a delay to shield their debt-stricken economies.

Greece, which heavily depends on Iranian crude, is pushing for the longest delay while Britain, France, the Netherlands and Germany say they need a maximum period of three months.

EU countries buy about 500,000 barrels per day of Iran's oil, making the Union one of the largest markets for Iranian crude.

European measures against Iran's oil industry will complement US sanctions announced on New Year's Eve that aim to make it impossible for most refineries to buy Iranian crude.

On Saturday, December 31, 2011, US President Barack Obama signed into law fresh economic sanctions against Iran's Central Bank requiring foreign financial firms to make a choice between doing business with Iran's Central Bank and oil sector or with the US financial sector.

Iran's military and civilian officials have threatened that if an oil embargo is actually imposed on the country, Iran will respond by closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz making it impossible for other oil producing countries in the Persian Gulf to export oil as well.

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey conceded on January 8 that Iran enjoys the wherewithal to close down the Strait of Hormuz if the occasion necessitates.

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow shipping channel that leads in and out of the Persian Gulf between Iran and Oman.

The strait is one of the world's most important waterways, with a daily flow of about 15 million barrels of oil. That is 90 percent of Persian Gulf exports and 40 percent of global consumption.

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US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?



US aircraft carrier heading Persian Gulf
Thu Jan 12, 2012

The United States has sent the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf amid mounting tensions in the strategic region.

The Pentagon claimed on Wednesday that the arrival of the vessel, carrying 80 planes and helicopters on board, is “routine” and aimed at relieving aircraft carrier USS John Stennis.

The Pentagon added that the USS Carl Vinson has "arrived in the US 5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR)" which, as the US says, covers the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean.

The US Navy said, however, that the aircraft carrier is not in the Persian Gulf yet and has not gone through the Strait of Hormuz.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the USS Abraham Lincoln is also in the Indian Ocean, en route to join the USS Carl Vinson.

“Her deployment in that area is routine, long-planned -- there's nothing unusual about that," Kirby explained.

"The fact that there are two carriers in that AOR is not an indication of anything specific in respect to Iran," the spokesman stressed, insisting: "There is no change to force posture in the region.”

This comes in the wake of Iran's threat of shutting down the Strait of Hormuz in case of more sanctions against the country's oil sector.

One third of the world's oil supply passes through the strategic strait.

USS John Stennis left the region immediately after Iran began a 10-day naval maneuver last month.

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USA is almost broke under Obama and cannot start a war at this time. A war is possible after the Presidential election.

The British need a war now-- they can't wait 11 months. They need to manipulate the US into a conflict with China and Russia. Otherwise, Asia will become the center of the world economy.

US/IRAN: IS THERE A WAR IN SIGHT?

'Iran war: Next on Washington agenda'
Sat Jan 14, 2012

Former US Assistant Secretary of the Treasury has said that a military strike against Iran is the next war on the US government's agenda politics.


Paul Craig Roberts wrote in an article that the United States is preparing to attack Iran as it has deployed missiles directed at Iran in Oman and the UAE, Infowars.com reported.

He also brought several other instances to prove his assumption.

"Washington has beefed up Saudi Arabia's jet fighter force. Most recently, Washington has deployed 9,000 US troops to Israel to participate in "war games" designed to test the US/Israeli air defense system," Roberts said.

"As Iran represents no threat unless attacked, Washington's war preparations signal Washington's intention to attack Iran," he added.

The author noted that another signal that the US administration has a new war on its agenda is the raised level of "Washington's rhetoric and demonization of Iran."

Roberts called US allegation that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons as "the same level of lie as Washington's claim that Saddam Hussein in Iraq had weapons of mass destruction."

The analyst also warned about the consequences of a nuclear attack on Iran.

"A nuclear attack on Iran would alert both China and Russia that they could suffer the same fate. The consequence would be that the world would face a higher risk of nuclear Armageddon than existed in the mutually assured destruction of the US-Soviet standoff," Roberts said.

The war threats come after four rounds of US-backed sanctions imposed by the UN and unilateral sanctions by certain US allies failed to stop Iran's peaceful nuclear program.

Anti-Iran measures provoked by the US and Israel are aimed to deny Iran's right of having peaceful nuclear technology.

As a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran has the legal right to develop nuclear capability for civilian purposes.

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