Clipmarks | willhelm's 'iran' clips

Iraq's Maverick

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:33:53 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Iraqi parliamentarian Mithal al-Alusi contacted me by phone from Baghdad with an urgent warning that Iran could be a lot closer to attaining nuclear weapons than most analysts believe.

The first Iraqi politician to publicly visit Israel, al-Alusi could not have undertaken this visit lightly. After speaking at the same counterterrorism conference on his first visit to Israel in 2004, extremists murdered his two sons, Ayman 30, and Gamal, 22, apparently as payback for his violating the historic taboo in Iraq against advocating cooperation with Israel.

Minutes after his sons were murdered, al-Alusi told reporters: "Even if these terrorists try to kill me again, peace is the only solution. Peace with Israel is the only solution for Iraq. Peace with everybody, but no peace for the terrorists."

al-Alusi's story is a reminder of how far the country still needs to go. His fate will be a litmus test of our commitment

European Ignorance about America

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 02:07:22 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: "The majority of Britons believe that since the Second World War, the United States has more often sided with non-Muslims than with Muslims. In fact, in 11 out of 12 major conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslims, Muslims and secular forces, or Arabs and non-Arabs, the United States has sided with Muslims and/or Arabs."

"But Britons are not the only Europeans who hold unbalanced views of the United States.
Take Germans, for example. The majority of them believe that America poses a greater threat to world peace than does Iran. This after the United States helped Germans rebuild their country after World War Two and then provided for their defense during five decades of the Cold War."

"according to a recent poll of Berlin youth, only one-third of the city’s 15- to 17-year-old students know who built the Berlin Wall. Almost 14 percent think it was built by the Allies; two percent believe it was built by the United States."

Clip Source: pajamasmedia.com

More than 50 percent of Britons believe that polygamy is legal in the United States

Almost one-third of Britons believe that Americans who have not paid their hospital fees or insurance premiums are not entitled to emergency medical care

Seventy percent of Britons think the United States has done a worse job than the European Union in reducing carbon emissions since 2000; in fact, America’s rate of growth of carbon emissions has decreased by almost ten percent since 2000, while that of the EU has increased by 2.3 percent.

Eighty percent of Britons believe that “from 1973 to 1990, the United States sold Saddam Hussein more than a quarter of his weapons.” In fact, the United States sold just 0.46 percent of Saddam’s arsenal to him; Russia, France, and China supplied 57 percent, 13 percent, and 12 percent, respectively.

Khamenei memo reveals nuke plans

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 01:54:00 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.adnkronos.com

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reportedly has a secret plan to accelerate nuclear arms production by simulating a breakdown at the nuclear reactor of Bushehr.

That is according to a memorandum circulated among several western intelligence services cited in the Italian daily, La Stampa.

The Khamenei initiative dates back to the day after 6 September 2007 when Israeli warplanes struck an alleged nuclear reactor that was allegedly being developed in northern Syria.

On that occasion, according to the memorandum, Khamenei spoke of the need to accelerate the military project in such a way that it did not run the risk of breaching the rules of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.

During the meeting several proposals were discussed and at the end of the talks, "Khamenei called for a plan to be drawn up to exploit the nuclear material of the Bushehr plant to obtain plutonium".

Commission reveals possible Iran 9/11 link

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 05:29:42 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: I think this is a no-brainer. Iran heavily funds all major terrorist networks in the region.

Clip Source: www.newsmax.com

In an auspicious passage that went virtually unreported at the time, the 9/11 Commission revealed in July 2004 that they “now have evidence suggesting that 8 to 10 of the 14 Saudi ‘muscle’ operatives traveled into or out of Iran between October 2000 and February 2001.”

The “muscle” operatives were the 9/11 hijackers who overpowered airline crew members, slit their throats, and terrorized passengers so the al-Qaida pilots could seize control of the airliners and fly them into their targets.

The Commissioners concluded that there was “strong evidence that Iran facilitated the transit of al-Qaida members into and out of Afghanistan before 9/11, and that some of these were future 9/11 hijackers.”

“We believe this topic requires further investigation by the U.S. government,” the Commissioners wrote.

Kuwait readies for war

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:35:50 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: on heels of US, French, and English armada to Gulf.

Clip Source: www.metimes.com

The small oil-rich emirate of Kuwait – situated between Iraq, Iran and an un-enviable geographic hard place on the northern end of the Persian Gulf – has reportedly activated its "Emergency War Plan" as a massive U.S. and European armada is reported heading for the region.

Coming on the heels of Operation Brimstone just a week ago that saw U.S., British and French naval forces participate in war games in the Atlantic Ocean, the object of which was to practice enforcing an eventual blockade on Iran, the joint task force is now headed for the Gulf and what could easily turn into a major confrontation with Iran.

The naval force comprises a U.S. Navy super carrier battle group and is accompanied by an expeditionary carrier battle group, a British Royal Navy carrier battle group and a French nuclear hunter-killer submarine.

Israel Building Up for Iran Strikes

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 23:23:33 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.newsmax.com

Israel is building up its strike capabilities amid growing anxiety over Iran's nuclear ambitions and appears confident that a military attack would cripple Tehran's atomic program, even if it can't destroy it.

The Jewish state has purchased 90 F-16I fighter planes that can carry enough fuel to reach Iran, and will receive 11 more by the end of next year. It has bought two new Dolphin submarines from Germany reportedly capable of firing nuclear-armed warheads — in addition to the three it already has.

And this summer it carried out air maneuvers in the Mediterranean that touched off an international debate over whether they were a "dress rehearsal" for an imminent attack, a stern warning to Iran or a just a way to get allies to step up the pressure on Tehran to stop building nukes.

Israel believes Tehran will have enriched enough uranium for a nuclear bomb by next year or 2010 at the latest.

Iran Threatens to Shut Straits of Hormuz

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:06:30 GMT

clipped by: jatfla
clipper's remarks: Sound serious??!!!

Clip Source: www.nysun.com

Iran Threatens To Shut Straits of Hormuz

the chief of the country's Revolutionary Guard Corps is threatening to close down one of the world's most critical oil chokepoints, the Straits of Hormuz.

Mohammad Ali Jafari said it could sink "enemy ships" at a range of more than 200 miles, and that shutting down the Straits of Hormuz would be easy.

"Enemies know that we are easily able to block the Straits of Hormuz for unlimited period,"

Iran: New weapon - "unique in the world"

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:48:23 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.newsmax.com

Iran's official IRNA news agency is quoting the chief of the country's Revolutionary Guards as saying that Iran has tested a new weapon for use at sea.

The commander, Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, claimed the new marine weapon is "unique in the world" and has a range of 186 miles.

Monday's report provided no further details and didn't say when or where the weapon was tested. But it quoted Jafari as saying that there is "no similar weapon in the service of armies in the world."

Last month, the Guards test-fired missiles and torpedoes in the Persian Gulf, and Tehran claimed it had tested a new Shahab missile with a range of 1,250 miles.

The range of the alleged new weapon Jafari announced indicates it may be a type of torpedo.

US Intel: Iranian nuclear strike on U.S. ?

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 05:53:44 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: “The only explanation we can find is that Iranians are figuring out how to launch a missile from a ship and get it up to altitude and then detonate it,” “And that’s exactly what you would do if you had a nuclear weapon on a Scud or a Shahab-3, and you wanted to explode it over the US.”

"If a crude nuclear weapon were detonated anywhere between 40 kilometers to 400 kilometers above the earth, in a split-second it would generate an electro-magnetic pulse that would cripple military and civilian communications, power, transportation, water, food, and other infrastructure"

Asked how many Americans would die if Iran were to launch the EMP attack it appears to be preparing, Graham gave a chilling reply.

“You have to go back into the 1800s to look at the size of population” that could survive in a nation deprived of mechanized agriculture, transportation, power, water, and communication.

“70 to 90 percent of the population would not be sustainable after this kind of attack”.

Clip Source: www.newsmax.com

Iran has carried out missile tests for what could be a plan for a nuclear strike on the United States, the head of a national security panel has warned.

In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee and in remarks to a private conference on missile defense over the weekend hosted by the Claremont Institute, Dr. William Graham warned that the U.S. intelligence community “doesn’t have a story” to explain the recent Iranian tests.

One group of tests that troubled Graham, the former White House science adviser under President Ronald Reagan, were successful efforts to launch a Scud missile from a platform in the Caspian Sea.

Another troubling group of tests involved Shahab-3 launches where the Iranians "detonated the warhead near apogee, not over the target area where the thing would eventually land, but at altitude,” Graham said. “Why would they do that?”

Ahmadinejad: Iran has 6000 centrifuges

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:52:57 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

TEHRAN, Iran — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Saturday that Iran now possesses 6,000 centrifuges, a significant increase in the number of uranium-enriching machines in its nuclear program, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Iran says it plans to move toward large-scale uranium enrichment that ultimately will involve 54,000 centrifuges.

Obama lies continue

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:51:23 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: OK. This is what an ACTUAL LIE looks like.

Clip Source: www.powerlineblog.com

Obama continued:

Now, in terms of knowing my commitments, you don't have to just look at my words, you can look at my deeds. Just this past week, we passed out of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which is my committee, a bill to call for divestment from Iran, as a way of ratcheting up the pressure to ensure that they don't obtain a nuclear weapon.

But Obama is not a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Obama just made that up so he could count the committee's action as one of "my deeds."

If committed by a Republican, this would be a gaffe of historic proportions.

Clip Source: banking.senate.gov

Democrat

Christopher J. Dodd Chairman (D-CT)

Tim Johnson (D-SD)

Jack Reed (D-RI)

Charles E. Schumer (D-NY)

Evan Bayh (D-IN)

Tom Carper (D-DE)

Robert Menendez (D-NJ)

Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI)

Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

Robert P. Casey (D-PA)

Jon Tester (D-MT)

Republican

Richard C. Shelby Ranking Member (R-AL)

Robert F. Bennett (R-UT)

Wayne Allard (R-CO)

Michael B. Enzi (R-WY)

Chuck Hagel (R-NE)

Jim Bunning (R-KY)

Russia provides anti-aircraft defense system to Iran

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:20:04 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: Another Russia and Iran clip.

Clip Source: www.alertnet.org

Iran is set to receive an advanced Russian-made anti-aircraft system by year-end that could help fend off any preemptive strikes against its nuclear facilities, senior Israeli defence sources said on Wednesday.

First delivery of the S-300 missile batteries was expected as soon as early September, one source said, though it could take six to 12 months for them to be deployed and operable -- a possible reprieve for Israeli and American military planners.

Iran, which already has TOR-M1 surface-to-air missiles from Russia, announced last December that an unspecified number of S-300s were on order. But Moscow denied there was any such deal.

Obama would still oppose the surge

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:40:13 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: OK. This clinches it. Obama is utterly incapable of rational leadership. The terrorists were wreaking havoc in Iraq and killing hundreds daily. Now there is relative calm. Iraq is turning around. al Qaeda is out of Iraq. al Qaeda describes the situation as lost and say they can no longer recruit in the region. Iran is no longer having their way with propping up the insurgency. Intelligence tells us we are winning the hearts and minds of the Middle East. We have basically won in Iraq.
However, Obama says he would still not support the surge after originally saying prior to the surge that he did not support the surge because it would have the "opposite effect" and increase violence.
He is saying now that we should have let the situation in Iraq fester, withdrawn troops, hand the terrorists a victory in Iraq, allow the violence in Iraq to continue and instead concentrate on the few Taliban incapacitated in the mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan. What a complete fool!

Clip Source: www.cbsnews.com

“Senator Obama was dead wrong about the surge, and to foolishly maintain he would oppose it again today calls into question whether he has the judgment and fortitude necessary to be President of the United States,” Boehner said Tuesday.

Report: US to establish a diplomatic presence in Iran

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 06:52:59 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

The United States will announce in the next month that it plans to establish a diplomatic presence in Tehran for the first time in 30 years, a British newspaper said on Thursday.

In a front-page report, the Guardian said Washington would open a U.S. interests section in the Iranian capital, halfway towards opening an embassy.

The unsourced report by the newspaper's Washington correspondent said: "The Guardian has learned that an announcement will be made in the next month to establish a U.S. interests section in Tehran, a halfway house to setting up a full embassy.

"The move will see U.S. diplomats stationed in the country."

The United States cut off diplomatic ties with Tehran during the 1979-1981 hostage crisis

Obama says he would politicize Olympics...

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:53:00 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: ,,,but has no problem going to Iran.

Clip Source: www.newsmax.com

Democrat Barack Obama took issue Monday with President Bush's decision to attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, saying he would go to Beijing only if he saw progress between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama.

"In the absence of some sense of progress, in the absence of some sense from the Dalai Lama that there was progress, I would not have gone," the presidential candidate told reporters at a news conference.