Iran slams Bush's 'psychological warfare'

[emad]

IOL

January 23 2005 at 04:06PM

By Parisa Hafezi

Tehran - Iran, responding to comments by senior American officials, said on Sunday that any United States military attack on the country would be a strategic mistake and dismissed the US remarks as "psychological warfare".

American President George Bush last week said military action against Iran's nuclear programme had not been ruled out and Vice President Dick Cheney said Iran topped the list of world trouble spots and Israel could decide to bomb its nuclear facilities.

But Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hamid Reza Asefi said: "We think the chance (of a US military attack) is very low unless someone wants to make a major strategic mistake."

'The Americans believe they can impose their demands and use force'
"Logically speaking, we don't think this is going to happen," he told a weekly news conference.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=123&art_id=qw1106483940935B265

[ugarte]

1. Chance is low "...unless someone wants to make a major strategic mistake."

It wouldn't be the first one.

[gizmo1979]

2. In reality Iran should have been the target instead of Iraq.

but now Bush has wasted his resources on the Quagmire and the world will be less safe if Iran has the bomb.

[stepnw1f]

3. In What Reality? (nt)

[gizmo1979]

4. Well

They said Iraq conspired with terrorists,Iran has supported Hezbollah for along time.They said Iraq has weapons of mass destruction Iran has said items,and we all know about their nuclear aspirations.I knew I'd take heat for this one.I'am just saying Iraq posed no threat Iran does pose a threat at least to Israel,and Europe. I'am not saying we needed a war,just that if there was one Iran was a bigger threat.

[Lerkfish]

7. we were attacked by Saudi Arabia, wake up, dude.

Iran did not attack us.

sheesh! just how powerful IS this koolaid that makes people completely overlook facts?

[RockStar]

10. Iran poses no threat to America until Bush starts stirring the pot

[gizmo1979]

13. So if Iran gets the bomb we won't be in any danger?

You guys need to listen to what I'am saying,Iam not agreeing with Bush or the war.IRAN POSED MORE OF A THREAT THAN IRAQ.can you at least agree on that.I don't agree with war at all.Just saying there were bigger threats than Iraq ie North Korea,yes Saudia Arabia,etc etc.Jeez do you guys eat your young also?I'am not agreeing with Bush never have never will.I'am the biggest Bush hater around,and I don't take kindly to being called stupid.

[wildwww2]

18. Israel,Pakistan, India and China have the bomb. Are we going to

kill them all. If I was Iranian and some dumb shit like Bu$h was murdering my Iraqi neighbors on bogus info. I would want the bomb to have the mutual deterence advantage. It is just common sense. I`ve known plenty of Iranians and they were not evil. Like evil ass Bu$h said they were. Everything is not black and white. No we won`t be in danger if Iran gets the bomb. They do not have the delivery system to get it here. If they were to build it we could just see it on our satellites. Then go with our jets and blow it to bits. And not have to kill 100,000 plus like we have in Iraq. I was in a missle battalion I know bullshit when I hear it. And Bu$h co. and anyone that thinks Iran is going to send a nuke at us is spewing bullshit in my opinion.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President

[Lerkfish]

22. you said Iran should have been the target....

then you say you're against the war.
Those two statements appear in contradiction. Your first statement implies you're FOR preemptively invading SOME country, just not Iraq. It certainly appears you're stating we should have invaded Iran instead.
And, no, I cannot agree that Iran was a bigger threat. Neither of them were threatening the US....which would be the ONLY thing remotely justifying invasion of either country...in fact, The biggest threat was Bush poking his nose in where it didn't belong, and stirring things up, preemptive invasion HAS to be based on REAL intelligence, not half-baked lies.

You're buying into the false neocon agenda, instead of the true one: you're believing these countries are a threat to us, rather than realizing they are not military targets per se but are instead targets of acquisition. The PNAC agenda is to reshape the middle east into vassal states that depend on the US and are compliant to our "global leadership". There really is no connection to the "war on terror", that's just the dog and pony show to fool the general population. There were plans to reshape the ME for many years before 9/11.

Not sure what eating our young has to do with anything? why would it be "you guys"? Are you not one of us?

I was not calling you stupid, I was saying you're overlooking facts. And I'm suggesting that you are falling for the neocon rhetoric rather than the actual agenda. You don't have to be stupid for that to happen, just manipulating by propaganda. Even smart people can be manipulated.

Just like in the Matrix, when the character said "First, you have to realize there is no spoon".

First you have to realize their stated agenda is false. Once you do that, you can follow the money. As an example: why would Halliburton have been given bid-exempt contracts to rebuild Iraq BEFORE we supposedly decided to invade? IF the Bush administration were willing to let diplomacy work, that would not have happened. The intention was to invade Iraq, come hell or high water, BEFORE 9/11. Hell, they planned it back in 1997, before Bush was even selected by the Supreme Court.

First, you have to realize their stated agenda is false.

[stepnw1f]

24. If is a Bad Reason to Go Killing People

Get it? Most people call that shit stupid and insane. That's why we are in a hole called Iraq.

[yinkaafrica]

9. Iran posed no threat to the US or Europe

before bush started threatening them for absolutely no good reason.
Your arguments hold no water.

[Redstone]

12. And furthermore,

I believe I remember the Iranian making friendly noises shortly after 9/11; said opportunity to have better relations completely fucked by bush's "axis of evil" speech.

Chalk up another one for the chimp!

Redstone

[yinkaafrica]

23. Bush will invade Iran. It's only a question of when.

[magellan]

16. There's this as well

The CIA's acting director says eight of the 9/11 hijackers passed through Iran, but there is no evidence Tehran was connected with the attacks in 2001.

John McLaughlin told US TV the CIA had known for some time that eight of the hijackers travelled through Iran.

<snip>

But he added: "However, I would stop there and say we have no evidence that there is some sort of official sanction by the government of Iran for this activity.

"We have no evidence that there is some sort of official connection between Iran and 9/11."

9/11 hijackers transited Iran -- BBC

Hell, Bush justifies invading Iraq by making far more tenuous connnections.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

25. They all passed through the US....

Let's attack ourselves! :think:

[w4rma]

5. All but like 3 or 4 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi. Osama is Saudi. (nt)

[donsu]

6. whatever has made you think smirk should have done Iran first?????

please explain

[cliss]

8. If any country is a danger, I'd like to point out

Saudi Arabia as the #1 danger, and Pakistan sharing the First Place.

Iran is not a danger to the U.S. Iran is a danger to Israel. We're really acting as Sharon's puppet when we are beating the war drums.

[RockStar]

11. The USA has always been a puppet to israel and will continue to be a puppe

YOu dont hear the media making a big deal about Israel's Nukes

[burythehatchet]

14. the world is less safe because america has the bomb

mmmkay?

[cal04]

15. Iran Dismisses 'Stupid' U.S. Strike Threat

Iran’s Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesisaid: “The Americans are stupid, but not so much to make the same mistake which they made in Tabas,” referring to a failed US military operation in 1980 to rescue hostages held in Iran, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

IRNA quoted Yunesi as claiming that US planes had been detected over Iran as “part of the espionage which they carry out” and warned that “every action has a reaction.” He added that the planes were “nothing new.” Yunesi also said US commandos had not entered Iran for reconnaissance missions. “We are eagerly looking for the Americans commandos to come to Iran since they are chicks which would rapidly be picked up by our eagles,” he said, according to IRNA.

Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice made clear that American differences with Iran go well beyond its nuclear program, saying that it was “really hard to find common ground with a government that thinks Israel should be extinguished.” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi responded yesterday, saying that Iran “has always said that Tel Aviv decides US policies and that the Zionist lobby is very powerful in the United States.”

Asefi said top US administration officials did not find any friends around the world when they issued threats suggesting that they may be considering military action against Iran. Iran will inaugurate a uranium ore concentrate production plant near the southern port city of Bandar Abbas within a year, Iran’s nuclear chief said yesterday.

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4038568

[TygrBright]

17. Oh, great...

>>"The Americans are stupid, but not so much to make the same mistake which they made in Tabas"<<

Great. Call him stupid. That's not only a terrible injustice to stupid people, it's one of the things most likely to push The Big Cowboy Button. You know, the "Nobody disses me and gets away with it" button?

Why not just paint a giant target on Tehran and get your entire government to sit in the bullseye waving "Bush is a commie fag" signs?

I swear I don't know sometimes... It's not like he hasn't provided enough clear and incontrovertible evidence that he's an immature psycopath who JUST HAPPENS TO HAVE HIS FINGER ON THE NUCLEAR (excuse me, "NUCULAR") BUTTON OR ANYTHING!!!

Throwing out a line like this is about as smart as yanking the trunk of a rabid elephant.

"Boom! goes Shiraz, boom! Tehran...
We'll fry you ragheads, every last man...
You don't like us, anyhow...
So let's drop the big one, now!"
(with apologies to Randy Newman)

worriedly,
Bright

[54anickel]

19. "Logically speaking"? Well, there's your first mistake when dealing with

the Shrub - no logically cognizance there.

Here's the second mistake:

"We're expecting Bush in his second term to pay more attention to the international community and organisations which were created to solve international problems and to handle the countries that are not following international demands."

HA! Now THAT IS funny. :eyes:

[CoffeeCat]

20. The chasm between Bush rhetoric and reality....

...is like the Grand Canyon.

We lack the troops to bring Bush's trademark brand of "freedom" to Iran. The world knows that.

Bush's empty rhetoric makes us look weak--because there are no tangibles to back up Bush's empty threats.

We look like fools.

Bush should just shut his mouth and mop up the first mess before he moves on to create new disasters.

What a total clown.

[pinniped]

21. It is very clear who the 'real' terrorists are.

.

[VegasWolf]

26. Wait, bush make a "strategic mistake", now I can sleep well at night!n/t