U.S. Says Iran Has 'One Last Chance' to Comply

[peterh]

<http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=785163>

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration said on Thursday that Iran had "one last chance" to comply with nuclear safeguards and threatened to take the dispute to the U.N. Security Council if Tehran refused.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), under U.S. pressure, has raised concerns about Iran's nuclear aims and given Tehran until the end of October to dispel doubts it is secretly developing nuclear arms.
"The international community is expressing the same concern that we have been expressing. So this is one last chance for Iran to comply, and if it doesn't, then we believe it should be reported to the (U.N.) Security Council," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters.
The Security Council has the power to impose diplomatic and economic sanctions.
Asked if military action was a possibility, McClellan said: "I think that that's jumping ahead of where things are."



Hmmmm….with no out right denial from McClellan, I’m sensing that unilaterialism is still high on the agenda…

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. Threaten all we want

we don't have the troops anymore and everybody knows it. I never thought the US would ever look this pathetic.

[Tyler Durden]

3. That is why Bush MUST be denied international help in Iraq:

No troops must be freed up to die in Iran. NONE.

[Supply Side Jesus]

17. Great point

that never crossed my mind.

[Sagan]

2. what are we going to do with Iran?

We can't hold a CONQUERED Iraq! And now we're going to go after Iran?

Yeah, right.

Brilliant diplomacy, Chimpy.

[BattyDem]

5. And don't forget Afghanistan ...

it's a mess over there as well. Bush* has managed to spread sunshine all over the Middle East, hasn't he? Idiot!

Added on edit:
If we attack another country without major provocation, I don't think the UN countries will simply sit back and watch this time - they're going to fight against us. They can't allow us to continue to destablize the Middle East and provoke the extremists because that will effect their security as well.
:nuke:

[papau]

10. But adding Iran will make it a connected mess - and add Syria/leb for Med

port.

Now there is a plan!

:-(

[radfringe]

20. caught in the middle

We're smack dab stuck in Iraq and right between Iran and Syria..

If the whistleass attacks Iran, how long before Syria jumps into the fray? Not long

Meanwhile, there's that "regional problem" of North Korea

[Don_G]

36. US Based Iraq Troops VS Iran

We have a "oil-craft" carrier in the region according to Chimpy. Too bad the Iraquis don't feel the same way about it.

[section321]

23. Iran will be even more of a handfull because their population is larger.

68 million to Iraq's 24 million. More people means harder to control. Also, Iran has more difficult terrain then Iraq.

But, hey, Bush's numbers are down, we gotta do something!

[MUAD_DIB]

25. Do you know the land mass size ratio

of Iran to Iraq?

If we ever invaded how we we keep enough troops in there to prevent those tharn terrsts for hitting us on all sides?

If Chimpy decides to take on another Islamic country then count on a draft starting up: 1) to fight every Arab, Muslim and Persian in the ME and 2) to protect his sorry ass at home from having it fragged by the mob.

[section321]

26. A quick calculation says...

Iran is 1.648 million km2
Iraq is 437,072 km2

Iran is 3.7 times bigger then Iraq

POPULATION DENSITY

Iraq: 56 per km2
Iran: 41 per km2


(statistics courtesy of the CIA World Factbook)


p.s. Take a look at a relief map of the region....
http://www.sitesatlas.com/Maps/Maps/606r.htm

Iran is considerably tougher terrain then the flat, wide open desert of Iraq.


Plus, Iran has 7 cities with a population over 1 million, compared to Iraq's 3 (Baghdad, Mawsil, Basra)

p.p.s. Mawsil is way up north in the Kurdish area. We didn't even have to bother with it, the Kurds took care of it.

[Guaranteed]

33. No way in hell...

....we could do it then. Look at all the problems we're having with just Iraq. Those numbers....*7* 1,000,000+ populated cities!....just way too much.
We WOULD have to have a draft. No doubt about it.
They'd just bomb the nuclear facility, though. I don't think they'd invade.

[Skittles]

47. the goal is

to get the discussion off the topic of Iraq

[BattyDem]

4. Um ... we're running out of troops ...

who are we going to send in to Iran ... the Boy Scouts? :shrug:

[section321]

24. Can you say "DRAFT?"

.

[Guaranteed]

32. GOOD- that would finish him.

Not so good for our young men, though.
I ain't goin'. No way, no how. Not for this clown.

[AndyTiedye]

34. Draft? More like a Tornado!

They'll need millions of troops to do what PNAC wants to do.
That's why they're shipping all the civilian jobs overseas!
They want US ALL to fight their fucking Crusade!

[Maeve]

6. I'm getting tired of the misAdministration doing bad Python take-offs

"Now, Iran -- you have one last chance. Confess the heinous sin of heresy, reject the works of the ungodly -- *two* last chances. And you shall be free -- *three* last chances. You have three last chances, the nature of which I have divulged in my previous utterance."

[fertilizeonarbusto]

7. LOL

eom

[reprobate]

27. Nobody expects the neocon inquisition.

Oh, no!! Not the comfy chair!

[qanda]

8. Haven't you heard?

*'s polls numbers are going down, it's time for another war.

[GainesT1958]

9. Hey, one war wasn't enough...not even two...

Let's go ahead and START ANOTHER ONE!!! :crazy:

Hmmm...maybe this is what O'Racist meant by "World War IV"...or was that Rush? :eyes:

I'm TIRED of our young folks dying...let's send Grumpy Rummy, Wolfowitz and Perle over there and GET IT OVER WITH!x(

B-)

[StaggerLee]

This is going to go over REAL well with the troops already on the ground

:mad:

Extended tours-
Some with no rotation dates at all-
Missing family like crazy-

[reprobate]

28. All that's bad enough. Add the financial troubles

and the loss of jobs for the guard and reserves and it's a good bet that when they get home to find their families divorcing them, their homes forclosed on, their jobs gone to someone else, and their savings gone, you can count on some really pissed off troops with big guns.

A worst case (or maybe best case?) scenario has armored reserve units marching on washington.

[AndyTiedye]

37. That's Why They Can't Come Home

Bush* will just keep them over there for the duration of the permanent war.

[Zhade]

40. I smell an upcoming "military mutiny". Anyone else sense that tangy aroma?

NT!

[havocmom]

48. problem is they are over there and Halliburton has the contract for chow

so how do they bite the hand which literally feeds them?

And no, don't look for very many units to make it home anytime before late October '04.

People, our sons, daughters, brothers and sisters are held hostage by the %@$*!&$ Golbal Feudalists. Every penny of the US treasury is the ransom. Start screaming this to your congresscritters.

edit: typo in header

[caesar]

11. the new domino theory

Big surprise. First Iraq, now Iran, then Syria, Lebanon, Libya .. and maybe even the Saudis, once the mask is completely off. It's the domino theory in reverse.

Another post has it right, I think. If we move in force into Iran, we will quickly see a coalition willing to pounce on us. If we want the EU and the rest of the world to coalesce into an opposing pole, this would be the quickest way to do it.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

12. This isn't about war, it's about sanctions and water issues

Remember oil is NOT the only game in town in the Middle east. One of the MOST underreported stories in 2003 was how the US poisoned the water supplies in Iraq through Gulf War one and FOIA documents prove it and UN DELIBERATELY (through sanctions)and left them unable via sanctions to import equipment and chemicals to purify their water supply.

The same strategy will be used in Iran to break the will LONG before ANY war ensues.

Edited for clarity.

[hadrons]

15. Israel wants a chunk of Iraq's water as badly as it wants Iraq's oil

its a desert out there and Iraq is one of the few countries there with a great supply of the stuff

[Caution]

13. Many have stated we are stretched too thin

Our grounds troops certainly are. But there is very little requirement for air power in Iraq right now and since we control the country it makes a nice base from which to project force in the air. Bush is telling Iran, comply or we will rain destruction down upon you.

Notice the rhetoric is increased for Iran, because their military couldnt hope to stand against an all-out US air assault from a bordering country. Korea has gone a helluva lot farther than Iran in terms of rhetoric and stated nuclear capability but the US has done NOTHING. Why is this? It's because economically the middle-east is a lot more important that Korea, and because we know that if Korea were to truly become a threat that China would need to step in.

[Zhade]

41. Your mom is smarter than Chimpy. Of course, that's not saying much...

NT! :)

[Robin Hood]

14. Or what?!!

WTF does chimp boy thinks that we can do. He neutered us.

[bif]

16. Here we go again.

Gee...this sounds kinda familiar. Where have I heard this rhetoric before?

[FlemingsGhost]

18. Or what?...

"Will you release your dogs? Or killer bees? Or maybe dogs who have killer bees that fly out of their mouths when they bark? Well, I say to you, sir: 'Do your worst!'"

-- Homer J. Simpson to C. Montgomery Burns.

[xXx]

19. Not surprising

World domination and a timely boost in the polls, anyone?

[reprobate]

29. Attacking iran would not help his numbers.

In fact, we are liable to see the only president in history with actually negative poll numbers.

[Booberdawg]

21. Oh, FOD

FOD = Fuck oh dear

Naw - they want Syria first. Something else going on here ...

[Petrodollar Warfare]

22. ..BTW, Iran is switching its oil exports to the EURO too...interesting...

...not that the US media will *ever* discuss this little "detail." (Just as they ignored that crucial "detail" about Iraq's switch to teh euro in Nov 2000 despite a full year of debate on whether or not we should invade Iraq...) Now that Iran is selling oil in euros to the EU, and soon to Asian countries tooo, the US might try to topple Iran. I suspect via covert operations through, as US troops are way overextended in Iraq...FYI: keep your eye on these issues if you want to understand current US foreign policies (re Venezuela, Russia and the EU...)

'Iran offers oil to Asian union on easier terms' (June 16, 2003)
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/bline/2003/06/17/stories/2003061702380500.htm

..."However, Dr Mojarrad made it clear that Iran would prefer the payments to be denominated in euros, though invoiced in dollars. In fact, Iran has been in the forefront on insisting that payments settlements among the ACU member countries be permitted in alternative currencies including the euro. All payments settlement between the ACU members is currently done in dollars.

***Iran's oil and gas exports destined mostly for Europe are already denominated in euros.*** Iran produces about 3.5 barrels and is the second largest oil exporter among the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). About 30 per cent of the Iran's oil exports are destined for European markets. The other two large consumers of Iranian Oil are India and China. Even in the case of Indian only a small quantum of the oil imports come through the ACU mechanism.

As a result of the large exports to Europe, Dr Mojarrad said 60 per cent of Iran's foreign reserves were held in the form of euros. Iran's current foreign exchange reserves are estimated to be equivalent to $20 billion.

***But, he added, the switch to the euro, which as done during the last few months had helped the country to negate the effects of a depreciating dollar and falling international oil prices. He said that if the country had continued its receipts in US dollars, it would have meant large losses, which would have translated into domestic inflation. This was because large volumes of its imports are also sourced from Europe.*** The Iranian central bank was keen to avert that situation and had consequently adopted the euro-denominated payments to ensure that the losses were minimised. The country had also resorted to managing its reserves to minimise the effects of the depreciating dollar, he added."

[Zhade]

39. THIS IS IMPORTANT. Thank you for mentioning it.

We're looking at 1) "Euro'd" oil prices, 2) OPEC having cut oil production quotas, and 3) massive domestic and international rebellion if the neocons swing the big stick at Iran.

Crunch time, she be a-comin'.

[ElementaryPenguin]

30. Chimp will be impeached the moment BushCo reinstitutes the draft!!

That will be the end for the evil architects Rove/Rumsfeld/Cheney/Wolfowitz/DeLay!!! Should these greedy, blood thirsty, warmongering, insane bastards got for another chunk of empire with Iran - there will be an American storming of the Bastille - and the Republican party will either go down in flames with the evil Smirk - or turn on him like they did Puke Gingrich!!

[AndyTiedye]

42. Nope. Congress Might Give Him the Draft

The Dems would go along figuring to let Bush* hang himself with it.

Suppose then they just conscript EVERYONE of military age?
That's about how many troops PNAC would need, and once they do that,
who'd be left to protest, or even to vote Democratic?

I think we can assume that they can deliver the military vote to Bush*.
They've got Arthur Andersen^H^H^H^H^H^H^H Accenture on it.

[Zhade]

43. Let them. Giving weapons to those you betrayed is a baaaaaaad move.

NT!

[havocmom]

49. So the troops will have guns, but Halliburton FEEDS them

please see my reply #48. The troops are being held hostage!

[WesWing2004]

45. so we can give him the shaft!

Out the DOOR in 2004!

[Zhade]

46. Excellent slogan! Bush: Out The Door in 2004. I like it.

NT!

[bvar22]

31. The last person to try this kind of military expansionism was....

Adolf Hitler...and the World bitch slapped that arrogant bastard down!


Same kind of propaganda, nationalism, fanaticism, bogeymen enemies, pre-emptive defensive strikes, nationalistic entitlement....Hey man, we're in REAL TROUBLE if the bush*/republicans aren't stopped.


STOP bush*/REPUBLICANS,
BEFORE THEY KILL AGAIN!!!

[Guaranteed]

35. Yup....the analogy just gets stronger and stronger. n/t

[BiggJawn]

38. What was that line about "I've seen this bad movie before..."?

I have a fear that if Rumsferatu sinks his fangs into Iran that The World WILL take action against us.

And it won't be some namby-pamby "ignore Bush and maybe he'll go away" crap like last time....

[oldcoot]

44. Halliburton needs a new pair of shoes!

I wonder which companies will receive contracts to rebuild the "New Iran?"