Reports: Iran test-fires more missiles

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- Iran test-fired more missiles overnight, Iranian news media reported Thursday, one day after it tested a long-range Shahab-3 and other missiles in the Persian Gulf region.

The tests came only hours after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States is determined to prevent Iran from threatening its interests or those of its allies.

At a news conference in the Georgian capital of Tblisi, Rice said the United States has been working with allies to "make certain that they are capable of defending themselves" against any threat from Iran.

"We take very strongly our obligation to help our allies defend themselves and no one should be confused about that," Rice said.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/07/10/missile.iran/index.html

[comtec]

1. nothing good can come from this

stuff like this really sets off my tin-foil-hat-O-meter.
It's like Iran WANTS the US to go in there.
Yes we'd loose so bad that we'll never be able to recover, but Iran will get nuked!
Think about that... nuked into pre-historic (as opposed to the stone age) and us militarily defeated, or .. just.. cope... and everyone is alive.

I jsut hope they don't decide to Nuke Europe for good measure while the US missiles are bearing down on them :(

[zanne]

2. And there were WMD's in Iraq. nt

[sourmilk]

3. Given Iranian history since 1925, who can blame them for being paranoid?

Ask yourself a couple of questions:

1) When was the last time since 1925 that Iran attacked any other country but the USSR?

3) How many times, since 1925, has Iran directly involved itself in the governing of or attacking of the USA?

4) How many terrorist organizations does Iran arm DIRECTLY on US soil in DIRECT contravention of a UN mandate?

5) How many times has Iran DIRECTLY overthrown a democratically elected US government?

6) How many aircraft carrier groups does Iran have stationed directly off the US coast in the St. Lawrence River?


Starting to get the picture? It's NOT Iran we should be afraid of.

[bananas]

5. They attacked Iraq in the 80s

during the Iran-Iraq war.
And life under the Shah wasn't exactly a happy place.

[Robeson]

6. Iraq initiated the war...

...by attacking Iran.

[bananas]

8. And Iran attacked back.

[Robeson]

10. Of course they did...

...they were attacked.

[fascisthunter]

13. "How Dare They"

"....you mean they get to defend themselves from an attack????? The nerve..."

Meanwhile.... US and Israel talk about pre-emptively attacking Iran.

[Megahurtz]

23. "attacked back"?

Lol wow. That's a play on words.

[Political Heretic]

24. Uh yeah.... attacked back = responded to being attacked first.

[sourmilk]

11. Um...Iraq invded Iran on Sept. 22, 1980.

In retaliation for an "alleged Iranian assassination attempt" on Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz...the real reasons were to capture and control the Shatt al-Arab waterway, as well as to (in the name of US/UK interests) punish the Islamic Republic of Iran for having the temerity to nationalise their oil industry.

Revise history much?


And just whose support allowed the Shah stay in power, again? Who put him back in power after overthrowing the DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh (who nationalised the Iranian oil industry in 1949) in '53?

Google "Operation Ajax" sometime.

Sheesh!

[bananas]

17. So you want put the Shah back in power?

In your other post, you chose 1925 as the date from which Iran has never attacked another country.
Why did you pick 1925?
Are you saying that under the Pahlavi dynasty, Iran has been an ocean of bliss?
Are you saying Bush's "regime change" is a good idea?

Exclusive: Shah of Iran's Heir Plans Overthrow of Regime
Posted: 05/01/2006

Reza Pahlavi, son of the late Shah of Iran, told the editors of HUMAN EVENTS last week that in the next two to three months he hopes to finalize the organization of a movement aimed at overthrowing the Islamic regime in Tehran and replacing it with a democratic government.

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=14424

For most of its existence, Iran has been ruled by absolute monarchy. During the Persian Constitutional Revolution in 1905-11, Iran became a constitutional monarchy, which it remained until 1925. Reza Shah overthrew Ahmad Shah Qajar, the last Shah of the Qajar dynasty, and founded the Pahlavi Dynasty.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah_of_Iran

On February 21, 1921, Reza Khan together with Seyyed Zia'eddin Tabatabaee staged a successful coup d'état against the reigning Qajar dynasty of Persia. Years later, on December 12, 1925, Reza Khan was declared Shah by the country's National Assembly, the Majlis of Iran. He was crowned in a ceremony on April 25, 1926; at the same time, his son Mohammad Reza was proclaimed Crown Prince of Iran.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Reza_Pahlavi

Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran (Persian: رضا پهلوی, born October 31, 1960) is the eldest son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and his Empress Consort, Farah Diba.

He succeeded his father as Head of the House of the Pahlavi dynasty<1> and is currently the successor to the former Pahlavi throne of Iran. As such he is referred to by supporters as His Imperial Majesty Reza Shah II, though he does not use this style himself.<1>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reza_Pahlavi

[sourmilk]

30. Why bother replying when you don't read or understand what I post?

[jimlup]

12. No, Iraq attacked them

Nope, Iraq attacked them.

[Ian David]

16. You make some good points. I disagree with some, agree with others.

1) When was the last time since 1925 that Iran attacked any other country but the USSR?
One Douchebaggery Point to Iran for the Hostage Crisis. Three Douchebaggery points to America for Iraq, Afghanistan and Kurdistan.


Iran hostage crisis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_hostage_crisis



3) How many times, since 1925, has Iran directly involved itself in the governing of or attacking of the USA?
I agree with you here. One Douchebaggery point to America.




4) How many terrorist organizations does Iran arm DIRECTLY on US soil in DIRECT contravention of a UN mandate?
I agree with you here. One Douchebaggery Point to America for doing this to Iran. However, Iran gets a Douchebaggery Point for an attack on U.S. soil in 1989. But America gets TWO Douchebaggery Points for precipitating the incident that provoked it and then inciting retaliation.


There was that ONE time, but I hardly hold THIS one against them anyway. I mean, after we shot-down their passenger jet, George H. W. Bush said that no matter what the facts turn out to be, The United States does not apologize.

And then George H. W. Bush had direct and specific warning of an impending terror attack on U.S. soil, he failed to prevent it, and then never apprehended those responsible. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?

Blast Wrecks Van of Skipper Who Downed Iran Jet
By ROBERT REINHOLD, SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES
Published: March 11, 1989
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=printer_friendly&forum=102&topic_id=3379558



5) How many times has Iran DIRECTLY overthrown a democratically elected US government?
Iran gets one Douchebaggery Point for their involvement. But America also gets a Douchebaggery Point for THEIR involvement, plus one more for pardoning the criminals responsible.


Once.



The Election Story of the Decade

By GARY SICK;
Published: April 15, 1991

SUSPICIONS about a deal between the Reagan campaign and Iran over the hostages have circulated since the day of President Reagan's inaugural, when Iran agreed to release the 52 American hostages exactly five minutes after Mr. Reagan took the oath of office. Later, as it became known that arms started to flow to Iran via Israel only a few days after the inauguration, suspicions deepened that a secret arms-for-hostages deal had been concluded.

Five years later, when the Iran-contra affair revealed what seemed to be a similar swap of hostages for arms delivered through Israel, questions were revived about the 1980 election. In a nice, ironic twist, the phrase "October surprise," which Vice Presidential candidate George Bush had coined to warn of possible political manipulation of the hostages by Jimmy Carter, began to be applied to the suspected secret activities of the 1980 Reagan-Bush campaign.

<snip>

According to Mr. Hashemi, William Casey, who had just become Ronald Reagan's campaign manager, met with him in late February or early March 1980 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington. Mr. Casey quickly made it clear that he wanted to prevent Jimmy Carter from gaining any political advantage from the hostage crisis. The Hashemis agreed to cooperate with Mr. Casey without the knowledge of the Carter Administration.

Mr. Hashemi told me that he and his brother helped to arrange two critical meetings. In a Madrid hotel in late July 1980, an important Iranian cleric, Mehdi Karrubi, who is now the speaker of the Iranian Parliament, allegedly met with Mr. Casey and a U.S. intelligence officer who was operating outside authority. The same group met again several weeks later. Mr. Hashemi told me that Mr. Karrubi agreed in the second Madrid meeting to cooperate with the Reagan campaign about the timing of any hostage release.

In return, he was promised that the Reagan Administration, once in office, would return Iran's frozen assets and help them acquire badly needed military equipment and spare parts. Two other sources subsequently described these meetings in very similar terms in interviews with me and my colleagues. The Carter Administration had no knowledge of these meetings.

More:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE7D61E3CF936A25757C0A967958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all




6) How many aircraft carrier groups does Iran have stationed directly off the US coast in the St. Lawrence River?
None. America gets one Douchebaggery Point for doing this to Iran, which has not reciprocated.



Final Tally:

Iran: 3 Douchebaggery Points
United States: 9 Douchebaggery Points

Based solely upon the criteria you offered, America is being a bigger Douchebag than Iran is.


However, both Iran and The United States have engaged in so many extreme acts of Douchebaggery, that to list them and tally them together would take an act rivaling the creation of The Library at Alexandria.

[daleo]

27. But the U.S. has 4 times the population

Yet, according to your estimate, only three times the douchebaggery points. So, clearly, on a per capita basis, Iran is the bigger douchebag.

Just some Republican talking points.

[Ian David]

29. Douchebaggery points are not awarded on a per capita basis. n/t

[sourmilk]

31. Well thought out, informative and humourous at the same time.

I don't know about the "Iran gets a Douchebaggery Point for an attack on U.S. soil in 1989" part however, as I don't think it was ever proven to have been perpetrated by agents of the Iranian gov't...

But I'll give it to you, anyway...

However, both Iran and The United States have engaged in so many extreme acts of Douchebaggery, that to list them and tally them together would take an act rivaling the creation of The Library at Alexandria."

[Ian David]

32. Yes, I debated that point for a while myself.

But since nobody has ever caught the perpetrator and brought them to justice (an omission that earns America a Douchebaggery Point) I guess it is awarded to the most likely suspect (Iran) by default.

And even though George H. W. Bush brought the terror attack down upon us with his own Douchebaggery (one point for saying, "I don't care what the facts are, America does not apologize") every terror attack is an act of Douchebaggery, no matter what the justification.

SOMEONE needed the point.

But if someone (Perhaps "We're gonna smoke 'em out, dead or alive" George W. Bush) ever makes the determination, the Douchebaggery Point can then be transfered, if necessary.




Blast Wrecks Van of Skipper Who Downed Iran Jet
By ROBERT REINHOLD, SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES
Published: March 11, 1989

<snip>

Mr. Hughes, the agent, said the Government had mounted a ''massive investigation'' and that F.B.I. laboratory and explosive experts were on their way to San Diego. While he said retribution was certainly suspected, he added, ''This could have been perpetrated for some other reason.''

Michael Kortan, a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, said no incidents in the United States linked to Mideast terrorism had occurred since 1983. In that year, the F.B.I. thwarted an attempt by Iranians who are followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to bomb a theater in Seattle; Iranians who opposed the regime were inside. I didn't know about this one... Iran gets 1 more Douchebaggery point.

<snip>

... In addition, Government officials said they learned last year that an Iranian-directed group in Lebanon, the Revolutionary Guards, had ordered a Palestinian group to carry out attacks against Americans, including the bombing of a civilian jetliner and a plane. I didn't know about this one... Iran gets 1 more Douchebaggery point.

That plot was thought to have been foiled with the arrest of some of the Palestinians in Germany in October, 1988.

Oliver B. Revell, the Executive Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said this week that some members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards had slipped into the United States as students. Mr. Revell said that there was a ''hard core'' of 200 to 300 Iranians who were of concern to the bureau and that of these, ''tens'' could be counted as members of the guards. This may not be true. Douchebaggery point held in escrow.

More:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEED81039F932A25750C0A96F948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2


Brings total to:

Iran: 5 Douchebaggery Points
America: 9 Douchebaggery Points

[Hell Hath No Fury]

19. Please explain to us....

how they can "nuke" Europe when they don't have nukes?

Turn off FOX, dude.

[comtec]

20. not Iran...

lord i thought I was clear this isnt going to be Iran going nuts...
But Russia, has already said they are pretty much against anything we try in Iran.
And the pResident is FUCKING NUTS!!!!!
I'm concerned about the US NUKING Europe!

[KamaAina]

22. They can't nuke Europe. They don't have any nukes.

Won't have for years, even if they're allowed to continue processing.

That's why there's NO reason for us to go in and nuke them.

[ecstatic]

4. Could this be in response to McCain's comments about killing Iranians?

Put yourselves in their shoes for a moment--we have a nominee for president "joking" about killing an entire nation of people. Actually, he is not the first nominee to do so. Imagine the fear the regular, innocent people must feel.

[paparush]

7. Gee..do ya think?

Current American "diplomacy" is a sickening cesspool of Christo-Cowboy ideology.

We are always right.
What's yours is ours.
Pony up or be destroyed.

Its time for other countries to stop trading with us, and its time for We, the people, to stand up and take back that which was stolen from us in 2000 and 2004.

[Ian David]

15. The correct response to THAT is for Iran to distribute free nicotine patches. n/t

[Adsos Letter]

21. The inflammatory rhetoric from both sides needs to stop...

The ease and offhandedness with which certain of our politicians and commentators discuss attacking Iran (and the reaction to that talk within Iran) is probably mirrored by Ahmadinejad's occasional threats about destroying Israel.

Both sides need to cut the rhetoric and start trying to figure out how to live in this world.

[LynnTheDem]

9. "make certain that they are capable of defending themselves"

against actual threats; that's what Iran is doing.

[Ian David]

14. Were they fired from an Iranian "Oliver North Class Missile Cruiser?" n/t

[KansDem]

18. I would think that if Iran expected a war, it would want to save its missiles...

I wonder how many it has?

[bemildred]

25. The message is: they have plenty of them.

Might be true, or not, but that is the message being sent here. And a smart message it is too. It harks back the the Second Lebanon War in 2006 when Hezbollah demonstrated that it had plenty of rockets to shoot as long as the war went on.

[daleo]

28. Good point.

You don't shoot off your only bullets while you are firing warning shots.

[hack89]

33. The flip side is that you are giving the US an intelligence bonanza

They are potentially giving away a lot of valuable information on their missiles and how they operate them.


Interesting game of cat and mouse going on here.

[JeanGrey]

35. It is not true per headlines today they don't even have a long

range missle, hence the photoshop pics. Iran would be stupid to attack anyone lest of all Israel because they'd be wiped off the face of the earth.

[superconnected]

26. Real or photoshopped?

[yellowcanine]

34. What is Condi going to do? Bitch slap them with her spike heeled boots?