Obama promises 'toughest sanctions' on Iran over alleged bomb plot

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

The United States will apply the "toughest sanctions" to further isolate Iran over the alleged plan to murder the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Barack Obama said on Thursday, despite growing scepticism over the amateurish nature of the plot and the apparently shambolic nature of the main suspect.

Obama repeated the US line that he would not take any options off the table in dealing with Iran, which is diplomatic code for the possibility of military action. Iran has vehemently denied any involvement in the plot.

US authorities said on Tuesday they had evidence of a plot by two men linked to Iran's revolutionary guard to kill Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, Adel al-Jubeir, by setting off a bomb in a Washington restaurant.

In addition to prosecutions, Obama said he would continue "to apply the toughest sanctions, and continue to mobilise the international community to make sure Iran is further and further isolated and pays a price for this kind of behaviour."

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/13/obama-us-toughest-sanctions-iran

[Rageneau]

1. Soon, we'll be told that Saddam's clone is hiding in Iran with weapons of mass destruction.

And our hands will be tied: we'll have to bomb and invade them to stay safe and keep peace.

Hoo-ah!

[aquart]

2. This is just nutty.

[In Other News]

50. Kosher nutty...

Yum!

[PSPS]

3. He must be angling for another one of them nobel peace prize thingies.

[defendandprotect]

67. +1000% --- !!! ROFL --

[tblue]

4. Did you read Rude Pundit?

This is all a contrived bullcrap scheme. That's what Rude said. And I think there's something to that, though we're not privy to the truth, just what they want us to know.

I am suspicious of this whole thing. Just don't trust our gov't.

[ixion]

5. sounds more like little boots everyday

seriously.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[lsewpershad]

7. Please

Mr Prez, do not jump the gun and prove once and for all you are a Bush clone.

[blkmusclmachine]

10. More 11-dimensional horse pucky:

from "The Bipartisan Candidate."

[SammyWinstonJack]

60. Too late.

[harun]

8. *yawn*, I'm sure the double plus sanctions will really make them mad.

[Muskypundit]

9. Sanctions doesnt equal war. Obama may like his drones

And special operations, but he is not going to commit for a invasion. He is not dumb, so stop being over dramatic.

[Nihil]

49. Iraq proved that sanctions *does* equal murder of innocent civilians ...

... but, of course, Clinton was another "purer than the driven snow"
president with a nominal "D" after his name ...

> He is not dumb, so stop being over dramatic.

The poster to whom you replied might have been over-dramatic
but you are the one who is being dumb with your defence of this
latest attempt to bang the war-drums.

:shrug:

[Muskypundit]

53. Have you forgotten what banging the war drums actually is?

Obama saying "Your getting sanctions for this, and whoever is responsible needs to be held accountable" is SO far from a run up to war it is pure fantasy. Banging the drums of war would include a lot more jingo, actual blatant undeniable lies, telling the public that Iran poses an imminent threat to the people of the u.s, Obama would be giving more than an answer to a question from a reporter, as in actual news conferences, speeches before the U.N. The military would be placed on higher alert, troops would be moved to the border and ships to the gulf.....

Obama didn't even do step one to the long run up to war, instead opting for regular non violent diplomacy like sanctions. Which he always said he was in favor of. I like to bag on Obama as much as the next poster, but this is unfair

[Amonester]

56. "would include a lot more jingo, actual blatant undeniable lies, telling"

"an imminent threat to the people of the u.s"

that would be a pRezdent mc$ame, actually, and ... that ear-screaching pale VampiRe in front of him...

[Amonester]

57. oh, the ToRtuRe...

I.Can't.Even.Imagine

Absolute.Hell.On.Us

[Muskypundit]

59. We would already be sucking on iodine tablets.....

[AverageJoe90]

72. Let's hope good sense prevails over hardcore warmongering.

[cpwm17]

11. Hillary Clinton and Obama have already proven that they're lying war-hawks

Clinton joked about obliterating Iran, and Obama claimed to have under-covered a new Iranian nuclear facility, when in fact, it was the Iranians that proclaimed the existence of the new nuclear facility. And this was done according to previous agreements.

I wouldn't allow Clinton or Obama babysit my kids, let alone vote them for President - or believe a word they are saying about any Iranian plot.

[cpwm17]

13. under-covered? LOL

uncovered

[Paco]

14. ROTFLMAO!!!!

It is gullible people like you that gave us the Big O' and now turn your back on him and are perpetually smearing Ms. Clinton. Our country would be in better hands today if only democracy ruled in the democratic party and the Honorable Secretary of State, Ms. Hillary R. Clinton, was our President. Peace! :)

[newspeak]

54. well, some of us gullible people already knew

hillary clinton's DLC ideals. So, us gullible people didn't want to vote for another DINO like her hubby. Also, I was a bit concerned when I found out she was involved in the repub prayer meetings. and since, I'm not a repug, a DLC or third way democrat, I wouldn't, couldn't vote for Hillary.

Oh, and I thank her hubby everyday for giving us Poppy's NAFTA, telecommunications deregulation, welfare deform, rescinding Glass-Steagal and the fairness doctrine.

[russspeakeasy]

12. Shit, let's bomb em..never mind, we're out of bombs.

Why do you think the pentagon's budget hasn't been cut ?

[The Northerner]

15. Obama Says Facts Support Accusation of Iranian Plot

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Obama vowed on Thursday to push for what he called the “toughest sanctions” against Iran, saying that the United States had strong evidence that Iranian officials were complicit in an alleged plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to the United States.

In his first public remarks on the assassination scheme, Mr. Obama sought to counter skepticism about whether Iran’s Islamic government directed an Iranian-American car salesman to engage with a Mexican drug cartel to kill Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States and carry out other attacks. Mr. Obama insisted that American officials “know that he had direct links, was paid by, and directed by individuals in the Iranian government.”

“Now those facts are there for all to see,” Mr. Obama said. “We would not be bringing forward a case unless we knew exactly how to support all the allegations that are contained in the indictment.”

While Mr. Obama made his remarks, during a news conference in the White House East Room with the South Korean president, Lee Myung-bak, the State Department said that United States officials had been in direct contact with the government of Iran over the accusations.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/us/obama-calls-for-iran-sanctions-following-alleged-plot.html

[Kurmudgeon]

16. When the Mexican drug gangs scheme to affect US politics this way, it's time to be more serious.

These are people directly to our southern border cooperating with people who have been in the past and may be again our enemies.

[TheWraith]

18. I'm not sure I'd characterize this as a strategic alliance.

More like that in an inherently corrupt organization, you're always going to be able to find people to buy, even if your goal is a political assassination.

[StarsInHerHair]

66. but why in hell would a Mexican drug cartel give a damn about an ambassador

? it doesn't make sense, it's not a logical target

[RufusTFirefly]

26. Damn right! They're closer to Harlingen, Texas, than Managua is!!! n/t

[Arctic Dave]

17. "For all to see"

Is he going to release the "evidence" or he commenting about something he has no intention of letting the public see?

[No Elephants]

40. Does it matter?

Powell presented evidence that Iraq was an imminent danger to the U.S. and good nations everywhere.

Whether inside the U.S. or outside, the evidence convinced no one except those who wanted to believe him or got some benefit from believing him.

That's how little faith anyone has in what the U.S. presents anymore.

Very different from when JFK sent photographs of Russian missles in Cuba to DeGaulle and DeGaulle refused to look at them, saying the word of the POTUS was enough for him. (America, the Last Best Hope, Vol. 1, William J. Bennett)

[JJW]

19. SO what is the problem?

Mr. O claims he has authority to assassinate people, so why can't other nations do the same?

It is not as if they are using predator drones to drop bombs on innocent people.

[Demeter]

21. Now there's a zinger worthy of Jon Stewart!

Good job!

[No Elephants]

39. Simple. America is exceptional. Other nations are ordinary.

[ronnie624]

45. Can you imagine how people sneer at such a notion?

Rationalizing the opposite requires one to simultaneously hold two radically conflicting beliefs -- that the U.S. can assassinate but other governments cannot -- and millions will do just that, without a second thought.

[defendandprotect]

68. So true --- !!! And so disgraceful --- !!!

[Demeter]

20. I Call Bullshit

This is another frantic attempt to promote the distraction of "war on terror" to deflect attention from the shipwrecked economy and the ongoing occupations.

[swilton]

23. ++++

Simple question - where's the evidence?

[russspeakeasy]

28. +1

[madokie]

22. Wheres the dick is all I want to know

This sounds like a cheney job to me

[daleo]

24. Maybe Powell could do a U.N. presentation. n/t

[clixtox]

25. Credibility? Obomba has little, or none!

To make a mountain out of this "mole hill" is an indication of how desperate the US government is to create both a diversion and enemies.

After telling whoppers during the campaign for POTUS, pretending to be responsive to the widespread desire for changes in foreign and domestic policy, and since taking office, only the most ingenuous simpletons can take what he says seriously.

The more I look at the few facts in evidence, the more ridiculous Obama's pronouncements appear.

This whole debacle reminds me of when Colin Powell appeared at the UN ready to lie in the service of our oppressors plans to destroy Iraq and steal their petroleum resources, meanwhile cashing in through the armaments and war materials trade.

The USA is trying every ruse and deception they can, in service to Israel, to demonize now and to eventually create an excuse to instigate some "shock and awe" on all of Iran's people.

Yup...

[shanti]

35. that is correct, sir

:thumbsup:

[defendandprotect]

27. ROFL -- Right ... "facts" .... like 9/11 .... !!!

[Dragonfli]

47. This saber rattling and potentialy Bush like "evidence" of "evil doers" may become more serious than

even the recent horrors, destruction and million or so deaths already tallied in the multi-theater perpetual warfare we are currently engaged in combined.

They are miscalculating Iran and the damage it will cause to both countries to continue down this foolish road (a direction dictated most likely by AIPAC and MIC money and their lobbyists). Iran is not a weakened and largely defanged country like Iraq was when the
Bush before the current one earned his codpiece and got to appear all "war president like" for the cameras and votes.

What they fail to realize is that shock and awe will not work on Iran like it did in Iraq, if Afghanistan is where empires go to have their treasure and power drained to the point of near self destruction, like with the Soviet Union and more recently (and still in process) the US, then Iran will become the place where the empire will learn again about large casualties to our servicemen as well as to perhaps a million civilians (not here but in Iran and Iraq or near any of our bases in US "friendly" surrounding countries.

Iran has a large population and a strong, well stocked military whereas ours is weakened and overstretched. Obama may feel (or is being advised) that because of all the nifty new bases we have been building in Iraq and other neighboring nations we will have safe refuge that will facilitate a predominately air based assault with a place to run back to.

The truth is that to wage war in Iran would require a great deal of land based operations against a well fortified enemy, the US casualty numbers we used to hear back in the Vietnam era will return again.

It is not worth the money they will get from AIPAC and the MIC to sacrifice several thousand service members deaths and the deaths of most likely a million civilians if not more, I realize people will take issue with my assessment of of "a million civilians" but by many accounts that is closer to the actual number that died from the Iraq fiasco than the purposefully conservative 100,000 or so they claim.

We went into Iraq when we were at full strength militarily and economically against an enemy that was already severely wounded in both those areas, they had little means to stop the bombings and the Iraqi people themselves were not fighting for anything more than their own personal survival in most cases, having been beaten down by sanctions for many years and not in a particularly patriotic mood regarding Saddam or the government under the harsh rule that left them disheartened and literaly hoping for a chance to surrender on a personal level.

It is a war we have no self protective reason to fight that we can not win at a time where the expense alone may destroy our nation.

It is beyond foolishness or even hubris and is in the realm of murderous and suicidal insanity.

I can only hope that the perpetual war president will find enough pleasure in the killing already being done and decline to finish this dance he is starting, for all our sake's and the sake's of so many thousands of families we do not even know that will die in the middle east.

[zogofzorkon]

29. If there was any doubt this should seal it, he's gone to the dark side n/t

[USA_1]

30. Let's See That Evidence

So far, I've seen nothing.

Has anyone here seen any??????

[OnyxCollie]

31. If they showed you, they'd have to kill you.

I'm not kidding.

[USA_1]

33. So Far, They're Not Doing A Good Job of Proving Anything

Justice Department Concedes: No ‘Conclusive Proof’ Linking Senior Iranian Officials to Terror Plot

http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2011/10/12/justice-department-concedes-it-has-no-credible-evidence-linking-senior-iranian-officials-to-terror-plot/

When stories like the so-called Iranian terror plot come your way, you just want to sit back and watch the action. It’s like a political campaign in which your opponent is making a shambles of his candidacy, and you get the pleasure of watching him or her self-destruct before your very eyes.

Today’s Washington Post offers one of the stranger explanations of the case, claiming that despite the “crude construction” of the plot, the government had no choice but to take it seriously. There is much in the story that raises both yellow and red flags and strains, if not breaks credulity. The story points to the Justice Department and Washington Post being either incredibly credulous or willfully nuts about what they’re prepared to believe concerning this case.


---------------------------------------


Another right wing conspiracy theory shot down yet again!

[USA_1]

52. Wagging the Dog with Iran’s Maxwell Smart

http://www.juancole.com/2011/10/wagging-the-dog-with-irans-maxwell-smart.html

I personally do not understand how the corporate media in the US can report the following things about Manssor Arbabsiar and then go on to repeat with a straight face the US government charges that he was part of a high-level Iranian government assassination plot.

It seems pretty obvious that Arbabsiar is very possibly clinically insane.

There is no connection to Iran here.

That anyone in the DOJ or the US foreign policy establishment would take all this seriously is not plausible. I conclude that they are being dishonest, and that this is Obama’s turn to wag the dog as he faces defeat at Romney’s well-manicured hands next year this time.


Is there anyone out there who is all set to start yet another war because of right wing bullshit?

[DeSwiss]

32. So now they are a threat???

"Iran, they spend 1/100 of what we spend on the military. Iran, Cuba, Venezuela these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a serious threat to us." ~Barack Obama, May 18, 2008 http://vimeo.com/20355767">"Lifting the Veil: Obama and the Failure of Capitalist Democracy"

[No Elephants]

37. 2008. That would have been Candidate Obama. We should have elected him.

But he never expressly said in so many words that he would not go to war against Iran.

So, don't you dare claim he campaigned deceptively.

[shanti]

34. oh shite

here we go :(

[pettypace]

36. D-i-s-t-r-a-c-t-i-o-n

Obama is making himself into a joke more and more everyday.

Jekyll and Hyde would be an understatement with this guy since 2007.

[defendandprotect]

51. That's my take on this -- OWS is hurting them ---

but always room for one more war -- and more killing!!

[No Elephants]

38. So, let's say someone in the Iranian government did want the Saudi ambassador dead for some reason.

Maybe it's the Saudis should be pissed about that?

[plumbob]

41. Any babies tossed from incubators yet?

What else?

[avaistheone1]

42. I'll never forget that lie. Or how another lie that took us to war...

has any yellow cake been found?
lol

[rayofreason]

43. I should of voted for the Democrat in 2008. n/t

[ocpagu]

44. Oh, My God...

Now they want us to believe that Iranian muslims wanted to send Mexican drug cartel murderes to commit terrorism against Saudi Arabia in the United States.

Seriously, who's writing the war-mongering scripts in the White House/Pentagon lately? A 14 y.o.?

[ronnie624]

46. In London,

the British foreign secretary, William Hague, told the House of Commons that the suspected plot “would appear to constitute a major escalation in Iran’s sponsorship of terrorism outside its borders,”

:eyes:

Let me know when they invade another country, destroy the infrastructure, decimate civil society and murder hundreds of thousands of civilians.

[Amonester]

58. They won't. The U.S. is broke.

B.R.O.K.E.

[timtom]

48. Who is his handler?

This is so ridiculous. They must not realize that everything they perpetrate is so transparent.

I'm embarrassed for America.

[Odin2005]

55. What a load of BS. TPTB are trying to distract people from OWS.

[Psephos]

62. Or from Fast & Furious/Solyndra. n/t

[Safetykitten]

61. I smell re-election desperation.

[alarimer]

63. A phony bomb plot engineered by FBI informants.

Gulf of Tonkin anyone? Why believe anything the Liar-in-chief or his minions say?

(ALL Presidents are liars, as are 90% of all politicians, elected or otherwise).

[roamer65]

64. Start a war between Saudi Arabia and Iran and guess what you have?

US and Israeli involvement immediately.

They are trying to provoke Iran into a rash move.

[wordpix]

65. Let's hope O doesn't start a war to get a few bad apples. Shades of Afghanistan in that.

That's what concerns me with upping the ante.

[StarsInHerHair]

69. no no, you have it ALL wrong! It's war against Iran & Mexico!!! That will

suddenly make the crazy laws in Arizona & Georgia & now Alabama seem prescient!!!!:sarcasm:

[bluebuzzard]

70. How many lives is a re-election worth?

[Little Tich]

71. Some U.S. officials question response to Iran plot

Source: Reuters

While President Barack Obama and top aides have been united this week in grave warnings over an alleged Iranian assassination plot, some U.S. government officials are privately expressing disquiet that the outlandish-sounding plan has triggered U.S. calls for stiff new action against Iran.

These officials, while not disputing many facts of the case, say that if anything, the scheme reveals weaknesses in Iran's security agencies, and the increasingly fractured state of Iran's government as it faces intense international pressure.

They also questioned the wisdom of the White House strategy in using the affair to rapidly push for tougher sanctions on Tehran, increasing regional tensions.

"A lot of people basically feel really suspicious about this," one official said, questioning the White House's motivation "in ratcheting this thing up so quickly."

Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/10/15/uk-usa-security-iran-plot-idUKTRE79E0E220111015