Iran nuke fears may stir attack plans

[spotbird]

Source: CBS News

Whether or not the West acts on Iran, Israel might go after it alone, as they are the most likely target of any missiles from Tehran. An Israeli official said Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to persuade his Cabinet to authorize a military strike against Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program -- a discussion that happened just as Israel successfully tested a missile believed capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to Iran.

The U.S. and other leading Western governments believe that Iran is intending to develop a nuclear arsenal, and Tehran's failure to suspend its nuclear activities has already led to several sets of U.N. sanctions. But Iran maintains its nuclear program is exclusively civilian, aimed only at producing electricity.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57317698/iran-nuke-fears-may-stir-attack-plans/

---

And all the US will provide when Israel acts "unilaterally" will be blood and treasure.

[Jazzgirl]

1. That would be universally stupid.

I don't understand the purpose of doing this. No matter what they say, Iran is not stupid enough to launch any nuclear weapon at anybody. Why wouldn't they want them too? Israel has them. Russia has them. Even Pakistan has them. Especially the US. They are way more threatened than they are a threat.

[BetterThanNoSN]

8. No No No...

'Iran is not stupid enough to launch any nuclear weapon at anybody'.

To make this statement perpetuates a false narrative. What nuclear weapon? Of course they could fire a missile at Israel but not a nuke, as they don't have one! But hey, boogeymen never sleep.

[Lurks Often]

9. The problem is

do you bet lives of a couple of hundred thousand or even a couple of million people on the Iranians not being that stupid (once they get a nuclear weapon)?

And I don't recall anybody in the US or Russia or Israel or Pakistan stating that the country of Iran has no right to exist. The same can not be said of the statements that the Iranian government has made.

[Ghost Dog]

12. The "Zionist Regime" is what Iran's President has explicitly said

"will fall". I think you'll find.

[Behind the Aegis]

18. I think you will find that is how he refers to Israel...

...not just it's government.

[Ghost Dog]

22. Yeah. You're probably right, in general.

Nevertheless, I think the particular outburst we're mostly referring to (antique poetic reference or quote and all) had more to do with his concept of 'divine retribution' than any intention to credibly threaten Israel with Iranian arms in the present day and age...

Unless unjustly attacked... that does seem clear.

Don't you honestly see Iran's present posture as almost entirely defensive, given the circumstances?

As is Israel's, of course.

First class diplomacy on all sides still very much required, it seems to my eye. (If only...).

[Behind the Aegis]

23. I am right and not just "in general."

He constantly refers to Israel, even under different leaders, as the "Zionist Regime," so it is irrelevant who was in control at the time. Does it mean Iran is preparing to attack? Not likely any time soon, but the desire of the current leadership of Iran is to see Israel destroyed something sadly shared by a few so-called liberals and progressives.

I don't think either side will attack anytime soon. The "saber-rattling" is just that, trying to get the other to back down. If Israel or the US were preparing to attack, it wouldn't be on the front page of the news until after the fact. I don't care how many "unnamed sources" the MSM (and I include the BBC and others in that MSM) can conjure or how many actual "big mouths" are talking, it is ME politics as usual.

[Ghost Dog]

25. Why is that so, then. Some deep historical reason

much older than the Sunni-Chiite divide?

(Leaving aside contemporary injustices on all sides - or is this just a matter of 20th and 21st Century political errors?).

As a student, of sorts, of 'medieval' European/Mediterranean history, it seems to me so much has been lost since the three Abrahamic religions/cultures cooperated for a while (a couple of centuries) so creatively in, for example, Omeyan Al-Ándalus.

[Behind the Aegis]

26. Why is what so?

[Duende azul]

21. Isn`t Colin Powell available for a new presentation?

If you want to go to war, you have to lay the groundwork early.

The US did take the lives of a couple of hundred thousand or even a couple of million people on the bet the Iraqis being that stupid (without having amy WMD).

[Lurks Often]

28. You'd have ask President Obama if Colin Powell is available.

And WMD's were not the only reason we went into Iraq. Feel free to go read the bill authorizing the use of force that Congress passed.

Not sure why people view the overthrow of Saddam as a bad thing. He invaded two of his neighboring countries (Iran & Kuwait), used chemical weapons on the Iranians and the Kurds and persecuted the Shiite majority in Iraq.

[Duende azul]

31. Gosh. You can`t be serious.

You justify the destruction of Iraq with wars Saddam fought with US backing (Iran) or consent (Kuwait)? When he still was "our guy"?
And long before the second invasion?

If you want to be taken seriously, you'll have to come up with something better.

[Lurks Often]

32. Saddam was never our friend

he was a useful tool in keeping Iran in check. He invaded Iran on his own initiative in attempt to regain some lost territory, we merely supported him because he was fighting Iran.

As for the consent part, that depends on which story you believe. Course it would be pretty stupid to give consent and then turn around and commit so much of our military to free Kuwait and diminish Iraq's use as a counter to Iran. That is unless you believe in conspiracy theories.

[robbob]

33. It's no "conspiracy theory"

So why don't you inform yourself?

"When Saddam Hussein requested U.S. Ambassador April Glaspie to explain State Department testimony in Congress about Iraq's threats against Kuwait, she assured him that the United States considered the dispute to be a regional concern, and that it would not intervene militarily. In other words, the United States government gave Saddam Hussein what amounted to a "green light" to invade Kuwait."

http://mwcnews.net/focus/analysis/8028-first-persian-gulf-war.html

Don't know how biased the page I found might be, but I have heard this story from many sources.

[Lurks Often]

37. There is a difference between getting involved in a verbal or legal dispute

over Kuwait allegedly pumping oil from Iraqi oil fields and condoning an invasion of an ally.

There have been a number of different versions of the story, but all have been ambiguous with room for misunderstanding on both the US and Iraqi sides. I'm inclined to think that April Glaspie thought the Iraqi government was asking if we would involve ourselves in a non-violent border dispute and the Iraqi government may have understood that to believe we would not get involved if Iraq invaded Kuwait. Certainly would be the first time the diplomats misunderstood each other. (Read John Toland's "The Rising Sun" for accounts of diplomatic misunderstandings which helped lead the US & Japan into war)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Glaspie, there are sourced links to the stories in the Wikipedia article that allow for several versions.

Still can't understand why the US would condone an invasion and then turnaround and sent a rather significant percentage of the US military to the Middle East less then four months later. That is what I was referring to when I mentioned conspiracy theory.

[walerosco]

14. I think it would be stupid

of Tehran not to be pursuing nuclear weapons. They should tell a look at what happens to the American enemies who got caught without one.

[MicaelS]

20. Rubbish, Iran was stupid enough to fight an 8 year long war

With Iraq. The Iranian leadership is monumentally stupid. Ahmadinejad makes stupid statements all the time, and is not reigned in by Khamenei.

If you talk shit all the time, someone will eventually kick your ass. I would hazard a guess that the third nuclear weapon used in combat, will be detonated on Iranian soil.

[daleo]

29. What about the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th...?

And so on.

[Celefin]

36. Looking forward to that?

The Iranian leadership was stupid enough to reject a peace offer by Saddam Hussein, but they weren't stupid enough to START the war.
That honour fell to Reagan-backed Iraq (that probably -perhaps stupidly- didn't realize that Iran also was being backed by Reagan, clandestinely).

They are many things, but certainly not stupid.
If they were, they would have lost that war and also lost their hold on power long ago.

But you'll probably get your wish fulfilled. Other powers present in that region are mad enough to nuke somebody.

[bemildred]

2. The Mighty Wurlitzer has been spun up again. Hang onto your wallet. nt

[plumbob]

19. With BOTH hands! nt

[xchrom]

3. It's really looking like some military action isgoing to happen.

My bet is on the U.S. - it deflects from any other suspect.

& our pols just really, really don't like Iranian leadership.

[Dover]

4. Two other stories about this were banished to the Israel/Palestine forum

because they mentioned that Israel was openly considering an attack on Iran. They had nothing to do with Palestine and I'm wondering if
even the mention of Israel in the news is forbidden here at DU?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x370742

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x370590

[Ghost Dog]

13. Many more than that, Dover.

See Eg: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=5045961&mesg_id=5046423

Anyway, the info is on the front pages of most of the world's serious press today...

[bobthedrummer]

16. You've got a valid point there Dover imho

Report: Netanyahu ordered Shin Bet to investigate leaks on Iran attack
by Barak Ravid (11-3-11 Haaretz)

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen to begin investigating the information recently leaked to the media regarding Israel's preparations for a military offensive against Iran's nuclear facilities..."
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/report-natasnyahu-ordered-shin-bet-to-investigate-leaks-on-iran-attack-1.393464

RECALL SCOTT WALKER!

[bobthedrummer]

17. Repost of an archived GD thread started 10-12-11

Hmmm...Iran, Central American drug cartels, Saudis, October-it reminds me of some "hidden histories"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2104315

RECALL SCOTT WALKER!

[bobthedrummer]

35. Petraeus's CIA Fuels Iran Murder Plot by Ray McGovern (10-13-11 Consortium News)

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2011/10/13/petraeuss-cia-fuels-iran-murder-plot/

RECALL SCOTT WALKER!

[bananas]

27. That's what I've been told

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=437x3699

[L0oniX]

5. DOH! The real threat to the USA is lack of jobs.

[StandingInLeftField]

6. "..capable of carrying a nuclear warhead..."

Arman.....Arnam.....Armageddon!

Yeah, that's the ticket...

[AsahinaKimi]

7. More War..

More profits, the greedy have not had enough blood and cash.

[iandhr]

10. THE SANCTIONS ARE WORKING

[iandhr]

11. Its hard to watch....

... Israel shoot themselves in the foot again and again

[on point]

15. Sounds more like Iran will be the victim of a war crime and it is Israel that must be stopped

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

24. Or they may not.

:think:

[Little Tich]

30. I think Israel should stand back and let the Big Boys do the talking.

If there is to be an attack on Iran at all, it has to be led by the US, be thoroughly prepared and made with the explicit agreement of the arab countries in the region. Israel has no place in this. Iran will be given the chance to jump of the nuclear train at any time, if and when they actually start trying to get the Bomb. Whatever the case, this is something that lies in the future and is not the biggest issue about Iran anyway. The Arab spring is not over by a long shot, it will reach Iran as well.

[Arrowhead2k1]

34. Iran isn't an arab country,

and they already squashed their protests last year.

[bobthedrummer]

38. Dissecting the Iran "Terror Plot" by Gareth Porter (11-5-11 Consortium News)

"As Israel again ratchets up its threats to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities, anti-Iran propaganda, which could rally the American people behind another Middle East war, becomes critical..."

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2011/11/05/dissecting-the-iran-terror-plot/

RECALL SCOTT WALKER!