Iran's message to the west

[spindrifter]

back off or we retaliate

Ewen MacAskill and Simon Tisdall
Thursday February 2, 2006
The Guardian

Iran's foreign minister yesterday threatened immediate retaliation over a move to refer its nuclear weapons activities to the United Nations security council in comments which deepen his country's confrontation with the international community.
In an interview with the Guardian - his first with western media - Manouchehr Mottaki accused the US of manufacturing the crisis and insisted there was still time to avoid a collision. But he warned that any military action by the US or Israel against Iran would have "severe consequences" and would be countered "by all means" at Iran's disposal.

<snip>
He also vowed that Iran will match any sanctions with measures of its own and warned that the west would quickly regret any resort to military action. The escalating crisis could further destabilise the Middle East by intensifying US and British difficulties in Iraq and Afghanistan, and could spell an end to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, which seeks to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
<snip>

He also vowed that Iran will match any sanctions with measures of its own and warned that the west would quickly regret any resort to military action. The escalating crisis could further destabilise the Middle East by intensifying US and British difficulties in Iraq and Afghanistan, and could spell an end to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, which seeks to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.

<snip>

Mr Mottaki said the US, even with 200,000 troops on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, was unable to impose its will on the region. "It would be better for President Bush to spend the second half of his presidency governing his country in a calmer manner."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,1700266,00.html
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So whaddya think Mr. Mottaki is up to? Not playing Texas Hold 'Em. Hope he waits till the Superbowl is over.

[Ksec]

1. How powerful is Irans military?

[spindrifter]

2. How powerful is Al Qaeda's?

What weaponry do they really have? What does completely shutting down their oil do? I do not have the answers to those questions, but I think the Iraq mess is an inkling of what happens when we don't understand the other party in the disagreement.