Iran may join Russia and China in Central Asian security group

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2006/May/middleeast_May349.xml§ion=middleeast&col=

SHANGHAI - A plan to allow Iran and other nations to join China, Russia and four Central Asian nations in a security grouping is under discussion, foreign ministers from the forum said here on Monday.

The foreign ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization met in the city after which it was named on Monday to prepare for a leaders’ summit next month, with potential membership for Iran and four other nations on the agenda.

“Other countries show great interest in our organization. Five countries have applied to become members. We are in the process of negotiating with them,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters.

[Ravenseye]

1. Well that'd be dumb

An organization created to prevent terrorism and reduce religious fundamentalism while creating more secure borders inviting in some of the most religiously extreme countries on the planet.

We've always been at war with Eurasia I guess.

[One Honest Guy]

4. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan

are most religiously extreme countries on the planet? I understand Iran, but, I don't think you know your cultures and ethnic groups that well.

[Ravenseye]

9. I was referring to Iran and Afghanistan

[Jacobin]

2. Thereby putting a real kink in Dumbya's October Surprise Plans

:rofl:

:rofl:

[ShortnFiery]

3. Terrific - another wonderful * and Rice NON-diplomatic fruits! n/t

[gordianot]

5. We need a North American Perpetual Insecurity Group.

[aquart]

6. choosing sides for world war III. oh, goody.

Think of it as the Asian Oil Protectorate.

[sweetheart]

7. the world of competing empires

Bush set us back to world war 1, in terms of recycling the competing empires
meme, so we can replay world war 1... who gets to be archiduke ferdinand this
time round.

[OregonBlue]

8. So Bushco will have to take on Russia and China as well as

Iran. I don't believe the country will have the stomache for it!! Would he really be that insane?

[cliss]

10. Reality check for George Bush:

The US comprises around 0.07 % of the world's land mass. As far as people, the US has even less, around 0.046 % of the world's population.

It's not enough to rule the world with, George. Especially when that other 95% is getting restless. That very large margin is moving against you.

As far as a strong economy, we may have the world's largest economy, but we are also the world's largest debtor nation.

[Ravenseye]

11. Numbers are a little off

If the world population is at 6.5 billion and the U.S. population at 300 million make it .46% instead of .046%?

Also the total surface area of the earth is 510,065,284 km, while the U.S. surface area is 9,629,091 puts the U.S. closer to 2% of usable land mass.

Interestingly enough the United States is third in both population (behind China and India) and surface area (behind Russia and Canada).

Anyway, still meager numbers compared to the rest of the world.

[cliss]

13. Aye....you're right.

I wanted current numbers, so I went to Wikipedia....downloaded the totals into an Excel file. Did some math within the cells, and I forgot to convert to percentage.

Thanks. And you're right. It's still meager compared to the rest of the world.

[Ganja Ninja]

12. The great uniter strikes again! n/t