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I actually laughed when I read this headline; Iran ‘very optimistic’ over nuclear expert visit…
…Iran said it was very optimistic over a visit by UN nuclear inspectors aimed at shedding light on suspected military aspects of Tehran’s atomic work, but suggested Tehran would curb cooperation if the experts became a “tool” for outside powers.
An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team began a three-day visit to try to advance efforts to resolve a row about nuclear work which Iran says is for making electricity, but the West suspects is aimed at seeking a nuclear weapon.
Tensions with the West rose this month when Washington and the EU imposed the toughest sanctions yet in a drive to force Tehran to provide more information on its nuclear programme. The measures take direct aim at the ability of OPEC’s second biggest oil exporter to sell its crude.
The Mehr news agency quoted foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi: “We are very optimistic about the outcome of the IAEA delegation’s visit to Iran . . . Their questions will be answered during this visit.”
“We have nothing to hide and Iran has no clandestine (nuclear) activities.”
Parliament speaker Ali Larijani warned the IAEA team to carry out a “logical, professional and technical” job or suffer the consequences. “This visit is a test for the IAEA. The route for further cooperation will be open if the team carries out its duties professionally.
“Otherwise, if the IAEA turns into a tool (for major powers to pressure Iran), then Iran will have no choice but to consider a new framework in its ties with the agency.” …
As numerous ex-Intel vets have been saying all along, and wikileaks confimed, is the fact that the IAEA deck has been stacked against Iran, ever since El Baradei ‘retired’…! I do hope the Iranians will provide extra security to the brave souls that meet with the IAEA ‘inspectors’…! As I’ve mentioned before all of the assassinated and/or, disappeared Iranian Scientists had met with IAEA personnel previously…!
Now, Panetta sat down with ’60 Minutes’ and regurgitated all the old tropes…
…”The United States — and the president’s made this clear — does not want Iran to develop a nuclear weapon,” Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told the CBS program “60 Minutes.”
“That’s a red line for us. And it’s a red line obviously for the Israelis so we share a common goal here.”
Panetta maintained that US officials “will take whatever steps are necessary to stop it” if Washington receives intelligence that Iran is proceeding with developing a nuclear weapon.
Asked if that meant military action, he said: “There are no options that are off the table.”
Panetta told the interviewer that “the consensus is that, if they (Iran) decided to do it, it would probably take them about a year to be able to produce a bomb and then possibly another one to two years in order to put it on a deliverable vehicle of some sort in order to deliver that weapon.”…
So again… Wtf, over…? What’s the rush to bomb, bomb, bomb Iran…? Or better yet the rush to build a better bomb for Iran…?
…The Pentagon has decided that its largest conventional bomb isn’t capable of destroying Iran’s underground nuclear enrichment facilities and has ordered efforts to make it more powerful.
The 30,000-pound “bunker-buster” bomb, known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, was designed to penetrate deeply buried targets, like some of Iran’s nuclear facilities. But tests of the bomb led the Pentagon to believe it may not fully destroy the facilities, and so this month they secretly submitted a request to Congress additional for funding to build a bigger, more destructive bomb.
Already more than $330 million has been spent to develop about 20 of the bombs, which are built by Boeing Co. The Pentagon is now seeking about $82 million more to enhance it…
I know we could’ve spent the $82 million on more ‘constructive’ uses, not destructive…!
I should also add that that Iranian ‘timeline’ for a potential Nuke, and the missile to deliver it, that Panetta is peddling, is exactly the same timeline the US/EU/Israel has been pimping since 1984…!
Speaking of the race for Tehran, Israel experienced a little setback…!
Now, it’s interesting to see what overtures Iran is making… Iran Calls on Syria to Hold Free Elections… And then to read about other interesting developments…
Turkey may provide Hamas with $300 million in annual aid
Hamas has been facing financial difficulties due to late and reduced payments from Iran; Meshal deciding between Qatar and Jordan for new Hamas headquarters, after leaving Syria.
Do you suppose Erdogan likes Bibi very much…?
Bank on it, folks… $150 a barrel: Iran warning
Can you afford it…?
*gah*
16 Comments
Many thanks for the updates. Keep them coming.
We all know what’s coming, but I can’t bury my head in the sand. Might as well know the insanity masquerading as sanity.
One of the things I do “admire” the sick fucks for pulling off is the we don’t want them to build a nuclear weapon. It’s bloody genius (sick fucks may be evil, but not stupid).
Think about that for a second. Now when it happens, April?, they don’t have to worry about WMDs. Because that’s the whole point of what they are pushing. They learned from the Iraq WMD fiasco. Now when they don’t find any WMDs or anything even remotely close to a nuclear weapon, they can say that was the whole point – to prevent it. Easy peasee. No fuss, no muss.
Fing sociopaths.
$150 a barrel? If everything “works” as they planned. Considering the players, I doubt it.
1. They are wholly incompetent. If Iran can block Hormuz, even for a little while (and 25% of the world’s oil goes through there), then $150 a barrel will be a dream.
2. They are greedy sociopaths. The Saudis want oil prices to go higher. So do the speculators and oil people. More money for them. They have incentive to see that price go as high as possible. They don’t give a F about people, or how increasing oil costs will push millions of people into poverty and starvation.
So ya, I would love it if oil went to just $150. I don’t see that happening. Much much higher.
Thank you, CTuttle. Watched the video, coming back tomorrow morning to read words.
side note; I was wondering how many words I read per day keeping track in my 99%’er hunt for the Truth. It’s huge. Then I thought about the numbers of FDL folks who do the same. All those words have got to start clearing the trail. It’s the story of Sleeping Beauty and hacking through 100 years of curse.
John D. Rockefeller and Friends. It always comes back to John D as the brains and fanatical energy. This Industrial Revolution era of social programming for the rabble and resource pirating for the Robber Baron class is coming to it’s 100th birthday. In terms of forced Education for the children of the masses.
The Mother is the enemy of the State.
Fucking hell yeah, said the homeschool mom
They can’t let it go too high, because then people will buy hybrids, electrics, or bicycles if they don’t wind up using buses or trains.
DAMNIT! This 30,000 pound bomb is just not big enough.
Famous last words. The petro dollar is finished. The whole round world will be dancing in the streets when the American Empire is dead.
Here’s an interesting article by a guest writer at Informed Comment, who speaks to the role of the Iran-Israel issue in the US Presidential Election:
Can Obama Prevail against a Romney-Netanyahu Ticket? – Robertson
http://www.juancole.com/2012/01/can-obama-prevail-against-a-romney-netanyahu-ticket-robertson.html
It is scary to recognize the fact that the outcome of the Election is in the hands of Iran and Israel, the latter, in particular, as the Obama will not take the suicidal path of bombing Iran and causing economic devastation in an election year.
Thanks, Tuttle, for keeping everyone abreast of the Iran issue.
A friend of mine bought a kit including a motor on line and a cheap bicycle at WallMart. Total cost? $250. You have to peddle it to get it started. It will go 35 miles per hour on a level road. I don’t remember the miles per gallon but it’s in the hundreds. The kit includes a decent muffler. It’s fun to ride and you don’t have to have insurance. You don’t even have to have a drivers license.
Openhope, would you please elaborate on “The Mother is the enemy of the State”?
CT, I’ll join the chorus by thanking you for staying abreast of the developments in the Gulf region. The drumbeat of war is getting louder and it appears that either Israel or the US, or both, are itching to kill again.
If you haven’t already done so you should read Tom Englehardt’s marvelous piece of satire which he posted over at his site tomdispatch.com. (The URL for the article is humongous and I’m not as facile as others in providing a link.) The title of the article is “Iranian Carriers in the Gulf of Mexico.” He does a wonderful job of teaching us empathy – one of the things we are so lacking in our relationships with other countries. And, it puts things in perspective.
BTW, I find it ironic that Iran has been more open about their nuclear program than either the US or Israel.
Mahalo, ya’ll for the kind words…!
Here’s a great update on the IAEA mission…
UN atomic agency ‘can extend visit to Iran’
…“We are very optimistic on the results of the IAEA trip. They are here for a three-day trip, and if they want, it (the mission) could be extended,” Salehi was quoted by IRNA as telling Turkish broadcaster TRT in an interview in Addis Ababa, where he was attending an African Union summit.
Salehi also urged the European Union and the United States to “replace their policy of sanctions with interaction” with the Islamic republic…
One can only hope saner minds will prevail…!
— are you implying that the Iranian government is going to potentially muck in the 2012 election? I don’t think there’s a sane Iranian who wants a war.
IIRC, the last time the Iranians had an effect on an American election was in 1980, when they agreed to delay releasing the Tehran Embassy hostages, to the benefit of Reagan.
Where is it manufactured?
Nobody believes Iran is making weapons except for Israel and it’s puppet the United States.
Tensions with the West rose this month when Washington and the EU imposed the toughest sanctions yet in a drive to force Tehran to provide more information on its nuclear programme. The measures take direct aim at the ability of OPEC’s second biggest oil exporter to sell its crude.
I wonder if O promised the EU cash help with their debt problem and had Israel guarantee GOP support even if O loses? England and France both sent in warships to the Persian Gulf.
The EU is the one taking the economic hit for an oil embargo not us given their economy one must ask why? I am open to other theories.
As I’ve mentioned before all of the assassinated and/or, disappeared Iranian Scientists had met with IAEA personnel previously…!
The IAEA is that a UN group? If the UN is playing games and is found out they just lost all Cred.
Turkey may provide Hamas with $300 million in annual aid
Hamas has been facing financial difficulties due to late and reduced payments from Iran; Meshal deciding between Qatar and Jordan for new Hamas headquarters, after leaving Syria.
Do you suppose Erdogan likes Bibi very much…?
Ok Turkey is mad at us, publicly mad normally threats like this are made quietly through diplomatic channels as a way of increasing American aid money.
Turkey does this American aid money gets reduced if not stopped unless the Turks have huge leverage I am not aware of. Are the Turks still mad about Israel boarding their ship? Or is it something else?