mhgaffney
06-01-2007, 04:44 PM
I find it curious that some rationalize US policy vis a vis Iran with the argument: "Well, maybe it'll bring them to the table." That's malarkey. Bush's actions show he is not interested in negotiations. What he wants is unconditional surrender, in other words, regime change in Tehran.
We all saw what happened in 2002 whan Saddam acquiesced to US pressure by admitting weapons inspectors. They found nothing, but, of course, this had no effect on the rush to war -- and Iran today is in a similar no win situation. Catch 22. They have no choice now but to hold firm.
The US claim that Iran's nuclear program is illegal because of a recent UN Sec Council resolution also deserves scrutiny. Of course it is not true. How could it be? The resolution, which the US rammed through, is in contradiction with our own Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), which grants Iran the right as a signatory to develop nuclear power.
In fact it is the US -- not Iran -- that is flagrantly violating the NPT, given that since the 1990s we have spent more on our own nuclear weapons program than during the Cold War. Nor are we merely maintaining it. We are in fact pushing ahead -- developing new nuclear weapons. This is a flagrant violation of Article IV.
The whole world knows this. No doubt this is why international polls show that a majority of the citizens of the planet regard the US (and Israel) as the primary threat to world peace. Not Iran.
Clinton bears much of the blame for the current crisis. He failed to show leadership after the Cold War. He should have given strong direction to the US military -- instead he allowed the Pentagon to call the shots. The weapons labs were allowed to continue and even expand. In short, Clinton set the stage for Bush.
MHG
IAEA chief warns of "crazies" seeking Iran war
By Reuters
06/01/07 - -- LONDON, June 1 (Reuters) - The United Nations nuclear watchdog chief warned on Friday against the "new crazies" advocating military action to halt Iran's nuclear programme and said he did not want to see another war like that in Iraq.
"I wake every morning and see 100 Iraqis, innocent civilians, are dying," International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director Mohamed ElBaradei said in an interview for BBC Radio.
"I have no brief other than to make sure we don't go into another war or that we go crazy into killing each other. You do not want to give additional argument to new crazies who say 'let's go and bomb Iran'," he said in a documentary, excerpts from which were published on the BBC's Web site in advance.
Tehran has ignored repeated warnings and resolutions sponsored by world powers in the United Nations Security Council demanding that it cease uranium enrichment.
It was ElBaradei's strongest warning yet against the use of force. He has urged Western powers to consider allowing Iran limited enrichment he believes would pose no bomb proliferation risk and avert a feared slide into conflict.
The powers have rejected his proposal.
Iran says it is pursuing a nuclear programme to provide electricity. The West believes it is trying to build a nuclear bomb and is gearing up to draft a third round of U.N. sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
Enrichment is a process of refining uranium for power plants, or if taken to a very high degree, atom bombs. A report by ElBaradei's IAEA last week said Iran was expanding a campaign to install 3,000 enrichment centrifuges by mid-summer, laying a basis for "industrial-scale" fuel production.
In the BBC interview ElBaradei said a nuclear-armed Iran would be terrible but added the jury was still out as to whether the country even wanted atomic weapons.
He said one could not "bomb knowledge". Asked who the "new crazies" were he replied: "Those who have extreme views and say the only solution is to impose your will by force."
ElBaradei angered the United States, Britain and France by calling for a face-saving compromise that would cap Iranian enrichment activity at its current modest levels.
Diplomats said those three countries, as well as Japan, sent envoys to stress to ElBaradei that the U. N. Security Council resolution urging an immediate halt to Iran's nuclear activities was law, adopted unanimously, and should enjoy his support.
In Germany earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice indirectly chided ElBaradei by saying "the IAEA is not an agency that is negotiating with the Iranians. That is being done under a Security Council resolution by six states".
We all saw what happened in 2002 whan Saddam acquiesced to US pressure by admitting weapons inspectors. They found nothing, but, of course, this had no effect on the rush to war -- and Iran today is in a similar no win situation. Catch 22. They have no choice now but to hold firm.
The US claim that Iran's nuclear program is illegal because of a recent UN Sec Council resolution also deserves scrutiny. Of course it is not true. How could it be? The resolution, which the US rammed through, is in contradiction with our own Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), which grants Iran the right as a signatory to develop nuclear power.
In fact it is the US -- not Iran -- that is flagrantly violating the NPT, given that since the 1990s we have spent more on our own nuclear weapons program than during the Cold War. Nor are we merely maintaining it. We are in fact pushing ahead -- developing new nuclear weapons. This is a flagrant violation of Article IV.
The whole world knows this. No doubt this is why international polls show that a majority of the citizens of the planet regard the US (and Israel) as the primary threat to world peace. Not Iran.
Clinton bears much of the blame for the current crisis. He failed to show leadership after the Cold War. He should have given strong direction to the US military -- instead he allowed the Pentagon to call the shots. The weapons labs were allowed to continue and even expand. In short, Clinton set the stage for Bush.
MHG
IAEA chief warns of "crazies" seeking Iran war
By Reuters
06/01/07 - -- LONDON, June 1 (Reuters) - The United Nations nuclear watchdog chief warned on Friday against the "new crazies" advocating military action to halt Iran's nuclear programme and said he did not want to see another war like that in Iraq.
"I wake every morning and see 100 Iraqis, innocent civilians, are dying," International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director Mohamed ElBaradei said in an interview for BBC Radio.
"I have no brief other than to make sure we don't go into another war or that we go crazy into killing each other. You do not want to give additional argument to new crazies who say 'let's go and bomb Iran'," he said in a documentary, excerpts from which were published on the BBC's Web site in advance.
Tehran has ignored repeated warnings and resolutions sponsored by world powers in the United Nations Security Council demanding that it cease uranium enrichment.
It was ElBaradei's strongest warning yet against the use of force. He has urged Western powers to consider allowing Iran limited enrichment he believes would pose no bomb proliferation risk and avert a feared slide into conflict.
The powers have rejected his proposal.
Iran says it is pursuing a nuclear programme to provide electricity. The West believes it is trying to build a nuclear bomb and is gearing up to draft a third round of U.N. sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
Enrichment is a process of refining uranium for power plants, or if taken to a very high degree, atom bombs. A report by ElBaradei's IAEA last week said Iran was expanding a campaign to install 3,000 enrichment centrifuges by mid-summer, laying a basis for "industrial-scale" fuel production.
In the BBC interview ElBaradei said a nuclear-armed Iran would be terrible but added the jury was still out as to whether the country even wanted atomic weapons.
He said one could not "bomb knowledge". Asked who the "new crazies" were he replied: "Those who have extreme views and say the only solution is to impose your will by force."
ElBaradei angered the United States, Britain and France by calling for a face-saving compromise that would cap Iranian enrichment activity at its current modest levels.
Diplomats said those three countries, as well as Japan, sent envoys to stress to ElBaradei that the U. N. Security Council resolution urging an immediate halt to Iran's nuclear activities was law, adopted unanimously, and should enjoy his support.
In Germany earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice indirectly chided ElBaradei by saying "the IAEA is not an agency that is negotiating with the Iranians. That is being done under a Security Council resolution by six states".