Does this sound familiar?

[belgareth]

Iran Says It Has Military Might to Deter Attack



Tue Jan 18, 1:28 PM ET World - Reuters



By Paul Hughes



TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran has the military might to deter attacks against it, Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani said, after President Bush said he would not rule out military force against Iran over its nuclear program.

"We are able to say that we have strength such that no country can attack us because they do not have precise information about our military capabilities due to our ability to implement flexible strategies," the semi-official Mehr news agency quoted Shamkhani as saying Tuesday.

"We can claim that we have rapidly produced equipment that has resulted in the greatest deterrent," he said, without elaborating.

In October, Iran announced successful trials of its Shahab-3 ballistic missile with a range of 1,250 miles, putting parts of Europe, as well as Israel and U.S. bases in the Gulf, within reach.

Bush said Monday Washington would not rule out military action against Iran -- which he has labeled as part of an "axis of evil" alongside Iraq (news - web sites) and North Korea -- if it was not more forthcoming about its suspected nuclear weapons program.

Washington accuses Tehran of trying to acquire nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is aimed solely at producing electricity.

The United States has toppled regimes in Iran's neighbors Afghanistan and Iraq since the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.

"Iran has no fear of foreign enemies' threats ... as they are very well aware that the Islamic Republic is not a place for adventurism," the ISNA student news agency quoted influential former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani as saying.

Bush's comments followed an article in the New Yorker magazine Sunday which said U.S. commando units were conducting secret reconnaissance missions inside Iran to identify hidden nuclear and chemical sites for possible strikes.

Pentagon officials have said the New Yorker report was "riddled with errors."



EU ADVOCATES DIPLOMACY

The European Union insisted Tuesday diplomacy was the right approach with Iran.

"We are seeking a diplomatic solution. I think that is the right way to go," German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer told reporters in the northern German city of Kiel.

Britain, Germany and France have sought to persuade Tehran to give up technology that could be used to make nuclear warheads in return for incentives such as trade deals and help with a civilian nuclear program.

European Commission external affairs spokeswoman Emma Udwin said: "We are working with our Iranian partners in good faith as I trust they are working with us in good faith. We will pursue that path as long as it's possible and fruitful to do so."

Russia defended Iran, its key nuclear energy market in the Middle East, where it has been building a nuclear reactor since the early 1990s in a $1-billion project.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying: "I have no grounds to believe that the situation will get out of control and that the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program will be changed.

"Russia and Iran have a specific dialogue going on to make sure Iran's nuclear program stays entirely peaceful."

Iran's Mehr news agency, which analysts say has close ties to the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ridiculed U.S. attempts to destabilize Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

"The United States is well aware that Iran has strongly withstood U.S. pressure for over 25 years ... Today, the Islamic Republic has acquired massive military might, the dimensions of which still remain unknown, and is prepared to attack any intruder with a fearsome rain of fire and death," it said.

[DrSmellThis]

They're just following through; doing exactly what they said they would via the PNAC; in a nutshell: Forcibly establishing "US-friendly governments" in key Middle Eastern countries; to cement a dominant world-role for ourselves, along with "stable" (a term which presumes lasting submission or embracing their new governments and "freedom" by other countries, a civilian neo-con presumption that our time in Iraq suggests is hopelessly false.) access to oil reserves; and cheerfully lying through their teeth in denying it. I hope the American people realize they are being "post-911-world bullshitted" in time to stop the next slaughter.

Picture this: we "half-assed take over" a few more countries without broad international support, killing hundreds of thousands more people on top of the hundreds of thousands we already have. We pull our troops out when the public and resource-realities demand it. Then we watch all the "hornets' nests" explode.

[belgareth]

That pretty much sums it up. Let's add to it that another front is going to require more manpower and more money. If we open another front, the "never going to happen" draft will become a reality and the budget deficit will grow by leaps and bounds again resulting in further hardships in this country.

[DrSmellThis]

If you listen to Condi and George W speak these days, you will notice they are getting more emboldened to articulate their neo-con imperialist philosophy. (It's the whole "voter mandate thing", plus the effects of insulation and lock-step loyalty among themselves.)

This is the whole point behind their new "peace through freedom" slogan, for example. I hope folks will start to get it. Just listen to the inauguration with this in mind. I haven't seen the speech, but can guarantee this neo-con ideology will be embedded throughout.

What is "peace through freedom?" You establish democracies in all the key hotspots, and everone will be happy with their new found freedom and capitalist economies. Then the world will be peaceful. This is the absolute centerpiece of all current US foreign policy.

It is a psychopathic idea animating a policy doomed to spectacular failure.

Notice how steadily the rhetoric about Iran is escalating -- almost daily. Yet there is nothing new from Iran these days. It is just predetermined that the rhetoric must escalate early in the second term. It is exactly like the bully who escalates to violence no matter what you say to him -- indeed, even if you say nothing. The bully even accuses you of starting the fight or threatening him -- right before he kicks the shit out of you.

[Mtnjim]

"What is "peace through freedom?" "

Simple, Do everything necessary to instigate Armageddon. Then Jesus will return and peace will reign!!:hammer::hammer::POKE:

[DrSmellThis]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush delivered his second inaugural address Thursday after being sworn in for a second term. This is a (partial, edited by DST) transcript of his remarks:

"At this second gathering, our duties are defined not by the words I use, but by the history we have seen together. For a half-century, America defended our own freedom by standing watch on distant borders. After the shipwreck of communism came years of relative quiet, years of repose, years of sabbatical -- and then there came a day of fire.

We have seen our vulnerability, and we have seen its deepest source. For as long as whole regions of the world simmer in resentment and tyranny -- prone to ideologies that feed hatred and excuse murder -- violence will gather, and multiply in destructive power, and cross the most defended borders and raise a mortal threat.

There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment and expose the pretensions of tyrants and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant. And that is the force of human freedom.

We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world.

America's vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one. From the day of our founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this Earth has rights, and dignity and matchless value because they bear the image of the maker of heaven and Earth.

Across the generations, we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. Advancing these ideals is the mission that created our nation. It is the honorable achievement of our fathers. Now it is the urgent requirement of our nation's security and the calling of our time.

So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.

This is not primarily the task of arms, though we will defend ourselves and our friends by force of arms when necessary. Freedom, by its nature, must be chosen and defended by citizens and sustained by the rule of law and the protection of minorities. And when the soul of a nation finally speaks, the institutions that arise may reflect customs and traditions very different from our own.

America will not impose our own style of government on the unwilling. Our goal instead is to help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom and make their own way.

The great objective of ending tyranny is the concentrated work of generations. The difficulty of the task is no excuse for avoiding it. America's influence is not unlimited, but fortunately for the oppressed, America's influence is considerable, and we will use it confidently in freedom's cause.

My most solemn duty is to protect this nation and its people from further attacks and emerging threats. Some have unwisely chosen to test America's resolve and have found it firm.

We will persistently clarify the choice before every ruler and every nation -- the moral choice between oppression, which is always wrong, and freedom, which is eternally right. America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains, or that women welcome humiliation and servitude or that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies.

We will encourage reform in other governments by making clear that success in our relations will require the decent treatment of their own people. America's belief in human dignity will guide our policies. Yet, rights must be more than the grudging concessions of dictators; they are secured by free dissent and the participation of the governed. In the long run, there is no justice without freedom, and there can be no human rights without human liberty.

Some, I know, have questioned the global appeal of liberty -- though this time in history, four decades defined by the swiftest advance of freedom ever seen, is an odd time for doubt. Americans, of all people, should never be surprised by the power of our ideals. Eventually, the call of freedom comes to every mind and every soul. We do not accept the existence of permanent tyranny because we do not accept the possibility of permanent slavery. Liberty will come to those who love it.

Today, America speaks anew to the peoples of the world:

All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: The United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you.

Democratic reformers facing repression, prison or exile can know: America sees you for who you are -- the future leaders of your free country.

The rulers of outlaw regimes can know that we still believe as Abraham Lincoln did: "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it."

The leaders of governments with long habits of control need to know: To serve your people you must learn to trust them. Start on this journey of progress and justice, and America will walk at your side.

And all the allies of the United States can know: We honor your friendship, we rely on your counsel, and we depend on your help. Division among free nations is a primary goal of freedom's enemies. The concerted effort of free nations to promote democracy is a prelude to our enemies' defeat.

... By our efforts, we have lit a fire as well -- a fire in the minds of men. It warms those who feel its power, it burns those who fight its progress, and one day this untamed fire of freedom will reach the darkest corners of our world.

A few Americans have accepted the hardest duties in this cause -- in the quiet work of intelligence and diplomacy ... the idealistic work of helping raise up free governments ... the dangerous and necessary work of fighting our enemies.

... America, in this young century, proclaims liberty throughout all the world and to all the inhabitants thereof..."

[DrSmellThis]

If you listen to Condi and George W speak these days, you will notice they are getting more emboldened to articulate their neo-con imperialist philosophy...

This is the whole point behind their new "peace through freedom" slogan, for example. I hope folks will start to get it. Just listen to the inauguration with this in mind. I haven't seen the speech, but can guarantee this neo-con ideology will be embedded throughout.OK. I am trying to follow through on my analysis, and prediction about what the inauguration speech would say.

I have reproduced the relevant parts of the speech above for everyone's convenience. I am asking you all to please note the themes embedded in the speech. You have to look beneath the pretty words, since every political speech, even those by evil dictators, is carefully crafted to sound pretty:

* Note that the whole purpose of our foreign policy according to Bush is to make "freedom" be everywhere. It's not about any of the other important tasks people living together on the same planet have.

* Note the emphasis on the inevitability and destiny of it all.

* Note that he wants us to believe, literally, that "our survival" depends on the advance of our form of government and society in every single nook and cranny of the world. It's fight or die for us in this respect. There will be lots of propaganda and brainwashing attempts about this over the next four years. Get ready.

This was the exact same rationale used by Hitler against the Jews (see Mein Kampf). This propaganda technique worked extremely well in convincing the German people to go along with him. In order to convince humans to be OK with large scale killing, you have to make them believe their survival depends on it.

* Note Bush's use of the term "enemy" to refer to any government and society that is not like ours.

* Note in the last sentence that we are proclaiming that the whole rest of the world is hereby free. He's making a "declaration of independence" for everyone everywhere. He is the official spokesperson for all human beings.

* Note the prominent role of God in all this. God has decreed it so.

* Note the obligatory denial of the intention to impose anything on unwilling folks. This is lying through the teeth.

* Note that this whole philosophy makes the invasion of Iraq make perfect sense -- from within that philosophy, of course.

That was a chilling speech.

[belgareth]

Other than a few different words, this is the theme of our foreign policy for the last 60-70 years under every administration, except maybe Jimmy Carter. We've used extortion, bribery, assasination and outright war time and again.

[DrSmellThis]

You have a point. We were a lot more isolationist before WWII. Then there was the wiping out of the American Indians, and "manifest destiny." We were never really the good guys. The Truman Doctrine was another step, though not with the sinister element.

But I would put it as a bit more gradual change, emergence, and solidifying of our "national philosophy", with this point in history being the "pinnacle," so far. It's not just about bribery or assasination attempts, and at least we had a treaty with South Viet Nam, with some felt obligation to protect them. But I agree we had a similar attitude about communism as something that needed to be wiped out. But this business about unilaterally conquering non-threatening countries that are minding their own business; and installing governments, to the tune of hundreds of thousands dead, is new. Even if we somehow "fabricated Pearl Harbor", my own "history book" says it's worse now, and especially bad during the last 25 years after Jimmy Carter. Some of the PNAC documents really cemented it.

At the very least, our corrupt leaders have gotten better -- with the help of advances in corporate culture and technology -- at manifesting their imperialism. Can we at least say that much?

Regardless, the important thing is to be responsible to the moment now, and not to fall into the trap of "Oh well, this is the way it's always been. So what's on the TV?" We need to feel the reality of it emotionally, and help each other do this.

[belgareth]

You know me better than to think I would say "Oh well" about it. I will agree that the governments have got better at it, much to my disgust and dismay. It goes right back to my belief that we, as a people, need to do something to rein in our government. It is time for us to stop accepting the fallacious claim that domination of others is the solution.

[DrSmellThis]

It is time for us to stop accepting the fallacious claim that domination of others is the solution.Well said.

[koolking1]

looks like some of my wishes are going to come true - a return to the draft and an invasion/crippling of Iran. What I find amusing is the propaganda required to implement both - why not just state the obvious? We were attacked 3 years ago and somebody has to pay for it. I just hope the Bush kiddies volunteer for the Army first before they get drafted, it would say a lot to me. HA HA HA HA HA

[koolking1]

I did listen to the speech today and found the exhortation to our young to be inspiring. I'm pretty sure the daughters of President Bush will be the first in line to volunteer for the Army. I sure hope so as it might spare one of my two daughters from having to go.

[DrSmellThis]

If my daughter volunteers I'll kidnap her and move us to France (the perfuming capital of the world.) I mean, um, I really hope she joyfully heeds the President's call to duty. Installing freedom in every land is the supreme duty and destiny of our -- I mean THEIR -- generation. Our Godly and moral leadership has decreed it so, and we would be treasonous to think otherwise. It's God, COUNTRY and then family, after all.

I therefore honor President Bush's upcoming sacrifices. I accordingly forgive the Bush twins for being drunk and morose at the ceremony.

[DrSmellThis]

January 21st, 2005 2:48 am
Cheney Says Iran Tops List of Trouble Spots

WASHINGTON (Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml%3Bjsessionid%3DUTOAX0OL1UJOUCRBA EOCFEY?type=topNews&storyID=7385562)) - Vice President Dick Cheney said on Thursday that Iran was at the top of the administration's list of world trouble spots and expressed concern that Israel "might well decide to act first" to eliminate any nuclear threat from Tehran.

"You look around the world at potential trouble spots, Iran is right at the top of the list," Cheney said in an interview aired on MSNBC on the day that George W. Bush was sworn in for a second four-year term as president.

Cheney, one of the chief architects of the Iraq war, said the administration would continue to try to use diplomacy to address what he said were serious concerns about Iran's nuclear weapons program and ties to terrorism.

The administration has also accused Iran of interfering in the affairs of neighboring Iraq, where U.S. forces have been bogged won in a ferocious insurgency since the 2003 invasion.

If Iran resists demands to rein in its nuclear program, Cheney said the next step would be to take the matter to the U.N. Security Council and seek international sanctions "to force them to live up to the commitments and obligations."

Cheney described Iran's nuclear program as "fairly robust." Iran denies its nuclear facilities are to be used to make weapons. Cheney, who was a leading advocate for the Iraq invasion, said one concern was that Israel might act against the Iranians "without being asked."

ISRAELIS COULD ACT

"If, in fact, the Israelis became convinced the Iranians had significant nuclear capability, given the fact that Iran has a stated policy that their objective is the destruction of Israel, the Israelis might well decide to act first, and let the rest of the world worry about cleaning up the diplomatic mess afterwards," Cheney said.

Israel set a precedent for such action in 1981 when it sent warplanes to destroy Iraq's French-built Osiraq reactor, seen as the key to President Saddam Hussein's nuclear ambitions.

"We don't want a war in the Middle East, if we can avoid it. And certainly in the case of the Iranian situation, I think everybody would be best suited by or best treated and dealt with if we could deal with it diplomatically," Cheney said.

Like Cheney, Bush has stressed the importance of diplomacy in dealing with Iran, but said this week, "I will never take any option off the table."

The Bush administration imposed economic penalties this month against Chinese companies it accused of helping Tehran improve its longer-range ballistic missiles.

After being sworn in on Thursday Bush admonished what he called "the rulers of outlaw regimes" and said, "We will defend ourselves and our friends by force of arms when necessary."

The New Yorker magazine reported this week that the United States has been conducting secret reconnaissance missions inside Iran to help identify potential nuclear, chemical and missile targets. The White House and Pentagon have disputed the report.

[tim929]

:frustrate I am ever amused by Americans who say that we are a people of peace....What is it in our nations history...pre revolution or post...that would give anyone the idea that the United States is a nation of peace? I recently left a post in another thread regarding the argument over teaching "inteligent design" vs. evolution in the public schools.Remember...it was our public schools that left people so incompitent that George W. Bush was elected not once...but twice! Unfortunatly,these same public schools gave us the people who put John Kerry as the nominee for the Democratic party.Please don't hold this against me...I am a Republican...and I was greatly disheartend that our current president was elected the first time around...I was truly heartbroken when a candidate as weak as John Kerry was put forth to try and get us out of this mess.There is a real need in this country for change...but I'll be damned if I can figure out where to start.:frustrate