Featured The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Iran and the Bomb

Absolutely! :thumbsup: Iran has close ties to Lebanon and more specifically to Hezbollah and Hamas. (BBC News 2004)

Iran closed the Israeli embassy in Tehran and replaced it with a Palestinian embassy. Iran favors Palestinian national ambitions and officially endorses the replacement of Israel with a Palestinian state. Several Palestinian groups, including Hamas, are Iranian allies.

Syria and Iran are strategic allies. Syria has been called Iran's closest ally. http://www.google.com/search?q=syri...a:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&safe=active

Syria and Iran cooperate on smuggling arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon which borders Israel.

Former Presidents Hugo Chavez and Amadinijhad have both described themselves on the world stage as opposed to US imperialism.

Iran has a history of trying to enrich Uranium. And remember it funds arms and advises Hezbollah. Rand Paul himself, a libertarian, has said we should adopt the approach of Ronald Reagan to 'contain Iran'. If this man didn't believe Iran was a threat, why bother with this?

In November 2011, the (IAEA) Board of Governors criticized Iran after an IAEA report concluded that before 2003 Iran likely had undertaken research and experiments geared to developing a nuclear weapons capability. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/18/us-nuclear-iran-iaea-idUSTRE7AG0RP20111118

The IAEA has been unable to conclude that Iran's that Iran's nuclear program was exclusively peaceful.

The UN Security Council demanded that Iran suspend its uranium enrichment program. (Resolution 1696) Why? Iran refused btw.

Then the UN imposed sanctions against Iran (Resolution 1737). Why?

Then (in Resolution 1803), the Council decided to extend those sanctions to additional persons and entities, impose travel restrictions on sanctioned persons, and bar exports of nuclear- and missile-related dual-use goods to Iran. Why?

Also (resolution 1929) imposed a complete arms embargo on Iran, banned Iran from any activities related to ballistic missiles, authorized the inspection and seizure of shipments violating these restrictions, and extended the asset freeze to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard corps. (The United States has opposed the activities of the(IRGC) based on "the group's growing involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as its support for extremists throughout the Middle East). Again...why if Iran is no threat?

The IAEA has consistently stated it is unable to conclude that Iran's nuclear program is entirely peaceful. A February 2013 Report noted that Iran has continued to deny the IAEA access to the military site at Parchin. Citing evidence from satellite imagery that "Iran constructed a large explosives containment vessel in which to conduct hydrodynamic experiments". Such installation could be an indicator of nuclear weapons development.

On 14 January 2013, the Institute for Science and International Security (a U.S. think tank) published a report titled "U.S. Nonproliferation Strategy for the Changing Middle East," which stated that Iran could produce enough weapon-grade uranium for one or more nuclear bombs by the middle of 2014. Therefore, the report recommended that the United States should increase sanctions on Iran in order to curb its ability to develop weapon-grade uranium. In addition the report states: "The president should explicitly declare that he will use military force to destroy Iran's nuclear program if Iran takes additional decisive steps toward producing a bomb."

Imo, people who claim Iran poses no threat have their heads buried in the sand.

 

How many times has Iran or Iranian backed groups kidnapped Westerners?

In 2007 Iran kidnapped 15 Royal Navy personnel.

In 2010 an Iranian backed Shia terrorist grouped kidnapped Issa T. Salomi, a US Civilian contractor.

In 2007 Iran kidnapped Robert Levinson

In 2007 5 British men (Including Peter Moore) were kidnapped by Iran by Iran's Revolutionary Guard while in Iraq.

In the '80s Rev. Lawrence Martin Jenco, a Roman Catholic priest, along with Terry Anderson, Rev. Ben Weir, and Thomas Sutherland, were kidnapped Islamic radicals financed by Iran.

Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani had been arrested and given the Death Penalty for practicing Christianity in Iran.

We're supposed to think Iran is not a threat to us? Its ok for this group to enrich Uranium and possibly develop nuclear weapons? The idea is insane.

 

One accolade on his linkedin page jumped out at me:
"Senior Advisor on issues related to the Western Hemisphere and co-editor of the "Americas Report" at Menges Hemispheric Security Project at Center for Security Policy"

Center for Security Policy = NeoCons!

Take a look at this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Security_Policy

Douglas Feith
Frank Gaffney
Richard Perle

and here:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Center_for_Security_Policy

Elliott Abrams

[Also worth noting that they are funded by one of the Scaife foundations - but no surprise there.]

Does anyone give any credence to these people?
IMO, history will not be kind to the NeoCons......

Regards,
BiR

 

If anyone still gives credence to anything said/written by the NeoCons, there is really nothing I can do for them. They've already been assimilated.

Regards, hope all is well with you and yours, poncho,
BiR

 

Thanks, BiR! I never heard of the guy until I heard him on Book TV a couple of weeks ago. I was surprised to learn of his religion but that would make him fit the classic definition of a neo-con. However, I don't think his analysis of Venezuela and the Bolivarian Revolution is exaggerated. And I do believe that Iran is a threat because of the unnecessary instability in Latin America that gives Iran and China a geographic base close to the USA. Venezuela has had a bloodbath and I would not want to visit the other countries in the Bolivarian Revolution. I was amused when Bolivia's President Evo Morales was delayed on his trip home from Russia. Morales is a pure Indian who was a cocaine grower and advocate, as you know. La Paz at an altitude of 13,000 feet is one of the largest cities in the world that far up in the mountains.

I have decided not to buy his book, but do you think, BiR, that Luis Fleischman just works for those neo-cons without having both feet in the door or do you disagree that Iran has an opening in Venezuela?

 

No, I was ignoring you because you were rude and smart-alecky, not because you were making a point. Its quite possible for people to disagree without being rude and calling people names. I'm willing to give you another chance if you can be polite in your comments to me.

And btw, I am vehemently opposed to neocons. John McCain and Lindsey Graham have done a tremendous amount of damage to the GOP and are among the primary reasons I am no longer a Republican. I'm a hard core Christian Conservative.

 

The fact that this is a political forum doesn't mean we throw out the teachings of the Bible.

Ephesians 4:32
John 15:12
Luke 6:31
1 John 4:20-21
1 Peter 3:8-12

You don't have to be hostile and condescending to people who disagree with ya. There is no reason to treat people with such contempt.

 

Wow, who's being thin-skinned now? Btw...there was nothing hostile or rude in that post. It was merely a disagreement and I questioned your source. You clearly expected it by the comments you had made earlier....gee, kinda like you were hoping someone would.

And (not that I disagree) but Bush invading Iraq has absolutely nothing to do with our discussion.

 

There is no evidence to support that. It is the equivalent to saying murders would stop if we legalized them.

 

Why not secure our borders and let our addicts go into withdrawal? The USA is the market for the drugs so just shut off the access to the market.