Iran Nuclear Standoff

[brunota2003]

The only thing is...the border up there is sketchy at best, and off the trails (which sometimes to get to the best spots, you have to go bush whacking) there are no boundaries. They could've been in Iraq for all we know and gotten taken at gun point. when the boundaries are not clearly set in stone and someone points a gun at you, claiming you are in "X" country, you dont argue that you are still in "Y"...you just go "Oops..."

[vbhoutex]

The only thing is...the border up there is sketchy at best, and off the trails (which sometimes to get to the best spots, you have to go bush whacking) there are no boundaries. They could've been in Iraq for all we know and gotten taken at gun point. when the boundaries are not clearly set in stone and someone points a gun at you, claiming you are in "X" country, you dont argue that you are still in "Y"...you just go "Oops..."

Common sense tells one to stay away from areas such as this no matter how beautiful they are, especially if one is an American. A 20something I know that I watched grow up has been in the Kurdistan region of Iraq on a Christian mission(back in the states now). When these three were arrested, he and his wife were the 1st thing I thought of. Bottom line, tourists need to stay out of questionable and probably hostile areas.

[brunota2003]

Indeed they do, but people are going to do it regardless.

[cycloneye]

Iran is still not cooperating on inspections

Time is running out.

Despite allowing U.N. inspectors access to its nuclear facilities, Iran is still not fully cooperating, a senior Obama administration official said Friday.

"Iran is still not in compliance with its IAEA obligations and is not providing what has been called for, and that is full and comprehensive cooperation," the official told Reuters, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Iran's hard-line regime agreed in the last week to allow United Nations inspectors into two significant nuclear facilities, diplomats told FOX News.

United Nations inspectors have been granted access to Iran's heavy water facility at Arak, as well as the enrichment facility at Natanz -- the site of Iran's primary centrifuge installation.

Arak houses a nearly completed nuclear reactor. The site produces material for nuclear fuel that can be further enriched to provide fissile material for warheads. The past week's visit marks the first time in a year that international inspectors have been granted access to visit the heavy water reactor.

Additionally, diplomats have been granted greater monitoring rights at the site in Natanz, the location of centrifuge production and installation.

Since its clandestine enrichment efforts were revealed more than six years ago, Iran has steadily increased activities at its cavernous underground facility at Natanz, about 300 miles south of Tehran, shrugging off three sets of U.N. Security Council sanctions and rejecting talks meant to entice it to mothball the activity.

Before lifting that ban on visiting Arak, Tehran had repeatedly refused inspection requests from the IAEA, despite warnings by the agency that its stance contravened mutual agreements.

Western countries have repeatedly called on Iran to stop construction of the reactor, fearing it could be used as a second track toward building a warhead. When finished, say experts, Arak could produce enough plutonium for a nuclear weapon each year.


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08 ... latestnews

[Derek Ortt]

time is running out... until we send them another letter asking them to comply

[Lurker]

This is really troubling. Combine this with the fact that the United States continues to "beef" up military presence in Colombia all in the name of a three letter word. Iran, Iraq and Venezuela all reject the notion of pricing oil in US dollars alone.

[brunota2003]

Ugh...Iran is just...yeah:

The discovery of a weapons cache in western Afghanistan has raised concerns that Iran is interfering in the war-torn country, much like it did in Iraq, by supplying weapons used to attack and kill U.S. and coalition troops, U.S. officials tell FOX News.

Afghan and NATO forces uncovered the weapons cache on Aug. 29 in Herat. It included a small number of Iranian-made "explosively formed penetrators," hyper-powerful roadside bombs similar to the weapons used to kill U.S. forces in Iraq, a senior U.S. Defense Official told FOX News.

Also seized during the raid were 107 Iranian-made BM-1 rockets and dozens of blocks of Iranian C4 plastic explosives.

There are questions about when these weapons entered Afghanistan, but a top U.S. military official tells FOX News that an Iranian rocket was recently fired at a base in Herat. Additional intelligence suggests that Iranians have been providing support directly to the Taliban.

Other coalition countries allege the Iranian influence is even deeper and that Iranian intelligence is funneling money to Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

"There have been a lot of reports of the Iranian government one way or another having an influence on Karzai, including a lot of reports that they have provided him with a lot of money," said Fred Kagan, a member of Gen. Stanley McChrystal's recent Afghan review and a scholar from the American Enterprise Institute.

"They have succeeded at having a government in Kabul that is rather friendly to them. Karzai was one of the first leaders to acknowledge Ahmadinejad's victory in Iran's contested presidential elections and to congratulate him for it," Kagan said.

The Iranians package the C-4 explosive to look like it is American-made, and the EFP's are machine made, suggesting that Iran is home to a lucrative industry for producing these weapons, sources said. The goal remains to push U.S. forces out of Afghanistan and Iraq and to make both look like defeats.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,548 ... latestnews

[Lurker]

Expect the anti-Iranian rhetoric to intensify in the coming days.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadi ... cmAO_nI2QQ

Report: Iran shifts foreign currency reserve to Euros instead of US dollars
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (CP) – 2 hours ago
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's state radio says the country will shift its foreign currency reserves from the U.S. dollar to the euro.
The report Monday said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had ordered to move on Sept. 12. It did not elaborate.
Iran has also been gradually moving to shift its foreign reserves to other currencies as the U.S. looks to isolate Tehran over its controversial nuclear program.
Earlier this year, Iran said it was switching to the euro for its crude oil sales, which account for about 80 per cent of its foreign income.
With 4.2 million barrels per day of crude output, Iran is OPEC's second largest exporter.
Iran's had about $54 billion in foreign reserves according to a Central Bank report for the third quart of 2008, the latest available.

[cycloneye]

Iran Supreme leader says nukes are a U.S. Fabrication

Iran's supreme leader on Sunday blasted U.S. plans to overhaul the setup for a missile defense shield in Europe, calling the Obama administration's intentions "anti-Iranian," state-run media reported.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also called Western concerns about Iran's nuclear ambitions -- which Tehran says are only for energy purposes -- "purely a fabrication by the United States," according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.


http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast ... index.html

[cycloneye]

Israel=All Options are on the table vs Iran

This means they may bomb the nuclear plants anytime.

JERUSALEM - Israel's military chief said Monday that all options remain "on the table" in dealing with Iran's nuclear program, indicating that the Jewish state has not abandoned the possibility of a military strike.

Israel accuses Iran of trying to build nuclear weapons. While Tehran has denied the charge, it continues to threaten Israel with harsh statements while developing medium-range missiles capable.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32955041/ns ... tn_africa/

[Derek Ortt]

Carter administration officials are urging Obama to shoot down any Israeli jets that try and bomb Iran. Carter officials are actually wanting us to FIGHT WITH IRAN if war erupts

[brunota2003]

Any country, kingdom, empire that has ever gone against God's chosen people in the past have mysteriously vanished off the map of the world. Think about it

[Derek Ortt]

Don't want to get into a religious argument, but Israel is NOT Christian. As a Christian, the idea of Israel being God's people just doesn't add up

That said, they are an American ally. It's time we treat them as such!

[cycloneye]

Ahmadinejad warns Israel over Military Attack



(TEHRAN, Iran) — Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed Tuesday his country is now stronger than ever and warned that Iranian military will retaliate with full might against anyone who dares attack it.

"Our armed forces will cut the hand of anyone in the world before it pulls the trigger against the Iranian nation," Ahmadinejad said during a military parade marking the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 Iraq-Iran war.

The comment, though typical for Ahmadinejad, reflects Iranian concerns it could be targeted because of its nuclear facilities. The U.S. and its allies fear Iran's nuclear program masks a secret nuclear weapons pursuit, but Tehran denies the charge and says it's for peaceful purposes only.

The remark is also seen as a response to recent statement from Iran's archenemy Israel, which has said it is keeping all options — including the military one — on the table against Iran.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/ ... 11,00.html

[MGC]

These clowns could not defeat Iraq in eight years. It took the US a few weeks. Iran is only fooling itself if they think they can defeat Israel. In some ways the IDF is better than the US. The IDF don't have to worry about red tape the way the US military does. I'd take the IDF against any Arab country's military any day. If Israel does decide to take out the Iranian nuclear sites they will take out Iran's ability to retaliate. Iran won't know who or what hit them.......MGC

[Lurker]

These clowns could not defeat Iraq in eight years. It took the US a few weeks. Iran is only fooling itself if they think they can defeat Israel. In some ways the IDF is better than the US. The IDF don't have to worry about red tape the way the US military does. I'd take the IDF against any Arab country's military any day. If Israel does decide to take out the Iranian nuclear sites they will take out Iran's ability to retaliate. Iran won't know who or what hit them.......MGC

Russia warned everyone not to attack Iran. Russia has one of the largest stockpiles of weapons of mass destructions in the world.

[Derek Ortt]

Russia just wants the money Iran owes them. They can likely be dealt with via the bribe route

[Lurker]

Very interesting video on the current events out in Iran. Especially since Iran's central bank formally announced last week that they're going to sell ALL of their dollar foreign reserves into Euro's and STOP taking dollars for their oil exports. Iran's move is not getting much press here. But everyone needs to take notice of the significance of the move. Iran has basically declared war.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDL-1-GgnDQ[/youtube]

[cycloneye]

Will the U.S trust this offer by Iran?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32997109/ns ... gton_post/

[MGC]

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu today at the UN drew a line in the sand and asked countries to either be with Israel or against Israel in the war against terrorism. He also made several hints that Israel will strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.

It is getting close to hitting the fan time........MGC