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Hasan Sarbakhshian / AP file
An oil refinery and petrochemical complex is seen in the port of Mahshahr, Iran, in May 2007. A new report says a U.S. and EU oil embargo has severely reduced Iran's oil exports and revenues.
Are economic sanctions successful if the Iranian economy crashes but the regime continues developing its nuclear program? That is the dichotomy now playing out inside the Islamic state, according to new data on the Iranian economy and its nuclear program.
The latest data on the quantitative success of the sanctions comes from an economics research firm, the Rhodium Group of New York. In a paper published last week, Rhodium said that customs data from around the world show both Iranian oil exports and revenues have dropped precipitously.
“As customs data for the month of July rolls in, we’re getting a clearer picture of Iranian exports the first month after new U.S. and EU sanctions formally took effect,” states the report. “And it’s not a pretty one for Tehran.”
Specifically, the report states that the “best guess” on Iranian oil exports in July is no greater than 940,000 barrels per day, down from 1.7 million barrels per day in June and 2.8 million barrels a day a year ago. Oil revenue dropped even more sharply, from $9.8 billion in July 2011 to $2.9 billion a year later. The disparity between the drop in oil sales and the decline in revenues was partly attributable to tumbling oil prices; even the value China’s oil imports dropped 28 percent from June to July.
But Trevor Houser, the author of the report and a former senior adviser to the Obama State Department, says the success of the sanctions is surprising even to those who thought them up. “The July decline in Iranian oil exports and revenue is greater than anyone imagined would occur when U.S. sanctions were signed into law at the beginning of the year,” said Houser, a partner at Rhodium Group.
Iran's currency hits fresh low against dollar as sanctions bite
U.S. and international sanctions -- mainly imposed by the European Union -- constrain a broad range commerce with Iran. They encompass the oil embargo, restrictions on the Iranian banking sector and its ability to carry out international transactions, the importation of industrial and construction equipment, and even luxury goods.
One of the most crippling has been a ban by SWIFT, the international financial clearinghouse, on Iranian funds transfers. Officials say the SWIFT sanctions have been particularly effective in limiting Iranian imports of all sorts of goods, even food supplies. The sanctions are so broad that the U.S. Treasury Department has exhaustive documentation on what is permitted, what is not, as well as licensing requirements.
At the same time, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s quarterly report on Iran’s nuclear program shows while Iranian oil revenue was declining, there was a simultaneous and dramatic increase in the number of centrifuges at Iran’s once-secret Fordow nuclear site. Iran in fact more than doubled the number of installed centrifuges -- from 1,064 to 2,140 -- in May, the IAEA reported.
Iran test-fires missile with new guidance system
The centrifuges, which are not the latest models that Iran possesses, have not been turned on, but U.S. officials call the speedup “troubling” if not a “game changer.” The Iranians also have increased their stockpile of highly enriched uranium, indicating that they have been getting better at the enrichment process.
Yuval Steinitz, finance minister of Israel, offers insight on keeping the Israeli economy afloat despite the threat of Iran's nuclear program and a war of words.
Finally, at a military nuclear site named Parchin, which the IAEA wants to inspect, crucial buildings had been demolished and earth removed, the IAEA reported. Western diplomats see this as part of a cover-up by Iran of illicit nuclear-linked tests.
'Economic warfare'
So while the shipping data show the sanctions are a quantitative success – causing a rapid deterioration of Iran’s oil-driven economy – the IAEA data suggest no qualitative success. Iran continues to install new centrifuges and enrich more uranium, while refusing to permit IAEA inspections of Parchin.
“The challenge is it (the embargo) doesn’t seem to have much of an impact,” on Iran’s behavior, Houser admits.
CNBC: Iran oil revenue shrinks as sanctions sting
That doesn’t mean sanctions should be abandoned, says Mark Wallace, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who runs an activist group, United Against Nuclear Iran, that’s engaged in shaming Western companies into abandoning business in Iran.
"Sanctions are clearly having an impact, but we can do much more and must,” said Wallace, who advocates “economic warfare” against Iran. “Importantly, the most robust sanctions in history can only prevent Iran from going nuclear if they are part of a larger strategy that includes thoughtful military planning and rigorous diplomatic activity."
Iranians feel the pain of sanctions: 'Everything has doubled in price'
Wallace points to victories big and small. He notes that in the last few days, a Russian firm decided to stop verifying safety and environmental standards for one of Iran's biggest shipping groups, making it more difficult for it to operate internationally.
It’s not surprising that economic sanctions don’t produce an immediate effect, says David Albright, founder and president of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), which monitors nuclear proliferation. They take time.
“It’s a sticky thing with sanctions,” said Albright. “Nothing happens and then suddenly something big happens. It’s hard to predict what's going to happen over next six months as the sanctions tighten.
At schools, in shops, and on the streets of big cities and small towns, daily life plays out in Iran.
“The other part of the story (that Iran continues to make progress on its nuclear program) is true, which is why it’s all immensely frustrating to countries. It argues that ways have to be found to delay Iran from making progress on its nuclear program, because in a sense you need more time for sanctions and that means more covert actions,” like the Stuxnet virus and attacks on Iranian scientists. The former is believed to have been a joint U.S.-Israeli sabotage operation, while the latter is said to be an Israeli secret service initiative.
Israel tells US time is running out for peaceful end to Iran nuclear dispute
Albright also says that the sanctions have to be accompanied by a threat of military action if Iran continues on what the U.S., Israel and other Western nations believe is a path to nuclear weapons.
“The part of it is that it has to be clear in Iran's mind is that the United States will strike militarily to stop them,” he said.
Iran: 'We can manage this'
Iran’s response has been that it will never give up its “legitimate” right to develop nuclear energy, while steadfastly denying it is working on a nuclear weapons program.
Privately, Iranian officials dismiss the effect sanctions have on Iran’s nuclear policies. They say the effects of the Iran-Iraq War that ravaged the country for eight years in the 1980s -- a war in which the United States covertly supported Saddam Hussein’s regime – were far worse.
“If we could manage that, we can manage this,” said one official, speaking with NBC News on condition of anonymity.
A U.S. official indicates that no significant developments have occurred as world leaders meet with Iranian representatives in Turkey to discuss Iran's nuclear intentions. NBC's Ali Arouzi reports.
Asked to estimate the chances that sanctions will lead to Iran ending its uranium program, the official replied, “Zero.”
Other Iranian officials say the sanctions are part of a “secret war” led by the U.S. and Israel that also includes the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists, infections of Iranian computer networks, drone overflights and even U.S. Special Forces insertions within Iran’s borders.
Iran: We can destroy US bases 'minutes after an attack'
In the face of such provocations, one suggested, how long can Iran decline to respond?
Reprisals could already be under way. Israel has accused Iran of planning or carrying out recent attacks on its diplomatic personnel in Azerbaijan, India and Thailand, as well as orchestrating a bombing that killed four Israeli students on vacation in Bulgaria.
The Iranians strongly deny any role in those plots.
Robert Windrem is a senior investigative producer for NBC News.
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Wouldn't it be helpful if Obama's best advisor/confidante Turkey's PM Erdogan would enforce sanctions ? Turkey is paying in gold for transactions. India is importing oil-ditto South Korea. Iran's nuclear program is almost at the point of no return-yet US/Obama/State/HRC- no 'red lines'- diplomacy of 5+1 is the MO for them. Since when does US delegate negotiations to EU/For.Secr.Catherine Ashton ? of this importance? Obama adm. through leaks,through selected rebukes on Israel ,through allying itself with Egypt's MB in military exercises,financing Egypt's submarine buys from Germany by foregoing debt $1 billion + $4.8 billion in IMF loans when Iran and Egypt are the Syria civil war negotiatiors with UN/AL backed talks. (there was a warning issued by Egyptian security agency for US and Israeli embassies' personnel of imminent threats over 2 hrs ago).Canada;s demarche by recalling its embassy personnel from Iran and requesting Iranian embassy staff leaving Canada (expelling) now within 4 days has meant more than Obama's 3 letters of 'can't we negotiate?- talks with EU-underlings- 5+1 -Ashton/counterpart- Schmitt/counterpart- lets resume talks in late September. Iran's nuclear [program in the meanwhile has doubled/tripled)- it has been building S-300 missile Iranian copies- drone copies- cooperated with North Korea on nuclear 'forward'. Ahmedinejad will be speaking at the UN opening in September on Yom Kippur while Iran regime's goal is the annihiliation of Israel and sending Guard Corps to Syria to fight on Assad's side (where are the chemical weapons-allegedly on their way to Tartus- where do they end up? in whose hands? Iran's? Hizbollah's? Hamas?). When there was the Iranian Spring- Obama wasa not even leading from behind- not a finger lifted for Iranians wanting to live as citizens of non theocratic Republic.
Your remaking history thru your own prejudice, Iran was praying for Obama to say or do something as anyone with half a brain would know. Any action by the west would discredit that movement, unless you think we should invade, or bomb Iran which would really get the people of Iran on the movements side (not). Any military action would cement the current leadership in place, while sanctions will help to destabilize the current govt.
Here you sit with your great data, pontificating about our relationship with Iran. I really am sick of this attitude that we should justify military action with Iran by throwing around numbers and mixing them with a bit of fear mongering that our country's rabid right is so good at. I, for one, don't want another war; not now and not until REASONABLE people (and that is not you) have made EVERY effort to resolve this issue non-militarily. BTW, here we, the US, are sitting on the biggest stock pile of these weapons in the world and our friend Israel has them as well and then we have the nerve to dictate to others that they should not have them? Rich!
Great post Henery-1014127
Not to worry, it seems inevitable that we'll end up in war with Israel against Iran if Romney is elected.
He's ready for war, more money to be made for a select few. I've sure some are complaining since the wind-down in Iraq, and the pending pull out of Afghanistan.
OBAMA/BIDEN....2012!!!!
mimi,
And what Obama Administration was supposed to do about it ? Bomb Iran ? Invade the country ? Any kind of outside intervention would surely play into the hands of the regime.
As for the Iranians, most of them would like to live as citizens of non theocratic Republic, just like most people who lived in the former Communist Block wanted to live in free democracies. The time will come when Iranians will live as citizens of a free, non theocratic country.
"Sanctions successful but Iran is undeterred"????????????????
Doesn't sound successful to me.
At the end of the day, Israel will end up attacking Iran's nuclear facilities. Obama will condemn the attack, and Iran will be at war with Israel without America having their back as long as Obama is President. After all, there is quite the turmoil within the Democratic party regarding their own platform acknowledging Jerusalem as Israel's Capital let alone supporting them. Even the word GOD seems to be an issue with Democrats being used within their platform.
Currently only 40% of Iranian oil is embargoed, with the Saudi's supplying the Chinese with the shortfall at a lower price.
The next move will be increasing the amount of oil embargoed, with the Saudi's making up that shortfall also.
Ultimately the Chinese will have no dog in this fight, because all their energy needs will be met by alternate suppliers at a lower price than Iran provided. That will be one ally seperated from Iran.
Putin has already indicated he is willing to do business with Obama. If Obama offers no backing for the eastern European missile shield in exchange for Putin walking away from Iran, who knows?
Diplomacy is the art of isolating your enemy from their allies, thereby setting them up for defeat.
It's like a game of chess, once Iran sees it will be checkmate it would be foolish to play any more.
these sanctions are an act of war against a nation that has done nothing wrong or done anything not done to it first. operaton ajax put decades of further oppression on the persians. when the cia puppet saddam invaded iran, it was us who provided him with military aid in that 8 year bloodbath that killed millions. iran provided the intelligence for operation opera, but no one in the aipac puppet media or our government tells this. such utter and sheer madness this all is; and it's because our media and our government are netanyahu/aipac blowup doll puppets.
Henry,
United States, Israel and many other countries have Nuclear Weapons for the purpose of deterrent and have stated as much. Iran is wanting to get nuclear weapons for aggressive purposes and as it states " eliminate the Zionist regime". If Canada public stated it wanted to eliminate the United States, frequently fired rockets into our borders, and was trying to get a nuclear weapon would you just stand by and do nothing? If this world stands by and lets this murderous regime go nuclear it will be the largest failure since the Neville Chamberlain and the Munich Pact. (Look it up)
Erich, you always defend governments who shoot and imprison opposition in their own country, while supplying illegal weapons to terrorist groups that target and kill women and children? The fact they openly say they want to eliminate Israel and all the Zionist doesn't bother you?
What a lead in, we are successful but have failed. Square Dude your analogy is one of the reasons we have problems in that area of the world. What part of these sanctions are you considering not a war? Every day they stand up to the West they win and believe me they consider it a war already. Consider the aspects involved, war is waged on many levels, denying the enemy resources, then by removing the government unless they cooperate either way it is war.
It's a shame we don't get along with Iran. It's one of the more modern Islamic countries over there and could be a model of stability and democratic rule if it wanted to be. How frustrating it must be for Iranian youth who can see the brass ring western tech and institutions offer them, but can't grasp it because of some old men clinging to their pride and outmoded way of life. They would rather have nuclear weapons than a booming economy and good relations with the developed world.
CPO Sharkey
You have a great perception of what is going on behind the scenes . I agree with your logic and point of view. All to many posters take the radical political view. That view will only lead to WW-3. Cooler heads must prevail or the world will be toast.
bob
Sanctions are in place, and we can't do much more, unless you take Romney's lead and encourage Israel to nuke them.
If any of his 5 sons volunteer for the military, I'll vote for him. Otherwise, he is just another republican Chicken Hawk like Dickhead Cheney.
Now close the pocket book and stop sending them money that's needed right here. And how about fining corporations who defy the sanctions and still trade with them. I'm sure if they took a good look we'd find a good number of US corporations dealing with Iran it would be a follow the dirty laundry.
Sanctions will mean nothing once Iran goes Nuclear. They will hold the world hostage and ask for the sanctions to be dropped or else. Short term they will be hurting, but if they are able to get a nuclear weapon they will begin to make demands and the world will have no choice but to either cave on their demands or go to war with a state that has nuclear weapons. As in World War I and WWII, the longer you wait in hopes to avoid war the more costly the war will be.
CPO Sharkey, your first mistake would be trusting Putin. Russia has not once backed the United States in actions against Iran or Syria despite the fact Obama already shelved the missile defense sheild in 2009. -
"Obama abandons missile defence shield in Europe" http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/17/missile-defence-shield-barack-obama
"Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrovgrumbled that US sanctions on Syria and Iran were harming Russian business interests because they were “increasingly becoming extra-territorial in nature.”
"Russia has stirred Western and Arab world anger by vetoing three UN Security Council resolutions to sanction Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and some EU ministers showed little sympathy for the stance."
It would have been beneficial if this article identified who is still trading with Iran besides the smugglers along their coastal areas and cross border areas.
I don't think the Iranians are nearly as stupid as you claim they are. If Iran tried to use nuclear weapons on any nation, there would be no Iran left. I know it. Obama knows it. The Israelis know it. And the Iranians know it.
The only person who seems to not know it is you.
Screw nuclear weapons. Fix the damn gas prices.
Bryon, you obviously are not aware of their religious beliefs, if you were you would know that they don't believe they will be destroyed and that attacking Israel will bring the 12th Imam. Do a little research before you make assumptions based on your view of the world. These crazy leaders are totally willing to martyr themselves for their religion and the only one who seems to be unaware of their beliefs and intentions is you.
For those pushing war... have you thought for one moment beyond that short moment of war? What follows a war with Iran? A war will probably destabilize the Middle East for at least 4 more decades. And you had better get them all, because if there are any Iranians left, they and their kids and their kids will be hunting our asses down for years to come. Where do you think oil prices would go? What would happen to the world economy? Just where are you going to get the money for such a war... or do we just pull a Bush and say "deficits don't matter"?
No. We need to keep Romney's lame "principles" out of foreign affairs and away from Iran. Our continued escalation and enforcement of sanctions are working and will either result in a turn-around by Iran or a complete collapse... and at least we'd have taken the high road throughout the process.
Obama/Biden 2012
I wonder if this and the fact that an election is coming up is the reason for $4 gas? If not for the embargos oil would be cheaper. How many years has Russia had their nukes pointed at the U.S. and you do not hear us FING CRYING BLOODY MURDER about it. We were sworn enemies so STFU you bunch of crybabies, worse then white women in danger at over exaggerating things. IT WAS THIS BIG I SWEAR IT!
I love how the GOP BLINDLY support Israel, 100% solidarity is for slaves that only know how to do what their masters tell them to do. The U.S. is nothing more then dogs to many. The same way you think about the 99%, THEY THINK ABOUT YOU. They are using you just like you use us. 9/11 would not have happened if not for Israel. Think about the number of lives that have been lost just to form it. More people have died over that stupid piece of land then any other in our history. We would be much better off without it, move the people out, and make it uninhabitable. PROBLEM SOLVED, but no one wants the simple easy fix, we have to kill each other and have wars instead...hooray.
How much of a threat is North Korea again?
O'bama is doing the same thing to us here in the states. As Clinton would say after he had his way with a Martian against its will....I feel your payne
"Sanctions are working but Iran is undeterred."
Yep, those sanctions are really working well.
Wait a minute......next campaign speech insertion: "My International policies are working" replacing "GM is alive and well".
Tired, considering Stalin killed 20 million in his country alone, I would say FAIL. And dont tell me it wasn't for a piece of territory. How does the election have anything to do with the gas price and the embargo? Last I checked it is Obama who is pushing the embargo (which I support as a much better option to war, but don't think it is an infallible option) and wouldn't he in fact want gas to be CHEAPER? I am an independent and I support Israel, though certainly not blindly. Russia put their nukes a 100 miles from us in Cuba and I guaran-freakin-tee you it caused alot of angina. Don't believe me? read up about that time. Bomb shelters were getting stocked, etc. My parents have told me clearly about those days. As for easy fixes-----hahahahahaha where in life is there an easy fix, man? Life is tough and complicated. Solving one issue creates a blowback at times by the solution. Don't believe me? Think about the release of certain insects into different ecosystems to kill off on problem, but creates a whole nother. I appreciate your emotional idealism, but it ignores reality.
Kornfed and Ido,
What? You guys are losing it.
You silly people who think by not taking action somehow avoids war. How much action was taken against Afghanistanbefore 9/11? Where were we fighting in the middle east before 9/11? Oh, that's right we weren't doing anything over in the middle east other then supporting a western style democracy called Israel. Because Arabs hate Jews and we stand with them we are also hated. Israel and the Jews have seen this hate before and they know how it ends and will not allow it to happen again. IRAN WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO GO NUCLEAR! Israel will attack no matter what us in America think or do if Iran continues their program. You want to avoid war, make sure Iran doesn't come close to having a nuclear weapon.
"Sanctions are working but Iran is undeterred."
Maybe it depends what the meaning of "working" is, but if the sanctions to stop Iran from pursuing their nuclear program were working they would no longer be pursuing nuclear weapons. So although the sanctions are tough and hitting Iran hard they are not "working".
Next headline Idea....
"Obama's policies are working, unemployment, economy undeterred"
LogicReguired
How? By going to war? Avoid war by war? WTF?
Yes, logic is required... and your post is void of same.
My post never said "never", it was just meant to reminded you and others that war is a last resort, and that it isn't an end-all, and that it wasn't time yet.
Hello folks, our country is broke and weary of war. If Israel wants to start a war, let them finish it alone. The elite are ratcheting up the rhetoric and the warmonger sheeple are getting sucked in to the propaganda. Let’s take an objective look at the Iran situation. Ask yourself, what would happen if Iran attacked an oil refinery in the US? Of course we would go into Iran and bomb their country. Well, we bombed an Iranian oil refinery and they didn’t retaliate. We issued sanctions on their oil and export industries and they didn’t retaliate. Israel is killing their scientists and they didn’t retaliate. Why is that?
While appearing vulnerable they took control of the most sophisticated drone on the planet, brought it down intact and downloaded and deciphered the encrypted information and have our Military intelligence (I know it’s an oxymoron) people worried that top secret information has been compromised. What the U.S. is mostly worried about is that Iran has Magrav technology, if so, anything requiring electronics would be rendered useless.
Do you believe that the Iranian’s have the capability to bring down a state of the art drone and have it land where they want it to and down load and decipher complex encrypted code? It appears that Iran has been getting help and lots of it from a very sophisticated source or sources. The US already declared war on Iran by issuing sanctions and covertly bombing them but they don’t dare overtly go in because it would jeopardize China’s oil flow, piss off Russia, Turkey and the local Arab countries. This would also force Iraq to support Iran. We got kicked out of Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan is trying to get us to leave their country. The Middle East is kicking us out which means we are running out of staging areas and NATO support for an attack on Iran. The US tried to concoct fraudulent excuses to stir up public support to go into Iran. There was the laughable assassination ruse of the Mexican drug cartel and the more unbelievable law suit stating Iran was part of 9/11. There were also claims that Iran attacked Iraq, etc.
In the past year, Syria has seen a massive infusion of arms and terrorists from outside its borders. At the same time, the U.S. has attempted to manipulate world public opinion and exploit the chaos it unleashed in Syria.
The U.S., NATO, Saudi Arabia, and Israel continue to stir up trouble in Syria to get a larger war going in the region. Their ultimate goal is to attack Iran, but first they want to take out Syria who is a militarily strong strategic ally. The U.S. and their allies have openly admitted to funding the rebels which include Al Qaida. Here we are claiming to have killed Al Qaidi's number two man in Yemen and we are recruiting, arming and funding them in Libya and Syria. They are not only supplying armaments they are supplying U.S. paid mercenaries.
The elite are running out of false flags. Iran is out foxing the US because they have the world divided and we can’t command an organized response. The UN Security Council voted against the US a few months ago. China and Russia have gone on record that if Iran is attacked they would support Iran. The world is getting fed up and bored with our Imperialism and the elite who orchestrate war.
We have been fighting urban wars of attrition for over 10 years now and we are broke, our allies are broke. We have spent close to 3 Trillion dollars in Afghanistan and Iraq. We can’t afford another expensive protracted war a half a world away and the US citizens are sick of war. There is 85% support for Ron Paul amongst our troops because they are sick of war and he’s promised to end the wars, too bad his delegates were illegally removed at the RNC. The lengthy wars have depleted our manpower, equipment, and our political capital.
Recently the Census Department of the Federal Government reported that “50% of the nation’s population were living below the poverty line”. Our nation’s wealth has been exhausted by war so that we could secure profits for the Banking, Oil, and Military/Industrial cartels. We never saw a dime of it and never will because the 1% elite feel they have a Divine Right at our expense. You know their motto, privatize profits and socialize losses. They truly can’t squeeze much more from the peasantry but they will try.
Our government has been trying to get Iran to do something stupid so that we can attack them but they won’t do it. Iran isn’t Iraq or Afghanistan. They haven’t done anything, aren’t weak and they aren’t bluffing. They are asserting their right as a sovereign nation and have the support of some very powerful countries. If we attack Iran, the war will be at our doorstep and then we will see how brave you who espouse war respond. When you live by the sword, you die by the sword.
Aren't several countries still buying oil from Iran? Including China? Not sure how the sanctions are going to work when so many are willing to smuggle sanctioned goods in to them.
Mahmud Ajmadenijhad and the Ayatollah are praying to Ala to have Obama reelected, they know that he is weak and and we are not a treat anymore. Iran will get their nuclear Bomb before Obama end his second term if Obama is reelected. Wee the paper tiger, just one more country. Obama throw our country under the bus in Berlin . Just remember Our Commander in Chief Barack Obama told to the president of Russia in open microphone, he will have more flexibility in his second term to please them , giving up our nuclear defense in East Europe. Obama don't want us be the 1% among countries, he want to put us among the 99%.
Hello folks, punitive sanctions have a poor track record in achieving U.S. goals. One should recall the clear failure of comparable sanctions in Cuba as well as Iraq, where they eventually led to a military invasion (based on lies and exaggerations) at great human cost. Although regimes under such sanctions might be weakened in relative terms to other states in the international system, such steps only make them relatively more powerful vis-a-vis their respective populations and civil societies. If we think we are winning the hearts and minds of the International community just look at the recent NAM conference in Iran. While the U.S., Israel, Britain and France rigorously tried to dissuade any country from attending, over 120 countries flew into Iran to denounce the old world order. The planet tires of our role as the enforcement arm of the cartels and are we not better then that?
Unparalleled economic warfare and military threats will not only destroy the prospect of democracy in Iran for many years to come, but will consolidate an already authoritarian regime and plunge one of the most pro-American populations in the Middle East into economic destitution and apathy.
No other country in history has so overtly attacked the sovereignty and general well being of the people on the planet. Our hegemony knows no bounds. We have bombed over 65 countries and have been at war for 216 of our short 236 year history. By supporting such action even though you don't pull the trigger, drop the bombs, or physically prevent medicines and other humanitarian aid to reach innocent men, women and children you are just as complicit. I hope your karmic repercussions aren't as severe as the ones your support has perpetrated on humanity! And all for what? To secure access and profits for the cartels?
But yet the sheeple will continue their warmongering because that is what they are told to do. Those caught up in the herd mentality and the sleep walkers can still change and wake up and move in an enlightened direction. But to those that won't, moooooooooooo!
If Iran does get a nuclear weapon, what then?
If they launch it at the US, likely at DC, no one is gonna want to retaliate immediately because of behaviors like LMarcT's and TrustVerify's. Canada may or may not decide to fire back. Same thing with Cuba, although I'm not actually sure Cuba's remaining missiles have the range. South Korea won't fire back and neither will Russia. Maybe someone in the EU although also unlikely. So unless we actually go in ourselves, we'd be standing alone.
If they launch it at the EU or other ally of the US that is not Israel, the rest of our allies will beg us to go with them to shut down the regime and we're in a war regardless.
If they launch it at Israel like they have claimed for at least a decade, they will suffer and they know it, but remember the leaders in Iran don't care if they or their people suffer because it is for the "greater good." And that is usually when the bleeding hearts on the left declare "crimes against humanity" and the like and we get into the same situation.
If they just hold on to it, claiming a fashion much like everyone else who has nuclear weapons, bully for them. And who's to say they won't give/sell it to a terrorist organization (hell, who's to say they won't sell it to Mossad?) Iran has not exactly been big on catching, incarcerating and/or executing members of known extremist organizations like Hammas and al-Qaeda. They do a couple for public display every now and again, but never with any real concerted effort and even then Ahmadinejad has spoken several times of his support of these organizations.
So I ask again, if Iran gets a nuclear weapon, what then? The likely scenario is they use it or give it to someone who will and we go in and shut them down, but the rest of world continues to look at us as a reactive state rather than pro-active. I don't suggest going in and shutting them down right now, but use what little political muscle we have left standing in the world and tell IAEA "damn their stalling, go in and do the inspections." If Iran detains or kills the inspectors, then they're clearly hiding something. If the inspectors go in and find nothing, then let Iran have the last laugh. I know the phrase "better to be thought of as the fool than to do something that proves it," but if it's another war you don't want, then more pro-active steps have to be taken now and not just sanctions.
Wow! SSPerfectChaos, what if, what then, what if! The sun could fall out of the sky tomorrow but it probably won't. There's a higher probability that we will use nuclear weapons then anyone else on the planet. History clearly illustrates that there is only one country that has ever used nuclear weapons on men, women and children and we did it twice.
Since the Russian war in 1828, Iran has never attacked another country. We on the other hand have attacked to name a few:
Libya, Iran, Nicaragua, Haiti, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Angola, Mozambique, Honduras, Chile, Congo, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, Angola, Columbia, Peru, Panama, Yemen, Pakistan, Grenada, Mexico, etc..
So instead of demonizing a country for a what if and what then, come back to reality and see who has actually been the aggressor's when it comes to the use of nuclear weapons.
So then we were at war (without Congressional authorization) with Libya.
So you would base your vote on the choices his children make? Talk about a set up! If his sons volunteered, it would be "Look! They're warmongers! They must have learned that from Dad!" If they don't it's: "Look! Chicken-hawks! They must have learned that from Dad!"
Are you ready to condemn Obama if his kids don't volunteer too?
Iran is betting that the world will get tired of enforcing these sanctions or that Israel will attack them causing parts of the world to go to their side. This has to be a long term effort, problem is the leadership who arent as affected by the sanctions are the ones making the decisions. Israel is dreaming that any air attack by them will stop development, perhaps US involvement would help but the only sure way to stop nuclear weapon manufacture is to occupy and that wont happen. If Iranian leadership is determined enough they will eventually have a nuclear weapon no matter what Israel or the US wants.
Screw Israel. They are doingeverythinbg possible to drag us into this and to do their drty work for them. Why should Israel be the only nuclear power in the Middle East? When they disarm, then we can talk about Iran.
Frank....slow down and take a pill. Israel is not the only nuclear power in the ME. If I am not mistaken, India and Pakistan also have nukes. And for what it's worth....Israel seems to be pretty responsible with them. We CANNOT expect Iran to have the same mentality. Especially after they admittedly have said they want to wipe out Israel. So who's the real threat here? Israel or Iran.......don't have to answer, it's a rhetorical question having an obvious answer.
Since when are India and Pakistan in the Middle East? Last time I checked they were in South Asia.
Hey dumb dumb are you an atheist and stupid? First you say screw G_D's nation. Second you say why should Israel be the only nuclear power,well Israel's not ruled by kooks threatining to destroy other nations where as Iran is. A nuclear Iran will be the begining of WWIII if people like you don't smartin up,G_D help us all from people that think like you.
The whole article is s contridiction. It says sanctions are succeding but Iran is undeterred. Doesnt sound too successful to me. Iran with nukes will be WW3 and Israel and the US will be the prime targets.
Some people believe we should give diplomacy every chance. I won't work, Iran uses diplomacy to buy time.
Some say keep the sanctions and even tighten them. I agree, but Iran will simply go more black market and still have the funds for their nuclear development.
Some ask why Israel should be the only country in the ME to have nukes. I'll defer to tomthegoy in post #3.3, he answered the question fairly well and in striaght forward language that gets to the heart of the question.
I believe one day there will be a war with Iran. I don't want it, but some of the building blocks are there and as time passes, more are being added. And when the smoke clears, then comes the mystery.
Israel is a tool for America, they have already forced America into war with Iraq, they can't stand Lebanon, they want Syria, Jordan, and Iran, with those countries conquered, Israel will become the new axis of evil in the Middle East, sitting on the largest reserves of oil in the world.
America wanted a security guard near the oil rich nations of the Middle East, so they instructed the U.N to carve out a land which suited them, thus, Israel.
Iranians, as are ALL people, are entitled to defend themselves. That is only natural. Atrocities will be committed by all sides.
OBAMA/BIDEN....2012!!!!
Hi steve2! You sound like a special person! Good for you, reading the news! If I may, the article says the sanctions are successful, because they are impacting the Iranian economy better than expected. That means that Iran is taking in less money than they need. That is a bad thing for Iran! People in Iran feel :(. In another way, the sanctions are not successful, because Iran is not changing their actions. Like a little naughty boy, the spanking was painful, but the boy is still naughty! But it was still a good spanking! Now, I hope that helped you, steve2! Keep on reading!
you're right moshu-tard; if there was no Israel countries like Iran would just love us to death huh?
Israel, that little fascist country in the Middle East threatening to "bomb Iran" keeps saying it is innocent while it practices its fascism and apartheid. Look at the slide show of the Iranian people, pretty normal and decent. Perverted ideologues of AIPAC and purveyors of death, look at the record of Israel, which has caused thousands of deaths of innocent people, and Iran, which has not started a war of conflict, evidently in hundreds of years. Terrorism is in the eye of the beholder; ask the Iraqis.
Chas01c,
I don't think India and Pakistan are part of the ME.
Name calling is one of the biggest suggestions of ignorance.
This has nothing to do with love, it's all about oil. Educate yourself.
Exactly...
OBAMA/BIDEN....2012!!!!
Pakistan borders Iran and India is right next to that
"Israel ... already forced America into war with Iraq,..."
Could you expand on that one a little...I'm just curious.
Not to worry..........Odumbo the almighty has things under control..............he'll start a dialog as soon as he is reelected.
Odumbo? I don't get it... unless... OH! It's a play on the Presidents name! Because Obama is close to Odumbo which...really makes no one look stupid save for yourself, but still! Making fun of your own president, aren't you "hip".
What a witty guy.
People who use insulting names to describe people they don't like are usually the most intellectually shallow. You, Dale, are one of them. Nothing to say so insults will have to suffice, heh?
Dale is so a cliche he couldn't get printed on a bumper sticker. Good job Dale! We've seen the full extent of your commentary.
obama is dumb; go cry somwhere; or move to a country that makes it illegal to do anything but fall down and worship their leader; you'd fit right in
President Obama may be whatever you say he is and more to you. But he is still the President of the United States of America, and regardless of whether or not you agree with his politics, you should stand up. Don't run down the man who was voted into this office- one I don't see you standing up to fill. Assume the role of the loyal opposition.
Too many people seem to forget this role. Maybe it's a little too difficult for some people to comprehend. Maybe their little brains cannot handle the role of those who don't believe in our President. But, one can hope.
Oh, now I get it! I thought Odumbo was the name of an elephant. The symbol of the republican party. I couldn't understand why republicans were making fun of themselves. Now I see the clever! Unfortunately, this still does not explain Sarah Palin.
The report makes a big deal out of the fact that after imposing the sanctions that Iran's nuclear program is still forging ahead. Well it seems logical to me that it will take a bit more than a month of sanctions to have any real effect.
the big question is can we really trust the intelligence that iran is building nuclear weapons? we all know and have seen how intelligence has been made up about things in the past to get the go ahead for invasion and war.
It seems a bit logical that Israel should get rid of all wmds, and no one bombed them when they were making them or are. It seems a bit logical that sanctions aren't, and another murderous Crime Against Peace isn't. Logic says wmds are an insane example for all the paranoid countries that currently possess these mass killers of life.
Who made them the "gods" of the world, able to destroy it, not me, and I would ban them all. Control your killing instinct or work with it.
personally, I took my killing instinct and used it to master macrame. Instead of killing people, I now can make a killer testicle cozy!
"Iran sanctions exceed expectations but still don't change Tehran's behavior"
If the sanctions were meeting expectations Iran would stop making nuclear weapons.
Sanctions have worked well against Cuba for over fifty years. Uncle Sam doesn't learn from his own experiences.
I have lived in this country and the sanctions have never and will never be successful. Ask the many administrations and other countries. Do people understand how many ways Iran or for that fact any country can avoid these sanctions, and do avoid them? It is a ploy for the president to do nothing and for foreigners this is odd. He seem very weak on international policy and I would not consider Hillary very smart either. We foreigners know your president is either a liar and or has his own reason for allowing Iran and Iraq now to work together with Russia smiling on the sidelines and China the top industrial nation in the world today. China has internal problems with Bo and Li for now. America has for the first time been ranked as seventh or drooped to seventh in industrial powers and is probably even much lower.
The world order is in a mess and can not wait for your president to destroy your international military power next. What a mess he and SOROS have put Americans in today. The news is what Carl Marx said it would become: a liar for a new Communist in your case oligarchy where the Government is the only place to find a Job.
Sanctions are brief non existent holes in a dam against the World Ocean. Nothing is achieved. The UN is a glue that has not adhesive powers and only assists countries that break rules. Iran can run like your football teams and has around them.
@JG - written by a true Republican posing to be a foreigner. When you start talking about Soros this becomes clear immediately. Trust me.
And the Democrats keep blindly following...
Soros is a foreign-born billionaire who has been injecting himself into far-Left American politics for decades; funding literally about a dozen or more groups. you dont have to be a Republican "posing as a foreigner" to recognize this.
Henry - You are a left wing idiot.
Fascists are insane regarding human decency, so what's your point. Obama isn't "weak" per se, except to follow the degredation of the AIPAC crowd, we still are too fascist in this society and have a long way to go.
It is amusing to me that the reich-wingers whine about name calling and then posters like "Libsareidiots"
cannot even choose a monniker without looking to insult any who disagree with him, and his post consisted of one thought only: that being that he needed to call someone a name, and no reason as to why. Who is the idiot here?
This may be a little obvious but....can sanctions be "successful" if they do not accomplish what they were designed to do? Only the Obama administration can call something like this "successful". If you can't do something...just redefine it so it appears all is well. Typical story from NBC....just look at the headline and then the story. The headline sure is deceptive.
Evidently we didn't learn from dealing with North Korea. These countries will starve their population in order to procure these weapons.
There's a number of differences between this situation and North Korea. There's also a number of parallels that have to be acknowledged
1- the North never at any point denied pursuing nuclear weapons, they did however fake giving up pursuit a few times. But there came a point when they not only didn't deny it, but they blocked out the IAEA and basically told the world to watch us test em.
2- Iran has no reason to deny they're working on nukes, given their observation of what happened with North Korea or more precisely, what didn't happen to them.
3- Even if Iran gets nukes, they, much like North Korea, would come to the timely realization that said nukes are deterrents and not weapons of aggression.
3a- Upon that realization, they, like the North, would calm the hell down, once the nuke drama is over. Technically, the North is a bigger threat than Iran, given that they possess nukes and no one they're likely to attack does.
Worthwhile side note: North Korea has been threatening South Korea for the longest time. Nuclear armed and strategically formidable North Korea has yet to follow through against non-nuclear but technically superior South Korea
Iran has been threatening South Korea for the longest time, and are just as likely to do abso-fuqqin-nothing, citing the likelihood of consequences which the Norks were smart enough to acknowledge before doing anything too stupid.
3b- Upon that realization, Israel would also calm the hell down. That.. or get nuked.
Another worthwhile side note: We apparently are sure they have nuclear something. The only one of the 3 countries we've accused of having WMDs that we attacked was Iraq, and that's because we knew damn well they didn't.
:P Logically, who would* attack someone who has nukes? You'd jeopardize their neighbors, if not yourself and then have more countries pissed at you.
I wonder when Iran will figure out that full disclosure of whatever it is won't hurt them. Even if it is bombs, the world's not going to seriously risk attacking them.
I doubt it is bombs, though, because nobody missed the whole North Korea drama.
wow what a long-wnded bunch os stupid nonsense. actually using nukes isnt the only danger of a country like iran getting them. it's the proliferation stupid. it is reported that North Korea is directly helping iran now with their program; and then there's the arms race that will be put in motion if no WHEN iran gets nuclear weapons
But the thing is even if Iran gets a nuke will they use it? I think not. The reason is they know that if they do we have the capability to completely wipe them off the map. I know many think the Muslims won't care but I'm quite sure the government officials aren't ready to meet Allah just yet.
Yes, proliferation is an issue. But it will always be an issue until every nuke in the world is destroyed. As I see it there are really only two ways this can go. 1). Iran gets the nuke and calms down because they now feel they are 'one of the big boys', or 2). Someone tries to stop them (us or Israel). The second option will lead to a very terrible war. Probably just as many deaths as any nuclear war.
If Romney gets elected #2 is the most likely outcome. At that point all we can hope for is that it stays confined to the middle east and and all we do is provide support (no boots on the ground). I'm afraid that's not likely.
Bad news all around. Boy, I hope the Mayans weren't right.
dsb
Don't you ever get tired of blaming Romney?
WHERE do you get the inforamtion that he is just itching to go to war?
I mean Obama's media spin has said this ever since they felt they were losing. After all as Obama himself said, that if you can't fight them based on your own record, then make others afraid of them...
Romney does not strike ANY level headed person as a war monger, but UNLIKE Obama, He would stand with OUR ALLIES.
NOTE: Please Respond to these......(Talk about Romney and war)
Among other things, since taking office Obama has:
- Signed the NDAA into law -- assassinating US citizens w/o trial now legal
- Personally oversaw a 'Secret Kill List'
- Waged war on Libya without congressional approval
- Started a covert, drone war in Yemen
- Escalated the proxy war in Somalia
- Escalated the CIA drone war in Pakistan
- Will maintain a presence in Iraq even after "ending" war
- Sharply escalated the war in Afghanistan
- Secretly deployed US special forces to 75 countries
- Sold $30 billion of weapons to the dictatorship in Saudi Arabia
- Signed an agreement for 7 military bases in Colombia
- Opened a military base in Chile
There are PAGES MORE if you like.
If Israel shall attack, it will have to use bunker-busting bomb to dig 1-3 deep hole(s) so their nuclear bombs will explode deep underground. There will be less radiation in the atmosphere, but their shock waves will destroy the infrastructure of those Iran facilities and nearby cities. Those Iran that work in those facilities may survive the initial shock wave, but they will not live long because there will be no power or even air. Most escape routes or vent holes will be collapsed by the shock wave.
Obama may want to give Israel enough bunker-busting bombs so they will not need to use their nukes!!! If Obama win, Israel will atack soon after that and Dec 22, 2012 may be the doom day for Iran as a Muslim nation. If Romney win, Israel will have to wait a few more months.
What an insane proposition, play your video game elsewhere. You "human" purveyors of death and destruction.
This is not as insane as it sounds. Remember Iran calls the USA the big satan and israel the little satan, so this is not only about Israel. During the Cuban missle crises we almost went to war against a country that did not even threaten us. Now a country that bears us ill will will develop nuclear weapons because the USA lacks leadership. The Iranian leadership is not responsible or rational. They fought a prolonged war with Iraq and used their citizens as cannon fodder and lost thousands of people. They captured our staff in the American embassy and held them for over a year. They support Hizbolah, Al Quida and terorists world wide. Remember the bombing of the US embassy in Beirut? Now they are supplying troops and weapons to the Syrian regime. This is nothing compared to what they can do with Nuclear weapons. So we need to be much firmer with a real deadline or else we will end up just like with North Korea. We imposed sanctions and negotiated with them endlessly to their acquiring nuclear weapons. The Iranian leadership is radical and does not care about their people, only their religious beliefs of a world without Chrisitains or Jews matter.
The sooner we start thinking clearly on this matter the more likely we we see that we have no choice but give them a deadline or wipe out their nuclear facilities. The alternative is to go to war against them after they strike us (the big Satan)
Exactly right....If the sanctions were working then there would be no more working on nuclear enrichment. The sanctions have failed miserably since there are only a handful of small countries that are participating. China, Russia, and Iraq are all doing business with them, as are Venezuela and most of South America. At most it has forced inflation on the Iranian people, which like with our own government forcing inflation on us, it just serves to hurt the people and not those in charge as those costs are just handed down.
Spoken like a real expert on foreign policy. Are you sitting in your arm chair and are you wearing your quarterback uniform? Evidently.
Anothe one line stupid post from Henty the moron.
Oil prices down and down and gas at the pump stays up and up.
Time to throw some executives and speculators from their office windows.
16 trillion in debt after 6 years of Progressive-majority government. nothing but PROGRESSIVE FAILURE ALL AROUND. which Progressives do we start chucking out of windows??
does anyone know what a DEVALUED DOLLAR is or what it does? that is why gas along with every thing else is up. print more worthless dollars it takes more of them to buy the same item.
Well, I haven't seen the Regressives offer up a single solution in over 12 years.
But then - Regressives are not capable of creating solutions. All Regressives can create are tax loopholes to ensure they do not pay their fair share, and bitch like little girls with yeast infections about being expected to do like everyone else.
They're just not as self-important as they think they are.
I can't believe that with all the fancy little explosive devices that we possess, we just can't arrange for amadinajahd or however you spell hisname plane to expode about halfway across the atlantic after he gives his long winded speech at the u.n. meeting....
Ignorance of human life is blissful and denigrating. By the way, coyotes have their place in the wild.
So did the Dodo, Triceretops and Neandertal.
stopbs:
What about obama and his 'Secret KILL List', Or his use of DRONE attackes that kill many more then just the target they are ment for?
Don't even try this crap "Ignorance of human life is blissful and denigrating" when the man you worship is at the helm with his finger on the botton and is so happy to push it.
I DARE you Send him a Message and tell him.
More excuses for cowardice from the failed Progressive set. yes there is a chance the people of Iran would support the regime they hate now if we took out their nuclear program. those people weren't serious about reforming their own country then
Obama already has a timeline to end the sanctions and a follow-up master plan that is guaranteed to work. The timeline is shortly after Israel is destroyed. He will lie to the pulic claiming he did everything he could but behind scenes there will be jubilation. The master plan is once Isreal is destroyed, he will ramp-up his economic and military support for the Muslim Brotherhood in their religious quest to consolidate power across the Middle East and to install the Caliphate. Phase two of his master plan will be to systematically destroy our Constitution, remove God from our lives and begin the process of installing Shariah Law in the U.S.
Better stop inhaling drano Frank.
Better take your head out of your as- Hank.
Frank
If you really believe that drivel you posted why are you still here? If you hate the President so much and believe that's his agenda why stay? Move to a country you can trust.
dsb
First of all, I trust my country, it's Obama I distrust. Secondly, I am committed to helping defeat him in NOV. And finally, I love pushing libtard's buttons. Have a nice day.
Now wish it to all the world's citizens, that is to "have a nice day".
FRANK:
I Like your train of thot... Straight, to the point and HONEST!
I could swear you are speaking about the GOP, and its long term desire to create an oligarchy, controlled by the very few, the very rich,who will own 90% of everything, instead of the paltry 45% they currently control. Of course, most Republicans are oblivious to the fact that in 1969, tha top 2% owned only 8% o all the wealth of this nation. Instead, they continue to support whatever the GOP presents as "Solutions for America, even though those solutions are exactly the same as they used to create our economic meltdown. and these same failed policies continue to destroy the middle class, and redistribute wealth, under the guise of adhering to the Constitution
Wait, I thought the sanctions were to stop Iran from going ahead with there nuke capabilities. So if there successful, what are they successful at?
make believe good news.
At making sanctions look like a stupid idea.
Oh really, it didn't change their behavior. Again, who out there is surprised by this revelation?
They don't give a crap about anything that the rest of the world is going to hand them.
They would sooner see their people die on the streets from starvation than give in.
Why? Because they are religious nuts and they would just take it as a sign from their God that they are doing what their God wants.
When are the leaders of the free world going to get that through their heads. They are ruled not only by a religion, but the most ignorant, and dangerous religion on the planet.
They take what is thrown at them as a sign from some God, and they must tough it out.
You can not argue with a drunk or crazy person. To live in this day and age and be ruled by religion, instead of separation of religion and government is dealing with a crazy person.
Are you talking about the "right-wing" fascists here, obviously you ARE. If you are a "right-wing" "Christian", you aren't Christian, but you are right-wing.
stopbs
Aren't we witty today.
P.S. Why don't you live up to your screen name?
its all made up,politics ,interest and all other bull-crap,i know one thing fuel price going up,question is who getting its all the money
Commodity traders
Israel (Netanyahu) will decide when to attack Irans facilities, not Washington ! How soon after the elections is the only question and whoever is President will give either approval or disapproval ! We will just have to deal with the results like 5 or 6$ per gallon gas and heating oil !
It's deeper than a simplistic, fascist killing approach of purveying death. The world is insane enough.
The whole world knows Iran is building nukes
the whole world knows that is a bad thing; that will set off a regional nuclear arms race.
the whole world knows nothing BUT military action will stop Iran from pursuing nukes
that's all you need to know; everything else is excuses for failing to act
And the whole world (except Romney and his neo-con advisors) does not want to go to war because Iran is doing something that is entirely within their legal right to do.
Israel has a bomb, Pakistan has a bomb, India has a bomb, North Korea has a bomb. But becasue we don't like Iran, they can't?
Let's move away from the "we're the US and the world will conform to what we want" attitude and understand we are one of many countries in this world.
you're embarrassing your self as usual. most in the world want to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuke. obama himself is on record saying he would do EVERYTHING in his power to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. just what does EVERYTHING mean leftard?
again emotional loser; it isnt about us "liking" them or not. the whole world thinks Iran having a nuke is a bad thing except for the lunatic American left-wing it seems. it's whether or not the world has the resolve to act. it has noting to do with Romney or "neo-cons". ur a joke
Mark Thomas-371822
You do know that the entire Iranian leadership, both military and government, is on record multiple times stating that it is avowed intention to destory the State of Isreal. I'm sure you are also aware of the fact that they have made the same threats against the U.S. and that they have been waging a proxy war against us in Iraq and Afghanistan. So your plan is to sit and wait until Isreal is destroyed and U.S. is hit with a nuclear weapon. Brilliant!
Failure
So I assume that if President Obama launches an attack tomorrow you'll say it's the right move? And you'll be enlisting in the military the next day?
dsb
I sure would, and so would 7.8 million people in Isreal, not's that that is any consequence for you. And I've served - 5 years USAF 73 - 77. How about you? No wait, let me guess, you're a conscientious objector.
How about all the people that "served" that are totally against this. You don't have to be a "conscientious objector", just rational. And you don't speak for 7.8 million people in Israel, many of whom have consciences, know the difference between right and wrong by their values, and oppose this bs fascist and criminal killing behavior, so easily espoused by a killing philosophy that has infected this "human race" like a plague.
stopbs:
And how would you feel if your neighboring city said that they would not rest until your city was 'Wiped off the face of the earth', and they were in the process of building the tools to do that with? Then your State Governor says... "Well we will shut off their cable tv until they stop".
Get a Life Dude... Better yet... GET A CLUE
Frank:
USAF 75 - 97
USAF 75 - 97, I salute you.
“The challenge is it (the embargo) doesn’t seem to have much of an impact,” on Iran’s behavior, Houser admits.
We need to release the Israeli's. Give them help - by giving them the bunker buster's. They will then take out all of Iran's nuclear ambitions in one night. And we won't be in a war -directly.
we don't learn, this was a result of the fall of the shah. with more and more dictators falling and being replaced by other religious Muslim fanatics what do you believe will happen next? Despite what Hillary claims these stone age Mideast country's ARE NOT and NEVER WILL BE, anything but what they are now and certainly NEVER, EVER, be a friend or Allie to the rest of the civilised world.
The "civilised" world does not overthrow a democratically elected government in the first place to install a dictator, that would be "stone age".
Sanctions take a lot of time to be effective. What other options are there? Attack Iran and everyone will think the US are war mongers. We should remain on the sidelines and wait for Iran to throw a nuke at Israel or attempt to toss one our way. This way there is justification for wiping Iran off the face of the earth and no one can say a thing about it. Israel may suffer some collateral damage, but, as in the case of our young soldiers being killed everyday, spit happens.
Randy...
What part of your statement was 'Rational'?
Times: you have to cater to the Kumbaya crowd. Just like with Iraq: every politician said they had weapons of mass destruction and needed to be stopped. We went to war and everyone turned on Bush saying we should not have done so. So, to satisfy these pansies, we wait until Iran chucks one of these bad boys at us or Israel. Then we will be justified in attacking them, although there will be some still criticizing that decision.
We got Libya to stop developing nukes and then invaded and overthrew the government. We got Iraq to stop developing nukes and invaded and overthrew the government. In both case we put in a government more to the liking of our 1%. Now we want Iran to stop developing nukes but they saw what happened and are not stupid. Actions have consequences and Iran is reacting to us. By the way, Iran hasn't attacked anyone in 1000 years or so, except when Iraq was invading them under our watch. We can't go 5 years without a war.
what is the "1%"? i swear people go around saying stupid catch-phrases they dont even know what they are talking about. why would our 1% like one government over the next? if our 1% like something that means the rest of us cant?
Iran has been attacking US for decades; LONG b4 we invaded Iraq; by supporting terrorist groups all over the region. do you remember the Marine barracks bombing in Lebanon in the 1990s?
you are a joke; an uninformed joke
Iran's democratically elected government was overthrown by the operatives of the U.S. "government" in the 50's and a dictator installed, the Iraq government with S. Hussein, a supposed brutal dictator, as later announced by this "government" after they helped him be "installed" in the first place, was supported by the U.S. "government" in using wmds, poisonous gas, in a Crime Against Peace that killed a million people; speaking of "uniformed jokes", try a little history and understanding.
This conflict is going to happen. The best that we can do is to take these facilities out before they have full scale production of Nuclear Weapons. Israel has right about this fact for to long and the International Community should have listened then and taken action years ago. We now have no choice but to fight this conflict with conventional weapons or wait and do it with Nuclear Weapons. The choice now is a simple conclusion for sane men.
The "choice" you present is not sane, but insane. Israel has no right to attack any sovereign nation and has illegal wmds, which it morally must get rid of, and especially before it spouts off about committing more atrocities, which it has NO ethical or legal or any kind of right to do. Using "sane" for insanity is definitely not.
Such insanity of using "nuclear weapons" of mass death at all has a totally insane base.
stopbs:
Remmber OUR 9/11? They had NO RIGHT EITHER, and what did WE DO?
Think Before opening mouth and inserting foot.
Times- Running-Out:
What 9/11 attack has to do with Iran and not to mention Iraq. Israel could not last a month of a major war with any of its neighbors on its own without the help of the U.S.A.. If you think that wars could solve Israel problems on the expenses of the American people than you must think hard.