United States Sets Iran March Deadline

Deutsche Welle - World News ^ | Feb.14, 2004

[elfman2]

Where’s that long winded thing going? If you have the energy to spam this across every thread on FR, you should lead in with a summary of the essence that makes him something other than a war hero. People don’t have time to follow every rambling rant posted here that doesn’t get to the point right away, and believe me, there have been thousands.

[FairOpinion]

Compare this with Kerry's approach:

"KERRY: As president, I will be prepared early on to explore areas of mutual interest with Iran, just as I was prepared to normalize relations with Vietnam a decade ago."

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1076567/posts

[GretchenEE]

This is huge.

Thank you so much for the ping.

[GretchenEE]

"The United States has given Iran a deadline to end its nuclear weapons programme."

[Lucy Lake]

It IS huge. And scary. Thanks for the ping.

[ohioWfan]

Yes, I read this, Gretchen.

Bold move. Another sign that we have a real LEADER in the White House.

Iran is ready to be free.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Iran is so very close to having nuclear weaponos

---

It is more widely believed that THEY ALREADY DO than it was believed regarding Iraq and ANTHRAX.

This is an issue that could greatly impact getting W either re-elected or defeated. Kerry and the Koolaide demos, including shrillery, will get all a flutter about this.

and just in time, both the wmds in IRAQ will be discovered, AND the IRAN conflict, will come to a head and very "appalling" truths will flood the media. Iran has nukes. Iran is going to purge itself of reformers. Iran MAY even launch something OUR way or Israel's, or BOTH.

Sorry dems don't have a clue.
But W is clearly vulnerable, FROM THE EXTREME RIGHT on spending, immigration, the UN, NAFTA, patriot act and the justification with SOME conservatives for the IRAQ operations. The economy will be just fine.

IRAN will do better with forming a true democracy, than has IRAQ thus far. Unfortuneately, we Americans are going to have to brace ourselves for the pogrom and civil wars abroad, as Nations harboriing radical islam realize that their cancers must be EXCISED, with extreme prejudice.

As Islamakazis die or are tortured and imprisoned third world style, the liberals here will squeal like stuck pigs and moan like orgasmic wildabeasts.

"oh the humanities"
< /rant >

[maica]

How does today's assault on Iraqis in Falujah reported as being committed by Iranians, fit in to your timeline?

[NordP]

Hugs and Kisses, Iran....Happy Valentine's Day ;-)

[ThePythonicCow]

Thanks for the ping.

[nuconvert]

"It is more widely believed that THEY ALREADY DO ...."

I'm pretty current on just about all the Iran news, and I haven't read this anywhere. Maybe it's a belief not being expressed in print. I hope it's nothing more than conjecture. It will make turning their government around very difficult. Since they don't care about their own population, they won't care what gets lobbed back in their direction, should they strike first.
Yes, the reformists are all but gone come next Friday.
When democracy does come to Iran, it will adapt better than the Iraq. Iranians are an educated, modern people and most are more then ready for change.
As for President Bush, he does have his detractors on the right. However, there's no one else to vote for. I was wondering today, if he's trying to plan this Iran conflict (or Syrian conflict, for that matter) so that we're already engaged (or successfully finished, if that's possible) by election time; going for the "don't change horses in midstream" votes.
So much will be happening in Iran over the next few weeks and months. It's THE place to watch in the world.
</reply to rant>

[nuconvert]

He's a jerk. Otherwise he wouldn't have accepted money from pro-Iranian groups.

[nuconvert]

Let us know if you hear anything more about Iran.

[af_vet_1981]

Right. I'll believe this when more reputable American press picks up the story rather than some German newsline...

Fox news just confirmed the report.

I still want justice for the act of war perpetrated on the United States when the government of Iran attacked our embassy.

[TADSLOS]

....other options

Tehran may be having a warmer spring than usual this year.

[Robert_Paulson2]

heh heh heh....
I Like the way you think.

[xzins]

For my friend, Shaherazad, 1973-1975, Univ. of Cincy, wherever she might be.

We are all Iranians until they are free.

Xzins

[Valin]

It's not for nothing that President Bush gave a speech on this subject on the 11th
President Announces New Measures to Counter the Threat of WMD

Remarks by the President on Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation
Fort Lesley J. McNair - National Defense University
Washington, D.C.
http://www.ndu.edu/info/whatsnew/PresBush-NDU.cfm

[RickofEssex]

The United States has determined that Russia continues to sell missiles and rocket-propelled grenades to such countries as Libya, Sudan and Syria.

The State Department has identified a series of state-owned Russian companies as selling the weapons to the three Arab countries over the last two years. U.S. officials said the Moscow government ignored repeated warnings to halt the sales of the conventional weapons.

Officials said Tula Design Bureau of Instrument Building sold anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles to Libya, Sudan and Syria. The State Scientific Production Enterprise Bazalt exported grenades. Another company cited was Rostov Airframe Plant 168.

Last week, the State Department announced sanctions on the three Russian companies but avoided penalties on the Russian government. Under the sanctions, the three firms will not be able to trade with the United States.

Industry sources said the sanctions will have no affect on the activities.

Libya, Sudan and Syria are among the seven countries that the United States has designated as state sponsors of terrorism. The others on the State Department list are Cuba, Iran, Iraq and North Korea.

The companies are not the first Russian firms to be sanctioned by the United States. In 1998, the State Department listed several companies linked to the Russian Atomic Energy Ministry for allegedly exporting equipment used for conducting nuclear-weapons tests.

In 1999, 10 additional firms were listed for allegedly transferring sensitive technologies to Iran. Three Russian companies were sanctioned for selling military equipment to Syria.

[RickofEssex]

China and Iran Test-Fire Missiles
Charles R. Smith
Friday, Sept. 6, 2002
Against the backdrop of impending military action by the United States against Iraq, China and Iran have recently conducted tests of their own ballistic missile forces.

On Aug. 28, following Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage's visit to Beijing, the People's Liberation Army 2nd Artillery Corps conducted a successful flight test of its Dong Feng (East Wind) 4 missile from a launch site in southern China.

The two-stage Dong Feng 4 limited-range missile was designed initially to hit the U.S. air base at Guam and later modified to increase its range to be able to strike Moscow. The large liquid-fueled missile is armed with an H-bomb warhead equal to 3 million tons of TNT and has a range of over 4,000 miles.

China is estimated to have approximately 20 of the powerful ICBMs, which are capable of striking U.S. military assets in the Asia-Pacific theater, as well as targets in Russia and Europe.

Most of the Dong Feng 4 missiles are stored in tunnels under high mountains, and are launched immediately outside the mouth of the tunnel. The missiles must be moved into the open and fueled prior to firing, an operation dubbed "chu men fang pao" or "shooting a firecracker outside the front door."

PRC Missile Diplomacy

The Chinese missile test was considered by Western intelligence sources to be a signal by Beijing that it will continue to develop, deploy and export missile technology despite a new agreement with the Bush administration on weapons proliferation.

According to a recent report by the U.S.-China Security Review Commission, China is a leading exporter of missile technology. According to the report, Chinese proliferation of weapons, "particularly in the Middle East and Asia," poses a serious threat to the security of the United States.

"China fails to control the export of dual-use items that contribute to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems," noted the commission's report, which was published in August.

"China is a leading international source of missile-related technologies," states the report. The report also noted that China has reneged on previous promises and continues to export missile technology to Libya, Iran and Syria.

State Department Denies Visas to Chinese Space Experts

In a move seen as a response to Beijing's missile diplomacy, the U.S. State Department has decided to deny visas to about 20 Chinese space experts invited to attend the World Space Conference in Houston this fall. Over 6,000 scientists, engineers and policy-makers are expected to show up for the space conference scheduled to start in October.

The State Department flagged several members of the Chinese delegation due to "technology-transfer concerns." The word inside Capitol Hill is that the attendees were actually high-ranking military officers from the Chinese Army 2nd Artillery Corps.

North Korea and Iranian Missiles

Meanwhile, Iran also carried out an unsuccessful test of its Shahab-3 missile. The failed test flight from northern Iran occurred late last month. The Shahab missile test reflects ongoing Iranian development of the medium-range rocket, which can strike Israel, Turkey and parts of India.

The Shahab missile is reported to be a derivative of the North Korean No Dong missile. U.S. intelligence sources have accused North Korea of working with Iran for several years to develop the Shahab system.

In a recent speech in South Korea, Under Secretary of State John Bolton labeled Pyongyang "the world's foremost peddler of ballistic missile-related equipment, components, materials, and technical expertise" and a top exporter of missiles to "notable rogue state clients such as Syria, Libya and Iran."

According to Bolton, North Korea's connections with Iran and Iraq, the other countries labeled by President Bush as constituting the "axis of evil," are reason enough to continue sanctions against Pyongyang.

"There is a hard connection between these regimes – an axis along which flow dangerous weapons and dangerous technology," stated Bolton.

Another sign of war in the Middle East comes from Israel. Israel has moved to defend critical targets in case of attack from Iran or Iraq. The Israeli air force has deployed units of U.S.-made Patriot anti-ballistic missiles close to the Dimona nuclear reactor in the south of the country. The Patriots are expected to assist a unit of Arrow anti-ballistic missiles already deployed in southern Israel in the event of retaliatory missile strikes from Baghdad.

U.S. Tomahawk Armed With Directed-Energy Warhead

An additional indication that war with Iraq is in the near future comes with reports that the U.S. Navy is deploying Tomahawk cruise missiles armed with newly developed "directed energy" warheads. Several Navy warships in the Gulf region are armed with the new Tomahawk missiles.

According to U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper, the strategy to use the new missiles is "in the works."

"You have to coordinate the effects, no matter what forms they take," noted Gen. Jumper. The new Tomahawk missiles are said to be equipped with warheads that produce high-power microwaves. The directed-energy warheads are intended to scramble military computers and destroy sensitive electronics. The most likely targets for the new warheads are Iraq's Chinese-made air defense system and Iraqi chemical storage facilities.