Iran Tells U.S. to Stop Threatening Syria

Reuters ^ | April 16, 2003

[Lando Lincoln]

Iran Tells U.S. to Stop Threatening Syria
Wed April 16, 2003 06:57 AM ET

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's President Mohammad Khatami called on the United States on Wednesday to stop threatening Syria but said a U.S. military attack on Iraq's western neighbor was unlikely. "Our advice to the Americans is to abandon such threats," Khatami told reporters after a cabinet meeting. "We reject U.S. threats and allegations about ourselves, and I think the same goes with Syria."

Toning down Washington's sharp rhetoric of late toward Syria, Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Tuesday there was "no war plan" to attack Syria or Iran despite the belief both countries are pursuing weapons of mass destruction.

Khatami argued that "Syria is different from Iraq," which U.S.-led forces invaded on March 20 in a war that has ended President Saddam Hussein's rule.

"We've always had friendly ties with Syria and we hope to cooperate with Syria to establish peace ... in the region," he added.

Asked if he thought the United States, Iran's arch-foe, could attack Syria, he said: "It is unlikely that the United States will be able to do it, and it is unlikely that the world would allow a repetition of what happened in Iraq."

Iran has maintained neutrality on the war in Iraq and has welcomed the fall of Saddam, hated for ordering his forces to use chemical weapons against Iranian troops during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

But the Islamic Republic, which is on Washington's "axis of evil" list, has also denounced the occupation of Iraq by "military aggressors" as an attack against Islam and Muslims.

"We hope the occupiers leave Iraq soon," Khatami said.

[Lando Lincoln]

Guess we should take our football and go home. What do these guys drink??

[Just mythoughts]

So another pimp for terror needs some "shock and awe".

Are those Russians still in Iran setting up their nuclear program, the ones giving them advice? If so it did not help Sodom.

[kellynla]

Iran is irrelevant...USA did in less than one month what Iran couldn't do in eight years. What does that tell ya. Semper Fi

[Terabitten]

Eeeeek, eeeek... beg for mercy... race up the nearest tree.... no, wait, that can't be right. Maybe it's beg for mercy, scream eeeek, then race up the tree. No... that's not right either....

Screw it. Just zap 'em.

[Anamensis]

Iran would be well advised to keep very quiet, hold very still, and pray that we just sniff them and move on.

[konaice]

Maybe we should take Iran's demands seriously and run the 4th ID over to the Iranian border....

[dc-zoo]

Iran's in no position to tell USA anything unless they want us to open a can of whoopass on them also.

[TheBlueMax]

Both countries are the major players in international terrorism....they had to say as much. That being said, the Iranian Army is even less of a threat than was the Iraqi army, so this is about as much bravado as Khatami can muster. He understands well that with his current internal strife calling for more democratic reforms, and the lack of might to fight an American military division, let alone our previous current deployment, his position is very precarious.

[GulfWar1Vet]

Exactly my thoughts, Anamensis.

We could easily turn eastward toward Tehran. Ain't that far away!

[Thumper1960]

Iran is irrelevant...USA did in less than one month what Iran couldn't do in eight years. What does that tell ya. Semper Fi

Besides that, Iranians would most likely be even happier to see US troops march through Teheran.

The mullahs best get a grip on the new paradigm and make their own reservations in Gay Paree'.

[El Gato]

Iran Tells U.S. to Stop Threatening Syria

Cowboys don't make threats, only promises. That's pretty much true of the "Cowboy" temporarily residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, and the other one living on the grounds of the Naval Observatory, come to think of it.

[Henchman]

No need to attack Iran, we can just collapse the economy of Russia and, as a consequence, Iran. I recall an article, in Readers Digest perhaps, a few years ago. The article stated that the STASI, E. German secret police, before the wall went down, had perfected the plats for a US hundred dollar bill. There is / was a slight imperfection on the reverse of the $100, but otherwise, perfect and basically undetectable. Seems the STASI gave the plates to IRAN. Iran had 5 presses, I believe called Intaglio presses, which are the only presses that can accurately reproduce the US cloth "paper" currency. The Iranians bought a nuclear reactor from the Russians and paid for it in "cash".

Enter Bill Clinton, stage left. Seems the huge amount of potentially counterfeit money could erode and undermine US currency. The US Treasury then changed the portrait on the $100 bill to a larger size and also other devices to thwart counterfeiting. I forget who the Pres of Russia was then, but there were calls between Washington and Moscow asking that the US not call in the old $100 bills as it would collapse the Russian economy. Why? 50% of all US currency in circulation in the former USSR was counterfeit! The US agreed not to recall the $100 as should have been done. The Russians recently repaid us. Time for payback. If they go belly up, so will Iran!

[hadaclueonce]

Amen brother, whiskey for the men, beer for their horses..

[Bedford Forrest]

"We hope the occupiers leave Iraq soon," Khatami said."

Occupiers - what occupiers???? The only occupiers I can see are a bunch of extremely lame sand goblins with dishtowels for hats hanging about Teheran and chasing after 14 year old boys. How so, you say, Khatami is short for Khatamite, that's how. So, has it come time to chastise some of these insolent pederasts [Khatamites]? Aw shucks, well, if we hafta. But tell them to be sure to clear all of the CULTURAL ARTIFACTS out of their fricking museums - we wouldn't want to have them looted by a bunch of Japs in Ninja suits. Being the world's only hyperpower is really tough - we have to put up with all kinds of trash talk from soon to be defunct sand goblin tyrants.

[gcruse]

If Iran has to speak for Syria,
does that mean the qat has Syria's tongue?

[My2Cents]

Big words for a regime that has seniority on Syria in the Axis of Evil.

[LisaAnne]

"Our advice to the Americans is to abandon such threats," Khatami told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

Ummm, Kahatami, when we want your advice, we'll ask for it, until then... mums the word, bud.

[Mr. K]

U.S. to IRAN: "...or what?"

[My2Cents]

The F word, N word, C word: We're well on our way to spelling 'France.'

I thought you were spelling out "Fox News Channel."

[gcruse]

That has myth written all over it. You don't call in your currency. And if you did, Russia would just launder swap her counterfeit to someone else for good stuff and turn it in for new ones.