http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/bombiran/ en-us Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:10:08 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2104057/posts Month after month, the nation's attention seems to ping-pong back and forth between the world's two egregious nuclear malefactors, North Korea and Iran. For the last few weeks, all eyes have been on North Korea, as the nation's idiosyncratic leadership began reopening a plant that manufactures weapons-grade plutonium. Christopher Hill, an assistant secretary of state, met, to no effect, with North Korea's leaders in Pyongyang last week -_ a visit that would have been inconceivable while hawks still dominated the Bush administration. E Taiwan News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2104057/posts#comment Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:10:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2083900/posts US President George W. Bush will not attack Iran to halt its nuclear weapons program before his term ends in January, David Wurmser, a key national security adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney up until last year, has told The Jerusalem Post. "No, Bush won't go," Wurmser said when asked whether he thought the US president would want to take military action before he left office. Wurmser's comments came after a day-long roundtable this week in Brussels on nuclear nonproliferation sponsored by the European Jewish Congress. "Two things have to be in place for there to be an attack," Wurmser... Jerusalem Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2083900/posts#comment Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2073182/posts The Dutch intelligence service, the AIVD, has called off an operation aimed at infiltrating and sabotaging Iran's weapons industry due to an assessment that a US attack on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program is imminent, according to a report in the country's De Telegraaf newspaper on Friday. The report claimed that the Dutch operation had been "extremely successful," and had been stopped because the US military was planning to hit targets that were "connected with the Dutch espionage action." The impending air-strike on Iran was to be carried out by unmanned aircraft "within weeks," the report claimed, quoting "well placed"... The Jerusalem Post Internet Edition http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2073182/posts#comment Tue, 2 Sep 2008 18:40:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2072831/posts The Dutch intelligence service, the AIVD, has called off an operation aimed at infiltrating and sabotaging Iran's weapons industry due to an assessment that a US attack on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program is imminent, according to a report in the country's De Telegraaf newspaper on Friday. The report claimed that the Dutch operation had been "extremely successful," and had been stopped because the US military was planning to hit targets that were "connected with the Dutch espionage action." The impending air-strike on Iran was to be carried out by unmanned aircraft "within weeks," the report claimed, quoting "well placed"... The Jerusalem Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2072831/posts#comment Tue, 2 Sep 2008 08:22:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2072612/posts The Dutch intelligence service has pulled an agent out of an "ultra-secret operation" spying on Iran's military industry because spymasters in Netherlands believe a United States air attack was imminent. According to reports in the newspaper De Telegraaf, the country's intelligence service, the AIVD, has stopped an espionage operation aimed at infiltration and sabotage of the weapons industry in Iran. "The operation, described as extremely successful, was halted recently in connection with plans for an impending US air attack on Iran," said the report. "Targets would also be bombed which were connected with the Dutch espionage action." "Well placed" sources... Telegraph (UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2072612/posts#comment Mon, 1 Sep 2008 21:42:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2064564/posts Saudi Columnist: Bomb Iran Now, Let Chips Fall Where They May In his August 4, 2008 column in the liberal Arab e-journal Elaph, Saudi columnist Saleh Al-Rashed argued that the Gulf states should urge the West to attack Iran before it acquires nuclear weapons. Following are excerpts from the column: [1] A Nuclear Iran is Like a Nuclear Bin Laden "'One cannot avoid the inevitable' - this adage came to mind when I read the pronouncement by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Mohammad 'Ali Ja'fari, who said: 'My country is easily capable of closing the Straits of Hormuz, the... MEMRI http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2064564/posts#comment Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:16:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2063112/posts ----SNIP A Nuclear Iran is Like a Nuclear Bin Laden "'There's no avoiding what there's no avoiding' - this adage came to mind when I read the pronouncement by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Mohammad 'Ali Ja'fari, who said: 'My country is easily capable of closing the Straits of Hormuz, the main passageway for oil freighters, if the country is attacked due to its nuclear program.' "In my estimation, confronting this country, which is trying to gain the time necessary to acquire nuclear weapons, is unavoidable. The possession of nuclear weapons by a state like Iran, which is ideological... The Middle East Media Research Center http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2063112/posts#comment Sun, 17 Aug 2008 01:14:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2060865/posts The American administration has rejected an Israeli request for military equipment and support that would improve Israel's ability to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. The Americans viewed the request, which was transmitted (and rejected) at the highest level, as a sign that Israel is in the advanced stages of preparations to attack Iran. They therefore warned Israel against attacking, saying such a strike would undermine American interests. They also demanded that Israel give them prior notice if it nevertheless decided to strike Iran. Ha'artz http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2060865/posts#comment Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:17:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049867/posts The Bush administration should stop talking about a military attack as an option if negotiations do not immediately halt Iran's uranium reprocessing program, two former national security advisers said yesterday. "Don't talk about 'do we bomb them now or later?' " said Brent Scowcroft, adviser to presidents Gerald R. Ford and George H.W. Bush, during a discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on the negotiations between the United States and Iran. Scowcroft added that by mentioning that threat, "we legitimize the use of force . . . and may tempt the Israelis" to carry out such a... WP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049867/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:56:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2034652/posts Representative Ron Paul says House Speaker Nancy Pelosi removed a section from a bill passed by Congress which would have barred the U.S. from going to war with Iran without a congressional vote, claiming she did so at the behest of the leadership of Israel and AIPAC. Paul, a former Republican presidential contender who formally removed himself from the party’s nomination race last week, makes the allegation on C-SPAN during a recently held foreign policy conference in Virginia. Paul says Pelosi’s first act as House Speaker in 2006 was to “deliberately” remove a portion of a legislative spending bill which... Newsmax http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2034652/posts#comment Sun, 22 Jun 2008 11:23:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049440/posts European Union foreign ministers say they will not support a military strike on Iran but want more talks to try to resolve worries Tehran might be developing nuclear weapons. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband says it is now up to Iran to respond to global powers and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana after talks in Geneva on Saturday. Canadian Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049440/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:50:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049218/posts Israel will “almost surely” strike Iran’s nuclear sites in the coming months — and if the conventional attacks fail to destroy or at least delay Iran’s nuclear program, the Middle East will face a nuclear war. That’s the view of Benny Morris, a professor of Middle Eastern history at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University, who predicts either a subsequent pre-emptive Israeli nuclear strike or a nuclear exchange after Iran gets the bomb. “Should Israel’s conventional assault fail to significantly harm or stall the Iranian program, a ratcheting up of the Iranian-Israeli conflict to a nuclear level will most likely follow,” Morris, author... newsmax.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049218/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:28:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049200/posts It is difficult to imagine Israel attacking Iran. It is, however, more difficult to imagine Israel not attacking Iran. Consider three questions: First, does Iran mean what it says about destroying Israel? When its leaders repeatedly call for Israel's annihilation, after referring to it as a cancer and using other rhetoric not heard on a national level since the Nazi regime's depiction of Jews, is this just rhetorical flourish? Or do they really hope and plan to destroy Israel? Second, can Iran do it? One can hope and even plan to do something outrageous, but that does not necessarily mean... Townhall.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2049200/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:29:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047943/posts Iran said on Friday it did not expect an attack from Israel or the United States triggered by the long-running dispute over its nuclear programme. "The possibility of such an attack (from Israel or the U.S.) is almost zero," Mottaki said, via a translator, in an interview with Turkish broadcaster NTV during a visit to Turkey. However, when asked whether it meant Iran was ready to freeze any expansion of its nuclear programme in return for the U.N. Security Council halting further sanctions measures against it, the source said "not at all". Retuers http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047943/posts#comment Sat, 19 Jul 2008 11:38:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047266/posts MY greatest worry on Iran's nuclear threat to civilization isn't the military option. It's trying that option on the cheap. If there's any way to block Tehran's pursuit of nukes short of warfare, I'm all for it. Maybe yesterday's dispatch of the No. 3 US diplomat to observe the European Union's talks with the mullahs about their nukes will work a miracle (don't hold your breath). Military strikes must be the last resort. Even a successful attack would panic oil markets, interrupt supplies to an unknown degree and make enemies of the Iranian people for another generation. But the fanatics... nypost.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047266/posts#comment Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:10:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046203/posts President George W Bush has told the Israeli government that he may be prepared to approve a future military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiations with Tehran break down, according to a senior Pentagon official. London Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046203/posts#comment Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:01:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045106/posts KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan opposes U.S. use of its territory for launching a possible attack against neighbouring Iran, President Hamid Karzai said in an interview broadcast on Monday. Iran has threatened to target Israel and U.S. interests in the region in the event of an attack against the Islamic Republic which is locked in a dispute with the West over its nuclear programme. Karzai said his government, which came to power after U.S.-led and Afghan forces overthrew the Taliban in 2001, had always tried to "keep the balance between the powers." "We are attentive to the dangers," Karzai told Radio... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045106/posts#comment Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:54:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044754/posts The Sunday Times of London reported this weekend that "President George W. Bush has told the Israeli government that he may be prepared to approve a future military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiations with Tehran break down." The Times report quoted a senior Pentagon official as its source. With increased resistance from the Pentagon and the November elections closing in, the White House may be choosing its next best option in dealing with Tehran: to have Israel launch strikes on Iran's nuclear weapons facilities. The paper said Bush has told Israel it has an "amber light" to proceed.... newsmax.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044754/posts#comment Sun, 13 Jul 2008 12:32:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044986/posts President George W Bush has told the Israeli government that he may be prepared to approve a future military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities if negotiations with Tehran break down, according to a senior Pentagon official. Despite the opposition of his own generals and widespread scepticism that America is ready to risk the military, political and economic consequences of an airborne strike on Iran, the president has given an "amber light" to an Israeli plan to attack Iran's main nuclear sites with long-range bombing sorties, the official told The Sunday Times. "Amber means get on with your preparations, stand by... The Peninsula http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044986/posts#comment Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:46:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044690/posts US President George W. Bush has given Israel the "amber light" to carry out an attack on Iran if diplomatic efforts are unsuccessful in causing the Islamic Republic to back down and relinquish its nuclear program, according to a senior Pentagon official quoted by the British Sunday Times on Sunday morning. According to the official, Bush has given Israel free reign to attack Iran's nuclear sites if sanctions fail in spite of opposition from US generals and regardless of the possible economic and political repercussions of such a strike. "Amber means get on with your preparations, stand by for immediate... Jerusalem Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044690/posts#comment Sun, 13 Jul 2008 05:09:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044141/posts PERSEPOLIS, once the capital of the Persian empire, and the massive mud-brick Bam citadel are among the nine listed World Heritage Sites in Iran. Yet leading archaeologists are urging colleagues to refuse any military requests to draw up a list of Iranian sites that should be exempted from air strikes. "Such advice would provide cultural credibility and respectability to the military action," said a resolution agreed by the World Archaeological Congress in Dublin, Ireland, last week. Instead, delegates were advised to emphasise the harm that any military action would do to Iran's people and heritage. NewScientist http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044141/posts#comment Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:33:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044220/posts In this edition: The Israel Air Force unveils a new squadron of warplanes said to be capable of striking Iran. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's lawyers say they need more time to cross examine key witness Morris Talansky. Iran test fires a new round of missiles as U.S. vows to defend its allies Haaretz.com/Channel 10 news roundup for July 10, 2008. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044220/posts#comment Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:22:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044359/posts Iran warned the United States and Israel on Saturday it would be "madness" to attack the Islamic Republic over a nuclear program the West suspects is aimed at making bombs. reuteurs http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044359/posts#comment Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:23:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044420/posts The US vowed to defend Israel and its other allies in the Gulf, as Iran carried out its second ballistic missile test in two days yesterday. As the situation worsened in the Gulf, the French oil company Total said it would pull out of a large-scale investment in an Iranian gas field - a serious blow to Tehran, which is keen to exploit its gas reserves, and a victory for the Bush administration, which has been seeking to isolate the Iranian government. A spokesman for the company said it was too risky to invest in Iran at present. Oil prices... The Guardian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044420/posts#comment Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:27:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044408/posts TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran would destroy Israel and 32 U.S. military bases in the Middle East if the Islamic Republic was attacked over its disputed nuclear programme, a senior official was quoted as saying on Saturday. "The U.S. knows full well that with the smallest move against Iran, Israel and 32 U.S. military bases in the region would not be out of the reach of our missiles and would be destroyed," the semi-official Fars News Agency quoted Mojtaba Zolnour as saying. Zolnour is the deputy of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative in Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards. Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044408/posts#comment Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:56:53 GMT