FIRE WITH FIRE

Despite recent talks on the future of Iraq that were dubbed a "success," the US and Iran continue to ratchet up the accusations and charges against each other. Call me naive, but I don't see a "meeting of the minds" happening at the bargaining table any time soon.

Days after the joint talks, the US tightened its squeeze on Iran, escalating financial sanctions against Iranian companies that are suspected of supporting their country's nuclear ambitions. The US has blacklisted or frozen the assets of 15 Iranian companies this year, prohibiting American companies and individuals from doing business with them. Click here to read the full article.

"We believe that there is a real potential that these sanctions will have the effect of changing the government of Iran's mind about the defiant policy it is currently pursuing," said US Treasury undersecretary Stuart Levey.

I doubt it. In the face of stringent United Nations and US economic sanctions, Iran hasn't backed down yet. And few Iranian experts believe the country ever will.

"I don't think if the assets of a few Iranian officials are frozen or if the state of California and the state of New York decide to divest from Iran, suddenly the regime will buckle and say 'we're going to change our nuclear approach'," said Karim Sadjadpour, an Iranian researcher for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Sadjadpour pointed to Cuba's success in weathering even more stringent US sanctions and with a far weaker economy. He suggested only "a more robust international coalition" would make a dent in Iran's stubborn nationalism. With volatile President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Iran's helm, it's unlikely that even that would change Iran's nuclear policy.

Labels: economy, Iran, nuclear, sanctions, United Nations, US, US-Iran talks

Posted by The Watcher at Saturday, July 28, 2007 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

The nuclear weapons are in place -- inside America -- and ready for detonation. Al-Qaida is planning a devastating nuclear attack on American soil. American authorities fear that weapons and sleeper agents are already in place. American Hiroshima is ready to blow! Read the whole article here.

That's the chilling news gathered from captured al-Qaida leaders and documents. Apparently, London was just a wind up for a much more savage and devastating attack planned for America this summer or fall. American intelligence agencies have learned that al-Qaida Iraq plans to detonate multiple nuclear weapons on our soil sometime soon.

With the help of the MS-13 street gang and other organized crime groups, anywhere from 10 to 40 nuclear weapons have already been smuggled over the Mexican border and into the US. Obtained from the former Soviet Union over the past 10 years, the weapons include suitcase nukes, nuclear mines, artillery shells and even missile warheads. Captured documents indicate al-Qaida plans to assemble its own nuclear weapons using fissile material purchased on the black market. Bombs are being constructed for detonation by cell phone or clock timer.

According to Paul Williams, a former FBI consultant and author of the book The Al Qaeda Connection: International Terrorism, Organized Crime and the Coming Apocalypse, al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden are financing the attack with hundreds of millions of dollars gained from bin Laden's control of Afghanistan's heroin trade.

Targeting America's biggest cities, bin Laden's goal is to kill 4 million Americans, a least 2 million of them children, to avenge America's purported crimes against Muslims. If he is successful, will America's vengance annihilate the Middle East? Is this the beginning of the end?

Labels: Afghanistan, arms traffic, bomb, heroin, nuclear, organized crime, Osama bin Laden, terrorists

Posted by The Watcher at Thursday, July 19, 2007 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

The US Congress is a step closer to passing legislation that would punish foreign energy companies that do business with Iran. The House's foreign affairs panel passed the proposed law 37:1 with representatives on both sides of the aisle accusing Iran of trading energy for terror. Click here to read the full story.

"Foreign investment in Iran equals money for terrorism and attacks on Americans," said Democrat Gary Ackerman. "Investment in Iran's petroleum sector enables that country to pursue nuclear weapons, to arm insurgents fighting American troops, and to underwrite Hezbollah and Hamas."

Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, both the US and UN have imposed economic sanctions against Iran with little effect. The US Congress is changing tactics, threatening to impose penalties against countries that ignore those sanctions and choose to trade with Iran for their own economic benefit.

"Pressuring companies to cut their financial ties with Iran is critical to ensuring that sanctions have their intended result," said Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

Many European and Japanese companies have profited from lucrative oil and natural gas contracts with Iran. By bolstering Iran's economy despite international censure, they have negated the sting of levied sanctions. Perhaps if they have to pay a price themselves, they will be more willing to forgo personal profit for the international good.

Labels: foreign policy, Iran, nuclear, sanctions, United Nations

Posted by The Watcher at Thursday, June 28, 2007 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

From AP wire service: "Acting on a request from Iran, the International Atomic Energy Agency said yesterday that it will send a team to Tehran to work jointly on a plan meant to clear up suspicions about the Islamic republic's nuclear activities."

Iran issued the invitation to the UN agency on Sunday which is seen by many politicians as a positive step. However, a number of politicos felt this was one more in a long list of delaying tactics.

"I don't think Iran's track record is particularly noteworthy or particularly likely to give me or anyone else confidence that anything will come of these discussions," said State Department spokesman Tom Casey.

For more than two decades Iran has stonewalled the UN agency's attempt to ascertain its nuclear capability. It's hard to believe that Iran is beginning a new era of international cooperation. With no change in regime and new UN sanctions being threatened, it's more likely that Iran is just trying to wriggle out from under yet again.

Labels: Iran, nuclear, United Nations

Posted by The Watcher at Tuesday, June 26, 2007 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Just what we need, another war front. Senator Joe Lieberman said the US should consider a military strike against Iran to punish Tehran for its involvement in Iraq.

Appearing on CBS' Face the Nation, Lieberman said, "I think we've got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the Iranians to stop them from killing Americans in Iraq."

What a great idea. Then they can kill Americans in Iraq AND Iran.

The independent senator from Connecticut continued, "And to me, that would include a strike over the border into Iran, where we have good evidence that they have a base at which they are training these people coming back into Iraq to kill our soldiers."

Of course, Lieberman, who's a smart man and shrewd politician, has a valid point. That Iran is training and arming Iraqis is a recognized fact. It's more than likely that Iranian undercover agents have been in Iraq for years fomenting rebellion and terrorist activities.

So why the talk of invasion now? The fear of nuclear weapons development has Washington in a tizzy. "If they don't play by the rules," Lieberman warned, "we've got to use our force, and to me, that would include taking military action to stop them from doing what they're doing."

Lieberman clarified that he prefers the bulk of military action be by air strike as opposed to a massive ground assault, but isn't that where we started in Iraq? Iran should be warned, though.

Despite lack of popular support, Congress is taking a harder line against Iran. Lieberman's words mirror growing sentiment on Capitol Hill: "They can't believe that they have immunity for training and equipping people to come in and kill Americans. We cannot let them get away with it. If we do, they'll take that as a sign of weakness on our part and we will pay for it in Iraq and throughout the region, and ultimately right here at home."

If Tehran continues to wave the red flag in the face of the American bull, they shouldn't be surprised when he starts to charge.

Labels: invade Iran, Iran, Lieberman, nuclear

Posted by The Watcher at Monday, June 11, 2007 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post