It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
- ECK can and I'm sure will answer for himself.
Sminkeypinkey:
Interesting.
March is when Iran gets out of $US and into Euros.
This is, IMO, not unconnected at all.
Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
My view is that Europe has genuine concerns that this does not escalate to a new ME war (and we do indeed see that as a real possibility; this nonsensical idea some hold of air strikes being the end of it - even if they could 'get' everything - is wishful thinking in the extreme).
'We' are trying to engage Iran through the various mechanisms of the various treaties concerned and were more than happy that Iran was prepared to - and did - go beyond treaty obligations.
'Others' sadly were not, so, none of that did anything to stop the increasing tensions, rancour, criticism, veiled threats and hence the on-going 'crisis'.
It is that that Europe has reacted to IMO, but their intent is to give Iran space to diffuse the issue not to crank up the war machine.
Iran on the other hand feels it has met its' requirements and is simply the target of illegal (not to mention hypocritical) US pressure (and probably soon actual aggression and attack whether by the US directly or her regional proxy Israel).
I don't think it's too hard to see where they get that idea from.
Nor how unhelpful it is in trying to resolve this issue.
Right on cue, helpful as ever, Bush and co. are at it again today -
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US hoped Iran would heed the "clear message" from the IAEA.
"The world will not stand by if Iran continues on the path to a nuclear weapons capability," Ms Rice said in a statement.
news.bbc.co.uk...
Europe is not reporting Iran because of ideas about any actual weapons existing (or about to exist) but because we want a firmer inspection regime (which involves going beyond the treaties signed to date - they call them new 'protocols' - but I doubt there'll be too much talk about how they were meeting their previous obligations).
But as for this so-called referral (or reporting) you might also note that nothing is going to happen until march to give some time for further negotiations.
It might also help some of the more pro-war types around here to note that this referral is not a 'UN sanctioned green light' to a new ME war.
It might eventually mean some sort of sanctions get discussed but even that is far from conclusive and their implementation is far from certain either-
BTW I don't recall ever saying either Britain or Europe or anybody would not refer the matter on to the UN SC, did I?
"All options - including the military one - are on the table," he told a German newspaper. "Any government that says Israel has no right to exist is making a statement about its possible behaviour in the future."
Originally posted by marg6043
Well people obviously the outrageous new 2007 trillion dollar budget that was already taken to congress today it includes a big booster to the Defend Budget again.
WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday proposed a record $439.3 billion U.S. defense budget for 2007 aimed at fighting both unconventional terrorism and major conflicts with other nations if necessary.
The Pentagon budget represented a 4.8 percent boost over current military spending as Bush seeks cuts in domestic programs. The budget does not include tens of billions of dollars in proposed new financing for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Analysts said the U.S. Congress, under political pressure in an election year, is unlikely to cut Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's budget, which is 16 percent of the administration's $2.77 trillion federal budget.
LONDON Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair says "a signal of strength" is needed from the international community to Iran about its disputed nuclear program.
"We obviously don't rule out any measures at all''
Anyhoo, she (Angela Merkel) has just had Rumsfeld there in Germany and twisting her arm.
Naturally Rumsfeld insists on claiming that the whole Iranian "government" has said Israel had no right to exist, as opposed to the truth that it was an individual within the Iranian government who actually said it.
Originally posted by ThatsJustWeird
And if the German chancellor doesn't represent Germany, then why do you believe commentary from anti war critics (who are the only one's talking about the US going to war) represent the U.S.?
www.kristv.com...
LONDON Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair says "a signal of strength" is needed from the international community to Iran about its disputed nuclear program.
www.guardian.co.uk...
"We obviously don't rule out any measures at all''
``We obviously don't rule out any measures at all,'' Blair said when asked about possible sanctions.
Once again, not one person is saying or preparing anyone to go to war with Iran
, but you still haven't provided any evidence or proof at all that the U.S. is taking a harder stance than the rest of the world.
You can't possibly be serious....
You can't possibly be serious....
It was Ahmadinejad who said that (along with calling the Holocaust a myth)! The Iranian PRESIDENT.
Ok, if the Iranian president doesn't speak for their government
then Donald Rumsfeld certainly doesn't speak for our government and you're back at square one trying to prove the US is taking a harder stance. He's just one individual right?
Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
Note too that Rumsfeld has a habit of likening anyone he dislikes to Hitler although on this accasion he also likened the Iranian Pres to Lenin too.
Originally posted by EastCoastKid
If you do not know that Rumsfeld's Pentagon is drooling over a possible attack on Iran, right now as we type, you are so out of touch its laughable. Check it out. It's no big secret.
[edit on 2/6/06 by EastCoastKid]
Originally posted by Senor_Vicente
One of the reasons I personally think we will attack Iran in the near future is the fact of their Nuclear power/weapons thing they have going on, just this evening I saw on Yahoo! News that Iran is removing security cameras from their reactor sites. Another reason we protect Isreal, withou our stuff they would have been wiped off the map, the third is if you look at a map you will see that we have troops stationed on one side of Iran in Afghanistan and on the other side in Iraq in aposition to squeeze Iran.
Plus we cut Iran from it's friend Syria and we might start getting some tings done, Or it could back fire and Russia and China might get mad at us who knows except Nostradamus.
Originally posted by martin3030
Its not just getting hairy.............its bloody dangerous to contemplate.
Originally posted by marg6043
The pentagon and the war profiteers like Carlyle group.
Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
When one considers the vast tidal wave of money (either through direct government contracts or the usual 'welfare for the wealthy' tax breaks or the huge profits of the oil/gas/energy companies) that has recently been extracted from the majority one can only ask (or ought to be asking); what is happening with all that money?
Of course there will be the usual bleating about the 'necessities of the market(s)' but one can only then wonder, how the hell did anyone ever manage before, hmmmmmm?