South Africa cautions Security Council against Iran resolution31 Jan 2008Summary: PRETORIA (IRNA)—South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad cautioned the members of the Security Council against passing a new resolution which may harm successful talks between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency. source: IRNAread more
Bush Offers Another Year of the Same31 Jan 2008Summary: And while, with respect to Iran, Bush eschewed the “axis of evil” moniker for which his 2002 State of the Union address will be long remembered, his words still sounded like an ultimatum seemingly calculated to evoke a negative response. source: AntiWar.com / Inter Press Serviceread more
U.S. envoy debates Iranians – a no-no31 Jan 2008Summary: KhalilzadZalmay Khalilzad, America’s U.N. ambassador, joined top Tehran officials in a debate in Switzerland, an unauthorized step. source: Los Angeles Timesread more
NATO and Israel: Instruments of America’s Wars in the Middle East30 Jan 2008Summary: By the end of 2007 Israel started claiming that it was given the ?green light? from the U.S., the E.U., and their mutual military body, NATO, to launch an attack against Iran. This would spark an all embracing war in the Middle East. The Israeli military has been training continuously and Israeli troops have been told by their superiors to prepare for an ?all-out war.? source: globalresearch.caread more
Race for sanctions on Iran speeds up30 Jan 2008Summary: The next Iran report by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is due in early March, and even though Tehran has fully cooperated and there is no evidence of military diversion from its peaceful nuclear activities, the United Nations is about to impose severe new sanctions on Iran, deemed “punitive” by a US government spokesperson. source: Asia Times Onlineread more
The Big Schmooze in the Hormuz30 Jan 2008Summary: Jeff HuberI said a few weeks ago that the January 6 incident between U.S. and Iranian naval forces in the Strait of Hormuz might tell us more about the nature of today’s news reporting than about the prospects for war and peace in the Middle East. It’s now apparent that the affair was emblematic of America’s post-modern Orwellian (Rovewellian) information environment. source: Military.comread more
White House Criticizes Envoy Over Iran30 Jan 2008Summary: WASHINGTON ? White House officials expressed anger on Tuesday about an appearance in which the United States ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, sat beside the Iranian foreign minister at a panel of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Saturday. source: NY Timesread more
Xposed! Norman Podhoretz’s boobs29 Jan 2008Summary: Norman PodhoretzSurprise, surprise? Not quite. Just as the UN Security Council plus Germany reach agreement on a resolution to impose further sanctions on Iran, the Wall Street Journal, in true Rupert Murdoch style, sees fit to publish sexbomb-em-all Norman Podhoretz’s boobs on its equivalent of Page 3. Unfortunately, the attempted titillation by the editor-at-large of Commentary magazine amounts to a not very sexy – indeed an incredibly flabby – case for bombing Iran now rather than imposing yet more boring old sancti source: Asia Times Onlineread more
A China base in Iran?29 Jan 2008Summary: While Iran’s political pundits are not yet willing to concede that Iran is now at the stage to allow a Chinese base along its vast Persian Gulf coastline, nonetheless quite a few agree that with the changing geopolitical milieu representing potentially serious national security threats to Iran, all options must remain open. source: Asia Times Onlineread more
President Bush: “we will defend our vital interests in the Persian Gulf”29 Jan 2008Summary: President Bush in his State of Union speech: “Our message to the leaders of Iran is also clear: Verifiably suspend your nuclear enrichment, so negotiations can begin. And to rejoin the community of nations, come clean about your nuclear intentions and past actions, stop your oppression at home, cease your support for terror abroad. But above all, know this: America will confront those who threaten our troops. We will stand by our allies, and we will defend our vital interests in the Persian Gulf.” source: White Houseread more
Bush: US will ‘confront’ Iran if necessary28 Jan 2008Summary: US President George W. Bush warned Iran Monday that the United States will “confront those who threaten our troops” and defend its allies and interests in the Gulf. source: AFPread more
Letter to the Financial Times: SC Resolutions are not about Iran’s nuclear secrecy28 Jan 2008Summary: The authors claim that the ?Western states today begin the uphill task of persuading fellow members of the United Nations Security Council that a third round of modest economic sanctions wouldforce Iran to come clean about its nuclear ambitions where earlier measures had failed?. They also refer to?Tehra source: CASMIIread more
Azerbaijanis Oppose Sanctions on Iran28 Jan 2008Summary: Azerbaijan supports talks in order to improve the situation over the Teheran nuclear program and opposes sanctions on Iran by G8. source: Trend Newsread more
Iran & Bush’s Crisis of Truth28 Jan 2008Summary: Recently the Center for Public Integrity, a non-profit investigative reporting institution, published a report: ?Iraq: the War Card.? The report documented 935 false statements made by President Bush and seven top administration officials in the two years following September 11, 2001 concerning the national security threat posed by Iraq to the U.S. source: Consortiumnews.comread more
Bush trying to foment discord in Mideast: IRGC commander27 Jan 2008Summary: TEHRAN - Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Commander Mohammad-Ali Jafari said here on Sunday that U.S. President George W. Bush traveled to the Middle East to invite Arab countries to join the West?s efforts to isolate Iran and to foment discord between the Islamic Republic and its Arab neighbors. On his recent visit to Persian Gulf countries, Bush branded Iran the leading state sponsor of terror, and said ?all options? against Tehran remain on the table.
Jafari source: tehrantimes.comread more
Key excerpts from Iran sanctions proposal27 Jan 2008Summary: Key excerpts from “elements” of a third round of sanctions circulated to the U.N. Security Council on Friday. The proposal was agreed to by Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Russia and China and will be the basis of a formal resolution intended for the Security Council. source: Reutersread more
Forget about war with Iran?27 Jan 2008Summary: Expect Obama and McCain, Clinton and Romney in the midst of a heated election campaign to stand squarely behind the Israelis in their confrontation with Iran, ensuring that Bush’s successor at the White House will be forced into a multi-front war in the Middle East that could involve Israel and Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. source: Asia Timesread more
Do the Democrats have a different answer on Iran?27 Jan 2008Summary: ChomskyI mean, every viable candidate?I’m not talking about Gravel and Kucinich or Ron Paul?every viable candidate has said we have to keep the options open, meaning they are continuing the threats of military action against Iran. I don’t know if anybody cares, but there is something called the U.N. Charter, which is a valid treaty that we’re committed to which bars the threat or use of force. So they’re all in violation of the Charter and they don’t seem to care. The media don’t seem to care. source: The Real Newsread more
Artificial Intelligence26 Jan 2008Summary: PRESIDENT BUSH’S CAVALIER DISMISSAL OF THE NIE UNDERMINES OUR CREDIBILITY, AGAIN. source: State.comread more
Iran Praises US, but Mostly Critical26 Jan 2008Summary: MottakiDAVOS, Switzerland (AP) ? Iran’s foreign minister had qualified praise Saturday for Washington’s planned troop drawdown in Iraq, but urged the U.S. to expedite handing over full control of all affairs ? including security ? to the Baghdad government source: APread more
Turkey says U.S. nuclear policy strengthens Iran26 Jan 2008Summary: Ali BabacanAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) – U.S. ally Turkey said on Saturday Washington’s efforts to isolate Iran over its nuclear programme were undermining reformists in Tehran and bolstering Iranian influence across the Middle East. source: Reutersread more
Scott Horton Interviews Philip Giraldi26 Jan 2008Summary: Philip GiraldiFormer CIA counter terrorism officer and Antiwar.com columnist Philip Giraldi discusses his information that Secretaries Rice and Gates have once again been sidelined by Vice President Cheney who remains bent on war with Iran. source: Antiwar.comread more
A dangerous nuclear proposal25 Jan 2008Summary: Five former military chiefs of staff from major Western countries have just released a document arguing that the West must be ready to resort to a pre-emptive nuclear attack to halt the imminent spread of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. ... It means that atomic weapons could be used to destroy nuclear targets, in Iran for example. source: Gulf Newsread more
The Sanctions Trap25 Jan 2008Summary: The “sanctions trap” is built upon the principles of hubris and procedure, not reason and fact. Scott RitterThis is the reason the Bush administration continues to invest so heavily in this process, and why in the end the “sanctions trap,” if not prematurely sprung, will in the end lead us to war with Iran . The message is simple: stop the sanctions, stop the war. source: Antiwar.comread more
Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII)