Iran

[john9001]

Originally posted by ghi
The chief of Persia will occupy great Olchades
The trireme fleet against the Mahometan people
From Parthia, and Media: and the Cyclades pillaged:
Long rest at the Ionian port. (C.3:64)
   

oh noes, we gona be attacked by triremes, all is lost.

[ravells]

To answer the orignal question the UK is angry (and appreciative that the US has decided to conduct a naval excercise off the Iranian coast - thanks!).  But...this has happened before and how often can they coerce prisoners to make confessions which anyone will believe?

Sadly I think even now politicians on both sides are playing games with these people (they will be handed back it's just a question of how much one side can extort from the other).

Ravs

[bozon]

Originally posted by Seagoon
What I wonder about is the greater strategic thinking of the Iranians behind all of this.

Iran wants and needs one thing: Nukes.
Once they have them they are involnerable to an invation and all the US army's might will not be able to really threaten them. To do that they need to buy time.

As long as there is a continuuing low-intensity crisis going on, they are safe from any "peace talks" or multi-national effort to stop them. Therefor they must maintain side-crisises as to divert the world from the main issue. While Britain and US deal with the kidnapped soldiers crisis, they do not deal with the nukes. The Iranians have bought themselves another 2-3 months. After that, they will find something else. If this goes on long enough to get the nukes, they can give the US the finger and go back to their usual business.

[lazs2]

doesn't matter if the brits are right or wrong....  not much they can do about it.

lazs

[cpxxx]

I'm afraid this just reveals the current Iranian government for what they are. A form of terrorist regime.  

Let's just look at the facts. Iran is not at war with Iraq or Britain. Neither Iraq or Britain represent a threat to Iran, real or imagined. Yet the Iranians entered Iraqi waters and took hostage, British forces who were conducting a UN sanctioned search. Then they lied about it. Finally they coerced their prisoners to criticise their own government and to lie about what they were doing that day.They paraded the hostages on television in a pathetic attempt to humilitate them and their government.

What does that say about the Iranians? If I was Iranian I would be ashamed of my government and wonder exactly what kind of people were running my country.

There is a very thin veneer of civilisation running through many countries in the middle east particularly Iran. Childishness seems to be cherished by these people. They have a lot of growing up to do.

[ghi]

in some oppinions the iranians may already have the bomb, that's why are playing the macho guys

Russian General Suggests U.S. to Strike Iran April 6



From the link

The Russian military experts estimate that the planning of the American military attack against Iran passed the point of nonreturn on February 20,
when the director of the IAEA, Mohammed El Baradei, recognized, in his report/ratio, the incapacity of the Agency “to confirm the peaceful character of the nuclear program of Iran”. According to the Russian weekly magazine Argoumenty nedeli, a military action will proceed during the first week of April, before Easter catholic and orthodoxe (this year they are celebrated the 8), when the “Western opinion” is on leave. It may be also that Iran is struck on Friday 6 public holiday in the Moslem countries.According to the American diagram, it will be a striking of only one day which will last 12 hours, 4 hours of morning at 16 o’clock in afternoon. The code name of the operation is to date “English ****” (Bite). A score of Iranian installations should be touched. With their number, centrifugal machines of uranium enrichment, centers of studies and laboratories. But the first block of the nuclear thermal power station of Bouchehr will not be touched. On the other hand, the Americans will neutralize the DCA, will run several Iranian buildings of war in the Gulf and will destroy the stations - keys of command of the armed forces. As many measurements which should remove in Teheran any capacity to counteract.

[Hap]

ghi,

I just scanned the news sources.  No reports of a pending US attack.

[Seagoon]

GHI,

With all due respect to the Russian General in question, I wouldn't be willing to bet so much as a dollar on a British/American attack, it isn't feasible politically or militarily at present. Iran would need to up the ante considerably via a trial, an execution, or some other provactive military action first. All of these are possible of course, but my money is on them simply drawing out a protracted hostage crisis in order to simultaneously achieve option #2 that I mentioned and Bozon's objective of distracting attention from the Nuclear weapons program. Lest we forget, Ahmadinejad was one of the planners and executors of the first "Iranian Hostage Crisis" and they remember how well that went for them and how badly it went for the West.

Alternatively, there is the awful possibility that we are overthinking this and there really is no strategy and that the Iranians really are simply crack-pot Jihadists making it up day by day as they go along.

In which case, as soon as they have a Nuke and a delivery system. They'll use it.

- SEAGOON

[Torque]

for the oil govts iran is a propoganda chinese finger puzzle.

religious extremists on both sides fan the flames demonizing the other, but i wouldn't judge a whole populous by the incoherent rantings of their inept leaders.

ahmad-whatever days are numbered.

[bozon]

Originally posted by Seagoon
Alternatively, there is the awful possibility that we are overthinking this and there really is no strategy and that the Iranians really are simply crack-pot Jihadists making it up day by day as they go along.

They are not - and I don't know if that's good or bad.

Iran is playing its cards very smartly. They understand too well that the US and Britain are not ready for a strike on Iran - far less politically than militarily. They estimated correctly that most Europian powers will not act beyond releasing silly public statements. They assesed correcly the aspiraions of Putin to be a counter power to the west and that he will not easily cooperate againt them. They recognize the importance of the UN as a time-wasting tool and know how to use it expertly.

Iran leadership knows what it is doing, which I can say the same for the western goverments.

[sgt203]

The west is pursuing a policy of appeasement... This has happened before.. His name was Neville Chamberlin I believe it was 1938 when whats his name was given the Sudatenland (spelling??)..

Well that worked out real good for everyone didnt it and it only killed roughly what 20 milliion people???

And as I stated in a similar thread if we dont do this Israel will......

I do agree with GHI on one point the facilites that need to be targeted could be done in less than 24 hours.....

Leave them blind, deaf and mute and also take out their infrastructure and capacity to enrich uranium....

Then negotiate their so called needs for  fuel to produce electricity..

[Stoney74]

Originally posted by Seagoon
Alternatively, there is the awful possibility that we are overthinking this and there really is no strategy and that the Iranians really are simply crack-pot Jihadists making it up day by day as they go along. SEAGOON

No, they aren't crackpots, but they aren't master political minds either.  They gamble with every decision they make.  If I didn't have a calendar, and I read this headline, I'd think it was 1986.  This is just their version of brinksmanship.  And yes, they are playing a dangerous game that typically results in "swapping paint" but not full-blown conflict.  This will simply become another footnote in the historical and on-going culture clash between Iran and the U.S./U.K.--IMHO

[Ball]

LOL the Iranian claims seem to be getting more and more absurd: -

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1258576,00.html

[Masherbrum]

Originally posted by ghi
imop,the british diplomacy can't stop them, acording with the prophecies of the last days ,the Bible (Daniel,Reveletion,Ezekiel,), Nostradamus, are talking about the 3rd Antichrist and a new great  power  will arise in Iran and Central Asia. It will begin as an Iranian-led federation that will include nations and territories , and are going to invade Europe,

Ezekiel 38:5

" Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: ..."

From Nostradamus:
 shows clear in many quatrains, the Persian/iranian involvement in ww3, just few below


 Naples, Palermo, and all Sicily
The entire coast will remain desolated:
There will remain no suburb, city or town
Not pillaged and robbed by the Barbarians. (C.7:6)

The chief of Persia will occupy great Olchades
The trireme fleet against the Mahometan people
From Parthia, and Media: and the Cyclades pillaged:
Long rest at the Ionian port. (C.3:64)

  The great Arab will march far forward
He will be betrayed by the Byzantians:
Ancient Rhodes will come to meet him
And greater harm through the Austrian Panonnois. (C.5:47)


Through fire and arms not far from the Black Sea,
Will come from Persia to occupy Trebizand
To tremble Pharos, Myteline, Sol joyful
The Adriatic Sea covered with Arab blood. (C.5:27)

France because of Negligence assailed on five sides,
Tunis, Algiers stirred up by Persians:
Leon, Seville, Barcelona having failed,
For the Venetians there will be no fleet. (C.1:73)

Nuclear weapons would make this post yet another "unfulfilled prophecy". That region should be wiped off of the map.   I say "cover it with Arab blood".   I wish someone would assassinate the Iranian idiot running the country.

[Masherbrum]

Originally posted by bozon
Iran wants and needs one thing: Nukes.

They want Nukes?   I say drop em.   They'll get em.