This is a crazy game the Iranians are choosing to play. What would victory be for them?

Yup. They're gonna kick our butts and teach us a lesson!

The stone age Iranians couldn't blockade a bathtub, let alone the strait of Hormuz.

An all out conflict involving Iran is going to be nasty, impacting on all countries in the region. However, I can’t see Iranian leaders playing roulette with their lives and giving up their cushy lifestyles anytime soon. Let’s hope they get some sense into their heads and learn to give a little for everyone’s sake.

I can't see Iranian leaders playing roulette with their lives and giving up their cushy lifestyles anytime soon.

I can. They're that crazy. And stupid.

Yup. They're gonna kick our butts and teach us a lesson!

By letting their women and children take the bullets for them, I'm sure. Lolz.

Iran has threatened to destroy U.S. military bases across the Middle East and target Israel within minutes of being attacked....

At the height of the Persian (Iranian) Empire, a 25-year-old Macedonian boy by the name of Alexander invaded and conquered that empire.

Macedonia, an average power, didn't tolerate Iran's nonsense then, so why should we, a super-power, tolerate daily provocation from Iran, considering we have the military capability to return her to her pre-historic landscape?

The US doesn't have to worry about taking care of this, because Israel won't tolerate this bs

First of all, the majority of people in Iran are nothing like their government. I guess you forget the protests there that where met with extreme violence a few years back. The people there have been struggling against tyrants for some time now. But how can you kill people you like? you can't or at least it is harder. So the isreali propaganda machine goes into action and you jump. Iran is not stupid, they know that if there is a war, they lose it all. If a war starts it will be started by isreal not Iran.

Once you understand the triage at the top of Iran's government, you see why they hold so much power over their people. Ironically, Iranians are some of the most intelligent Middle Easterners. Because of this triage which includes two old imams whose religiousity is akin to dictatorship, you see why the Iranian people are held hostage not just by their strong religious beliefs but also by the sly dogs pretending to rain sanctimony on them. This is no different than all of the old men in all religions who know their mystical power comes from imparting the belief they are far closer to the highest power than anyone else in their midst. That's all an illusion. Albeit, a very dangerous illusion. But, it does explain how old imams rule with iron hands. Ajmahdineajad is nothing more than a swaggering bully puppet and he knows it. Without the other two old men behind him, he is powerless.

USA response: We can destroy Iran whenever we damn well feel like it.

1) Victory is rule of Islam over the entire world, with all non-believers dead or in chains.

Non-believers = non-Shi'ite

2) Iran has no ICBMs. They can't reach the US any better than Hussein during DS1

3) Let's take a page from Hussein's book and make Iran cry with chemicals. They feared Iraq because Hussein was ruthless when it came to dealing with them, so let's learn that lesson. In fact, since they want nuclear power so bad, let's let'em have it. Complete with delivery systems, and hand delivered from weapon platforms like ICBMs, B-2 aircraft, and Polaris submarines. Dont send in any troops at all- we aren't there to invade or occupy, heaven knows we don't want that craphole. Just deliver the nukes they want so badly en masse, and be done with it. They can reach 35 US Bases, eh? Well, we can reach 100% of Iran from the comfort of our own homes.

Iran doesn't have to win a war against the US. All it has to do is to force us to spend a few more trillions on defense. Once that is done and our economy broken beyond repair it will bye bye US.

Iran says they can send missiles and destroy our bases near them.

We developed the Patriot Missile. We perfected it since theGulf War and we'll take out their missiles mid flight.

"Then" they've got a problem however, I really hope it doesn't come to that.

"Again" Why can't we all just get along rather than trying to extinguish humanity!!

The latest thing is "bullying". Seems bullying goes much farther than children.

Countries bullying Countries. WTF MAN!

Aren't the Iranians the ones who claimed that their drones are better then our drones when their drones can't even reach Jerusalem? I doubt their missiles even have the range to make it to a US base. Here's what would happen if we attacked them: they'd be dead and there wouldn't be a chance for retaliatory action.

And oh yeah Iran, you really want to tempt our current warmongering politicians with threats? Are you freaking crazy or just stupid? They'd love to invade you, please don't give them reasons to. Iraq and Afghanistan haven't really worked out very well...

joemike404, Obama has been in office now for 3.5 years, the day he walked into office he could have pulled our troops out. So lets not run the blame game for the war extending to ten years. If not mistaken Obama ran a campaign that he was going to pull of the mommas boys and girls out of the middle east and bring them home. I myself think he should personally apologize to every parent who has lost a child since his taking office.

Hey Iran, if you think you can destroy american bases in minutes....try this first....SH#T in one hand, and make a wish with the other hand, and see which one you get first...

Let us first examine why they continue to taunt the west with their threats; what is their hidden agenda, unless the entire leadership of Iran are all mental cases, then their rattling of the swords must have a reason; they do believe that if we attack them for any reason, the entire Muslim community of the middle east will rise up to strike down the great Satan; if they have already developed some nuclear warheads, and they would be insane enough to use them, then they could cause a economic collapse in the middle east, they of course would be in a inhabitable land for a couple of thousand years. they have a hidden agenda, let us first figure out where they intend to go with it.

Its good strategy for the Iranians. ThoseUS military bases have no defense for a incoming Mach 3 missile, neither does Israel.

However, this nuclear weapons problem is the only card they have left to play.. Israel has forced Iran" all in" on this nuclear weapon thing.

The Hormoz strait can be closed for years. Dirty or thermonuclear explosion. Would end the global economy right then.

You could destroy every inch of Iran with big bombs. But the game is over for everybody..

Fedup...enough...we all know you hate ...pretty much any kind of government, it seems.

No one has experience in something like this until it happens, hate monger.

If we continue to pussyfoot around with the sanctions, diplomacy and appeasement routine, then eventually they will develop a nuclear weapon which will immediately change the whole game. Once that happens, their threats suddenly become far more serious and any effort to use conventional force will result if far higher casualties.

Winston Churchill once said that "An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." I think that the Israelis have it right in that sometimes it is better to just shoot the damn croc and be done with it.

FedupwithFed, please send me some of the SuperPAC money you are being paid with to make your posts here. At least I hope you are smart enough to be paid to post for your political party, with all the advertising you do....

Dem and Rep shills, LOL!

Anyway, Iran is asking to be bombed again. They want to be bombed but not invaded so the mullahs can stay in power. Please comply with their request, since they are going to go straight to nuclear missiles anyway. You can hope for a revolution before them, but it probably isn't going to happen.

A sabre rattling lackey for the government of Iran makes a half ass statement and the right gets in their daily anti Obama rhetoric. One even questions his use of drones in killing most of the AlQueda leadership....A sorry bunch there right wing nut cases. They are more dangerous to the US than Iran will ever be. If the civilian population over there in Iran was so pro west they would have not stopped the revolution. Remember this country Iran could not even defeat Iraq because half of their army fled.

I bet the US Special Forces could take out about 30 of the top Iranian officials in one night without harming one civilian.

American Military Might is AWESOME. Im very thankful! And I ALSO like the way President Obama has run his foreign policy. So many terrorists are dead without thousands of American lives being lost doing it.

Iran's leaders aren't going to stop with the nuc junk though, even if their people starve, so Im not sure what the end game is for this. America does not need another war. Iran would not SURVIVE such a war.

ed-2113954, well said, most people don’t understand what it
is to fire at someone and then know that it was your shot that killed them,
even in combat it is not a good feeling.

The only thing that keeps you from going nuts is the fact
that in a firefight you don’t have time to think about what you just did, the
serving your country thing disappears and self-preservation takes over, and you
fight like hell just to stay alive.

Looks like we may be in for another one, but this one will
make all the others look like a cake walk, nuks will kill far more people than
bullets ever did and for a lot longer, and that nutcase in Iran is just dumb
enough to push the button.

Lusitania

How long do we have to go on fighting and paying for muslim countries..? When are the white-house crews going to realize they're wasting our children's money.

________________________________________________________________

Hello Lusitania,

Simply consider that the mountains of tax revenue spent fighting our disgusting wars, ON BORROWED MONEY, makes a lot of profit for our large corporations and the "Fed",( who loans us the funds to do the killing for blood money).

What a disgusting, corrupt, sham of a "democracy" we have allowed ourselves become.

It is no supprize the extent to which we are despised by most of the world today.

They are playing Obama, again, they are buying more time to develop their nukes, their weapon is not the nukes, its the threat of using the nukes to stop the flow of oil, which will cripple our economy since we are so dependent on foreign oil. Obama, get your EPA lapdogs off the back of the oil industry and let them make us independent on oil.

Iran, all those nukes that used to be pointed at Russia, where do you think they are pointed now?

Ten Companies Profiting Most from War

___________________________________________________

10. United Technologies (NYSE: UTX)
> Arms sales 2010: $11.41 billion
> Total sales 2010: $54.33 billion
> Arms sales as pct. of total sales: 21%
> Total profit: $4.71 billion
> Total employment: 208,220
> Sector: Aircraft, Electronics, Engines

Hartford, Conn.-based United Technologies is a multicompany industrial conglomerate with subsidiaries that include elevator company Otis and refrigeration giant Carrier. The comp

9. L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL)
> Arms sales 2010: $13.07 billion
> Total sales 2010: $15.68 billion
> Arms sales as pct. of total sales: 83%
> Total profit: $0.96 billion
> Total employment: 63,000
> Sector: Electronics, Services

L-3 Communications is a top contractor in fields such as communications, intelligence and surveillance. According to the company, its customers include nearly every defense, intelligence and security agency in the U.S., as well as allied foreign governments and commercial customers. Among its many products, the company produces the L-3 SmartDeck, a fully integrated cockpit system, and the AVCATT mobile aviation training simulator, designed for the U.S. Army. Although the company's arms sales have increased steadily for a number of years, their rate of increase slowed significantly between 2009 and 2010. The company's rank among largest arms producers fell from 2007's eighth to ninth in 2010.

8. Finmeccanica
> Arms sales 2010: $14.41 billion
> Total sales 2010: $24.76 billion
> Arms sales as pct. of total sales: 58%
> Total profit: $0.74 billion
> Total employment: 75,200
> Sector: Aircraft, Artillery, Electronics, Missiles, Military vehicles, Small arms/ammunition

Italian defense contractor Finmeccanica is the largest high-tech industrial group in Italy. Partially owned by the Italian government, the conglomerate has a large array of products in six areas: aeronautics, helicopters, defense systems and electronics, space, transportation and energy. The company has formed dozens of joint ventures in Europe and the rest of the world. Notable Finmeccanica enterprises include helicopter manufacturer Augusta Enterprises, missile manufacturer MBDA and EuroTorp, the world's leading antisubmarine torpedo manufacturer. In 2007, Finmeccanica was the number nine weapons manufacturer in the world. In 2010, it moved to eighth, with a 46% increase in sales over that time.

7. EADS
> Arms sales 2010: $16.36 billion
> Total sales 2010: $60.60 billion
> Arms sales as pct. of total sales: 27%
> Total profit: $0.73 billion
> Total employment: 121,690
> Sector: Aircraft, Electronics, Missiles, Space

European company EADS, short for European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company N.V., is the second of three non-U.S. companies on this list. The corporation, which includes major subsidiaries such as Airbus, is a leader in aerospace and defense products. EADS has a 37% share in missile manufacturer MBDA, and is one of the companies responsible for the development of the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet. Only 27% of EADS's sales are arms sales, which is the second-smallest share among the largest arms-producing companies. The company has a major presence in markets in the Middle East, North America, Europe and more.

6. Raytheon (NYSE: RTN)
> Arms sales 2010: $22.98 billion
> Total sales 2010: $25.18 billion
> Arms sales as pct. of total sales: 91%
> Total profit: $1.88 billion
> Total employment: 72,400
> Sector: Electronics, Missiles

Raytheon is a Cambridge, Mass.-based American defense contractor. It is the world's largest manufacturer of guided missiles and produces such widely used weapons as the AIM-7 Sparrow missile, the AIM-9 Sidewinder missile and the BGM-109 Tomahawk. The company is also responsible for the Air Warfare Simulation program used by the U.S. Air Force. In 2010, the company had nearly $23 billion in arms sales, more than 90% of its total revenue for the year. These sales were up 17% from 2007.

5. General Dynamics (NYSE: GD)
> Arms sales 2010: $23.94 billion
> Total sales 2010: $32.47 billion
> Arms sales as pct. of total sales: 74%
> Total profit: $2.62 billion
> Total employment: 90,000
> Sector: Artillery, Electronics, Military vehicles, Small arms/ammunition, Ships

General Dynamics is an American defense company that deals in aerospace, combat systems, information systems and technology, and marine systems. Although the company has been around since 1952, it has enjoyed a resurgence beginning in the 1990s, thanks largely to a number of mergers. Since 1997 General Dynamics says it has acquired more than 50 companies. Over this same period, its revenue increased from $4 billion to more than $32 billion. It also added more than 60,000 employees to its workforce. Currently, 74% of the company's sales are arms sales. General Dynamics owns Electric Boat and Bath Iron Works, two of the largest naval vessel builders in the world. General Dynamics is notable known for its Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, the Seawolf-class submarine, the M1 Abrams tank and the Arleigh-Burke-class destroyer.

4. Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC)
> Arms sales 2010: $28.15 billion
> Total sales 2010: $34.76 billion
> Arms sales as pct. of total sales: 81%
> Total profit: $2.05 billion
> Total employment: 117,100
> Sector: Aircraft, Electronics, Missiles, Ships, Space

Northrop Grumman is the fourth-largest weapons contractor in the U.S. The company, which is based in Falls Church, Va., is one of the leaders in aerospace technology and the leading producer of naval vessels in the world. The company manufactures Nimitz-class carriers that are the current flagships of the U.S. Navy. And over the next few years it is also set to build the new, $9.7 billion Gerald R. Ford-class supercarriers. Northrop Grumman also develops radar systems for aircraft and ground defense, sensor systems for a variety of vehicles and several unmanned aircraft and drones. Weapons systems sales accounted for 81% of company revenue in 2010. Arms sales grew by approximately $3.5 billion between 2007 and 2010.

3. Boeing (NYSE: BA)
> Arms sales 2010: $31.36 billion
> Total sales 2010: $64.31 billion
> Arms sales as pct. of total sales: 49%
> Total profit: $3.31 billion
> Total employment: 160,500
> Sector: Aircraft, Electronics, Missiles, Space

As recently as 2007, Boeing was the largest arms producer in the world. By 2008, it had fallen behind Lockheed Martin and U.K.-based BAE Systems. The aerospace and defense company remains one of the largest in the world, however. Boeing is the second-largest aircraft producer in the world by deliveries, behind only Airbus. It is also the second-largest U.S. government contractor, procuring just under $19.5 billion in contracts in 2010. Major products produced by the company include the KC-767, an aerial refueling tanker, and the F-15 fighter jet. Boeing made less in arms sales in 2010 than it did in 2009, although arms sales made up a larger amount of total sales — two percentage points, to be exact — in 2010 compared to 2009. Even in 2010, however, only 49% of revenue came from arms sales, which is among the lowest rates among companies on this list.

2. BAE Systems
> Arms sales 2010: $32.88 billion
> Total sales 2010: $34.61 billion
> Arms sales as pct. of total sales: 95%
> Total profit: $1.67 billion
> Total employment: 98,200
> Sector: Aircraft, Artillery, Electronics, Missiles, Military vehicles, Small arms/ammunition, Ships

BAE Systems is an aerospace and defense contractor based in the UK. The company has a major U.S. subsidiary, BAE Systems, Inc., which by itself would be the seventh-largest weapons manufacturer in the world. The British company was formed in 1999 through the merger of Marconi Electronics (which was at the time a subsidiary of GE) and British Aerospace. BAE produces weapons systems in nearly every major military category, including aircraft, defense electronics, vehicles, naval vessels and small arms. Among the company's notable contributions are the M2/M3 Bradley fighting vehicle, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Type 45 destroyer and the Astute-class nuclear submarine. In 2010, 95% of its revenue came from arms sales, $32.88 billion in all.

1. Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT)
> Arms sales 2010: $35.73 billion
> Total sales 2010: $45.80 billion
> Arms sales as pct. of total sales: 78%
> Total profit: $2.93 billion
> Total employment: 132,000
> Sector: Aircraft, Electronics, Missiles, Space

Lockheed Martin is the largest arms-producing and military services company in the world, with nearly $3 billion more in arms sales than second place BAE Systems. Although military sales make up the majority of its revenue, it is significantly less than many other major arms-producers, including BAE's 95% share. In addition to being the world's largest arms-seller, Lockheed is also the largest federal contractor in the U.S. by a large margin. In 2010, the company's government contracts totaled nearly $36 billion. Lockheed produces a number of major products, including the Trident missile and the F-16 and F-22 fighter jets. Despite being the largest military service company on this list, Lockheed is only the fourth-largest company by overall sales among the companies featured on this list. In 2007, the Lockheed was the third-largest arms producer.

Michael B. Sauter, Charles B. Stockdale

What Obama said

“The problem is, is that the way Bush has done it over the last eight years is to take out a credit card from the Bank of China in the name of our children, driving up our national debt from $5 trillion for the first 42 presidents – #43 added $4 trillion by his lonesome, so that we now have over $9 trillion of debt that we are going to have to pay back — $30,000 for every man, woman and child. That’s irresponsible. It’s unpatriotic.”.

-Barak Hussein Obama

“today I’m pledging to cut the deficit we inherited in half by the end of my first term in office. This will not be easy. It will require us to make difficult decisions and face challenges we’ve long neglected. But I refuse to leave our children with a debt that they cannot repay — and that means taking responsibility right now, in this administration, for getting our spending under control.”

-Barak Hussein Obama

Failed POTUS

let'em have it. Complete with delivery systems, and hand delivered from weapon platforms like ICBMs, B-2 aircraft, and Polaris submarines.

Polaris was a missile, not a submarine, and there hasn't been a Polaris missile on a sub in over 30 years. They were mothballed in the early 80's, and replaced with Trident and then Trident II's.

Yeah, I thought every single campaign promise I heard in 2008 was going to actually happen, for, like, the very first time ever...

Get real.

Not Gay's. That is a side issue at best. And this thread is about Iran and the possiblity of nuclear war. Not Gay's

@Rob .. I didn't say that this thread was about gays. My point was that the GOP primaries focused heavily on social issues (including gays, abortion, etc...) with hardly any discussion about foreign policy, certainly nothing about the nuances of foreign policy. At the end of the day, the President of the United States has far more impact on foreign policy than he or she does on domestic issues, including the economy. As the last four years have shown, Congress can easily thwart the domestic goals of the President, but it has relatively little control over foreign policy. Shouldn't we be extremely concerned about a candidate's foreign policy views and experience, especially given the relative lack of checks-and-balances in this area?

joemike404, Obama has been in office now for 3.5 years, the day he walked into office he could have pulled our troops out. So lets not run the blame game for the war extending to ten years

@WeAllHaveOpinions ... If Obama had done that, Iraq would have collapsed into anarchy and the right-wing would have accused him of wasting the lives of Americans who had died to that point. Apparently, in the eyes of the right-wing, there was no correct solution.

During the campaign Obama absolutely stated one of the first things to be done was to pull our troops out. AGree with weallhaveouropinions. Obama needs to be apologizing to the families of all the dead and injured service men and women instead of these stone age dictators across an ocean. I did not believe in or trust Obama from the first time I heard him speak in the campaign. I didn't expect much out of him and he ceratinly didn't let me down in that. In fact he's screwed up even worse than anticipated. It's only unfortunate that in November the alternatives to vote for are no better. Can America survive another four years period??? Let's hope there are some truly viable candidates on the horizon for 2016. BTW was a registered Dem at the time Obama became POTUS but have change my affiliation to independent. Undecided as to what to do in Nov. Maybe a NO CONFIDENCE in either candidate vote is all I got.

This is just Iran retaliating to the sanctions against them. It's all about saving face for the Iran population; they can't be seen as weak against the threats against them.

They aren't asking to be bombed, and they have already had a revolution back in the 70's. They want what every other country wants, power and influence in their region.

Who are we to decide who has nuclear weapons and who doesn't? All the intelligence suggests that Iran isn't even close to developing a bomb, and have given up aspirations to acquire one. They offered for UN weapon inspectors to come out and take a look at their nuclear facilities before.

Israel seems hell bent on bombing though, so it will probably happen eventually. I would just like to remind people that the Iranian people are more like you and me then we give them credit for.

Closethefed, I've been to quite a few foreign countries in the past five years, who exactly are you referring too when you say we are despised, I sure didn't get that from anyone I came into contact with

Iran wants play. Let's go ahead and introduce our MOAB's to them.

Did they close fiestys other account and she open a new one as lying republican?

2008

when asked about the war on terror the canididate Obama said:

"thats above my pay grade."

HMMMMM...

now, with the leaks, it has been shown that Obama is selecting who and what gets killed.

as well as saying, cyber terrorism is an act of war, and then brags about hacking iranina computers.

isnt that an act of war?

this guy is a piece of work.

the biggest security leaks in history under this president, the willing ness to give seal team 6 names to donors and movie makers.

and you wanna talk about flip floppers?

does this ring a bell?

"the private sector is fine."

HHMMMMMMM....

really, its fine?

sure tell that to the 8% unemployment!!

and now to be an american it will cost you in the form of a tax.

TO LIVE AND BREATH IN AMERICA THEY WILL TAX YOU FOR IT!!

NOT TO BUY STUFF, NOT TO BECOME AN AMERICAN, TO BE AN AMERICAN YOU HAVE TO PAY!!!!

YEA, THIS GUY IS GREAT!!!

i am ready to renounce my citizenship and come across the border as an illegal, they get all the perks!!

Shame on anyone who is out to bomb a sovereign country, simply for wanting to produce nuclear energy and telling the world to leave them alone. They are not in the stone age, and many times they have tried to reach out to America. Just how many Vietnams and Iraq do you need to learn not to think like this? Please have respect for other cultures and peoples. People like myself do, Obama does, people with any sense want to work together as best we can. Do you want to become like the extremists you are trying to fight?

Close the Fed

• Your post concerning;

Ten Companies Profiting Most from War

I fail to see what your point is. (Excellent research by the way. Never come to a gun fight with a bag of parrot speak :)... ). Some of the companies, as you pointed out, only have some contracts with the government, the others are in business to make money, period. So what is your point? You may see evil war profiteers, but what I see, from your own tallies, is over 1,000,000 jobs.

Some of you posting conspiracy theory garbage need to wake the f**k up !! The U.S. isn't who's talking $h*t here, it's the Ahmasmellyb@st*rd regime. Trying to tie all the overnight A.M. radio nonsense into it doesn't fly. Iran is a problem and they will continue to be a problem until their citizens stand tall and say enough of the insanity of Ahmawindbreaker and his mullah handlers.

My advice to Ahmalo-lo-lo-loser is be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it. Israel has already got their plans for a response to your plans to become a nuclear thug when they feel diplomatic options have run out. Rest assured, they've got your number as does the U.S. Military if you get froggy and make a move. I hope diplomacy prevails, but I'm sure as hell prepared to act if it doesn't and all hell breaks loose.

We are already witnessing the dual edged sword of Islamic fundamentalism, propaganda and terror. Islam has cleverly used 2 approaches in its war with the Judeo-Christian west…it has convinced people, including the US State Dept and the media that the problems of the middle east all revolve around the dispute between the Arabs and the Jews over land and it has effectively used terror and the threat of terror to mute any opposition.

Just as Saddam LIED about his WMD, Iran is also begging for someone to start a war, their goal is to financially destroy what they can’t physically destroy.

Lying Republicans;

And yet, Al quida is still alive and well. The SEALS and Rangers got Bin Laden on intel from the CIA and other sources. "O" signed an order, whoop-tee-do, any line General could have done the same.

Once "O" got clued in to the "big picture" he lacked as a mere candidate nothing really changes, GITMO is still running, The economy still sucks, the housing market is pathetic despite what the talking heads say. Jobs are non existent, So what has your Obamabot done really?

Let's see, he stopped the key stone pipe line that would have greatly eased our foreign oil problem, He bailed out everybody and then patted himself on the back for adding trillions to the debt, His health care reform will add billions in cost of the new bureaucracy, Will gut social security, and other social programs for the poor and will add a personal tax to those who can't buy health insurance as prescribed by the all knowing central revolutionary counsel of the DNC. Yeah, he as his cronies are helping the everyman so much, as long as they are in the upper 10% income brackets. You want to see where your Democratic hero's loyalties lie? Check their portfolios dummy. Who do you suppose collected their far share of "Bonus" checks after the bail outs? That's right all those inside trading, tax cheating, equally low life Democrats. One thing about politicians that is as certain as sun rise and party means nothing, If they're mouth is moving, they ARE lying to you, it's just that simple. If you think any of these creatures cares whether you live or die, you ARE delusional.

Let's see, he stopped the key stone pipe line that would have greatly eased our foreign oil problem,

This is a fallacy; please explain to all of us how building a pipeline to refineries near the coast to help Canada ship its crude oil throughout the world markets would "greatly ease our foreign oil problem?"

Here's a little hint, it wouldn't.

Seeing as how Canada borders us and the fact that they ship their crude to us through infrastructure that's already in place, I'm just curious as to why anyone would believe this. The gulf however is a free trade zone.

All you're suggesting is hurting mid western states by diverting that oil from them.

I've got two words for you, "electromagnetic pulse" or EMP, if you prefer! Iran doesn't have to nuke us, all they have to do is send a few well placed nukes up into the atmosphere over our military bases. The EMP will knock out all the computer chips in our weaponry and we won't be able to respond.

Just sayin...

The US has been hardening all their vital electronics to this for some time.

I wouldn't affect our ability to retaliate in the slightest. At best it would be a minor nuisance.

The US has been hardening all their vital electronics to this for some time.

The US gave up shielding a long time ago. Every time the US tried to shield, the Russians created a larger nuke to over come it. Eventually reaching a point where it was no longer worth trying.

According to this article: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2004/08/the-electromagnetic-pulse-commission-warns-of-an-old-threat-with-a-new-face

Unfortunately, hardening systems is difficult and expensive. To protect
electronics infrastructure, entire systems must be encased in a metallic shield
to prevent any external electromagnetic pulse from entering.

Considering the number of weaponry that would need to be retrofitted we are talking billions of dollars to harden the systems. And what is the FIRST thing the Dem's ALWAYS cut when they are "in charge?" MILITARY SPENDING!!! So, do you really believe that our systems have been hardened against a concentrated EMP attack?

I don't think so!

I do, because I've worked/work on them.

Just enlighten you further; your article seemed more focused on US infrastructures (I.e. power grids) which are obviously not hardened.

Our military machines that are vital however are hardened against attack, so a few nukes over a military base would have little effect on our ability to respond to an attack.

Israel seems hell bent on bombing though, so it will probably happen eventually. I would just like to remind people that the Iranian people are more like you and me then we give them credit for.

Gee William, I wonder what YOU would do if threatened DAILY to be wiped off the face of the earth?

They are not hell bent on bombing, they are hell bent on SURVIVAL!

Umm, they aren't threatened daily, and it has little to do with survival.

Really? Coz I was just there for 2 weeks and yes, they ARE threatened DAILY! Have you been to Israel? I suggest you take a trip and see for yourself!

On Sunday, Iran threatened to wipe Israel "off the face of the earth" if the Jewish state attacked it.

http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/03/12549143-iran-claims-it-successfully-test-fired-missile-that-could-reach-israel?threadId=3510972&commentId=67676517#c67676517

Umm, I've been to lots of places.
Really, threatened daily? Never mind that both sides bolster and commit acts of terrorism against one another? It's always been this way since Israel's inception. Iran is pissed off at Israel for the treatment of Palestine, the seizure of land in the six day war, as well as acts they've committed against several of the neighboring regions.
I suppose though its okay that Israel is blowing up scientists, threatening Iran with bombings on what, for all intensive purposes, is a peaceful nuclear program and seized a sovereign nations lands and refuses to relinquish them. Never mind they attacked a US Navy vessel back in the day to prevent information from being brought to light about how they blew up the justifications for that war.
I guess it just really comes down to the semantics of the word threat. I don't see a lot of talk by governments as a threat at all, if you do then just about every nation on earth is threatened daily.

Also the link you edited in is a threat of retaliation, not a standalone threat.

If it you know, makes you feel any better.

Bentley -

Yes, I realize that the article I referenced was US focused. However, as the Pentagon serves as our military headquarters for all operations, the article is relevant. If we lose US power grids, how are we supposed to manufacture the weapons and artillery needed to support our military overseas? Not to mention that many of our applications are civilian based.

This report from the CRS for Congress: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL32544.pdf basically states that a number of analysts believe the military testing is flawed and that many US systems for battlefield conditions may not be protected. While I would assume that the military has hardened our battleships and air support, even those could be substantially damaged by a HEMP.

It is also obvious from the report that countries such as China, Korea and Iran have stepped up the development of EMP and HMP devices. And this is a 2008 report. Prior to the latest military cuts in spending imposed by the Obama administration. So I am supposed to believe that massive steps have been taken to protect our overseas bases and the US infrastructure?

Um, I don't drink Kool Aid - never liked the stuff! - and I don't believe in the tooth fairy, either...

Deedee,

I'm only speaking from experience here, and to reply to your original statement about an EMP's ability to knock out our militaries ability to retaliate to a threat. We could and would retaliate. Would there be long term repercussions for the civilian and US industry applications of technology? Of course. Would it severally hamper our ability to wage a retaliatory war? No not really.
The military applications that have been hardened are quite sound. They've been in place for a while now and are more than capable of handling any emerging EMP threat. Could it be better? Sure, but it just isn't cost effective to over protect against a threat that really isn't there.
I can see where your fear lies, I'm just trying to reassure you that our military would still be functioning in the event of an EMP. It isn't good for anyone though, since we'd most likely retaliate with a nuclear option instead of conventional warfare.

Bentley -

Hamas controls Palestine. Hamas has dedicated itself to the eradication of the Jews. Period. You can believe all the clap-trap BS the liberal media throws at you if you want to, but that doesn't make it true!

They don't want Jerusalam for religious purposes, they want Jerusalem as a military vantage point to effectively cut Israel off so that they can either slaughter them or drive them into the sea.

Israel has made several attempts at peaceful resolution, and every time a cease fire is initiated, it is Hamas and the Palestinians that break the cease fire and bomb Israel. Iran, Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood are going to be satisfied with nothing less than the eradication of Israel and the Jewish people. They don't care about the Palestines. The Palestines are a tool.

I don't understand how "humanitarian" groups can support the Palestinians and condemn the Israeli's. It is my guess that their anti-semitism outweighs their humanitarianism.

How could the collapse of US infrastructure NOT affect our ability to retaliate?

Deedee,
First, Israel refuses to give up lands it seized in the war; this further inflamed the already high tensions that existed over there.
Secondly, if Israel relinquished these lands and returned to borders agreed on by the UN how would this weaken Israel? Seeing as they successfully waged war and seized Palestine's lands in the first conflict.
Israel is also a nuclear nation, so someone waging war to "wipe them out" would have to be very ballys to attempt this to begin with.
How is it a lack of humanitarian feelings to desire both sides live in peace without unneeded bloodshed? What makes Israel morally superior to the people of Iran or Palestine?
Also I support the US and their interest; I just don't buy into the dehumanization and propaganda that is played over and over again. If you can't see that it's just how governments play on the world stage and broker for power with another, then you're missing the point of foreign relations entirely.
And Deedee, a stoppage in US infrastructure won't prevent us from waging war or retaliating. The military has its own independent infrastructure. So you can continue to be worried about EMP, but the fear is unfounded. So relax.

Homer Adams "This is a crazy game the Iranians are choosing to play. What would victory be for them?"

Sticking it to the Americans just before their economic return to the time of the 'Prophet'. Virtually their entire military capability could be destroyed in about one day and they know it, so their bluster is nothing but hot air.

Let's hope the sanctions work, but it's too bad that Obama waited almost 4 years to put them in place. Bush said sanctions would be the only thing that would work, but Obama insisted that 'talks' would work - now we see that Bush was right after all, but then what else is new.

William, do you really think if Israel relinquished land they gained after being attacked by several Muslim nations ,they would live happily ever after, that's just a bit naive. Look what happened after they returned the Gaza Strip. The Muslims need to get over it, Israel isn't going anywhere. I do agree they need to stop with the settlements

The Jews had settled in Jerusalem by 332 BC and had built the Temple of Solomon there. But over the centuries many others have laid claim to Jerusalem, including the Babylonians, who destroyed the Temple, and the Romans, who renamed the land Palaestinia. The Jews were driven from the land. But historically speaking, Jerusalem, and Israel, belonged to the Jewish people first.

Over the centuries and during these occupations, many of the Jewish people converted to other religions so that they could stay in their homeland. Thus, most Palestinians descend from Jews who converted to Muslim in order that they might remain in their homeland.

Because of their Jewish ancestry, the Palestinians are considered "bastards" in the eyes of Hamas. However, the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas are content to use them as tools to achieve their stated objective, which is the eradication of the Jewish people.

The Jewish people began to return to their homeland in the 19th century. In 1917 Britian was granted control of the land that encompasses Israel. In 1947 Britian announced that it wanted to withdraw from the land, and it was Britian, with the support of the United Nations, that divided the state, and the city of Jerusalem.

Israel declared it's statehood, and Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq marched on Israel. Israel won their independence during the Arab-Israeli war. Much as we won our independence during the British American war. Jews were expelled from Arab countries and settled in Israel, and Russian Jews also fled and settled in Israel.

Israel has, on numerous occasions, attempted peace negotiations with the Palestinians. However, having been expelled from their land several times in the past, having had their temple destroyed by the Babylonians, they refuse to further divide their small country and they refuse to give up Jerusalem.

It is a well known FACT that Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood have vowed to eradicate the Jewish people. They are using the "bastard" Palestinians to achieve their goal.

I think, Bentley, like most "geniuses" that though you are extremely "book smart" you lack common sense. Anyone with common sense would realize that as long as there are Jewish people in Israel, no matter what the dividing boundary is, the Muslims will be at war with Israel.

What does one have to do to get a blow job

The Jews had settled in Jerusalem by 332 BC and had built the Temple of Solomon there. But over the centuries many others have laid claim to Jerusalem, including the Babylonians, who destroyed the Temple, and the Romans, who renamed the land Palaestinia. The Jews were driven from the land. But historically speaking, Jerusalem, and Israel, belonged to the Jewish people first.

And America belonged to the Native Americans first; I don't see us relinquishing our country back to those we conquered.

Over the centuries and during these occupations, many of the Jewish people converted to other religions so that they could stay in their homeland. Thus, most Palestinians descend from Jews who converted to Muslim in order that they might remain in their homeland.

Because of their Jewish ancestry, the Palestinians are considered "bastards" in the eyes of Hamas. However, the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas are content to use them as tools to achieve their stated objective, which is the eradication of the Jewish people.

That's funny considering that Hamas is made up of Palestinians and have been elected to its government, and Hamas is an offshoot of the muslim brotherhood.

The Jewish people began to return to their homeland in the 19th century. In 1917 Britian was granted control of the land that encompasses Israel. In 1947 Britian announced that it wanted to withdraw from the land, and it was Britian, with the support of the United Nations, that divided the state, and the city of Jerusalem.

Israel declared it's statehood, and Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq marched on Israel. Israel won their independence during the Arab-Israeli war. Much as we won our independence during the British American war. Jews were expelled from Arab countries and settled in Israel, and Russian Jews also fled and settled in Israel.

Israel didn't win their independence during the six-day war (they had already established statehood) and I'm not sure why you thought Lebanon was in the mix as they played no crucial role in the war. Iraq provided limited amounts of soldiers and mostly equipment, and you completely forgot about the United Arab Republic (Egypt). The war started mostly as a result of terrorist attacks by Israel and attacks by Palestine liberation army. Israel also preemptively attacked several times leading up to the war and during it.

Israel has, on numerous occasions, attempted peace negotiations with the Palestinians. However, having been expelled from their land several times in the past, having had their temple destroyed by the Babylonians, they refuse to further divide their small country and they refuse to give up Jerusalem.

When they divided up the lands Israel's reach didn't include what it is today, and Palestine, Egypt, and Syria have agreed to talks and peace process if Israel gives back the land they took during the war; thus returning to the 1967 borders.

Several Muslims countries have signed or contemplated signing peace treaties with Israel; Egypt and I believe Lebanon have signed one.

Theres no magical cure to Israels woes, you can't just expect to have the history you do and wake up one morning and everything okays. They should be taking steps to work with their neighbors, not against them though.

And just so you don't get the wrong idea that I'm a Jew hater or Israel death wisher, Israel is one of my favorite countries. They have some really smart guys over there, and the people are fantastic, the art and architecture are stunning. I just don't want to see Israel making further mistakes by preemptively bombing another sovereign country again, over what appears to be a peaceful nuclear program.

We need to stop all this sabre rattling and work on peace, I despise people who throw out "lets bomb them to death!" or "we should use the military option." From people who don't fight in the wars and casually talk about it as though it were some sort of paper statistical match.

Those of you who are talking about "stone-age" Iranians are as blind, deaf, and ignorant as anyone living on this planet. In all probability, you yourselves are closer to a stone-aged mentality than the average Iranian is.

Iran is the modern day descendant of the fabled Persian Empire. It is a country of doctors, scientists, artists, intellectuals of every kind, and its people are far more advanced and intelligent than the average American beer-drinker.

I am not of Iranian descent. I have never been to Iran. My ancestors spoke English or German, or a language native to the Americas. I am simply reporting what I have seen of world history, and of the Iranians I have met in the United States, who, as many have pointed out, are not at all one and the same with the crazed and backward leadership of that country.

A simple reflection on the fact that we are discussing a people who are in the process of developing advanced nuclear technology should be enough of a clue that when we say "Iran," we are not talking about any such thing as a stone-age society. The word "nuclear" should be enough of a clue even to the ignorant Hollywood-fed bloated-fluff styrofoam-brain of a typical American jerkwater background ignoramus who believes all the mass media hype about everything under the sun,

The leadership of Iran is crazy. The typical Iranian--like everyone else in the world--knows this.

Incidentally, I recently read somewhere that the largest majority of millionaires living in Beverly Hills as measured by cultural origin is of Iranian ancestry. If so, whether this is entirely related to Iran's oil wealth is debatable. Their culture produces a large number of medical doctors. Many of the most competent doctors now practicing in the United States are of Iranian origin. Your doctor, maybe?

A study of the languages of the world reveals the origins of nearly every western language in a language that originated in the Indo-Persian region of the world. Linguists do not refer to the Indo-European family of languages for nothing. This family of languages, which you can probably find as a tree in the inside cover of a nearby English language dictionary, includes Latin, Greek, German, French, Spanish, English, Scandanavian, Slavic, Armenian, and a host of others. Anyone who knows Sanskrit knows the sounds and symbols of the core language that overspread Western Civilization. Anyone who knows Persian knows a close cousin of that language. The libraries of Iran contain books going back to the dawn of history. It shouldn't take a doctoral level understanding to put the pieces together and realize that all this knowledge, down to the present time, is available to every student in an Iranian university today.

Anyone who characterizes the Iranian people as "stone-aged" is too ignorant for any adequately descriptive words.

Incidentally, on one of the pages of a certain U.S. History textbook that came and went in the rooms of American high schools and colleges sometime in the early 1990s there is a photograph of a group of the U.S. Embassy hostages that were eventually freed from their Iranian "student" revolutionary captivity by President Ronald Reagan. Standing nearby the blindfolded captives and in apparent command of the scene in this photo, is a young Iranian man sporting a neatly trimmed beard that unmistakably appears to be the ass-mad-in-his-head himself.

Everyone living in this day and age must surely understand the wide gulf of difference that exists between the population of a nation and its political leadership, if only by virtue of seeing that gulf from the perspective of his own home. It is not only true of Iran that the common people are as intelligent and well-meaning as anyone else in the world while it is quite apparent that the leadership is stark raving mad. One might very well say that about this country, or nearly any country.

And if you should ever find yourselfl in the middle of a conflict with another nation, nothing could be stupider than underestimating the abilities of the man on the other side of the divide between you. Iran is not Iraq. Know that.

Iran: We can destroy US bases 'minutes after an attack'

Let's see 'em try. They've been asking for it. Begging us for it.

No Mondo, they are not begging for it. They are simply responding to our building up of sea power in the Persian Gulf. We are the ones threatening them. They are only warning us they will respond to an attack by either the US or Israel.

Right now, Bill Kristol, neocon Zionist Jew, who owns the Weekly Standard, is calling for the US to attack Iran. Its the same bs we endured prior to the Iraq war, which will cost America over 3.5 trillion dollars. It was a war built on lies perpetrated by the Zionist cabal that was running the Pentagon, headed by Paul Wolfowitz. They provided the media with false and cherry picked intelligence to justify their war for Israel. The war was planned in 1996, when the neocons were actively working for the Likud government of Israel.

No more wars for Israel. If they want war, let them fight the war and endure the consequences. They lost not one soldier in Iraq, nor paid one shekel. Meanwhile, we are in debt up to our ears and still giving Israel our money and weapons.

Ah, RalphH spoken like a true Nazi.

Tell me, do you get your SS waistband dry-cleaned? Or do you do it yourself?

They may be able to hit "some bases" but we can turn the whole country into a sand parking lot before they know what hit them. It is too bad the people of Iran don't have the guts to stand up to their government and "take it back".

1. Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT)
> Arms sales 2010: $35.73 billion
> Total sales 2010: $45.80 billion
> Arms sales as pct. of total sales: 78%
> Total profit: $2.93 billion
> Total employment: 132,000
> Sector: Aircraft, Electronics, Missiles, Space

A couple details about Lockheed Martin that may interest some. Elizabeth Cheney(Dick Cheney’s Daughter) became CEO and part-owner of Lockheed Martin. After the 911 attacks the government signed a 70 billion dollar production contract with Lockheed(30% increase from the year before), along with an undisclosed amount for a research contract for the CIA, and who was the head of the CIA back then? Your eyes are open, now use your brain.

11B here, and I agree.

ED,,,,,,,been there bud,,,,,,,,,usmc, 58 to 68,,,,,,,you are correct. Semper Fi.

Trouble is, the people who make war, aren't the ones that have to fight.

Iranian mullahs and their puppets ruling are the bravest in the world!

Hope they are not imagining from some seventh century desert caves or battling girls, women or unarmed minorities!

They should have handled Saddam and won within seconds instead of battling for years!

Did Almighty U.S. win within seconds in Iraq? Take brave Ed's advice. This isn't a video game!

Ed, and all the others who agree with him, here, are what's left of the best of America. What a shame that our professional, crony, politicians and all the blowhard wing nuts, right and left, don't learn how to be human and to be guided by our better nature, from these great men.

ED,

I am also another 11B vet (CIB), and I also agree. Funny that those who make
policy, or are advocates of war, are those that hides in safety of war--a war
that we fought/fight. Sometimes I wished that I traded bullets with those fools than
the ones on the actual field.

CIBVET: Fools are not that bad.

But the worst are those who dance as directed by Saudis, oil companies, lobbyists, Jewish lobby and or anyone who flash monies!

With all around economic mess, will anyone with some sense impose sanctions on Iranian oil and permit oil price manipulations from around $40 in 2009 to the current $100?

Iraqi wars gave us injured and dead soldiers, huge trillions of dollars monies sunk and in Europe PIIGS!

Why can't we permit the mad ME muslims battle among themselves?

We will watch the fun from far distance!

It's a trap many have fallen into. You're not alone.

War is truley hell...anyone who has not faced an enemy with a weapon needs not lead us to a war

jonathan, get your facts first. oil has not been 40 a barrel since bush took office (2000), it was not 40 in 2009. lol So now that everybody who read your post knows your an uninformed ranting political wanna be, maybe you should change your screen name?

There MUST with our population of 350 million composed of every nation on earth, with talent saturating our land, there must be some in the State Department, the Defense Department, CIA and many other institutions given the task of keeping our nation safe, who understand the perils of yet another war in a region not easily accessed. There simply must be intelligence in those arenas who can formulate prescient foreign policy without encountering the risk of death, horrific wounded, and the destruction of the masses of our enemy. I surely would not want to be relegated to the task of this but my goodness our troops, our volunteer troops, including the reserves and National Guard ... and our regular forces are simply overcome with the extent of the battle they have been asked to wage.

A war with Iran? I have NO idea what the Iranian capabilities are, I surely hope our departments assigned the task of protecting us do and I hope they realize the difficulty of Iraq is child's play compared to Iran. Think well, Mr. President, before you do what is so difficult if not impossible to be undone.

Can we truly fight eternal war fiscally and can we fight in with a volunteer army status? A draft WILL be necessary at some point and if one thinks the American public's opposition to Vietnam was huge waging yet a third war, in the hell hole of the Middle East on a rather major power, Iran, will be massive. Glad I am not making the decisions.

How is this about our pols? The Iranian's are producing the nuke's? What should we do sit on our hands and do nothing while IRAN produces a nuclear bomb???? If Ed has issues then get some therapy. If we have to fight to keep Iran from having a nuke then so be it! And Ed can stay at home!!!

Ask a jihadist the same question and guess what the answer is.Comittment is half the battle.

george pauljohn: In highs/lows of $40 in 2009. That is what I read. You can give the exact number such that I can correct myself!

Why did you not give the exact figure if you are sure?

It isn't smart to allow them to do this, these countries have Nukes or are in the process of obtaining them.

If they decide to have an exchange with these, then they could possibly have global implications. I'm all for peace, but they can't allow that to happen.

I think it hit 38 dollars a barrel for a short time,thats why gas was 1.89 in 08

In the good old days, our leaders led from the front, not hiding behind bunker doors....let bat ears and the rest of his cronies lead our army and ahmadinajad and his cronies lead theirs....

looks like in Febuary of 2009 oil prices were around $37 a barrel kinda shoots Georgie Porgie and his hateful post in the foot....

Price of crude history brought to you bye the NYSE... http://www.nyse.tv/crude-oil-price-history.htm

WeAllHaveOpinions: Thanks for the crude price details!

Ed, I Respect your Service to & For our Country,But We have a President that is Quite Comfortable ordering Drones to go in & Do his Dirty Work & Sleeps Pretty Damned Good at night. With Several Dozen Assassinations Under his Belt , It is like Ordering a Pizza for him from his Recliner. I Think Obama Deep inside wants Iran to Grow in Military strength. as he has Key Advisers that are Iranian Born & Bred on his Staff .I Believe his Allegiance are to these People as they were Crucial to his Election Campaign. The Only way Obama will Go into Iran,is if It Gets Close to November & the Poles show He is Not going to be Re-Elected.

To hades with all the touchy feelie BS Ed and you bunch of twinkies. Someone is threatening us, threatening our nation. A soldiers job is to protect our nation, not sit around and recite Joan Baez poetry. Yes it sucks to watch your comrade bleed out next to you but it wasn't in the fine print when you signed the contract to defend your country. If it is your comrade bleeding out in front of you, you collect his extra ammo, say a quick prayer for his soul and honor then move on, if it's the enemy bleeding out in front of you stick him one more time then move on to the next one.... Hoooyahh! U.S.A.S.O.G. 68/76

Iran is only responding to our buildup in the Persian Gulf and to threats from Israel. If America or Israel do not attack Iran, Iran will not attack us or Israel. We have already declared an economic war on Iran, all because of pressure from Israel and the Zionists who support their warlike tendencies.

No more wars for Israel. The cost of the war in Iraq will exceed 3.5 trillion dollars. To the uniformed, Iran does not have nuclear weapons and according to all our intelligence agencies, does not have a nuclear weapons program. Those that claim Iran is acquiring nukes are either uniformed, liars or Zionist propagandists. Most of those making the claim are Zionists.

PLEASE no more Wars!!

Agreed, only maybe the exeption of a No Fly Zone to protect civilian populations when they demonstrate.

Otherwise I don't want to know about masonic fighting... aka-special ops.

"Effing Iranian politicians and military have been flapping their gums for a long time yet fail to do sh!t against anyone!"

Your own words! That means Iranian politicians aren't actually about to nuke Israel, the only casus belli given for a pre-emptive attack on Iran.

It's called sabre rattling... and it's a terrible reason to start a war.

Ulysses Grant would have replied, "...and we can destroy Iranian bases too!"

If you read this article, you see that Iran isn't saying it will destroy US bases in the US. Iran is saying that if the US attacks Iran it will destroy US bases in the Middle East and Israel. Look at the picture for what it really is...Iran is obviously afraid that it will be attacked not by the US...but by Israel. But, Iran knows if they retaliate from an Israeli attack, Iran is then forced to also attack US military bases in the Middle East in order to protect itself from a double teaming by Israel and then the US.

Iran's imams don't especially care if every Iranian man, woman and child ends up incinerated by a nuclear attack. These old men preach everlasting life upon martyrdom. And what exactly do these old guys have to lose anyway? They know they don't have much time left. Better to take a whole nation of their own with them on their trip to Infinity is how they think.

what's the c. i. a. up to now?

Dman, if you read carefully, that is, if you know how to read at all, the Iranian military is saying they'll strike back if they're attacked. In other words, they'll act in self-defense. The only countries talking about attacking another country are Israel and the U.S., and you must wonder what the U.S. gets for wiping Israel's ass all the time.

Sundiata-2, it's called a pre-emptive strike. You do realize that Iran is enriching uranium to weapons grade, right? They are also threatening to put mines in the Strait of Hormuz and shut it down. And they have said before that they want to rid the Earth of Israel. But they are just defending themselves, right? Or maybe we should wait for Iran to drop the bomb so we can be on the defensive? Is that your plan?

Lies, Lies spreading to scare u to kill, bomb poor Iran. Mainstream media has u brainwashed

Well if all it takes is a pre-emptive strike ...how come we were wise enough not to do that to Russia while they were sabre rattling? makes me wonder if you ever learned anything from all of that media has papered for you to read

Draddogs it was called M.A.D.(Mutual Assured Destruction). Back when the USSR and the United States were growling at each other through the Iron Curtain, both knew had one bomb goes of in the others homeland, everyone dies. If you will remember, we came very close to trading missiles with the Soviets during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the early 60's. Had it not been for the fact of MAD, I am sure we would have traded a few A-bombs with the Russian here and there. In this case, if Iran was to produce enough nukes to "take out" Israel, they are hoping that big bother Russia or China will come to their aid to keep the mean ole US of A from jumping on them with both feet. The fact of the matter is simple a nuclear Iran makes for a very unsafe world, period. That government has done nothing in the last 20 years or more but spew words of hate against the West and their allies. They are no more than a inept bully but once they get the weapons to carry out their threats, just how long before that bully shows the world they are no longer inept?

I don't know if preemptive is the answer but someone better find it and soon because if Iran tries to use even a dirty bomb on Israel, that whole area will become a nuclear waste land. Israel will stand up for herself regardless what the US or the worthless UN says. And Lord forbid they(Iran) strike against us with a nuke, even all the tree huggin hippies will cry out for blood.

I find it humourous that you refer to Iran as a "bully". Gee sounds like some other country I know...hmmm...oh yeah thats right the U.S! We've been bossing countries around, occupying their land and slaughtering their people since the Korean War. Wake the @!$%# up and look in the mirror. We as a country have so much blood on our hands. Yet we wash it away with propaganda and bull@!$%# lies. What goes around comes around...and at the rate we are going this great "empire" of ours is bound to fall eventually.

Pat ...You are sooo right. I often wonder how much of the instigation comes from our own CIA. There's a wonderful, insightful book I'm currently reading called "The CIA - Safe for Democracy." It is written by a Pulitzer Prize winner. It is the most accurate and factual account of how many wars began at the hand of instigation by the US CIA. Formerly, the issues were related to stopping the growth of communism. Then, it was unseating government officials the US CIA deemed "unsuitable" to the agenda of US policies.

The CIA missions are all as covert as it gets. And let's face it. Over the last 50 years, the CIA has been instrumental in provoking many wars. Read the book. You won't believe the number of wars the CIA has involved this country in.

The @!$%# the CIA does, that wouldn't suprise me at all. I'll definitely check out the book. Thanks for the heads up!

All the while you sit in comfort behind your keyboard passing judgement on the people who have kept you and your family safe for generations. Liberals hate police and military until they are being attacked, then it's kill them all. Hypocrites.

Safe from what Superman007? The boogeyman? Just because Fox news says that today is "Code Orange" and that they have evidence of increased terrorist "chatter" doesn't mean we are no safer. And we would have nothing to worry about if we simply stayed out of other countries, refrained from killing millions of civilians throughout the years, and supporting apartheid states like Israel. And don't try to give me the "they want to kill us cause they hate our western culture" bull@!$%#. Look at Swizterland for example, a modern westernized country. No person or group is trying to wage "jihad" or "holy war" on them....and it could be because THEY DON"T INVADE OTHER COUNTRIES AND KILL THEIR PEOPLE! People in Switzerland live a very comfortable life, where most of the population is wealthy. And they are not run by a bunch of arrogant, small penis, war mongering idiots. " America!!! F*ck yeaaaaaaaaaah!!!" Retards.

Pats, take a breath man... you are turning blue man. calm... calm... now that you have calmed down. Are you one of those self hating Americans?

Pat, why don't you move to Switzerland, and what does Fox News have to do with code orange? Why is it so easy to spot a Liberal. You people are suppose to be the educated ones yet say the most incredibly idiotic things.

True. We deal with much worse actors all the time.

Brian, the Strait of Hormuz is not an oil producer like Venezuela or Iran; it is a sea lane through which 35-40% of globally-traded oil passes and not all of which comes from Iran. Another ignorant comment. With all these ignorant Americans one can understand why the American media so easily works up the population with propaganda to support useless military crusades abroad. But Americans must take a leaf from the pages of history. The end of the empire is nigh if you go on like this.

Plus, the fact that you now think Chavez isn't an enemy after all should tell you something about the warped psychology of American foreign policy. You just hate the guts of countries which want to be independent, which is surprising because that's exactly what the U.S. seeks.

Sundiata-2 Just because you are a member of the new black panthers doesn't give you the right to troll for your Iranian Comrades. Your links to Hezbollah betrays you for the terrorist that you are!

Yep sounds like a terrorist troll to me as well

Member of the new black panthers? Me? With links to Hezbollah? What a Zionist, harebrained crackpot!

Brian...NO...It's time for the US to stop pandering to Big Oil. It isn't the only industry that has a right to a monopoly on energy in this country. Wake up and smell the coffee people. The only Americans who cannot seem to grasp the idea that oil is not a necessity are those who live in states that force them to be hostages of Big Oil.

I live in the Northeast. Thanks to savaging year after year by Big Oil, northeast states consumption of oil and fossil fuel energy has decreased. Why? Because we aren't stupid. We know there are alteratives and they work and have been working now for almost a decades.

Here we have red staters who have some of the most beneficial climates for sustainable energy and they fight to keep Big Oil drilling across the planet. How stupid is that? If you cannot go to bed without worrying that Big Oil will no longer be the monopoly it has become and your entire lives are tied to Big Oil, end your neuroses and face facts. There ARE other options. People who can't think in terms of options are pathetic creatures of habits that end up doing them in.

Big Oil wants the entire market share...not half, not 1/3...ALL of it. That's not a good enough reason to continue to pump your tax dollars in subsidies to an obscenely profitable monopoly. $12 billion this year and how many trillions in decades past in Big Oil tax subsidies...This is your own fault. If you won't get off the Big Oil addiction, you'll end up just like heroin addicts...fearing hitting bottom and withdrawal.

Not yet ..just give it a little time !Chavez does not care for us at all !!

Brian, now if you can only convince him of that. Ewent, until we actually develop alternative fuels that can sustain us all we have is oil. Sundiata, hating on Jews is all you Muslims know how to do. Just because you aren't as intelligent don't be so envious. Why do you people want to live in the past?

wlee, you really do consider yourself intelligent huh! And yet you describe me as a Muslim, just as another peabrain has called me a member of the new black panthers, because I reject the persistent attempts of sections of American society to see others as a screen for the projection of their resentments and frustrations; while also claiming I hate Jews because I disagree with the rabid Zionists who want to plunge an important part of the world into an inferno. With all due respect, all of this makes you really stupid because: (i) disagreeing with aspects of American foreign policy toward a country you consider Muslim doesn't make one Muslim; (ii) not all Muslims hate Jews; and (iii) as a matter fact, I'm neither Black Panther nor Muslim. Of course, teaching you logic is like talking to a stone-head!

Sundiata, maybe it's all your anti Israel ranting that makes me think you hate Jews. Where did I say I think I'm so Intelligent. Reading comprehension obviously isn't one of your strengths. Logic, you have it you are rather amusing

I don't know if we could stank the intense forces of their Photoshopped arsenal. They could hit us with the same bomb over and over (copy/paste).

Nice post!

Are Pakis on sabbatical? If you had added them it would have been a better mix!

Iranian mad mullahs and their agents in place are unbeatable in imagining and issuing threats!

"Iran has threatened to destroy U.S. military bases across the Middle East and target Israel within minutes of being attacked"

To make some sense Iranian mullahs should learn what "minutes" mean!

By any chance are they talking of US bases and Israel in maps around them?

Again, this is an ignorant comment. Iran has made no threat here. On the contrary, it says it's prepared to respond to threats. I can't believe it. Why are you twisting the facts to suit your own fantasies. Americans are really hungry for war, aren't you? Or, is it some Zionists out here to whip up American emotions?

@ Ed. Yours comment was very deep and thought provoking. Thanks for your comment, and thank you for protecting us. Also Thank you also Youwish and A Human view

Sundiata, who is the brain washed one, you who keep wanting to blame Israel for all the Muslim problems in the world. We are suppose to look at you and see how good you are when all you do is spew your hate? Why don't you try finding good in others as I'm pretty sure there are just as many good Jews as there are muslims

"Americans are really hungry for war, aren't you?" Sundiata, it sounds like your stuck in the same mindset as the ones you are bashing. The only people who want to start wars are not usually the soldiers or the civilians that will bear the brunt of the punishment from the conflict. I dont know about where you live but most americans just want to live thier lives. Which I am pretty sure most of the billions of others on this planet want to do the same. All that's happening here is both sides are tossing threats around like a bunch of children with neither one willing to land the first strike, as it will make them look less like a victim. And I am hoping it will end at that.

wigglesnarf69,

A hat tip to you. I like conciliatory nature. We need peace in the world, which will only come when we begin to respect other people's culture, as well as their right to choose how to live their lives and when to make political transitions. I sincerely hope you're right when you say: "... most americans just want to live thier lives." It is the sort of faith often associated with the democratic peace argument. Unfortunately, the evidence doesn't always support that view because even a democratic population can be conditioned by media propaganda to love war on foreign societies. I don't think we have to go too far to find evidence!

wlee-950886,

My views are not anti-Israel; they're anti-colonial, unjust war and the oppression of the weak.

When is it ok for a country to defend it's self?

When it is attacked.

Why do I get the feeling that you would not be the one fighting that war? Real easy to send others off to war, isn't it, big man??

Dan....I offer Cantor, Ryan, Boehner, McConnell, Rove, Norquist and Walker ...put them in fatigues and demand they spend 1 month in Afghanistan before they try bullying the rest of us. Isn't it strange how the big mouths of the Tea Party are nothing more than a bunch of cowardly little Prissy Pants Rich bois who voted against more funding for our military people coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan?

Nothing I'd love to see more than Ryan facing a terrorist. His britches would have more "mud" than Florida swamp.

Ewent, you left out Obama and a lot of other Dems. Who's the rest of us?

The media used to understand that this type of stuff was just worthless sabre-rattling.

Because they are smart? Because all that oil has more value when sold than it costs to run a nuclear power plant? Because they are concerned about the environment? Just a few reasons right off the top of my head.

Maybe its because you're not getting the right education! The economy of the country is reliant on oil and gas sales, the domestic consumption is about 80% of the production, and it is increasing, so that's why they would need to replace it with reactors to get the electricity. Furthermore, the price of oil has been increasing for the past decade due to energy hungry Asia, the less they consume domestically the more they can sell and profit. Demand a better education than the box they stuff in your face, and demand for a free press, not the current ones that are owned by six people only!

Great post Max, and right on the money.

Great post Max!

Sort of like how Iraq had weapons of mass destruction? Sort of like how they were building nukes, but then it turned out they really weren't, only by then we had already sent 4,000 Americans to their deaths. Sort of like that? No thanks, we don't need a repeat against a stronger enemy with very strong allies. An idiot falls for the same line twice in a row.

60% of Iran has no electricity...no infrastructure of substations and electric wires...I'm sure they want this nuclear energy for powering their "non-existent" energy grid....right?????

Yessir folks...Let's all become Big Oil Addicts. Let's work every day so we can hand over every dime in taxes so those Big Oil Big Daddies can live like you never will. Why is it only the most "ignernt" in this country believe there is NO other alternative to oil and gas fossil fuels? Are these lunkheads really THAT stupid? Or don't they leave Dogpatch long enough to know the rest of the people of this country are coming down off their oil addictions and paying one whole hell of a lot less of their paychecks for energy?

Actually you are the "ignernt" one. Do you really understand the amount of energy contained in one cup of oil and how cheaply that power can be obtained? I am not just talking about the generation of power but also all of the petroleum based products that would no longer exist if oil ran dry.

It would be great if there was another form of energy that was on par with oil, but so far the worlds smartest people have not figured it out so it could be some time. If you want to see what a world without oil looks like, watch Mad Max and you will have a clue. Right now oil is the most precious commodity on this planet and those that have it and know how to use it flurish.

My Muslim friends only a fool wouldn't know the true reason for Iran wanting a Nuclear reactor, so all your drivel to the contrary is quite amusing. Zip2, tell that to the Kurds and Iranians that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction and BTW they were found I suggest you do a little research

obviously we are far superior to them in military might

They would be the strongest enemy we've faced since WWII.

One of the problems is that it might be Israel that attacks Iran with absolutely no US involvement (as Israel, facing an Iran that has publicly stated that it wants to wipe them off the Earth, has said they may do without telling the US first) but in the confusion, Iran retaliates against the US instead of Israel which makes us defend our bases drawing the US into a war.

However, also because of treaties with Israel, if they did attempt to go it alone, eventually we would be drawn into a war with Iran as well defending Israel. The main problem stems from the Iranian government and their public declarations that Israel needs to be wiped off the earth. If Iran was more careful about their statements, then it would help to diffuse the situation over there because as it stands now, the Middle East is still a powder keg waiting for a spark.

Most people only care about themselves and their families. They really have no loyalty to country or culture, only to violence and hidden evil. They cloak themselves in make-up and flawed logic. In their hearts, they do know. They sell their values to feed their kids and teach the same way of selfishness, hoping for family power, bloodline banking. They'll say they stand for family, equality, freedom, etc, but they do not, only for themselves do they stand assisted. That's America. That's humanity. America represents the worst of humanity, the spoiled and purposefully ignorant. America is a piece of crap by choice of the majority, always will be, til it ends.

Shaped explosives are actually quite common. All standard RPG's for example, which are commonly available on the black market, are shaped explosives.

Mark, speak for yourself don't presume to speak for me. How do you think this country came into existence but for people willing to sacrifice for it. You take for granted all the things you have, you are the spoiled one, speaking of flawed logic

the minute they start some crap we should turn the North Koreans into a Kempshe stand and the Iranians into a glass factory.

Yeah and I'm sure the Russians and Chinese would TOTALLY ignore their defense agreements with those nations and like totally not turn this country into a glass factory... yeah... dude think before you post stupid sabre-rattling comments like that.

And the U.S. will get its ass kicked eventually. Only then will you get some sense into your coconut.

Any time the U.S. has lost a military objective, its been because that country was backed by a larger one, like China. I don't think an attack on nuclear facilities will draw in any other country. An all out invasion would, but that is not going to happen.

My guess in all this.... Iran will eventually develop their nuclear bomb. The U.S. and Israel are equally sabre rattling, but it may not be effective enough.

40,000 USA residents die of the common flu each year. Where is your outrage over that?

And a big money-maker for their business partners.

Andrew neither President can do anything without the approval of Congress so stop the BS

Good point, good point . . . except that one of the largest lithium deposits ever discovered is in Afghanistan. The Chinese are quietly, busily mining it right now, their workers and transport network protected by American warfighters and taxpayer dollars . . .

Oh...they have books in Iran? Gosh, I didn't know that. I don't think their historical information goes much past the 1400's.

There was no such thing as Israel until the pompus powers that were after WW2 decided to make it so...and that deal included a state of Palestine...Stating lies over and over again do not make them true Ira...

Actually there was the ottomon empire thousands of years ago. Wanna try again bud?

The cat is out of the bag. The sabre-rattlers on here are mostly Zionists ala "momobho". You Americans must decide for yourself whether you want to be drawn into a senseless war for Israel's sake.

greg-2028350

The dictator/Shah of Iran was our friend and we gave Iran weapons...then the shah was overthrown and we gave weapons to Sadam in Iraq to fight Iran...Then we gave Iran weapons to fight Iraq...all the while ignoring Israeli ethnic cleansing of Palestinians (both muslim and CHRISTIAN)... and most uninformed Americans wonder why people in that region hate us...the sooner Iran nukes Israel and forces all those Eastern European Jews back to Europe, the sooner the world will become a better place...

Sorry Greg but I have to correct this......"The problem between the US and Iran began with the overthrow of Muhammad Mossadeq's short-lived, democratic government by the CIA in 1953 and the re-installation of the Shah to the throne of Iran. We did this for a 19% stake in Iranian oil.

In 1951, the control of Iran's oil fields by a British company (the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, or AIOC) became a hot political topic. The Iranian people believed, with some justification, that the existing deal between the Iranian government and AIOC unfairly benefited the company. Muhammad Mossadeq, then a member of the Iranian parliament, took the lead in demanding a renegotiation of the pact. The masses of the Iranian people rallied to his standard and quickly made him the most revered leader in the land. The Shah, who then ruled as an authoritarian monarch, lost control of events as his previously powerless parliament (the Majlis) took on a life of its own.

While I certainly don't condone his socialistic tendencies or his seizure of the oilfields, it is undeniable that by the time of his elevation to prime minister, Mossadeq had the backing of the overwhelming majority of the Iranian population. For the first time in its long history, Iran had a democratically elected leader.

By 1953, Mossadeq was in an increasingly difficult situation. Oil revenues had plummeted due to a boycott of Iranian oil and the economy slumped. The Soviet-backed Iranian communist party was becoming increasingly aggressive, and Washington began to worry. Iran was a vital chess piece in the Cold War and the American oil companies had their eyes on future concessions there. Mossadeq had become an "issue" for some very powerful people.

Eventually, the decision was made in Washington that Mossadeq had to go. Brigadier General Norman Schwarzkopf (father of the Gulf War commander) and CIA guru Kermit Roosevelt (grandson of Teddy) were ordered to begin a covert operation designed to remove Mossadeq and restore the Shah to absolute authority. A complex plot, codenamed Operation Ajax, was conceived and executed from the US Embassy in Tehran.

Using CIA assets in the Iranian military and various minor political parties, an uprising was staged.

The Shah, who had fled to Rome at the first whiff of gunpowder, rode back to power on the tip of American bayonets.

In essence, the United States had engaged in a massive covert operation designed to remove a democratically elected leader from power and reinstall an authoritarian monarch (a move which makes a mockery of our currently stated desire to "spread democracy" in the Middle East).

This affair had several disastrous ramifications for the future of American-Iranian relations. First, the Shah, from that point forward, was viewed as a creature of America. Consequently, America became an accessory to his every oppressive act during the subsequent 26 years of his rule. Second, the American embassy in Tehran was permanently marked as a "nest of spies" in the eyes of the Iranian populace. And third, Iranian democracy was strangled in its crib.

The next time the populace rose to overthrow the Shah (in the 1970s), they viewed America as their enemy and were cheering a leader who was significantly less democratic than Mossadeq. When rumors began circulating that the Americans were going to bring the Shah back via yet another covert operation, the Iranian mobs responded by seizing the US embassy in Tehran and holding its workers hostage.

If Mossadeq's regime had been permitted to continue, it is entirely possible that Iran could have evolved into an authentic democracy. American interventionism destroyed that opportunity and set the stage for many of the tragedies currently haunting the Middle East.

If America is ever to have even remotely cordial relations with Iran, we must accept responsibility for the terrible effects of Operation Ajax and admit that we had no right to intervene in a controversy that was wholly the business of the Iranian people. That exploit was unworthy of the Land of Washington and Jefferson.

While the American public often quickly forgets the interventions and mischievous actions of its government, our overseas victims seldom do. The current climate of international terrorism should prompt the American people to take a more active interest, since these transgressions often come back to haunt us in the most unexpected ways."

http://www.lewrockwell.com/latulippe/latulippe41.html

greg, there are plenty of Arabs and Christians living in Israel, BTW check your facts Jews have lived in the land once know as Judea

The mullahs are stupid but not that stupid willing to play with their own lives to get a nuke or even think of attacking Israel! They know very well that they would be annihilated by US before even they manage to press a button!

I am of the Earth. I was born an enslaved American as most are, drafted. I have more heart, courage, balance and decency than the average American, yes. By association, I am guilty, but am not the trigger-man and not silent. I forgive you, all.

So... you're one of us but you're better than us is what you are saying?

It's not about better, it's about balance. Learn that "better" is the game at hand, meanwhile there is real work to do for those motivated and open.

Most here seek violence. Am I wrong? You all seem awfully bloodthirsty, as Americans. I'm not very good at that. Maybe you are better at this sort of war-thing, I don't know. If this is winning...if this is better...then no I'm not one of you and you "win", you are "better". And I forgive you!

mark if you do not like it here get the phuck out. no other country would put up with comments like that. you would be locked up or shot in the head. we don't need your kind.

Well your comment of US of A88holes lets me know you would be first in line of the bullet from my weapon...your anti America BS needs to be taken and dealt with in a way that would be inhumane to most on here but it needs to be done....Remember to be looking over your shoulder Mark as one ofus will get you.

Mark--why do you still live in the US? Please leave. One less idiot to deal with.

So, all Americans but YOU are a$$holes, huh Mark? Really? What imaginary god told you that? If you don't like America, hop on a plane, grow a beard and go join the people you do like, America doesn't need people like you.

Mark, I forgive you only a fool believes himself to be better then others

Don't forget to include cowardice!

Uh, check yourself, "dude". You're camped in their backyard, not the other way around. U.S.A. is the busier-body rogue cop.

We don't go out looking for fights

Really? Then just what the @!$%# do you think Korea, Vietnam, or Iraq were?

similar

I feel that as Americans we need to send them care packages of pork and porn!!!!

Nobody really wants to deal with the USA. We're just too annoying to ignore, for now.

Mark you are such a troll.... I think you just spew your anti-American hate just to get the attention the mommy wouldn't give you when you was a small lad. Just let it go man, you know you buried her in the backyard, let it go >.<

Max, your hatred runs deep as long as your ignorance as well as your fellow Muslims continue it will never end, remember it was Arabs who held the Jews in bondage not the other way around

They want to be left alone. OK let's leave them alone. No aid of any kind, that's money, food, medical, etc. Then go after any private industries selling goods to them. Get all humanitarian groups from the US home and cut off all air and sea traffic coming too and from the country. Cancel all visas and deport anyone who is not a US citizen. See how long they last before their country collapses.

Hmm... That was really not Necessary, was it ? ... perhaps if it was actually funny.. or witty.. or even lightly Amusing..... or even anti semitic... oh wait.. ? umm.. never mind.