Wesley Clark on Seder On Sundays 9-23

i dont like monday's...

when he swore a legions to sister hillary i started to look at him with a pig's eye....and too remember he is working for general electric...so you know they got to his paycheck....

US Blames Iran for Casualties from Its Own Attacks

The Bush administration continues to assert that EFPs are provided by the Iranian government, despite numerous discoveries by U.S. forces of workshops manufacturing such devices in Iraq.

On April 8, Sadr issued a statement urged the Iraqi army and police to stop cooperating with the United States and told his guerrilla fighters to concentrate on pushing U.S. forces out of the country.

Thus it requires no Iranian hand to explain the escalation of the conflict between the Mahdi Army and the U.S. military that accounts for the changing pattern of U.S. casualties in Baghdad.

will be broadcast on cspan-2 starting at noon.

i was surprised to read a new york times article about the iranian president at columbia and the biggest protest organizer is StandWithMe an israeli advocacy group. based on the news to day i would have expected a bunch of freepers.

i just hit the part of yesterdays podcast where sam is talking about this modification of a traditional american value.

CIA running black propaganda operation against Iran, Syria and Lebanon, officials say

Some intelligence sources more wary of covert Pentagon operations

The Central Intelligence Agency has received approval at least twice in the last several years to conduct an “information war” against several countries in the Middle East, including Iran, Lebanon and Syria, according to current and former intelligence officials.

In addition, the Bush Administration has been running operations out of the Defense Department that are not subject to Congressional oversight, intelligence sources say. These programs appear murkier, and have included support for an alleged terrorist group in Iran.

A recent ABC News report revealed that President George W. Bush had signed a presidential finding giving the CIA the authority to conduct “non-lethal” covert operations against Iran. Former and current intelligence sources tell RAW STORY, however, that there have been “at least two” presidential findings over the past few years which have empowered the agency to run an “open-secret” information war against Iranian interests, mainly leveraging resources and assets “within the United States and France.”

Iran 'accused of attacks in Iraq to bolster US strategy'

The Bush administration may be highlighting accusations that the Iranian government is behind attacks in Iraq in order to strengthen its hand in preparing for military strikes on Iran, according to a leading British think-tank.

The UK and US governments have frequently accused Iran of aiding militant groups in Iraq who are attacking coalition forces. However, the report said that "despite efforts by the Bush administration to confirm the strength of evidence presented, doubt still surrounds the case against Iran, particularly with regard to the degree of direct involvement of the Iranian leadership.

"Whatever the true extent and nature of Iranian military action in Iraq, few independent analysts believe Tehran is playing a decisive role in the sectarian warfare and insurgency," said the report.

More Bad Intelligence on Iran and Iraq

This week the White House made a big show of declassifying intelligence alleging that in 2005 al-Qaeda considered using Iraq as a base to launch terrorist attacks on the United States. The White House didn't bother to mask the reason for the disclosure — to put pressure on the Democrats to stop trying to impose a date for a withdrawal from Iraq. Meanwhile, ABC News reported that the White House recently ordered the CIA to destabilize the Iranian regime.

Both cases show how the Administration is still trying to manipulate intelligence to further its strategic goals.

quite a group....young dems made sense the rest all spewing the usual talking points....most posters were "dont bomb iran" so i dont know..i turned to ask some guy taping were i could listen to his taping....oh Lord!!! Fox news he says to me....that was it for me!!!

Iran most active in countering terror

A recent statement issued by the UN Security Council (UNSC) says Iran is the most active country in countering terrorism.

Bush doesn't want detente. He wants to attack Iran

Although the US administration's current priority is Iraq, it has not given up on Iran. Silently, stealthily, unseen by cameras, the war on Iran has begun. Many sources confirm that the US has increased its aid to armed movements among the ethnic minorities that make up about 40% of Iran's population. ABC News reported in April that the US had secretly assisted the Baluchi group Jund al-Islam (Soldiers of Islam), responsible for a recent attack that killed 20 Revolutionary Guards. According to an American Foundation report, US commandos have operated inside Iran since 2004.

CIA mock-execution of Iran diplomat

Jalal Sharafi's psychiatrist says the diplomat is constantly reliving the trauma of his torture, including mock executions by his US and Iraqi captors.

ABC And The IED's From Iran That Were Made In The UK

it was discovered that the new, deadly IED's were using a British design that had been stupidly given to the IRA by British intelligence and then passed around various terror groups the IRA were allied with. Major egg on faces - story dropped.

just curious

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Ahem...

LOL

dr probably won't see this post owing to his ichthyophagous safari, but that's okay. I doubt that I'm about to write anything that he doesn't already know.

Our disagreement is less like disagreement and more like teasing a cat with yarn to watch it swat and pounce. We disagree on plenty of the opinions we hold but we agree that we express some pretty good reasons for holding those opinions. That's all anyone can ask of anyone else: Give us a carefully reasoned back story, something better than "Because it's patriotic," and we'll go away happy with the knowledge that you are thinking instead of following the herd.

dr is a good debater. He (and Catharine) seized on my claim that MoveOn is a member of a group (actually two groups, more on that in a moment) that has a track record for less-than-honorable means to their ends. The groups having poor track records are political and, more importantly, human.

My claim was a sidebar during our discussion of the Petraeus/Betray Us advertisement but it was a chink in my argumentative armor, so dr poked a pry bar into the gap and peeled-away at my breastplate. Then he banged on it to peal his success (but I digress in deference to compulsive wordplay).

The only difference between my claim and dr's clever misdirection of it is that I stated that a member of a group known for less-than-ethical behavior should remain under suspicion (especially as it grows in size and power), and dr's claim is that I am being unfair if I cannot cite specific instances of unethical behavior committed by the member of the group to justify my continuing suspicion.

He's right, sorta. It's the ol' "innocent until proved guilty" ploy. dr's argument wins out when applied in some discussions; my argument wins out in others (like this one for instance...I keed, I keed).

I dislike the citation of quotes or bromides to support arguments because their use can be twisted to suit almost any application, but I can't resist this one:

One of the Aesop fables has a freezing snake begging the farmer to put the snake in his pocket to warm him up. The farmer obliged the snake only after the snake had promised not to bite him. As soon as the snake had sufficient warmth and strength, it bit the farmer.

"You knew I was a snake when you picked me up."

(Unnamed sources indicate that the snake that bit the farmer had never, ever bit the farmer before.)

ahmadinejad's speech style is real difficult to understand. i don't know whether this is because something is lost in translation or he is intentionally being obtuse by mixing politics and religion.

More Fuzzy Evidence On Iran

Ashtray hardware and Radio Shack electronics. Yeah. This stuff had to come from Iran, all right.

mentos and a diet coke should do the trick...

when they first started trying to prove this point sometime back didn't one of the "weapons" have a made in iran tag, printed in english (for our benefit of course)

Ouch. Nobody better never try *that* at home.

Isn't repetition a lovely device to use against those that are susceptible to suggestion?

"So, Nobody...what's your personal opinion of Ahmadinejad?"

I think that he's genuine. What he says fits the facts. For what reason would Iran be trying to instigate or supply arms so sloppily that they could be traced back to them?

Other than that...I don't think much else is relevent at the moment.

Snuck out to grocery shop b4 it got too hot here.

I am watching Ahmadenajad Dan.

He is mixing alot of religion into his speech.

I don't really like him, he's not a good person, however, I do feel that Iran is being blamed for everything lately. On purpose.

I do know that he is not liked in Iran and the Ayatolla even criticizes him. The young in Iran would like him out. I feel that we should not attack Iran and let the internal politics play out. I would keep an eye on him though. I would not want them to create a nuclear bomb.

Those are my thoughts. Again, I could be wrong but I do not want to see another war started that can be avoided.

"when they first started trying to prove this point sometime back didn't one of the "weapons" have a made in iran tag, printed in english (for our benefit of course)"

In that case if I remember right not only were there made in Iran tags on them and printed in english they were also identified later as U.S. munitions...

The neocons have promoted a bunch of real dimwits into their special intelligence groups...

Homeland Security deputy Jackson resigns

WASHINGTON -- The Homeland Security Department's second-in-command resigned Monday, citing personal financial reasons.

Michael P. Jackson, the department's deputy secretary, has had a major hand in running the large department, particularly in putting in place the current management team. In an e-mail to staff Monday, Jackson said, "The simple truth, however, is that after over five years of serving with the president's team, I am compelled to depart for financial reasons that I can no longer ignore." Jackson's resignation is effective Oct. 26.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1152AP_Jackson.html

create and have any nuclear anything....WHY?

Senate Source: McConnell 'Inaccurate' on Iraq Kidnapping Surveillance
By Spencer Ackerman - September 24, 2007, 12:22PM

According to a Senate source who requested anonymity, Admiral Mike McConnell was "inaccurate" in his account last week of a FISA Court ruling necessitating a delay in spying on Iraqi insurgents who kidnapped U.S. troops.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004272.php

later!!!

"why should the US be allowed to create and have any nuclear anything...."

Because it allows for wars of conquest.

Because it makes lots of money for people that are already rolling in it.

Because it's in the bible.

Because they're shiny.

Because they're phallic symbols.

Sorry...Can't think of a good reason for anyone to have those types of weapons.

JERUSALEM - The prosecutor's office ordered police to launch a criminal investigation into Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's purchase of a Jerusalem home well below market value, the Justice Ministry said Monday.

Israel's state comptroller, a government watchdog, has already investigated allegations that Olmert bought the house from a Jerusalem developer in the upscale German Colony neighborhood at $325,000 under market value, raising suspicions of fraud and bribery. The sale took place before Olmert was prime minister.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/20956446/for/cnbc

Let me go see my handsome dentist..

http://goleft.tv/view.asp?v=550

Submitted by Nobody on Mon, 09/24/2007 - 12:41pm.

I think that he's genuine. What he says fits the facts

------------------------

You mean like this?---

"I have no intention of arguing about the Holocaust. But, does it not stand to reason that some victorious countries of World War II intended to create an alibi on the basis of which they could continue keeping the defeated nations of World War II indebted to them. Their purpose has been to weaken their morale and their inspiration in order to obstruct their progress and power."---- letter from Ahmadinejad to German Chancellor Angela Merkel in July 2006.

Iran 81mm Mortar Story: Twists, Turns, and Eating Crow

It was just yesterday I received an email indicating my assertion the Iranian 81mm mortar story—part and parcel of the neocon effort to finger Iran for killing U.S. soldiers in Iraq—was in error, as it appeared at first glance indeed an Iranian death merchant manufactured 81mm mortar shells, thus debunking my debunking of the neocon effort, not that it particularly matters as the neocons will bomb the smithereens out of Iran regardless of the transparency of their propaganda. In short, I ate a healthy serving of crow, and then set about removing my original post and adding a retraction.

But wait a minute. Not so fast.

I'm even more curious about why Wes is ignoring the broader war on terror. Pakistan is the one rumored to have delivered nuclear technology and finished weapons to Iran after all.

He also predisposes a lot about the Iran/Iraq bond. I don't think it exists really except in back channels and some family relationships. They had a brutal war just not too long ago. I don't think the people of Iraq want to give their oil to Iran any more than give it to America. I think they want to sell it themselves to the highest bidder.

This sounded the same as what Hillary said. She has no intentions of actually getting out of the business of being an Imperialistic power. I think we could go a lot further if we had better relationships around the world. This isn't helping imho.

guys all got fired by the Bushies cuz they were gay...

Why is the Iranian Ammunition Industries Group's webpage in English?

Now for what possible reason would an Iranian company have a website in English but not in their native language, nor in the language of the majority of their neighbors? It makes no sense!

Clearly, the lack of a Farsi version of this page http://www.diomil.ir simultaneous with the existence of a Farsi version of this page http://www.qodstv.ir/ indicates that something is going on here.

yes, you too can put a howitzer in your backyard. i suppose having visited that site my ip will be monitored for the rest of my life.

Bush's New Iran Policy - No Evidence for IED Charge

For 18 months now, the George W. Bush administration has periodically raised the charge that Iran is supplying anti-coalition forces in Iraq with arms.

But in the past, high administration officials have always admitted that they have no real evidence to support it. Now, they are going further. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters on her current Middle Eastern trip, "I think there is plenty of evidence that there is Iranian involvement with these networks that are making high-explosive IEDs [improvised explosive devices] and that are endangering our troops, and that's going to be dealt with."

However, Rice failed to provide any evidence of official Iranian involvement.

Time for a new computer LOL

"Explosively formed penetrators" rebranded UK shells, and not Iranian?

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do they actually try and group callers? the current set of callers all seem to be of one mind set and it all seems focused on seething hate towards iran.

Bombs From Iran...Umm, Made In Uk...

Eight British soldiers killed during ambushes in Iraq were the victims of a highly sophisticated bomb first used by the IRA, The Independent on Sunday can reveal.

The soldiers, who were targeted by insurgents as they travelled through the country, died after being attacked with bombs triggered by infra-red beams. The bombs were developed by the IRA using technology passed on by the security services in a botched "sting" operation more than a decade ago.

This contradicts the British government's claims that Iran's Revolutionary Guard is helping Shia insurgents to make the devices.

that the old "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" philosophy that makes you want to find reasons to like the president of Iran?

I, too, want to hear what he has to say. I, too, think his country is being negatively slanted by the media. But let's not put a halo about his head just yet.

Naw but you can be sure that there's a phone bank busy somewhere and people are lined up to make those calls...script in hand.

just saw your post. thanks.

speech at columbia will be covered on cspan-2 at around 1:30

Not at all...That sort of logic has never worked for me.

They way it usually works is "the enemy of my enemy is probably also my enemy".

Objectively, Iran gains nothing by sending arms into Iraq as it only prolongs the conflict and works counter to their stated objective of the U.S. leaving Iraq.

like George Bush is sincere!

I don't trust him just like I don't trust Bush.

He smiles too much!

I don't like what is happening in Iran, however, the Iranians must deal with this. I don't think the Iranians have done everything they are blamed for, however I do think they are doing something.

Do I want the US to go to war with them? No. It would be a fool's war.

from the cspan maing page:

· Rep. Hunter (R-CA) Seeks to Deny Federal Money to University

· New York Considering Reducing Financial Support for University

· Mitt Romney: Iranian Pres. Shouldn't Have Been Allowed in U.S.

"Oh Boy — The White House Calls Obama Intellectually Lazy"

"A senior White House official has offered this critique of Barack Obama:

As for Obama, a senior White House official said the freshman senator from Illinois was "capable" of the intellectual rigor needed to win the presidency but instead relies too heavily on his easy charm.
"It's sort of like, 'that's all I need to get by,' which bespeaks sort of a condescending attitude towards the voters," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "And a laziness, an intellectual laziness.

Is there anything more to say?"

Remind me to stay absolutely grim in your presence...

You know a politician that doesn't?...

Podhoretz Granted Secret Access To Lobby Bush On ‘The Case For Bombing Iran’
Norman Podhoretz, the “patriarch of neoconservatism,” recently published a book entitled “World War IV: The Long Struggle Against Islamofascism,” staunchly supporting the Iraq war and pushing for war with Iran. In June, Podhoretz published a controversial piece in Commentary magazine titled “The Case for Bombing Iran.”

The Politico reports today that President Bush has been listening to Podhoretz’s radical agenda, recently enlisting Podhoretz to discuss his views on Iran. In a meeting that “was not on the president’s public schedule,” Bush and Karl Rove “sat listening to Norman Podhoretz for roughly 45 minutes at the White House”:

Rove was silent throughout, though he took notes. The president listened diligently, Podhoretz said as he recounted the conversation months later, but he “didn’t tip his hand.”

“I did say to [the president], that people ask: Why are you spending all this time negotiating sanctions? Time is passing. I said, my friend [Robert] Kagan wrote a column which he said you were giving ‘futility its chance.’ And both he and Karl Rove burst out laughing.

“It struck me,” Podhoretz added, “that if they really believed that there was a chance for these negotiations and sanctions to work, they would not have laughed. They would have got their backs up and said, ‘No, no, it’s not futile, there’s a very good chance.’”

President Bush has loyally supported Podhoretz’s agenda in the past. In 2004, he bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor — on Podhoretz, calling him a “fierce intellectual man” with “fine writing and a “great love for our country.”

Today, Podhoretz’s calls for bombing Iran are being echoed in the administration. According to Newsweek, Vice President Cheney considered a plan to allow Israel to conduct missile strikes against Iran “in an effort to draw a military response from Iran, which could in turn spark a U.S. offensive against targets in the Islamic Republic.”

Podhoretz has argued that “if we were to bomb the Iranians as I hope and pray we will…we’ll unleash a wave of anti-Americanism all over the world that will make the anti-Americanism we’ve experienced so far look like a lovefest.” By enlisting Podhoretz’s advice, President Bush is demonstrating that there isn’t any idea too radical for him to consider.

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/24/podhoretz-bush-meeting/

what a hoot. this from a c student.

Missed the show yesterday...my son took me to the Jets/Fish game. Went to switch on the car radio to WWRL to catch Sammer & what do I hear? A fucking vitamin infomercial!

You're disgusting, Green. You can't even get your lineup on the so-called Flagship Station?

Incompetence...sheer fucking incompetence!

Hmmm? Wonder if your namesake show -- what's it called...Green Slimes The Left, eh -- gets broadcast in its entirety?

I was watching a show the other day that had nothing to do with politics. There was a woman speaking and she had a constant smile on her face. She would speak and after finishing what she had to say you could see the corners of her mouth pull up into a smile.

I thought to myself, I don't trust a thing this woman has to say. After listening for awhile I was drawn to her face and the way she smiled and focused on that and heard nothing of what she said.

I got that same feeling today with Ahmadenijad and I get that same feeling everytime I watch Bush when he is speaking.

And yes, all politicians smile, but not all smile in that way.

More than 20 retired generals speak out against Iraq war. “In op-ed pieces, interviews and TV ads, more than 20 retired U.S. generals have broken ranks with the culture of salute and keep it in the family. Instead, they are criticizing the commander in chief and other top civilian leaders who led the nation into what the generals believe is a misbegotten and tragic war.” Most “were political conservatives who had voted for George W. Bush,” but “they felt betrayed by Bush and his advisers.”

http://www.juancole.com/2007/09/iraq-relents-on-blackwater-bush-to-ask.h...

Some animals, dogs for instance, (bears and monkeys, too?), see a smile and mistake it for a sign of aggression.

Something to think about..

Greenspan: Because Of Oil, Saddam Was ‘Far More Important To Get Out Than Bin Laden’
In his new memoir, The Age of Turbulence, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan writes that he is “saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil.” Greenspan later clarified his remark in an interview with the Washington Post, saying that while oil was not “the administration’s motive,” it was “essential” to remove Saddam Hussein because of it.

In an interview with Charlie Rose last week, Greenspan went even further in his defense of the Iraq war, saying it was “far more important to get” Saddam Hussein “out than bin Laden”:

ALAN GREENSPAN: People do not realize in this country, for example, how tenuous our ties to international energy are. That is, we on a daily basis require continuous flow. If that flow is shut off, it causes catastrophic effects in the industrial world. And it’s that which made him far more important to get out than bin Laden.

Watch it:

Greenspan’s continued belief that invading Iraq was the right decision flies in the face of the evidence.

In March 2003, when the U.S. first invaded Iraq, the price of oil was roughly US$35 a barrel. Just two weeks ago, however, oil prices reached “above US$80 a barrel for the first time ever.”

Additionally, the rate of international terrorism has increased significantly since the invasion of Iraq. In 2003, there were a total of 193 acts of international terrorism. In 2006, however, 14,000 terrorist attacks occurred, almost half of which occurred in Iraq.

By any metric, the decision to invade Iraq and take the focus off bin Laden has been a disastrous strategic choice.

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/24/greenspan-bin-laden/

Thom Hartmann is pretty interesting today. Ya all should listen. Our government now wants to take away the Freedom of Information Act.

they use to supplement manpower in their wargame scenerios against Iran...Tactical nukes...See..the cover story will be that it's radiation from the destroyed nuke plants...Even though Iran hasn't produced enough material to do squat with...People will buy it out of pure ignorance and kneejerk hatred built up after decades of propoganda...Can't wait till they start putting up the stories about Iranians dumping babies out of their incubators...

US ex-generals reject Iran strike

Three former high-ranking American military officers have warned against any military attack on Iran.

They said such action would have "disastrous consequences" for security in the Middle East and also for coalition forces in Iraq.

Iran: A War Is Coming

Like Bush's and Blair's claim that they had irrefutable evidence that Saddam Hussein was deploying weapons of mass destruction, the "evidence" lacks all credibility. Iran has a natural affinity with the Shi'ite majority of Iraq, and has been implacably opposed to al-Qaeda, condemning the 9/11 attacks and supporting the United States in Afghanistan. Syria has done the same. Investigations by the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and others, including British military officials, have concluded that Iran is not engaged in the cross-border supply of weapons. General Peter Pace, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said no such evidence exists.

their schedule seems to be changing in real time today.

Editor of college paper that ran 'f***' Bush editorial says he'd run it again
David Edwards and Jason Rhyne
Published: Monday September 24, 2007

The editorial board of a Colorado State University student newspaper didn't mince words criticizing President Bush following a free speech debate sparked by the recent tasing of a Florida student.

"Taser this FUCK BUSH," the entirety of a four-word column read in the student-run Rocky Mountain Collegian.

"We felt that maybe four words were more impactful than 250," said Dave McSwane, the paper's editor, in a segment shown on CNN's American Morning. The wording of the editorial was agreed upon by the Collegian's seven-member board.

"Our intentions weren't 'hey let's really upset the community," McSwane said. "Our intentions were let's get college students talking about freedom of speech."

Asked by CNN's John Roberts if the wording of the piece could be characterized as vulgar or sophomoric, he said "wouldn't entirely disagree."

"Free speech, you know, when you say things like this you don't expect everyone to agree with it," the editor added.

"While we understand that the editorial...is upsetting and offensive to many people," a statement from Colorado State University read, "CSU is prohibited by law from censoring or regulating the content of its student media publications."

McSwane has been asked to appear before the university's Board of Student Communications to defend his job, and says he "absolutely" stands by the piece.

"We wanted people to understand that free speech is something we should talk about," he said. "We felt that this campus, for one reason or another, has been really apathetic. Too quiet. We felt that the best way to spark that dialogue was to exercise it ourselves."

Video at link

http://rawstory.com//news/2007/Fourword_editorial_Taser_this...fuck_Bush...

Scott Ritter has been saying Bush wants to go to war with Iran for the last 2 yrs. He is on Randi's show every now & then.

I like what CU President is saying about Free Speech.

toniD guffaws at one of my Greek jokes.

Israeli air strike did not hit nuclear facility, intelligence officials say Larisa Alexandrovna
Published: Monday September 24, 2007

Attack said spawned from chemical weapons disaster

Israel did not strike a nuclear weapons facility in Syria on Sept. 6, instead striking a cache of North Korean missiles, current and former intelligence officials say.

American intelligence sources familiar with key events leading up to the Israeli air raid explained tell RAW STORY that what the Syrians actually had were North Korean No-Dong missiles, possibly located at a site in either the city of Musalmiya in the northern part of Syria or further south around the city of Hama.

While reports have alleged the US provided intelligence to Israel or that Israel shared their intelligence with the US, sources interviewed for this article believe that neither is accurate.

By most accounts of intelligence officials, both former and current, Israel and the US both were well aware of the activities of North Korea and Syria and their attempts to chemically weaponize the No-Dong missile (above right). It therefore remains unclear why an intricate story involving evidence of a Syrian nuclear weapons program and/or enriched uranium was put out to press organizations.

The North Korean missiles -- described as "legacy" by one source and "older generation" by another -- were not nuclear arms.

http://rawstory.com//news/2007/Intelligence_officials_say_Israel_receive...

On July 10, 2007, Rudolph W. Giuliani announced the "line-up" of his foreign policy team, which included Norman Podhoretz, Ed Lasky wrote in the American Thinker. Podhoretz "has argued for a forthright approach toward Iran and Islamic extremism. Republicans increasingly measure their leaders by this yardstick: will they appease Islamic extremists or defend America from them?"

Podhoretz will serve as a member of the Senior Foreign Policy Advisory Board.

That is a nice photo of H.

Brzezinski: U.S. in danger of 'stampeding' to war with Iran

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski likened U.S. officials' saber rattling about Iran's alleged nuclear ambitions to similar statements made before the start of the Iraq war.

"I think the administration, the president and the vice president particularly, are trying to hype the atmosphere, and that is reminiscent of what preceded the war in Iraq," Brzezinski told CNN's "Late Edition" on Sunday.

But Henry Kissinger, the former national security adviser and secretary of state under President Nixon, appeared not to doubt Iran's alleged ambitions.

"I believe they are building a capability to build a nuclear bomb," Kissinger told CNN. "I don't think they're yet in a position to build a nuclear bomb, but they may be two or three years away from it."

Earlier this month during a televised speech asserting that U.S. troops should not be immediately withdrawn from Iraq, President Bush said, "Iran would benefit from the chaos and would be encouraged in its efforts to gain nuclear weapons and dominate the region."

However, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in an interview that aired Sunday on CBS' "60 Minutes" that "insecurity in Iraq is detrimental to our interests."

Brzezinski also disapproved of Bush's statement.

"When the president flatly asserts they are seeking nuclear weapons, he's overstating the facts," he said. "We are suspicious. We have strong suspicions, but we don't have facts that they are."

Brzezinski, who served under President Jimmy Carter, said he is not sure how to interpret Iran's intentions. Iran has insisted its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes.

"I think it's quite possible that they are seeking weapons or positioning themselves to have them, but we have very scant evidence to support that," he said. "And the president of the United States, especially after Iraq, should be very careful about the veracity of his public assertions."

Brzezinski, who is advising the Democratic presidential campaign of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, urged American officials to be patient, whatever Tehran's intentions may be.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/09/23/iran.us/index.html

"I think it's important that we end these kinds of attacks on the patriotism of those who serve our country," Clinton said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program.

"This is not a debate about an ad. This is a debate about the direction we should pursue in Iraq."

I personally don't think that Giuliani has a chance in hell of even getting the Republican nomonation.

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believe that he said that?

Caught Red-Handed: Media Backtracks on Iran’s Anti-Israel “Threat”

The effect this misquote has had on American policy towards Iran is undeniable. The majority of 2008 Presidential candidates in both parties have repeatedly mentioned the alleged threat in speeches and interviews, obviously influenced by media reports.

And yet suddenly, after all this hoopla, at least two of the biggest media titans, the BBC and the Associated Press, appear to be backing away from the incorrect “wiped off the map” quotation they’ve been drilling into people’s minds for so long. It’s happening quietly and undemonstratively, but some recent subtle changes in their presentation indicate a tacit acknowledgement of their previous misreporting.

Let alone being Prez.

LINK

They canceled the c-span1 link.

What a bunch of mumbo jumbo. Why is he talking if he's just going to say such mumbo jumbo. This really must be a political show for his home land.

Sen. Clinton Can't Pledge Troop Withdrawal

'We Don't Know What We're Going to Inherit,' Democratic Candidate Says

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., said this morning that she will not make any pledges regarding a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq.

"We don't know what we're going to inherit," she said on ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." "None of us do. We don't know what's going to be done in the last 15 months of the Bush-Cheney administration."

Does anyone know how long there has been prayer said before the Senate or Rep. start their sessions????

Ahmadenijad speaking now.

since about the 1950's I believe...Same time as "in god we trust" was added to our currency.

Damm I don't get C-Span 3 - - - Thanks Nobody for the info.

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i use

http://www.cspan.org/watch

and use the standalone wmp links.

http://www.cspan.org/watch/cspan3_rm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS3

from 1953 that did not have In God We Trust on it. And the bills from 1957 do have it. So this happened somewhere between 1953-1957.

i'll second that. maybe someone more familiar with the iranian culture and language can weigh in. perhaps its a "yoda" thing where their thinking process is just wired differently.

It's a cultural linguistic style...Framing everything with the religious overtones at the outset...

On edit I'd also point out that similiar styles appear in all religious people...

You dare not ask certain questions...

to bring his questions meanwhile not answering Lee's questions. Both sides are talking to themselves instead of with each other. It's an interesting moment.

At least he's not denying the WWII Holocaust. At least there is a dialog happening. I don't hear him threatening the University outright and I expected worse.

right after 9/11 Iran was working with us to track down Al Qaeda.

*

:)

that will be in their papers. "We love Jews", I love it.

he suggests a vote and let the majority decide. i presume that the numbers are on the side of the palestinians?

.

Bush Admin: We Were Wrong; Privatization Won't Fix Social Security
"Social Security can be made permanently solvent only by reducing the present value of scheduled benefits and/or increasing the present value of scheduled tax increases," a Treasury Department report says.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2007/09/administration_urges_social_se...

say he believes Israel has a right to exist.

His argument to support terrorists may be a reflection of our own foreign policy debacles of the past (mostly towards the benefit of oil companies btw).

you seem to be the most neutral about iran. is there any truth in what the iranian president is saying about iran has been under attack by u.s. sponsored terrorists?

And OJ is looking for the real killers.

not really...unless you count the fact that the people of Israel by majority also want peace and would likely vote against their own right wing government...

There's quite a bit of evidence of it including the U.S. admitting to sponsoring black ops inside Iran and arming the Mehdi army...I posted one article above...

wtf ok, it's back nevermind.

Marcel (Mangel) Marceau born 3/22/23 – died 9/22/07

IMAGES OF IRAN YOU WILL NOT SEE ON THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA

MoveOn to Pay Full Times Ad Rate

By Kate Phillips

On the issue of an issue that just hasn’t moved on, the liberal activist group MoveOn.org announced this afternoon that, in light of today’s column by The Times’s public editor, Clark Hoyt, it would pay the full advertisement rate of $142,083 for its controversial “General Betray Us?” spot in the A-section of the newspaper nearly two weeks ago.

The print ad itself, appearing on the day that General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker went up to Capitol Hill to begin delivering status reports on the effects of President Bush’s so-called surge in Iraq, generated a lot of condemnation from Republicans — especially former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Senator John McCain and Vice President Dick Cheney. The debate swirled around the general’s testimony throughout the week and beyond, as Republicans demanded that Democrats — lawmakers on the Hill and the presidential candidates — denounce it.

I am back from vacation and willing to say HELLO!

Is that our very own Nobody that I see has returned?

Hya Nobs! Welcome back and where ya been?

that was funny!

we should send the Phelps church to Iran. They don't have homosexuals there and don't tolerate that. The Phelps gang would fit right in!

God has blessed Iran. Perhaps there is something to that religion.

No gays in Iran!

WHOA! Where did you come from...."Deliverance?"

That got a laugh and a groan.

The Bush of Iran!

the no gays sound bite from this guy can only help the cause of gay rights here and in Iran.

islam, differences can run deep. is the flavor is islam the same as or different from the flavor that bin laden and saudi arabia practices?

I needed the vacation amongst other things...

How ya been?

Columbia President To Ahmadinejad: "You Exhibit All The Signs Of A Petty And Cruel Dictator" »

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New York Times | Sewell Chan | September 24, 2007 09:21 AM

Mr. Bollinger asked Mr. Ahmadinejad: "Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator, and so I ask you, and so I ask you, why have women members of the Bahai faith, homosexuals and so many of our academic colleagues become targets of persecution in your country?"

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/09/24/protests-at-columbia-over-i...

bet you didn't even notice I had gone. LOL!

bush a f*tard?

The blog wasn't the same without you but I don't know exactly

what I mean by that....which I am sure will amuse you!

Am I the only one that noticed that he was almost laughing when he said that?

It's a society wide "don't ask, don't tell" policy...To be executing gays as was suggested goes on there then they'd be admitting that they exist...So that's not really a possibility.

when you think about the number of people executed texas, let alone the united states, is iran really that less civilized?

I listened to this after Sunday's show - in search of clarity. Diane Rhem - if you don't know - is a 70 year old woman who has a condition which makes her sound 90. She speaks slow and deliberately. (Once I heard her interview Robert Byrd and double over laughing.) She is in the DC loop and makes an effort at neutrality.
http://www.wamu.org/programs/dr/07/09/19.php#17365
NPR -PODCAST, ARCHIVE AVAILABLE:Diane Rehm-Wednesday September 19, 200 -Iraq and Iran
A discussion on the security situation in Iraq and the looming threat of a possible confrontation with Iran.

Guests
Gen. Wesley Clark, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander and author of "A Time To Lead," "Waging Modern War" and "Winning Modern Wars."

Peter Rodman, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (2001-07)

Something just came up.