CTRCCRTCCRTCCRTC our Iranian Society. They (we) limit your choice.

The US doesn't actually want democracy in Iran, and they proved that once already when they toppled Mossadegh, who was democratically elected, and replaced him with the Shah. Then they funded Sadamm hussein after the Iranians threw the Shah out. They also funded the Sunni talibans to the north in Afghanistan to act as a buffer between the USSR and Iran.

Besides, this is all irrelevant if and when Iran creat their Oil Bourse and replace the petrodollar with the petroeuro. See this weeks issue of The Republic.

seanorr is one of the selective few to retain memory of past behaviour of the US towards any nation with significant oil reserves. And as that Texan "doctor" who rips people off on TV likes to say, "The best indicator of future behaviour is past behaviour" (except he doesn't spell behaviour with a "u"). Let's not forget the CIA's involvment in over-throwing social democracies in South America - or the fact they funded the predecessors of the Taliban and armed them as brutal dictators of Afghanistan just to keep the Russians at bay. In fact, Canada is one of the major oil producing nations that the US hasn't completely destroyed - thanks to having people in our gov't who are more then happy to oblige with their free-enterprise. That's how we ended up with a contract selling our souls at market price to the insatiable consumers south of the 49th in a dubious "agreement" called NAFTA.

And the PM is no doubt going to dot the 'i's' and cross the 't's' on a few more sales agreements while he's showing off his wardrobe in Cancun.

If I were Harper, G West, (which I thank god I'm not) I'd change out of my duck-hunting gear in case Cheney shows up with his shot gun in the mood for some friendly firing. It seems to be a national pastime in the land to bear arms (but not bare arms - especially if they are as pasty as "Steven's" - as Bush likes to call his disciple).

The old propaganda machine..... which the U.S. government and media have learned well over the years.
It included inflated enemy casualty lists in Vietnam - later applied to Iraq. Unfortunately a free society is subject to propaganda as much as a dictatorship.
The U.S. invasion of Iraq was called 'operation freedom Iraq' which means that the Arab world is going to get 'democracy' whether it is ready for it or not.

So now you are complaining that the US is using “soft methods” to help the overthrow of current regime? The same regime that has been playing the Europeans as suckers? Just as Iran’s nuclear program was been referred to the Security council they test launch a “new Missile” designed to evade anti-missile defences and carry a warhead (ie nuke) to most capitals in the region. They just stuck up their middle finger and told the world to FO. Certainly did not make the task of their friends Russia and China any easier.

Iran through it’s Revolutionary Guard is backing Sadar in Iraq helping him to establish himself over other clerics who do not agree with Tehran. They also threaten and intimidate individual opposition around the world.

Here is a story and yes I know Memri is Israeli backed, but I know of no one that can claim their translations are flawed.

http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD112706

They specigically call for the expulsion of the Islamic Republic from international organisations, an end to diplomatic ties with it and the closing down of Iranian embassies around the world. Their message is: instead of military attack and economic sanctions throw the Islamic Republic of Iran out of the international community!

We call on the progressive peoples of the world, human rights organisations, parties and individuals and all those who want to see the world free of the nightmare of nuclear weapons, Islamic terrorism and the United states` state terrorism to support the people of Iran by calling for "an immediate end to military threats against Iran and for the expulsion of the Islamic Republic from the international community"

Hamis Taqvaee wpiran.com
Secretary of the Central Committee of the Worker-communist party of Iran

17 February 2006

Colin: With Bush Derangement Syndrom (BDS) he and by extension the US are always damned if they do, damned if they don't. As I said in another thread, there are days, which are becoming more frequent, when I wish the Yanks would just pick up stakes, build a wall around the lower 48 and the let the rest of the world go to hell in a hand basket. It wouldn't be a pretty sight but might finally wake some people up.

Avicenna
So glad some one else noticed 'Steven's' attire. Not only is the poor fella rejecting all and any advice from his caucus, he's also refusing any fashion tips, apparently. When you're the smartest guy in the room I reckon you have an opinion on everything.

Totally off topic,(maybe not when I think of it), did anyone hear Eddie Greenspan excoriate Vincente Fox in a news conference at lunch time?

I read or heard somewhere that Harper has insisted upon vetting all letters, communications and the like from his ministers prior to release.

His tummy's going to get a lot bigger if that's his project because he'll be tied to a desk from now on. One man rule is no picnic - but it seems to be fertile ground for constant grazing.

Forgive me for taking my daily helping of Schadenfreude at the PM's expense - back to the subject at hand.

I take it back. Harper is completely justified in keeping a lid on his MPs. Witness this little gem about Colin Mayes of Okanagan-Shushwap in the Globe and Mail:

In a brief column sent to several newspapers in his Okanagan-Shuswap riding, Colin Mayes said that might help the public “get accurate and true information.”

Mr. Mayes seemed to suggesting in his column that the media be covered by something like the Conservative government's proposed Federal Accountability Act, which would prosecute elected officials and senior public servants who break the public trust.

You can't buy publicity like that!

hard or soft, the US is always messing about in international affairs to secure their interests. This talk of war has more to do with Iran's creation of an oil commodities market that would see the petrodollar exchnaged for the petroEuro.

Acutally, Iran was not reffered to the Security Council.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12002.htm
Also, even if they were planning to make weapons, they wouldn't be ready for another 10 years. Meanwhile Israel already has an undeclared aresenal at Dimona.

"Iran through it’s Revolutionary Guard is backing Sadar in Iraq helping him to establish himself over other clerics who do not agree with Tehran. They also threaten and intimidate individual opposition around the world. "

You mean Sadr? That was a few years ago, before the elections. Sadr is Shia, as is Iran. The insurgency that is happening now is Sunni. More likely to be backed by Al qaeda.

Oh sure Iran is the model we should look to.
It appears many above see Extreme Islam as preferable to US democracy and human rights.
Try being gay in Iran.
I agree with oilbertan, the US should simply let the world go to hell in a hand basket and go back to their isolationist genes.
Build a security perimeter and stock up on nuclear bombs.
To some people, no matter what the do is wrong. And that's wrong.

Yes, becuase everytime we defeend Iran, we actually want to be just like them. What is like living in a black and white world?

Are you even reading the posts? The US overthrew the ELECTED Prime Minister Mossadegh and installed the DICTATOR The Shah. So, um, naturally they are radicalized towards the US. They propped up and armed Sadamm to fight Iran. Democracy and human rights? BWAHHHH HAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

If the U.S. people new what their government has done in their name they would be furious.

The americans had the potential to be the greatest world power ever, if they had done for other countries what they did for post war Germany and Japan. Instead they got the taste for empire and have behaved badly while wrapping themselves in rhetoric they do not practice. No-body likes hypocrasy.

I do believe if the americans can reach Iran's women and get them to throw off the burdens men have imposed on them through misinterpreting the Q'uran they may succeed. Unfortunately the religious right has the same demands of women as other religious fanatics do.

It will take a long time.

Mel from Calgary
I'm not sure it's possible. For empires to behave any other way that is. Since at least 1989, American has had no counterbalance to its hegemonistic tendencies. Nature abhors a vacuum and the first available philosophy to expand into the power vacuum left at the end of the cold war was global monopolistic capitalism. It has informed everything they’ve done since – trade; foreign policy and military planning.

They have learned nothing from the failures of that system, from the collapse of the Long-term Capital Management hedge fund through to World Com, and Enron with a few hundred dot com failures thrown in for good measure.

But, with role models like Barbara Bush and her 'donation' to Katrina relief that was earmarked for spending on her son Neil's software company, you wouldn't expect much, would you?

Solving the problems will take a very long time; odds on, it won't be the Americans that actually do the solving but, past behavior being any kind of indication, they'll try to take the credit if and when the problems are finally solved anyway.

The detterant strength of the US has been the principal guarantor of almost any definition of civilization for two thirds of a century.
A comparison of Islamic fundamentalist and Evangelical Christians and Orthodox Jews is nonsense. Those groups may regard people who don't share their views as unsound, or even as infidels, but they don't conduct jihads against them.

What's 'detterant'?

It's a deterrent. Sorry about not using my spell check this one time.

IAMC
I think there are more than a handful of nations, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Grenada, Chile to name just a few in the western hemisphere who'd have a little bit of difficulty with the definition of civilization the US has been guaranteeing for 2/3 of a century. If you want to cast the net a little farther, I think we could add a lot more countries and peoples who'd disagree with you. If you'd read this essay you'd know one of those countries happens to be Iran.

Anyway, you're free to believe whatever you want. Unfortunately, spell check just helps with spelling, it has little positive role in the remediation of ignorance.

commentor: Colinposted: 1 Day Ago

Iran through it’s Revolutionary Guard is backing Sadar in Iraq helping him to establish himself over other clerics who do not agree with Tehran. They also threaten and intimidate individual opposition around the world.

Here is a story and yes I know Memri is Israeli backed, but I know of no one that can claim their translations are flawed.

http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD112706

Eh , how self-righteous ! No doubt you would rather the whole world just sit back and count the seconds until the moment of their liberation via “shuck & Awe” arrives while US & Israel are arming themselves with the latest killing toys known to man .

They had every reason to tell you to FO . They are well within their legal rights under the NPT that they have signed to enrich uranium for civilian use .

Here is more about Memri that you already know it is backed by Israel :

" The second thing that makes me uneasy is that the stories selected by Memri for translation follow a familiar pattern: either they reflect badly on the character of Arabs or they in some way further the political agenda of Israel. I am not alone in this unease.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,773258,00.html "

Seanorr
You are correct, the attempt to have them referred was blocked by China and Russia.

hard or soft, the US is always messing about in international affairs to secure their interests.

As is every other major country. Have you paid attention to China’s diplomatic efforts to isolate Taiwan? Not to mention it’s huge sales of military equipment over the years and it’s determination to suppress dissent against it no matter where? If you are calling the kettle black, don’t forget the pot and the frying pan.

Al-Sadar represents a faction within Shia, and Al-Sistinni represents another faction. Sadars is more closely aligned with the view of Tehran and has been busy intimidating and killing opponents. Sistinni is to well respected to killed, so Sadar is maneuvering to isolate him and remove his power. Iran wants to be the puppet master in the new government of Iraq, they cannot do it openly.

Did you read the reports of Pakistani Nuclear scientists help Saudi on it’s nuke program? Not surprising, The Iranian Ayatollahs and the house of Saud hate each other guts.

I also know a lot of Iranian’s that are supporter of the Shah, in fact that’s why many of them are here. I realize it was a popular revolt, but it was hijacked by the Islamist and you can be sure that many of them wish for the “good old days”.

Alcibiades

I suspect that the Latin love affair with the left would have been different if they had been “clients” of the Soviets, like Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latavia, etc. Distant does make the heart grow fonder.

hard or soft, the US is always messing about in international affairs to secure their interests.

Sorry this was Seanorr quote, trying to post and fed a baby is difficult.

Mojgan
I read the article in The Guardian that you recommended. I also read the rebuttal by Memri, which is posted at the end of the article.
Thank you for pointing out both views on the interesting organisation. I am sure it's not very popular with the moon bat's on the left.

Colin
No question there's some truth to what you say. However, I'm constantly surprised how, by hook or by crook, most of the Soviet client states - among which I think I wouldn't include Finland (except in relation to WWII and its immediate aftermath) - places like Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic (then Czechoslovakia) among others, managed to retain under Soviet rule a functioning and more or less decent civilization for their citizens. It was certainly economically straightened and hard and probably corrupt, but it wasn't, I don't think, the kind of cultural and civilizational black hole that American actions in the Western Hemisphere often seemed to lead to. It is, of course, always dangerous to generalize but, post 1945, I think you'd have to admit that many of the killing fields in Central and South America were US projects and were, from my reading of history, every bit as bad as the Soviet’s efforts. It was a statement by IAMC to the effect that America is: the principal guarantor of almost any definition of civilization for two thirds of a century, that I took exception to, after all.

I shouldn't perhaps pay any mind to someone whose favourite label for the 'left' is moon bat.

this is for you IAMC and oilbertan .What the us is doing is purly for there own benifit, not to make the world a better place. Iran has the most oil more than any other country in the world. I think the world would get by fine if the US built a wall around itself But the US would be a third world country in a matter of days. Oil is what our and the US economy work and the US knows that.

Because of extreme environmentalism the USA is not drilling for oil in 48 States. They are not allowed to go offshore in most areas, ANWAR is sitting there doing nothing. These same envirofrauds have made it almost impossible to build a safe, efficient nuclear power plant.
Lets face it the USA needs the world, but more importantly the world needs the USA.
Somebody has to be daddy. Who do you think it should be ?

No other country can compare to the US. They have a military presence in 100 countries. They vetoed the International Criminal Court, Biological Weapons Convention, Small Arms Treaty, the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty, the Ottawa Treaty banning landmines, the 1987 resolution on terrorism that passed 153-2 (Israel+USA).

The US is the number one arms dealer. Period. Yes other countries deal arms, but none preach the virtues of peace while sellling the weapons of war. In 2003, the last year for which full information is available, the United States transferred weaponry to 18 of the 25 countries involved in active conflicts. From Angola, Chad and Ethiopia to Colombia, Pakistan, Israel and the Philippines, transfers through the two largest U.S. arms sales programs totaled more than $1 billion.

They have more weapons than the next 20 countries combined!

the White House has supported many oppressive regimes: Pinochet in Chile, Negroponte in Honduras, Mobuto in the Zaire/Congo, the Shah in Iran, Hussein in Iraq, Suharto in Indonesia, Marcos in the Philippines, Somoza in Nicaragua, Manuel Noriega in Panama, George Papadopoulos in Greece, Hugo Suarez in Bolivia, Papa Doc in Haiti, the FNLA in Angola, the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan, the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, Ceausescu in Romania. (Source: Wikipedia) The CIA trained many of these dictators and other terrorists at the School of the Americas, as well as funded the contras with arms sales to Iran, creating the Iran-Contra Affair.

You're defeating your own argument. The US are close allies with both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Amid all of the controversy and disagreement, occasionally there are some positive suggestions on this web site that really drive home the importance of what we do here. I offer as evidence this little gem:

I bet if everybody did this at the same time, those old mullas wouldn't know what hit them.

That's where the TheTyee comes in. It's like an on-line opinion checker. Wouldn't it be great if it was learning from how we use it. That would be Internet version 3.0.

sometimes everthing aligns and we actually agree.

try being gay in iran...try being a feminist in iran,try asserting any civil rights,try voicing your opinion...try having a decent life in a country like iran ! THE KIND YOU ENJOY HERE IN CANADA...

thomas 49 good point. I love living here in canada . I tell myself everyday how good i have it. The only reason the US has any intrest in iran is because of oil. Their are other countrys in the world that are just a repressed as iran and alot simpler to help change.

Quiet Riot,just think how cheap the AMERIKANS are getting our oil,even with our cheap Kanuck Buck growing in value.

They don't have to send troops in at all,just get HARPER to bend over...i bet ,DUBYA doesn't even give Steven a reach around!

- or in a quail hunting red state...

I think IAMC is either a fictious caricature of an ignoramus - or, more frighteningly, he is a real person who believes in oxymoronic concepts such as "extreme enviornmentalism" (what the heck is that?), "safe nuclear power plants" (like the type Iran has the right and want to build?); and he apparently has never heard of the Crusades - the bloody Christen model and equivalent on what the "Jihad" is based. In capitalist nations, people don't go instigate war and kill others for their religion - they do it for money and religion's replacement - patriotism.

"they do it for money and religion's repalcement-patriotism."

sorry sweetheart...patriotism ,is a religion.
just look at the icons the AMERIKANS use in their idolatry of their country THE UNITED MISTAKES OF AMERIKA.
the ALTAR is the platform that sacrifices the little people to the jaws of big business and returns the favour with PROFIT.
it is not DUBYA on the cross,it's his constituents...and us by PROXY.

small wonder the intellectuals of the occupied countries shy away from georges,so called freedom.

Jack's:

But is a society free when it's citizens increasingly know less and less, and depend more and more on sources such as FOX (appendage of present regime) for "news"?

You gotta love it!

IAMC sez:

I hope that green card gets to you soon, or maybe you can take advantage of the amnesty if they have one and non-Mexicans can apply. Don't let the door slam you in the ass!

Rick W
How do you get FOX news to appear on your television screen ? I can't figure it out.
Many decry Google for playing along with the Chinese Govt. and altering their search engine to ignore such key words such as 'democracy' or FOX News etc. You do understand what I mean,I hope. They are censoring what Chinese citizens have access to.
Be clear that the material exists, it's just that Chine people are forbidden to see it.
It's no better in Canada. The CRTC forbids us to see FOX News, The Sopranos, Deadliest Catch, Direct TV satellite TV, Howard Stern, need I go on. These are our Mullah's. We do not have the freedom of Americans.
Why do we tolerate this ?
I hope you all send your MP's a message that you want to be free like America.

Colin, your argument yesterday that the US is now being beaten up here for taking a soft approach (rather than bombing the shit out of Iran), is interesting.

I'd like to suggest they are using the old Canadian model to win over the populace. After all, it has worked quite well for decades here.

Simple formula, buy off the right Canadians, dominate the economy and get the local yokels (MS media) to beat the crap out of anyone dumb enough to say nasty (honest), things about the US.

Hey, it's worked wonders for the Yanks who now have the latest Canadian prime minister announcing national policy while stumbling along behind Gee W. and Vicente the Fox.

Ol' Stephen was going down south to get our $5 Billion plus in softwood duties back and ends up informing Canadians to get in line to accept the US's new Personal Identification cards.

And let's face it. Our blue-eyed Alberta Arabs have certainly shown the world how to cooperate with the Americans.

The US effectively controls that province's entire resource sector and even gets a discount on royalties from the government because it buys so much of our limited resources.

Hey, I could be wrong about the reason the US pays so little in the way of royalties for Canadian oil and gas, but to date not one Albertan has ever even acknowledged the Yanks are ripping them off.

Perhaps the person who replaces Ralphie (55% and falling), will first take a short trip to Vensuela. I understand they've learned to grow some spine down there, which would be a great addition to the Quisling body politic in Alberta.

But back to Iran briefly. I notice today that Iran has just announced the successful firing of an underwater missile it claims to be capable of sinking the largest of war ships or submarines.

I'd suggest the so called soft tactics really ought to be seen as back peddling by the US, which knows it has chewed off too much to swallow at once

Colin, you comment about China doing everything it can to isolate Tiawan is like saying Canada is doing everything it can to isolate Quebec.

I'd suggest both would be correct diplomatic efforts by the ruling governments of two nations in dealing with the undiplomatic efforts of upstart provinces.

Note to IAMC, you can be free like America.

Apply for a greencard.

Personally, I'd rather be free of people like you, so the earlier you apply the sooner we'll both be free.

allan
Self loathing is a sad thing. To put down Alberta, the flagship of Canada is to put down Canada itself. Why do you accept the censorship of ideas perpetuated by the CRTC. Is it because it bolsters your own twisted ideas of Canada's place on the world stage. Do you want us to continue to be the flakes of the western world ?
Stand up for Canada. We are about to expand our recent emergence as a viable citizen of the world, when Preston Manning becomes the leader of Alberta.
Long live the new great Canada. goodbye woosey, left wing isolationists.

.

"Somebody has to be daddy"?

In those few short words IMAC you revealed the juvenile psychology underpinning the neo-con bootlickin' love of all authority. How you must love being spanked by GW...

Why don't you just try to grow up ...and develop some independent thought?

IAMC:

Does that mean we have to hate lesbians more than terrorists? Or believe that the world is 6,000 years old? Or it was creatd in 6 days?

This is your idea of being free? Well, come to think of it, they are free.....ignorance is bliss.

Hey Lynn!
Did you get a chance to watch Rick Mercer's take on the "Traditional Family"? Fits well with IAMC's "Somebody has to be daddy".

Lynn
Independent thought ? Look around here, Who has independent thought, me, or all you other goose stepping communists who inhabit this page ?
I'd rather be me than all of the other flakes that have nothing other than anti-Americanism to proclaim.

IAMC
Get yourself a Satellite service - Bell or Starchoice, or subscribe to digital cable. Nobody's trying to keep you in the dark, and all quite legal. You can also timeshift then and get to bed earlier which might allow you to reconsider some to the foolish things you continue to post on these threads.
Cheers.

Lynn
Did you happen to catch Davey Emerson's little statement this morning to the effect that he now finds some of his former Liberal 'friends' to be "untrustworthy and malicious"?
Interesting language from someone inhis position.

Sorry, RickW, I missed that one but would have loved to have seen it. :-) Maybe I'll catch it in re-runs...

IAMC..."goose stepping communists"? ...nah...when it comes to geese we just prefer the "Canadian" variety, that's all.

Sorry IAMC, but it's not self loathing, it's all about sellouts like you and the tight group of people who call the shots in North Texas.

AS for the CRTC, I happen to like that institution. It is among the very few I know from personal experience that has gone to bat for average citizens when dealing with the low lifes who run some of Canada's communications corporations.

After finding myself the victim of a very crude embezzlement game played by one of Canada's largest phone companies I went to the CRTC and had the scam halted.

I'll elaborate if you wish.

I also got a personal apology from a senior executive of the company who previously had told me to go pound salt if I didn't like the way things were.

Now as far as getting American news. Look chump, I don't know how long you've been in Canada, but here's a tip.

Turn on virtually any privately owned radio or TV station or pick up almost any daily newspaper and you'll get all the US news slant you want.

Sadly, that a few like the Tyee offer something different, would be where you turn to spout your ill-thought pap.

Hey, don't forget that greencard application. I think you can even do it on the web, which will be great if it speeds things up, eh?

GWest, darn, I missed that one too. Nothing surprises me these days that "all-about-me" Emerson says...he must be counting on a Conservative majority in the near future. ;-)

That still remains one of the scariest of thoughts...a Conservative majority that is.

I won't be applying for a green card anytime soon, although I envy the democracy and freedoms of the Americans. God, they vote for sheriff , dog catcher, judges, prosecutor's, county executives, and I could go on. If they don't like a new tax, they can propose an initiative to rescind it.
Compare that to us being dictated to by Regional District boards ( unelected ) transit authorities, RAV etc.
They can watch whatever they want to on TV.
How can anyone not see that this emperor wares no clothes.
It's finally getting better in Canada. I even ware a Maple Leaf on my lapel, for the first time ever.
Canada has finally turned the corner and entered the brave new world.
Thank GOD.

Well, not exactly...all those body bags coming
home from Iraq and Afghanistan...definitely restricted viewing....the American public is not allowed to see them are they? Wonder why that is?

.

You know, IAMC, sometimes you are right on the money without even trying to be. Brave New World, indeed. Have you read the book?

lynn
There's a march in Vancouver today...bob the cat is making his way down for it so I suppose we'll get an update - I'm sure Avicenna will be there too - among others.

A conservative majority is, as you put it, the scariest of thoughts. A government (without the restraint of minority discipline) led by a man whose idea of accountability includes a muzzle for each of his ministers and, apparently, the whole caucus as well should be unthinkable. Unfortunately, it’s not. Even the nominally freethinking Garth Turner from the two weeks after the election has disappeared from sight.

Although I'd love to see Mr. Emerson's fully compromised backside disappear forever down the memory hole of the past, but, his continual juvenile pleading for 'understanding' does have a useful purpose, I suppose. In the absence of anything else apart from the official Harper C-party line, Emerson's presence on or near the front pages of the equally-compromised main stream media provides an important reminder of the utter lack of character of this government and the dangers it poses for real democracy. A portrait of Harper in his curious Cancun conference garb standing beside Davey boy with sheepish grins on both their faces plastered on the front page of every paper in the country would be a useful mnemonic for those of us who need to remember not to get complacent.

the above would scan better if I'd dropped the 'Although' leading into graf 3, sorry - hate being my own editor!

IAMC sez:

You are mixing your metaphors (though I doubt you know a metaphor from a mesomorph, which you may well be), the Nazis were famous for goose stepping, but it may come back in style here if Harper and his ilk have their way. To answer your question though, it's not you and I haven't noticed many communists, certainly not as many of them as lobotomized right wing- nuts.

allan, that 55% approval was within his own party, though I guess that might be representative of the province as a whole since the federally extinct PC's are the natural ruling party of Alberta. Do they even have other parties other than whackier right-wing ones that meet at night wearing hoods?

I'm not surprised that the only person in Canada, (IAMC), that wishes he could get Faux News on his TeeVee can't figure out how to get it, kinda illustrates the intelligience level of its audience. By the way IAMC, Uncle Gee W (thanx allan) would most likely let you move to the US and be free if you would agree to pull three or four tours in Iraq or any other country Gee W doesn't like. No one in his or Dick's or Don's or Karl's or Alberto's etc. family wants to go.

.

So true...and so funny especially your reference to "the curious Cancun conference garb" combined with the "sheepish grins"...that comment is priceless, especially the use of your word "curious". Curious and curiouser... exactly.

Will be looking forward to bob the cat's and Avicenna's report from the front lines. :-)

lynn
Soma, yes I read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, as well as 1984 and Fahrenheit 951. This was required reading in Alberta in the 1960's. What a great school system they have there. Very liberal education provided
The only thing our modern world and the message in those books is the CRTC.

There is an interesting piece in today's Washington Post on the subject of Iran by Dana Priest that asserts, among other things, the opinion that "Iran would respond to U.S. military strikes on its nuclear sites by deploying its intelligence operatives and Hezbollah teams to carry out terrorist attacks worldwide."

Although the experts Priest talked to wouldn't be specific, the story says that Iran's "Ministry of Intelligence and Security operatives, its Revolutionary Guards and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah ... (are) better organized, trained and equipped than the al-Qaeda network that carried out the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks."

Even though the "Government officials said their interest in Iran's intelligence services is not an indication that a military confrontation is imminent or likely..." it is hard to avoid the conclusion of an observer here in Canada, that someone in the administration has decided now is a good time to crank up the heat and fan the flames of fear in the 'homeland' once again.

Interesting times. One wonders how serious the attempts at "changing" Iranian's minds about their own government - as described in the article above - really are.

I have to wonder, why a country enriched with a huge amount of petroleum would wany to develop nuclear power. Is it because they are Kyoto freindly ? I doubt it, as Kyoto types mystereously are against the best source of energy there is.
Or are there people in Iran who are so smart that they are diabollicaly pulling the strings of the Mullu's in this direction of nuclear bomb threats, in order to draw attention from the West to help the people of Iran to break the power the Islamit hierarchy.
The population of Iran is very young. They want a western style society.
Could it be that there is a positive aspect to all of this ?

IAMC:

Because their "huge" amount (of easy oil) will run out in 20 years or less.......and the rest will be very hard to get at without a lot of energy to input. As well, they are running out of water, and nuclear energy is the only real practical way (with available technology) to desalinate sea water. The couldn't use oil to do this because it is worht a great amount of cash in the market, and only getting higher.

Not to mention, they have to make it very tough for the US to come get it, as the latter did in Iraq (or for that matter the Chinese, the Russians, the Japanese.....just pick any country who is very highly energy dependent, and is technically advanced)

The reasons are legion........

IAMC are you for real ? or are you just some person ,messing with us. I think you should get some education ie reading books and not getting all your info off of CNN.IAMC you are also miss informed about cencorship on t.v. in canada we censor it less than the US.More freedom in the US I don't know what you are talking about.

Good points Rick W.

quiet, CNN coverage is not what I depend on. CNN is a Democratic mouthpiece, same as the CBC is Liberal.
And how can you possibly say that censorship is alive and well in the USA vs Canada.
The self loathing Americans have CNN, CBS, The New York Times etc. ( I will go on if you need more information ).
They are not censored more than Canada.
Ever heard of DIRECT TV ?

IAMC inform me on the freedomes of the usa vs canada?

Quite riot

Scroll up to my comments 7 hours ago.
There are many.

IAMC i wasent going to resort to this but i am. Did you know that in some states it is illegal to get a blow job even from your wife. I would be an agry person without blow jobs. I think harper is giving bush one right now. Anyways here is another example of our great freedoms. I was in the usa skiing about three weeks ago my friend got into a conversation with the person next on the chair lift to him about pot the american said he had some but we would have to go into the bushes to smoke it like some kind of addict behind a dumpster funny here in canada my friends smoke it on the chair lift all the time and no i am not a pot smoker.anyways this hole blog should be about iran i am half way through a book called confesions of an economic hitman you should read it may give you some insite on what is really happening in the world.

quite riot, The Confessions of an Economic Hitman really brings out the warm cuddly side of the United States of Greed, wouldn't you say?

It was over 30 years ago that PET announced that the state had no business in the people's bedrooms. I would advise ole IAMC to watch the same movie on Canadian and then American TeeVee, then tell me who is censored. Remember Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction," what a bunch of huffing and puffing about nothin'. This year at the Super Bowl the wanted the Stones to delete certain lyrics, some in Start Me Up, and I think "girly action" bothered them in Satisfaction. I was hoping they would do Sweet Neo Con, but they would have pulled the plug on that I guess. Here's a couple lines from the song:

..You call yourself a Christian, I call you a hypocrite
You call yourself a patriot, well I think you’re full of shit..

..You parade around in costume, Expecting to be believed
But as the body bags stack up, We believe we’ve been deceived...
@Jagger/Richards 2005
..

Well forgive me for not wanting to get into the drug infected minds of quite riot and rkewen. I couldn't help but notice that both were referring to porn in their comments.
I am told ( and have been shown ) that DIRECT TV and other legal, if you are an American, has Lot's of porn.
Way more graphic than anything we are able to legally access.

http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m22172&hd=0&size=1&l=ehttp://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss/2006/sectionV.html

Excerpt:
the formal war declaration against Iran, the National Security Strategy of March 16, 2006, stated:

* "We may face no greater challenge from a single country than from Iran."
* "The Iranian regime sponsors terrorism; threatens Israel; seeks to thwart Middle East peace; disrupts democracy in Iraq; and denies the aspirations of its people for freedom."
* "[T]he first duty of the United States Government remains what it always has been: to protect the American people and American interests. It is an enduring American principle that this duty obligates the government to anticipate and counter threats, using all elements of national power, before the threats can do grave damage."
* "The greater the threat, the greater is the risk of inaction – and the more compelling the case for taking anticipatory action to defend ourselves, even if uncertainty remains as to the time and place of the enemy's attack. There are few greater threats than a terrorist attack with WMD."
* "To forestall or prevent such hostile acts by our adversaries, the United States will, if necessary, act preemptively."
* "When the consequences of an attack with WMD are potentially so devastating, we cannot afford to stand idly by as grave dangers materialize."
* "[T]here will always be some uncertainty about the status of hidden programs."
* "Advances in biotechnology provide greater opportunities for state and non-state actors to obtain dangerous pathogens and equipment."
* "Biological weapons also pose a grave WMD threat because of the risks of contagion that would spread disease across large populations and around the globe."
* "Countering the spread of biological weapons .... will also enhance our Nation's ability to respond to pandemic public health threats, such as avian influenza."

This has to be combined with the 2005 U.S. State Department "FINDING. The United States judges that, based on all available information, Iran has an offensive biological weapons program in violation of the BWC."
In addition, the March 16 declaration makes it clear that the US will use nuclear weapons in the war against Iran: cont'd

Nana
did you see the excerpts from the Dana Priest article in the Washington Post - above this a few hours - I mentioned it on a note I posted on the Iraq site where we were earlier. In the light of yours, just above, I think it makes interesting reading.

IAMC, Now I know I'm actually communicating with outer space!

PORN?
Where in your alien or infected or missing mind did that come from? If and when you move south to Paradise,(and pleez, we'll take up a collection to assist your move), don't stop until you get to Alabama or Mississippi, you won't like it until you get that far south. I would suggest the state that criminalizes the sale of sex-toys. I, myself, am not allowed to live there, obviously, being a living breathing sex toy and all.

On a more serious note nana and Alcibiades that executive order (13292) is really scary. The article below is a really thorough analysis of the Bush Crime Family's strategy to start Armageddon. Dr. Hirsch is a physisist at University of California, San Diego. San Diego being one of the cities truly built by and for the military-industrial complex.
War Against Iran, April 2006
Biological Threat and Executive Order 13292
by Jorge Hirsch
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/hirsch.php?articleid=8788

Dr. Hirsch points out how all the hype about bird flu ties in. Also it is beginning to look to me like there was more than discrediting Joseph Wilson involved in the outing of Valerie Plame. Her file was WMD and proliferation, specifically focused on Iran. Of course since their blew her and her cover company they have no source of accurate information re: Iran and proliferation, which as in Iraq, is the last thing they want. The truth doesn't play along with their dreams of empire and/or Armageddon.

ALC I missed the article in the W.Pst.

The sickening confirmation of an attack on Iran below:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/04/02/wiran02.xml&sSheet=/portal/2006/04/02/ixportaltop.html

"If Iran makes another strategic mistake, such as ignoring demands by the UN or future resolutions, then the thinking among the chiefs is that military action could be taken to bring an end to the crisis. The belief in some areas of Whitehall is that an attack is now all but inevitable.

There will be no invasion of Iran but the nuclear sites will be destroyed. This is not something that will happen imminently, maybe this year, maybe next year. Jack Straw is making exactly the same noises that the Government did in March 2003 when it spoke about the likelihood of a war in Iraq.

"Then the Government said the war was neither inevitable or imminent and then attacked."

And in other news Emperor Bush (the idiot)11 is bestowing nuclear weapons status onto India and Pakistan, those two really peaceful neighbours known for having brought so much stability to the world in recent years.

Of course both countries have pledged to use their weapons for only peaceful reasons like refining their mutual borders.

allan, are you sure, I mean India and Pakistan bestowed Nooks unto themselves. But on the Chimporer's recently completed trip through India and Pakistan in a bubble I thought he only agreed to help India improve their weapons (and not have that 30%-40% of their program subject to oversight). Then he went to Pakistan (the nuclear proliferation version of 7-11 and Wal-Mart) and told a dejected Bushereff that no, he couldn't get the same deal as India because...... well...because they were different. In fact apparently Bush thinks that Pakistanis are Arabs - I thought he would know the diff, since he's practically related to the bin Ladens and holds hands with Sheiks.

Nana et al
Here's the URL to the W/Post article - should be live for at least a week. This appears to be the first step in hyping up the temperature. Sorry I only posted excerpts yesterday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/01/AR2006040100981.html

Read the above and found a far more important piece in that paper yesterday on the reaction the the uproar over the recently published paper on the influence of the AIsreali Lobby.

Their figures differ from what i've read elsewhere.... 1.3 trillion over the years and the over $5700 yearly bill to each US family. A good part of the money goes back to Congressmen and the Senate in campaign contributions.

http://www.warwithoutend.co.uk/zone0/viewtopic.php?t=50541

The Christian right is going to be mobilized in the support for war on Iran.

Last update - 18:38 03/04/2006
New Christian pro-Israel lobby aims to be stronger than AIPAC

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/701583.html

Is that the one from Sunday March 26, Nana? In the WaPo I mean?

Is this the URL?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/24/AR2006032402147_pf.html

I thought the Priest piece was pretty intriguing as an indication that people in the 'administration' are trying to hype the 'fear' element associated with Iran for political purposes - this is just the start imo.

There is a link to the Atlanta-Journal Const. It's story is dated April 2 and credited to the Wash.Pst. I don't have access to the W.P.

Cross posting...the March 26 article is different.

Looks like it's the one quoted in your other link - mostly old stuff

I can post the Priest article if you want it

I read the Priest article... and the Wash Pst article was yesterday...because it's about the fallout from the paper on the Israel Lobby not about the paper itself, which was published on March 26. Here's the link to the Wash Pst story as published in the Atlanta JC and the WP yesterday.
http://www.ajc.com/sunday/content/epaper/editions/sunday/issue_44f2475c61f20199005a.html

No. That was originally published March 26 in the Wapo. Some of the comments appended to the Atlanta Journal Constitution are new though. It's hard to keep track when everyone is picking up everyone else's articles...and appearing to republish them anew. I had saved a copy of the orignal article from the 26th.

Be interested in your feelings about the Priest piece though. Don't you think it indicates that the WHouse is starting, or at least feeling out, a new spin campaign on the Iran file?

The Priest article is attention diversion. Any article that seriously considers Al Qaeda amalgamating with Hizbullah and BinLaden still a player cannot be taken seriously. Besides, does anybody expect Iran to sit completely stillafter they are bombed? The real story is why Iran will be bombed...and that is at the behest and to the interest mostly of Israel.

I thought the W.Pst article yesterday was almost balanced. The quotes from the Lobby defenders were pretty naked.

This is a better piece on the reaction by the Lobby to exposure and an effort at discussion.
http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/28851

I'm not sure you've gotten my point. Priest has been contacted by administration insiders - who decline to be identified - with information about what Iran 'might' do if the US bombs the Iranian nuclear facilities. Why would they do that? In my opinion your reaction is one possible response: it's just a diversion.

I think it's something else again. I think it's the start of a campaign to raise the fear levels in the homeland. Just like all the foofaraw about anthrax and duct tape and yellow alerts was. If you can get the electorate concerned enough - and this is just the start - then you can set them up for another finesse. Either in the mid-term vote this fall (most likely) or in support of an actual move to start bombing select locations in Iran. Time will tell who's right. The Israel lobby story is going nowhere, in my opinion - republishing a week old article from the Washington Post proves that the fuss is dying down and we're just hearing echoes now.

Well of course the Israel Lobby is going nowhere in the Establishment press...they own it. The net is something else.

I agree with you that by bringing up the topic of possible retaliation may help to heighten the the fear level, but that could backfire with a response from the public saying "Why are you putting us in more jeopardy for such a cockamaimie reason?"

Iran couldn't have a bomb for 10 years...why bomb now? They have complied with IAEA inspections, which found nothing and Pakistan and India get their hands shook. Sooner or latter people see through ruses, and they aren't buying into the nonsense in the numbers they used to.

Quite riot:
Read The Emperor of America, by Richard Condon:
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/richard-condon/emperor-of-america.htm

Unfortunately, I think the bomb scenario can be whipped up the same way the WMD thing was whipped up prior to going into Iraq. DID you notice Max Hastings piece in today's Guardian? There is a link, I think, on the Get out of Iraq site where I posted it to nightbloom's attention. The only hope is the slippage in conservative ranks of those who are beginning to realize they've been had. Guys like Zinni and Hastings and others.

This administration realizes the last 2 years of Bush's 'reign' will be hell on wheels if they lose their grip on the legislative branch. I think they'll do everything they can to avoid that and imo the best (maybe only) weapon they have left that'll get them any traction with the electorate (apart from those that are bought and paid for on the religious right) is by making people so scared they won't vote for anybody but GOP candidates.

I think that, and moral majority issues like gay marriage are going to form the centre of Karl Rove's platform. We many not get another war out of it but Iran's going to be the issue they'll want to use to get Iraq out of the public eye.

Allan

Canada did not fight a civil war with Quebec resulting in the deaths of millions. Canada also has bent over backwards to ensure inclusion. China intends to force itself onto Taiwan regardless of what the people want. A very poor analogue.

Regarding their display of the weapons, despite the fanfare, The missile appears to be a slightly improved Scud, only useful if you are attacking cities/ large bases or strapping a nuke to it. The Torpedo is a Russian device that they still haven’t really figured out the guidance on. Would be most likely used to threaten the oil tankers from the other gulf states.

Colin
How about the way we've treated First Nations people then - a better analogue perhaps!
Can't imagine we'd be very happy if, say, Denmark decided to straighten us out!

From yesterday's Daily Telegraph:

and, later in the same article:

and:

Sound familiar?

G west
That depends, how we treated the First Nations has varied across the country. Never assume the First Nations are a unified group, they are very diverse in their outlook, views and future desires. Plus we as Canadians have gone further to make amends then most countries. I for one have high hopes for the next generation of native kids coming up. I think they are going to surprise a lot of people. Both native and non native.

Plus if we want to weasel we can always blame the French and the British for a good chunk of it.

Back to the thread

To attack Iran even with a limited strike is going to really put the cards on the table. The west likely does not have a great handle on where all the critical sites are and how protected they are. Plus the Iranians are not dumb and have likely set up decoys to protect the real installations. We could destroy power grids and such to the sites, but that is a minor delay.

Iran getting nukes is going to push Saudi Arabia and Egypt to go nuclear, which will then make other countries in the region also follow suit. Israelis nukes are really a non-issue because the other countries know that Israel can’t afford to be nuked and has no intention of going to war unless directly attacked and if they attacked with nukes first would lose support of the west immediately regardless of the threat.. Israelis nukes are purely the poison pill to ensure the other countries leave them alone.

Iran wants nukes for several reasons, the minor one is to prevent a major invasion by US, Russia or combination of nations. A major reason is prestige and the ability to intimidate their Sunni neighbours.

The funny thing about having nukes is that it really limits your options as Pakistan and India found out. Neither side can win without suffering horrendous causalities, so they are trapped in a stalemate with constant sword rattling or fighting by proxy. Luckily a few far sighted types on both sides are using this stalemate to rebuild a relationships, but if the current Pakistani government falls, expect a hardline Islamic government that will start fighting again for Kashmir.

Colin
The point I was trying to make was that the US is trying to tell Iran how to run their society. At the same time as they are facilitating Nuclear technology and research applications in both India and Pakistan - hardly a stable pair of dance partners. The hypocrisy is so thick you can cut it with a knife.

The analogy was that we wouldn't take kindly to Denmark telling us we were screwing up in the way we treated 'our' natives. Sewing dissent amounts to that kind of thing. I don't think it's much good and probably just builds resentment in the target.

If nukes are such a good idea, why don't the bright bulbs that brought us the Iraq war just give them to Iran - I think I read, not all that long ago that there was an intelligence operation during, I think, the early 90s where the US used a Russian scientist to 'plant' false technical nuclear information with Iran. DO you remember that? I can't find the source any more.

Colin said:

Sounds just like the Cold War don't it, the one between the US and the Soviets. The problem with this kind of MAD peace is the chance of some person or computer making a mistake that results in the destruction of the human race.

The (P)resident idiot non-savant has single-handedly, well with the help of his daddy Dick and the rest of the cabal, not only restarted the arms race, but shifted it into overdrive. Meanwhile there's all those loose nukes God knows where in the former Soviet Republics as well as Russia itself, a relatively corrupt nation, even by modern standards.

Don't close Guantanamo, use it to house the Bush/Cheney administration.

The earlier poster who opined that Iran's missiles were little or no better than Saddam's laughable Scuds is whistling past the graveyard and seriously deluding himself. Iran can't strike North America, but the US fleet in the Gulf, Israel and Europe have a lot to worry about if Israel and/or the US launch a pre-emptive attack on Iran. Also the Coalition forces in Iraq would be toast sandwiched between the Sadr militias and the very large, well trained and equipped Iranian army. Iran has a standing army of either 500,000 or 1,000,000 with lots of replacements available as they have a young population approaching 100,000,000.

It is disturbing that the Canadian killed in Afghanistan most recently may have been another victim of "friendly fire." If you subtract those killed in vehicle accidents and friendly fire it seems that the enemy has only killed 3 or 4 Canadian soldiers out of the ten or dozen lost. During the briefing it seemed that the officer was overly trying to emphasize that he hadn't been killed by bombs from an airplane. If we want to get Canadians killed by Americans we don't have to send them half way around the world, just send them over the Ambassador Bridge to Detroit.

Gwest
I do remember that incident, apparently the “scientist” was worried that if the buyers realized the information was useless they would kill him and therefore twigged them to the fact. Sort of reminds me of that movie “The Mouse that roared” with Peter Sellers.

I don’t know the European seem to like launching repetitive attacks with ORAAM’s against us. (Old Retired Actress and Musicians).

Pakistan has the nuke card and a whole bunch of nutbars that want to play with it, you dance with them to keep them somewhat calm because you don’t want to have full blown temper Tatum. India certainly has a lot more to offer and is being sweethearted for many reasons. If Pakistan was halfway on the ball they would be busy building economic ties with India rather than pissing them off all the time. Meanwhile no notices Bangladesh in the corner, muttering to itself and bashing itself in the head, while breeding another whack of kids with no future.

Rkewen

I have been reading what I can on what’s been gleamed on those tests. When I saw the video, it was clearly a Scud based missile, better informed people than me call it a Scud-C. the Scud is basically an improved V2 rocket. It’s more a weapon of political terror until you strap a nuke(s) or other WMD onto it.

The torpedo is based on the Russian Shivakal (something like that) it has no really guidance system that allows you to make fine inputs to hit a target like a single ship. The Russian used it as a vehicle to deliver a nuke warhead into a Carrier battle group.

Both of these in the hands of the Iranians will affect the battlefield but won’t tip the balance. The real reason not to invade Iran is terrain and as you pointed out geo-politically. Even a limited attack may push elements within the Iranian government to attack. But doing nothing will also encourage them, it’s not a fun situation and I am personally glad that I don’t have to make those sort of choices.

As far as the friendly fire incident, I will withhold my opinion till I learn more. However I have always disliked being anyplace that the USAF is flying over. They have a long history of hitting the wrong target. Mind you I know of one guy I worked with almost got zapped by Canadian fighterbombers during a livefire exercise.

Colin you're buying into more Bush Bullshit with the following:

First off, Iran, unlike Israel, Pakistan and India is a signatory to the NPT and no one other than the Bush administration and their co-dependents claims that they are developing weapons. Mind you in their neighborhood, who could blame them if they did? They are surrounded by Russia and China to the north, Pakistan to the east, Israel to the west and the US Navy to the south, all with nukes.

I believe that part of the Bush cabal's motive for outing Valerie Plame was to eliminate accurate information about what Iran was or was not doing in terms of nuclear development, because coincidentally enough that was her domain, the aquisistion of actual intelligience regarding Iran's nukes or lack of same. They have proven in the lead up to Iraq that the truth is unimportant compared to what they want the world, or at least the easily duped American public, to believe.

The big problem with Iran is that they are sitting right on top of what America considers its oil, and perhaps the fact that they want to sell their oil in Euros. India and Pakistan want to have a joint venture with Iran to build a pipeline through Pakistan to India to bring natural gas to both Pakistan and India. Bush is of course opposed to this, as it goes against his policy of isolating Iran, but he is having little success in convincing Pakistan and India to cancel the plan. The plan, I feel is actually good for all three countries and the world as it brings all three of them into co-operation and solves some of India's energy needs(and Pakistan's). Hence the Chimp making nice with Mr. Singh and handing out nuclear goodies, though I don't think he was generous to Pakistan in the same way, because they're different - duh.

The Bush administration is driven to pre-emptively assert it's control of all resources that they can steal by force. But do you really think Russia and China are going to stand idly by and watch, plus in China's case even finance it. I think not and if this spoiled brat in the White House is determined to engage the whole Middle East plus Russia and China in a pissing contest we're all going to lose.

In this morning's New York Times there is an op-ed written by Javad Zarif the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations. Here is an excerpt:

How many countries have had the pleasure of being invaded by the United States in the last 250 years, just those who hadn't attacked the US? The rest of the op-ed, which is worth reading for any fair minded person is at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/06/opinion/06zarif.html?th&emc=th
(registration required-but it isn't Times Select so access is free with registration)

Anyone who blindly believes the US and the Chimp can't be wrong will just discount this as stalling lies. But Baby Bush has proven himself to be a liar too many times to even count and prefers to drown out anything that suggests a different reality.

I know the current president of Iran is a wild-eyed demagogue famous for his extreme statements. It is thanks to Bush's refusal to talk to his more moderate predecessor that this guy is now in office. Bush doesn't want a moderate leader in Iran anymore than he wants any accurate information about what they are doing available. In fact if you read the article in Time (April 3) in spite of the typical hewing to the administration line to whip up anti-Iran hysteria, it is uncanny how similiar Ahmadinejad and Bush actually are. They are both fundamentalist messianic apocalytic leaders who ferment fear to strenghen their own support.

New York Times ??????
Abu Grabe on the front FRONT FRONT page for 60 straight days leading up to the last US presidential election ?
This rag has no credibility to us conservative minds. It's a paper for those that hate America.

rkewen
The incapacity of some commenters to deal with rational argument is not surprising. Confronted with a Sisyphean task; they resort to name calling. As always, shoot the messenger.

Even though it is useless to even respond to trolls of such limited intelligience as IAMC, I would like to point out a couple facts.

One - the NYT is anything but a liberal rag that caters to America haters, unless you consider the current administration America haters, and actually I do. They hate what America actually stands for and think the Constitution is equivalent to toilet paper. The New York Times and their star harlot reporter Judith Miller were at the forefront of the stenographic hordes faithfully feeding the American public the administration's lies to justify the illegal invasion of Iraq.

Two - Even though the picture of the War Crimes being committed at Abu Graib were published leading up to the election, the official story was that this was the result of the actions of a few low ranking "bad apples."
No mention was being made of the fact that the current Attorney General as Bush's counsel had determined that the Geneva Conventions didn't apply anymore, being quaint nowadays. The fact that the policy came right from the top was illustrated quite clearly by Cheney and Bush's response to McCain's bill to ban torture. Bush was willing to use the veto for the first time since he took office if necessary and in the end just used one of his "signing statements" to essentially nullify it anytime he might find it inconvenient to obey that particular law.

Three - That was an op-ed piece submitted by the Iranian ambassador to the UN, and I do give the NYT credit for publishing it, though in no way does it necessarily reflect the opinion of the NYT.

http://www.brookings.edu/fp/saban/iraq/index20060330.pdf
Data on the Iraq situation to March 30, 2006
PDF 52 pgs.

One other piece people may want to read, from Sy Hersh in the New Yorker - before this link goes down:

http://www.newyorker.com/printables/fact/060417fa_fact

And William Arkin's continuing 'series' of articles in the Washington Post on the subject of Iran is also required reading, you can find the articles here:
http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/earlywarning/global_strike/index.html