tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post698061514580132818..comments2023-11-05T06:59:04.593-05:00Comments on Pen and Sword: Has Iran Stopped Nuking Its Wife?Jeff Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-87659542709276556272008-06-22T06:46:00.000-04:002008-06-22T06:46:00.000-04:00Oh yes, Khamenei did twist arms. And in 2004 he fo...Oh yes, Khamenei did twist arms. And in 2004 he followed up with the famous Fatwa against nuclear weapons, though this wasn't brought to the world's attention until August 2005. The fatwa clearly said nuclear weapons were forbidden under Islam. Because Khamenei invoked Islam in such an unequivocal manner his religious authority will take quite a hit if he reverses positions. So I doubt there's some kind of subterfuge involved, it's just too strong a card to fool around with.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-43191455856026159452008-06-19T12:59:00.000-04:002008-06-19T12:59:00.000-04:00Emergency Alerthttp://globalresearch.ca/index.php?...Emergency Alert<BR/><BR/>http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=9339<BR/><BR/>Also see<BR/><BR/>http://cryptogon.com/?p=2756<BR/>and<BR/>http://www.vunet.org/progressive/1210957293-WAYNE_MADSEN_ON_MURDER_OF_CIA_AGENT_IN_HOUSTON.txt<BR/><BR/><BR/>urgent warning:<BR/><BR/>State of Emergency: The US in the Final Six Months of the George W.<BR/>Bush Administration<BR/><BR/>by Lewis Seiler and Dan Hamburg<BR/><BR/>Global Research, June 15, 2008<BR/>CommonDreams.org<BR/><BR/><BR/> In short, we are living in an on-going state of emergency<BR/>whose exact limits are unknown, on the basis of a controversial deep<BR/>event — 9/11 — that is still largely a mystery. - UC Professor<BR/>Emeritus Peter Dale Scott<BR/><BR/>Unhindered by a neutered Congress and a compliant Court, President<BR/>Bush has six months remaining to pursue his agenda of expanding the<BR/>war in the Middle East and ensuring the continuation of the Global War<BR/>on Terror (GWOT) beyond his tenure in office.<BR/><BR/>The current administration has taken unto itself unprecedented, nearly<BR/>hegemonic powers since the events of 9/11. On that day, George W. Bush<BR/>issued his "Declaration of Emergency by Reason of Certain Terrorist<BR/>Attacks" under the authority of the National Emergencies Act. This<BR/>declaration, which can be rescinded by joint resolution of Congress,<BR/>has instead been extended six times. In 2007, the declaration was<BR/>strengthened with the issuance of National Security Presidential<BR/>Directive 51 (NSPD-51) which gave the president the authority to do<BR/>whatever he deems necessary in a vaguely defined "catastrophic<BR/>emergency" including everything from canceling elections to suspending<BR/>the Constitution to launching a nuclear attack.<BR/><BR/>Despite time constraints, there are clear signs that the president,<BR/>the vice-president and their neocon collaborators are not finished.<BR/>The constant saber-rattling toward Iran, with strong support from<BR/>Israel, should send a chill down the spine of any peace-loving<BR/>American. Military chiefs who oppose the president are "retired," as<BR/>observed most recently with the March dismissals of CENTCOM commander<BR/>Admiral William Fallon and 6th Fleet commander Vice-Admiral John<BR/>Stufflebeem. Public opinion counts for nothing. In a March 24<BR/>interview with ABC's Martha Raddatz, vice president Dick Cheney<BR/>responded to a question about the war weariness of Americans with a<BR/>languid "So?"<BR/><BR/>According to J. Scott Carpenter, former deputy assistant secretary of<BR/>state for Near Eastern Affairs, Cheney pushed hard for airstrikes<BR/>against Iranian Revolutionary Guard bases last summer. He was deterred<BR/>by Pentagon officials who insisted that retaliation might be difficult<BR/>to contain. Now, with Cheney ally General David Petraeus poised to<BR/>take over Fallon's command, a significant obstacle has been removed.<BR/><BR/>It seems clear that there is a deadly struggle going on within the US<BR/>government, a struggle that could well determine not only the election<BR/>of the next president, but the survival of the republic. On one side<BR/>are the neocons, the fanatics who led us into Iraq and who believe<BR/>they alone possess the strategic acumen to usher in a "new American<BR/>century." On the other is the Republican Party old guard ostensibly<BR/>led by Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Gates was brought into the<BR/>administration at the end of 2006 to replace the disgraced and<BR/>despised Donald Rumsfeld, and generally to ride herd over the neocons.<BR/><BR/>The conflict between these factions has broken into the open over the<BR/>past eight months. The first public signal came in October of last<BR/>year, when the sixteen US intelligence agencies issued a consensus<BR/>National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) that cut the legs out from under<BR/>the administration's argument that Iran was on the verge of developing<BR/>a nuclear weapon. The NIE stated that the Iranians had stopped work on<BR/>the project in 2003.<BR/><BR/>Just before Labor Day last year, a B-52 Stratofortress bomber carrying<BR/>six cruise missiles armed with nuclear warheads flew an unauthorized<BR/>mission from Minot AFB in North Dakota to Barksdale AFB in Louisiana.<BR/>Due to anonymous, high-level tips to the Military Times, the warheads<BR/>were recovered. After several seemingly inconclusive investigations of<BR/>the incident, Pentagon chief Gates fired Air Force Chief of Staff<BR/>Michael Moseley and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne last week,<BR/>without revealing the role either man played in the nuke heist. Given<BR/>the volume of evidence that this unprecedented transfer of live<BR/>nuclear weapons was not an accident, the question remains: what<BR/>individual or individuals within the government have the authority to<BR/>commandeer nuclear bombs?<BR/><BR/>Conservative pundit Patrick J. Buchanan recently suggested that the<BR/>neocons might be tempted to go to war with Iran in order to improve<BR/>John McCain's chances of winning the presidency. As audacious as that<BR/>seems, we want to go one step further. We believe that this<BR/>administration is so zealous, so determined to hold onto power, that<BR/>they may well stage a "false flag" attack, creating just the kind of<BR/>"catastrophic emergency" to which NSPD-51 refers.<BR/><BR/>On April 29 of this year, CIA veteran Roland V. Carnaby was shot dead<BR/>by police officers after a high speed chase through the streets of<BR/>Houston. Carnaby, who had been the CIA's Chief of Station for the<BR/>Southeast Region headquartered in Houston, was involved in conducting<BR/>security surveys of the Port of Houston and had discovered that the<BR/>Department of Homeland Security was tolerating gaping holes in port<BR/>security. Carnaby and Houston intelligence and law enforcement<BR/>personnel were also investigating the presence of "Middle Easterners"<BR/>who were conducting surveillance of the Port of Houston. The "Middle<BR/>Eastern" designator is the term used by the FBI for Israelis<BR/>(typically Mossad agents) in order to avoid "political" problems with<BR/>superiors.<BR/><BR/>Former National Security Agency analyst and naval intelligence officer<BR/>Wayne Madsen has been in Houston investigating the Carnaby case at<BR/>great personal risk. Madsen believes Carnaby was involved both in<BR/>heading off a potential war with Iran (by leaking Mossad plans to<BR/>assassinate Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah just days before Carnaby<BR/>himself was killed) and in trying to forestall a potential terrorist<BR/>attack on the port.<BR/><BR/>According to Madsen, "federal agents in Houston fear that 'another<BR/>9/11-type part false flag' attack is imminent, perhaps as early as<BR/>July 4." Such an attack along the twenty-five-mile Houston Ship<BR/>Channel, site of more explosive materials, toxic gases, and deadly<BR/>petrochemicals than anywhere else in the country, could create an<BR/>environmental and economic catastrophe that would dwarf 9/11.<BR/><BR/>How will the struggle within this administration be brought to an end?<BR/>Will courageous military men like Adm. Fallon speak out before the<BR/>next national tragedy befalls us? Will Congress act decisively to<BR/>remove the president's emergency powers, challenge NSPD-51, and defend<BR/>the Constitution? Will Defense Secretary Gates hold the line?<BR/><BR/>With just a half year left in what many believe has been the worst<BR/>presidency in American history the possibilities are many, and some of<BR/>them are truly frightening. As citizens of this country, we must do<BR/>everything in our power to ensure that there is no expansion of war in<BR/>the Middle East, no "false flag" attack at the Port of Houston or<BR/>anywhere else, and a peaceful and constitutional succession to a new<BR/>administration.<BR/><BR/>Lewis Seiler is president of Voice of the Environment, Inc. Dan<BR/>Hamburg, a former US representative, is executive director.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-29850318001216069282008-06-14T21:04:00.000-04:002008-06-14T21:04:00.000-04:00Thanks for the link, Russ. I'll have to put somet...Thanks for the link, Russ. I'll have to put something up on the sidebar about the series. <BR/><BR/>JeffJeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-25715677373973720462008-06-14T19:50:00.000-04:002008-06-14T19:50:00.000-04:00"When one line of demonizing gets derailed, they s..."When one line of demonizing gets derailed, they switch to the other."<BR/><BR/>How true. Thanks also for reading the IAEA report for us.<BR/><BR/>Note to Pen and Sword readers: I did a five-part series on Jeff and <I>Bathtub Admirals</I>. One place you can view it is here: http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2008/06/09/politicians-play-general-generals-play-politics-part-1/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-10740532926256904412008-06-14T18:06:00.000-04:002008-06-14T18:06:00.000-04:00Horrible. Thanks so much for the info and links. ...Horrible. Thanks so much for the info and links. <BR/><BR/>JeffJeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-84508730754926505092008-06-14T17:40:00.000-04:002008-06-14T17:40:00.000-04:00Truthout's Matt Renner reports: "A backlog of whis...Truthout's Matt Renner reports: "A backlog of whistleblower lawsuits against military contractors has been swelling and festering since the early days of the so called war on terror. According to critics, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has blocked the progress of these lawsuits to spare the Bush administration a major political black eye should the truth about ongoing war profiteering be revealed." <BR/><BR/>"The money that's gone into waste, fraud and abuse under these contracts is outrageous and egregious," Congressman Henry Waxman (D- California) told the BBC, adding, "It may well turn out to be the largest war profiteering in history." <BR/><BR/>"The war has been going on now for five years. [The DOJ] is not litigating a single case of contractor fraud against any contractor in Iraq. They have swept the whole thing under the rug," attorney Alan Grayson told Truthout, adding, "They're either stupid or they're liars and I tend to think it is the latter. We have an administration that is only good at managing news and nothing else."<BR/> <BR/>You can read the whole story at: http://www.truthout.org/article/logjam-war-contractor-fraud-suitsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-50305210958483598672008-06-14T12:24:00.000-04:002008-06-14T12:24:00.000-04:00EL,Trust me, it's a coincidence. Ingrid, Yes, mone...EL,<BR/><BR/>Trust me, it's a coincidence. <BR/><BR/>Ingrid, <BR/><BR/>Yes, money seems to be the only thing of value in the US any more. <BR/><BR/>JJeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-3711099825639496052008-06-14T11:38:00.000-04:002008-06-14T11:38:00.000-04:00"At the end of the day, all the scare talk about I..."At the end of the day, all the scare talk about Iran getting nuclear weapons is a red herring. Today's global power struggle today is about who gets to squeeze the last dime out of the last drop of oil in the planet, and who controls how much the rest of us have to pay for whatever replaces oil as the new energy source"<BR/><BR/>aaah..thank YOU for saying that. Any of us "librals" making those statements are so easily dismissed as simpletons. I have to tell you, it takes living here to make you cynical. Now my motto is 'follow the money'.. who has something to benefit. Simple, but oh so true. <BR/>IngridIngridhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15543677729320023767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-11209389855314817142008-06-14T11:37:00.000-04:002008-06-14T11:37:00.000-04:00Commander, again a reminder. Where I live --- Th...Commander, again a reminder. Where I live --- This is Texas. The Republican Party is holding a convention in Houston. One of the main concerns of some members of that party, is the "nakkid" statues that seem to be prevelant in our nation's capitol. (Because we don't have them on our own front porch - is the reasoning. They should not be anywhere.) <BR/><BR/>I gotta look for logic, and reason, and common sense --- whereever, and whenever I can find it. (Like on this blog, and in some books, written by people who seem to know the subject matter.) If they both happen to be Navy, I'm sure it's coincidence.Elderladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02268520056042293783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-55609305480769486882008-06-14T08:24:00.000-04:002008-06-14T08:24:00.000-04:00Yep, Frogfoot. Yep, USAF hates CAS mission, hates...Yep, Frogfoot. Yep, USAF hates CAS mission, hates CAS aircraft. Fast, expensive, good. Help troops on ground, bad.Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-60370909422676965512008-06-14T02:41:00.000-04:002008-06-14T02:41:00.000-04:00Su-25K Frogfoot. Ironnically, these aircraft were...Su-25K Frogfoot. Ironnically, these aircraft were originally purchased by Iraq for use against Iran. They fell into Iranian hands in 1991 at the beginning of the First Gulf War when their pilots (along with a majority of the Iraqi Air Force) voted with their planes and sought internment in Iran over combat with Allied fighters. Apparently, the aircrafts fearsome ground attack reputation led the Iranians to <B>not</B> return them.<BR/><BR/>Like the A-10 which has similar specifications, the Su-25K is essentially a heavily armored platform for a heavy cannon and innumerable hardpoints. It first saw action in Afghanistan.<BR/><BR/>Unlike the A-10, the Su-25TM (and a follow-on variant, the Su-34) are still in production. The Su-25K is the export variant. Apparently, the Russians don't feel that an aircraft with these sorts of close air support credentials is obsolete; unlike the USAF which shudders to fly anything without afterburners and swept wings.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15418129339565606380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-32540441056510680352008-06-14T01:31:00.000-04:002008-06-14T01:31:00.000-04:00re: I'm curious about that aircraft that they iden...re: I'm curious about that aircraft that they identify as belonging to the "elite" (Bill Hicks, where are you when we need you) Revolutionary Guards<BR/><BR/><BR/>it is a sukhoi su-25 i believe (i'm just an amateur though), its a russian ground attack plane<BR/><BR/>alexAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-28509613191485878042008-06-14T00:35:00.000-04:002008-06-14T00:35:00.000-04:00Here's a hopeful piece from Time on the "Iran cris...Here's a <A HREF="http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1813706,00.html" REL="nofollow">hopeful piece</A> from <I>Time</I> on the "Iran crisis." Maybe the $12/gallon prospect will make them think twice about pulling the trigger. Fingers crossed, needless to say.<BR/><BR/>I'm curious about that aircraft that they identify as belonging to the "elite" (Bill Hicks, where are you when we need you) Revolutionary Guards. It looks kind of scary and, uh, <I>new</I>. Not at all like a "rusty old F-14 Tomcat."jpwhitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17975430453557627368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-54986782843799663822008-06-13T21:17:00.000-04:002008-06-13T21:17:00.000-04:00It is ironic (intentional?) that the farce that wa...It is ironic (intentional?) that the farce that was the Clinton impeachment has created such a distaste for impeachment as a process that some Congresspersons pursuing impeachment of Cheney and the "W" in the House privately opine that the necessary votes are not on the floor unless something truly notable occurs.<BR/><BR/>Given our recent history and the titanic over-reaching of this Administration, what those circumstances might be is difficult for this mere mortal to fathom.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15418129339565606380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-23767430942416654112008-06-13T16:03:00.000-04:002008-06-13T16:03:00.000-04:00You know, Chris, it truly boggles the mind how muc...You know, Chris, it truly boggles the mind how much Cheney has gotten away with and that he's still in office and dangerous.Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-28334400066445697602008-06-13T15:46:00.000-04:002008-06-13T15:46:00.000-04:00Thanks Jeff for the excellent summary which I have...Thanks Jeff for the excellent summary which I have been linking to. I see from <A HREF="http://peaceandwisdom.net/2008/06/12/powells-c-o-s-spills-the-beans/" REL="nofollow">Paul Jay's interview of Wilkerson</A> that he couldn't stand the absurdity any longer and has backed up Leverett and Mann's account of the 2003 strategic bargain and Dick "we don't speak to evil" Cheney's part in scuppering it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-39513728639186089132008-06-13T15:23:00.000-04:002008-06-13T15:23:00.000-04:00I appreciate your opinion of Navy men, EL, but I'd...I appreciate your opinion of Navy men, EL, but I'd be wary of them if I were you. ;-)Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-75669492334752861152008-06-13T14:57:00.000-04:002008-06-13T14:57:00.000-04:00Commander, all you Navy guys make sense. I read ...Commander, all you Navy guys make sense. I read a book by another Navy guy, (Now a U.S. Senator) that tells what a vacuum we have now created for the Russians and the Chinese to fill, in the Mideast. Like you, the man tells a sensible story. <BR/><BR/>The UN resolution on Iran is kinda like maintaining the Chapter 7 on Iraq, years after we decapitated Sadaam. <BR/><BR/>:>) at the mental 8 x 10 of Cheney bike riding to anywhere. Hah!Elderladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02268520056042293783noreply@blogger.com