Can We Get Some Real Sanctions Please

The economic one, two punch of sanctions on Iran would do much to weaken the already pathetic wallet that is Iran. However, without the 100% compliance of the member states it is as hollow a threat as any other from the United Nations. Whether it is threats of action, military action, or sanctions the UN is about as worthless as a wooden nickel.

“WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Companies and government agencies in three dozen countries have struck more than $153 billion in deals with Iran since 2000, investment that could offer important leverage to help persuade Tehran to abandon its nuclear program, a new study says.

The research by the conservative American Enterprise Institute think tank may be the most comprehensive attempt to publicly identify corporate and government investors whose withdrawal could potentially affect Iran's nuclear policy.

The data comes as the U.N. Security Council considers new sanctions against Iran and momentum grows in the U.S. Congress and in state legislatures for controversial initiatives encouraging divestment in companies doing business in Iran.”

Can you believe that between 2000 and 2007 new business deals with Iran dropped from 101 down to 18, yet the monetary value rose from $21.68 billion to $47.5 billion?

So basically it is tough patooties; if we can make a financial killing we will. How about real economic sanctions with a bite that screws Iran AND the businesses making deals with the regime? Investment is always a gamble, yet they comfortably continue with investments knowing the possible threat of sanctions looms. From a business sense what does that tell you about their confidence in the UN/EU and all the rest?

Nations mentioned in the article and their Iranian business deals monetary value:

French $30.2 billion

China $29.5 billion

Germany $26 billion

Italy $23.7 billion

Japan $18.3 billion

Austria $18 billion

Netherlands $13.6 billion

South Korea $13.27 billion

Britain $12.78 billion

India $9.9 billion

Outrageous and pathetic…

As Iran Holds British Hostages It is Business as Usual for EU Nations

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We have NO Reason to Fear Iran or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

I don’t quite understand what has gotten under Tony Blankley’s craw. At Real Clear Politics today he takes issue with the continuation of the Iranian “peaceful nuclear” program.

Railing at the media for not covering the news of Mondays “Iranian Nuclear Festival,” which is disingenuous when one considers that according to IRNA – “some 600 domestic and foreign reporters,” including mind you the BBC, CNN and Al-Alam; were present filming the festivities LIVE.

Blankley, pisses and moans about Iran, when the problem is really just that of a mathematical algorithm (has nothing to do w/a former VP of the US on a dance floor*). Mr. Blankley carelessly throws out numbers:

Last year Iran revealed having 164 centrifuges

Prior to Monday it was believed they had only 328 centrifuges

Unknown quantity represented as X

Monday Iran boasted at having = 3,000 centrifuges

Obviously someone not only got up on the wrong side of bed, but screwed up what ‘X’ truly was. I agree with Tony Blankley as I, like he dislike math as well with an intensity that rivals my dislike of that Mark Steyn guys mathematical improbabilities that he endlessly drones on about with regard to the “demography, birthrate of Muslims and Muslim countries” or some such.

Blankley takes issue with a comment made by Irans Secretary of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Ali Larijani on Monday:

‘"If they [world powers] continue to pressure Iran over its peaceful nuclear activities we have no other choice but to follow parliament's order and review our membership of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty."’

Clear, concise, diplomatic and to the point as far as I see AND we wouldn’t want them dropping out of the treaty, now would we. “Disturbing?” Yes, as how would we negotiate or discuss issues with Iran in good faith if they were no longer a part of it?

I find Blankley’s article as one of bad timing, while just recently the President of the Islamic Republic just made a “peaceful” gesture with the “gift” to Britain of the “15 victims of a misunderstanding.” Details of which can be found here at “A Gift from the Democratically Elected President of an Islamic Republic.”

His remarks also come at a truly poor time when it is revealed by Kathryn Jean Lopez at NRO regarding:

“a German case in which a Muslim, Moroccan-born 26-year-old mother of two was petitioning for an expedited divorce from a man who had beaten her and threatened her life, Judge Christa Datz-Winter denied the woman’s request, a woman who already had a restraining order on her husband after police were called last May because he attacked her.”

The judge’s denial of divorce (as who wants more divorce, right?), was based upon The Koran:

“The Koran instructs that “men are in charge of women.” She explained further that the couple hails from a “Moroccan cultural environment in which it is not uncommon for a man to exert a right of corporal punishment over his wife.”

Timing! Blankley’s remarks made just as a German judge reaches out in a multi-culturally appropriate way and time. We need to work together people….not apart. If one wants to remark on the mixed message supposedly given to Syria by the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s trip there you may want to think twice and consider Mr. Blankley’s timing as well.

Further evidence of his being on the wrong side of history is the news of Iran April 9^th reelection as a “vice chairman of the U.N. Disarmament Commission.” Why, if an august body such as the U.N. finds it possible to acknowledge Iran’s “rehabilitation” within five days of the “gift,” can Blankley not?

Also of note to be considered is the fact revolving around the new and improved “U.N. Human Rights Council,” which Blankley chooses to ignore, is the announcement of Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba (Mexico) President of the “Human Rights Council”:

“I would like to make the following statement adopted by the Council. One,…the Human Rights Council has in closed meetings examined the human rights situation in…the Islamic Republic of Iran…Two, the Human Rights Council has decided to discontinue the consideration of the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran…Three,…members of the Human Rights Council should make no reference in the public debate to the confidential decisions and material concerning [the Islamic Republic of Iran]…”

This is one of those times (happens multiple times daily with the Right), when a page should be taken from the play book of the Left, regarding cool headed, rational and logical diplomacy as it truly appears to work.

Chalk one up for the Democrats because they see it as it REALLY is.

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” – QUIT FEAR MONGERING TONY BLANKLEY!!!!

*thanks kindly go to Bill Bennetts Morning in America for this little ditty

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Iran’s (not so) Secret War on the West

Following the revelations reported by ABC News that the U.S. government supports nefarious groups in the Middle East to weaken Iran; which is taking a page from Iranian creation of and support of fun groups like Hezbollah et al. I felt it necessary to share with the world media that Iran itself has been involved in a “secret war” with the West for three decades now.

The last few years of these war efforts have been accomplished via the assistance of the U.N.; “a timeline of the U.N. moves which have progressively emboldened Iran and like-minded terrorist entities the world over.”

Since the Iranian Revolution and the taking of Americans hostage (perhaps they were “victims of a misunderstanding”) for 444 days, Iran has been a major player in a clandestine or “secret war” with the West; a very brief summary of which from the Iran Terror Database:

“During the 1980s and 1990s, at least 90 percent of the major terrorist attacks were linked either to Tehran as the epicenter of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism or to its surrogates and agents and movements that managed to thrive only under the light of Tehran's mullahs. Some of the terrorist attacks carried out either by Tehran or fundamentalists under its hegemony and influence are:

•The occupation of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and the taking of American hostages in 1979. This was, in fact, a clear declaration of war by this new phenomenon that effectively demonstrated its antiWest potential and hysteria.
•Taking Westerners, especially Americans, hostage in Lebanon in the 1980s.
•The explosion of the U.S. Marine barracks in Lebanon in 1983.
•The bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. The explosion of an Air France 747 passenger jet in Tehran's airport in 1983
•Several bombings in the streets of Paris in 1986, which caused many deaths and injuries among civilians
•The hanging of U.S. Colonel William Higgins, who worked for the United Nations, in Lebanon.
•The shipment of 51 packages of explosives to Saudi Arabia (which were discovered before detonation) in 1986 in order to kill many pilgrims. The massacre of more than 400 pilgrims to Mecca in 1987
•The bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires.
•The killing of antifundamentalist intellectuals and authors in Turkey. . The decree to kill Salman Rushdie.
•The killings of many Iranian dissidents, particularly the Mojahedin, in Germany, Switzerland, France, Sweden, Italy, Turkey, Pakistan, and United Arab Emirates.”

Much more can be found at this site and many others regarding the atrocities committed either by Iran or through one of its proxies.

Fast forward to the 21^st century we discover that Iran has been “secretly” working on the development of nuclear energy for the sake of “peaceful” purposes; something those with their eyes open find hard to believe considering Iran’s activities over the last 30 years.

The United Nations has been deeply involved in resolving this situation vigorously, which has ultimately resulted in a very aggressive stance through the latest; Resolution 1737, which was adopted by the Security Council during its 5612^th meeting. One following the goings on with in the U.N. can be forgiven for mistaking that this 5612^th was not in fact the 5612^th on Iran’s “peaceful nukes;” but the 5612^th of the SC itself.

The resolution led to an eventual gutsy (if you’re afraid of the U.N.), move by Tehrrorists in Tehran, which will if history reflects accurately, be known as the “15 Victims of a Misunderstanding Episode.”

Earlier today, Margaret Beckett the British Foreign Secretary made remarks regarding the efforts at gaining the release of the 15 closing with (italics mine):

“There is only one more thing I would add, some people have read a lot into the Prime Minister's remarks about not seeing progress in the next 48 hrs, he is not talking, nor intending to imply, anything about military action, we are not seeking confrontation, we are seeking to pursue this through diplomatic channels.”

These types of remarks as well as an even keeled, limp wristed and tepid response from Britain, which fails to imply any further belief in the adage of one “keeping their p*cker up,” likely led to:

“President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the 15 Britons seized 13 days ago are being pardoned for the prophet Muhammad's birthday and are being released after his news conference in Tehran today.”

The honest broker President Mahmoud “Momo” Ahmadinejad said:

"The Great Iranian people and the Islamic Republic, despite having the legal right to put these British sailors on trial, will pardon them. Their release will be given to the British population as a gift."

During his originally postponed press conference Ahmadinejad:

“awarded a medal of honour on Wednesday to a Revolutionary Guards commander for his role in arresting 15 British marines and sailors who Iran had charged had entered Iranian waters illegally last month but Britain maintained were in Iraqi territorial waters at the time of their seizure.”

I would expect some type of “medal of honor” will be bestowed upon the 15 once they are returned to their country.

As much as it sickens me to a degree to feel this way, I cannot help but believe that an opportunity to address the leadership in Tehran has been missed. A more overt action against the West by Tehran has not taken place, so I cannot imagine what they would need to do to actually rile the world as it should be. To have addressed the “misunderstanding” militarily would assuredly have had dire consequences, which I honestly would not relish. However, those days may be to come because we believe by the steps taken, that we have avoided a disaster.

In the peaceful words of the Iranian president himself regarding recent U.N. sanctions as addressed to the major world powers:

“If they want to create disturbances ... for parts of our economy, (like) banks, we will retaliate there or in other places."

Happy Birthday to the prophet Muhammad (PBUH)!

Signed,

A Civilian Chicken-Hawk Warmonger

Iran Tag Results from DeMediacratic nation:

Iran and the Peaceful Nukes

Peaceful Nukes

15 Hostages

Diplomacy

Friday Sermon from Iran

Iran

Iran and the Greater War on Terror

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ABC, IRNA and the Not so Secret War against Iran

ABC News has the goods on the U.S.’ support of terrorism:

“A Pakistani tribal militant group responsible for a series of deadly guerrilla raids inside Iran has been secretly encouraged and advised by American officials since 2005, U.S. and Pakistani intelligence sources tell ABC News.

The group, called Jundullah, is made up of members of the Baluchi tribe and operates out of the Baluchistan province in Pakistan, just across the border from Iran.

It has taken responsibility for the deaths and kidnappings of more than a dozen Iranian soldiers and officials.”

No funding however is provided by the U.S. government

Ace reporters in Iran working for the Islamic Republic News Agency (moonlighting for ABC perhaps), caught onto the situation as well:

“Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has hired a Pakistani terrorist group that has carried out a series of deadly terrorist attacks inside Iran, ABC News has reported on Wednesday.

The group, members of the Baluchi tribe, operates from Pakistan's province of Baluchestan, just across the border from Iran.

ABC cited US government sources it did not identify as saying the US has maintained close ties to its leader, Abdel-Malik Regi, since 2005.

The group, called Jundullah, has carried out raids, resulting in the deaths or kidnapping of Iranian ordinary people as well as soldiers and officials.

The large Iranian community residing in the US protested strongly to Voice of America (VOA)'s live interview with Regi recently in which the terrorist claimed responsibility for the operations.”

Perhaps this is what led to the mishap of the “15 victims of a misunderstanding?”

The revelation reveals that it may be time to take President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mahmoud “Momo” Ahmadinejad more seriously when on Wednesday he:

“highlighted the imbalance in structure of the United Nations Security Council and said that the member states expect the world body to observe justice as a basis for decision making.”

Further out of character comments for the president were:

“He accused “arrogant world powers” of bringing about “destruction” to the whole world.”

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