With this administration in power, Yes, I think its completely unavoidable.

Bush doesn’t understand how to tie his sneakers, let alone how to attain peace with anone. We will be at war with everyone soon.

All of the evidence in this article leads to a conclusion that options for dealing with a dangerous country are being explored, not that war is the specific means for acheiving it (and I think if you look at Bush and Rice’s rhetoric, they are focusing on diplomacy and sanctions)

so does the US government think it can take on Iran like it did the starving dictatorship of Iraq? Does it think it can fair better with Iran than with Iraq? Are they smoking crack?

As long as the neocons are in power the United States and the Constitution are in grave danger.

PNAC, “Clean Break”, Pentagon… the plans have been made since the 1990s. 9/11 was “pulled” to con the public (as well as an insurance scam).

What more facts do you need. Fake wars for fake causes. They lied so people can die.

added: If Iran is attacked (and another false flag terror act will be used as pretext), ships in the Gulf will be sunk by Russian Sunburn II (2.1 thousand miles per hour) and DyubaDyubaDyuba Three will be off and running and within days the US markets will crash, banks will lock up to cover up the major Derivatives and other corporate/banking crimes. The doped and microwaved public will “think” that the CRA$H was caused by “terrorists” when it will be nothing more than NWO corporate raiders doing what they do best – DUPE the public. The Iron Triangle: Oil, Electric, Banking… if anyone goes down, the whole USA goes down with it. Hope grandma still has the farm, because if Iran is attacked, TSWHTF and it will be TEOTWAWKI.

Yes. It’s not a matter of IF, it’s a matter of WHEN. The oil companies that own the executive branch will make major billions by removing one of their biggest competitors (Iran) and creating another artificial shortage that will inflate the price of crude.

Also don’t forget the US has been itching to get even with Iran since 1979. At this point, any excuse will do.

This story makes it sound like Israel and its lobbyists are using the US for its own ends. Don’t make me laff–we’ll use Israel to do the initial dirty work, then we’ll come in and “clean up” later. If Iran is stupid enough to be lured into Israel’s war with Lebanon, Dirty Harry (aka Rumdum) will jump in with both feet.

3rd: Attacking Iran will be a proxy war – the USA/Brits & IsNotReal vs. China, Russia, North Korea, India, South America.

it’s amazing that the majority of the country doesnt’ understand what’s going on. rallying behind this president will get us nowhere- especially when he’s stabbing us in the back. if you think he’s acting in our favor read the news, even the republican news. the number of us troops who died in iraq is about the number of civilians who died in the wtcs… plus all the iraqis we don’t care about.

The U.S. can’t go to war with Iran, unless forced. Bush created America’s second Vietnam in Iraq, but he did learn a lesson from all our troops who died for it. With greater threats in N. Korea and Iran, Bush is a mouse now. Iran is twice as large as Iraq and Bush now knows that people in the Middle East won’t put up with another idiotic mass slaughter. He’d need a draft to get enough troops to invade.

this article is amazing. it exposes the nazi ideology of neocon movement — they will ruin our country, our ideals, our economy — their loyalty is to the ultra-right wing-zionism not TO our OUR COUNTRY neither TO our constitution. shame on them. and you all out there –wake up, bring our troops back home NOW!

Let’s ask AIPAC. I couldn’t figure out why Dick Cheney lobbied his little heart out during the Clinton Administration to get sanctions lifted off of Iran and Syria, and then suddenly dubs them Iran “evil”. It turned out that AIPAC had the last word after April 2001. I’m sure the decision is on them to make.

“It’s a country that is fanatically devoted to our destruction”

Who is the us in “our destruction” that Manucher Ghorbanifar is referring? America? Or Israel?

To Confused…if the USA does take on Iran it will be a different mission…no nation building…nation destroying will be the objective. Then the oil rich regions will break away from the mullahs and become our new best friends…it is awful!

Paving the road to provide more land to Israel. Courtesy from the US taxpayers

blah

Yes Bush is more evil than the Ahmadinejad.

I’ve been curious. How much money do you think Bush & Cheney will receive in oil profits from the Israeli war they insist on prolonging? I wonder how many body bags it takes to get into hell?

If you “google” the words “Iran” and “oil Bourse” together, you will find additional reasons for the US to attack Iran. If Iran manages to open its planned Euro-based Oil Exchange in September, our dollar will weaken significantly. The results could be catastrophic.

This whole scam started with Pax Americana. Please. Read all about it. It has everything to do with world domination. Someone should start selling decks of cards with the top 52 neocons on them.

A question for Mr Bamford to pursue: what is Elizabeth Cheney’s main task as deputy assistant secretary of state for the near east? some blogs assert she’s in charge of the $80 million appropriation to undermine the tehran regime. is that true?

I fear a war is inevitable. The Republic is in a sorry, sorry state, the lunatics are in charge of the asylum. Everything that the US is supposed to stand for is being perverted. The Neocons are about to plunge the world into a major war — where is the US public outcry against this outrage? Quick America, before it’s too late, STOP THIS MADNESS!

Planning is usually a good thing. Flaming liberals usually say Iraq wasn’t planned for, so why is it bad for Iran. They say diplomacy “failed” in Iraq, and then call for action against Israel. They call for multilateralism, and then cannot realize why this administration will not negotiate in face-to-face meeting with Iran and N. Korea. Learn consistency and reason, instead of conspiracy theories and maybe people won’t move three seats over on the subway when you sit down. But that may have more to do with your hygiene. Ironic that a magazine banned by the government of Iran is defending it so vociferously.

AIPAC is the most powerful lobby group in a world of ultra powerful lobby groups. They give money to virtually every politician in America. The only bipartisan politics in our country now is that both republicans and democrats bow to the wishes of Israel. Israel calls the shots for both our executive and legislative branches and they have been shown time and time again to be the enemies of democracy and the most dangerous and violent force on the planet.

I think of it this way: Child Molestation is not “inevitable.” It can and should be prevented.

But if you are a child molester and you believe that there is nothing wrong with it and the vast majority of politicians will vote in favor of your right to carry on with pathological behavior, then you probably will think it is “inevitable.”

The war in Iran is the same way. Molesters think it is inevitable, but if you aren’t a molester, then you’ll say that it isn’t and that it is worth preventing.

The ball is already rolling. The US was dragging it’s feet, so Israel forced the issue by attacking Lebanon.

Policy is determined by religious apocalyptic madmen. Check out the actual beliefs of evangical christianity in the US, as well as the religious right in Israel.

Welcome to the End Times.

According to these blogs, Isreal is the problem. I guess these bloggers would have The Final Solution to ward off this problem. What would happen if Isreal initiated a road to peace and gave into some of the Palestinians’ demands? We don’t have to wonder, it’s already happened: increased suicide murders and a new Jihad. Why are the Iranians inflaming Hazbollah? To cover their nuclear weapons program they hope to use to create a New Persia. There are only 2 things standing in their way: Real Americans, and Israel. The rest are at worst sympathizers and at best sheep.

To James E – It is not anti-Semitic to be ashamed of & furious with Israel for it’s current policy of collective punishment of Lebanese civilians (”I guess these bloggers would have The Final Solution to ward off this problem”). That you would suggest such a thing shows the essential idiocy & incoherence of your position. To equate condemnation of Israel’s military conduct with tacit approval of the Holocaust is so mind-numbingly stupid & childish that it would seem any sensible adult would dismiss it out of hand. Would that we lived in a country of sensible adults…

Not unavoidable, but close.

Letters to the editor won’t stop it and millions in the streets won’t stop it, because neither stopped in the assault on Iraq.

Every senator and member of congress will have to understand that approval for war in Iran means guaranteed retirement. The people actually have more power than AIPAC, we just seldom exercise it.

Its going to happen, the question is when. Actually, considering that Gringrich has already used the phrase “World War III”, I am suprised it hasn’t already.

It is going to happen, the question is when. Bush has to finish what his daddy started and leave the mess for someone else to clean up.

James E.
You must be a republican as you have to insult in an attempt to make a point.
You obviusly don’t understand the consecuences that a war with Iran will have on us and the World.
If you have a problem understanding the problems that the Iraq invasion have created then you should continue with your bliss due to ignorance and avoid the blogs.
Israel is acting on behalf of its own interests as well as to create an excuse for the US to go into Iran. Israel WILL provoke Iran, wait and see; that is part of the plan. The US is not in a position to invade another country and if anyone believes that it will be an easy task then you also believed that we would be greeted as liberators in Iraq and flowers would be thrown at us while we paraded through the streets of Bhagdad.
This is very serious stuff, World War III is not a movie, it is World chaos, hunger, death.
America, wake up!!!! Don’t allow this to happen, this is not a game, don’t let the stupid cowboy get away with this, he doesn’t even understand the situation, he thinks its all a game.

Going into Iran makes more sense that going into Iraq. They actually are trying to build a nuke. And if they do, they are going to use it. That’s more of a threat than Iraq could have ever been. However, we are not ready for a war with Iran and if it must take place (meaning if they have a FUCKING NUKE POINTED AT US) we are going to need the support of the rest of the world, unlike in Iraq. The pervious comments of a lot of people are out of line. No one is searching for war. If you think that you’re a dumbshit who knows nothing of foriegn policy and probably lack the intelligence to get a job and move out of your parent’s house. If a nuke is pointed at us, we have no chance but to do something. That’s an unavoidable situation. Period. If they do end up nuking us because people in this country just hate their government, then I hope those people are the first to die. Natual Selection. Most of the people who have commented deserve to die anyway because they offer nothing but angry rhetoric to an already stupid and angry society.

Hope everyone is happy. The Constitution is nothing more than mere toilet paper. Our elected officals DO NOT serve the people anymore. We were lied to and dragged into an impossible situation with NO winners (Iraq). Now Isreal is in the process of leading us to our slaughters, along with the rest of the world along for the ride. But I guess as long as we have MTV and reality television everything will be okay.

Are you sure you “Smell Propaganda” and not our rights, our country, and our lives burn? You are a fool if you think this government serves you or the people. It does not. Unless you have an ass-load of money- then I guess I’m wrong. The government does serve you.

C Co… aka I Smell Propaganda:
And what is it that you are offering?

Not sure how you think you know more than anyone here and that you ARE offering anything but bad wishes.
You obvoiusly don’t even understand what “Natural Selection” is; war is definately not it, read!
What makes you think Iran has a nuke pointing at us? Because you believe everything that Bush & Co. tells you? If that is the case then you have not right to critisize as you prove to have a weak and uninformed mind.

I have to agree with NoJoke and Loreen. As long as this prevaricating, bellicose, xanax cowboy, and his nefarious cabal (Cheney) are in control, they will continue to have their way with the consititution.

And as NoJoke stated, the PNAC had these wars penciled in for sometime now.

And forget about the reticent media! They’re just a mouthpiece for this administration. Their goal is hegemony throughout the entire Middle East. Sound crazy? It’s their plan and it doesn’t seem that anyone will stop it.

Last Saturday I attended a forum with Ray McGovern & Scott Ritter.
McGovern was a Senior CIA Analyst for 27 years. His duties included chairing National Intelligence Estimates and preparing the President’s Daily Brief. Ritter was the United Nation’s Top
Weapons Inspector and also spent several months of the Gulf War serving under General Norman Schwarzkopf with Marine Central Command headquarters in Saudi Arabia.

During Saturday’s forum both McGovern and Ritter stated that the Bush administration will attack at Iran. McGovern said it will be before this November.

Very scary indeed.

Munich

Wake up America! We are at war with the world. Bush and his cronies have isolated us from the rest of the world. War with Iran is inevitable. Bush’s CRUSADE will continue to kill innocent civilians whose families will join the Jihadist. Imagine if America was occupied by a foriegn country. How would you feel about democracy? when I see pictures of human beings holding their dead children in their arme it makes me sick.

NoJoke is serious as a heart attack. Take it from an Iranian — A war with Iran will make the Iraq fiasco look like a walk in the park. We are a peaceful people but fiercely nationalistic and the moment the first bomb falls we will unite behind our government against the aggressors. It has happened before. Just ask Mr. Saddam Hossein who after 8 years with full financial backing of all Arab countries (except Syria) and intelligence support from the US and all the military hardware he could possibly get his hands on from Russia was still unable to gain and hold an inch of the Iranian territory. Can it be avoided? Yes, but it requires the only weapon that scares the shit out of the war-mongering politicians and that is the tide of public opinion.

The agenda was set a long time ago. It would have happened but for oppostion that prevented the attack.
It has now come to a stage where the attack has to take place before November (date for American elections). Bush has already got himslef emergency powers thru which he can have the whole of the US under its thumb.
The present attack on Lebanon is a part is a prelude to the bigger event. With less than 3 months to go the attack cannot be carried out unless done now. In my opinion an event like an assasination, a false flag missile etc will trigger it off shortly. Neither Syria or Iran want war. A few years ago the Iranians approcahed the US thru the Swiss where they offered negotiations and to give up on their nuclear plans. The US rebuffed their offer. The Iranians have since then known that they have no choice and war is inevitable.
The coming war will create an economic chaos around the world.

Nope, this is gonna get really scary really fast and I just hope my ass ain’t here for the draft. God help the world cause a bunch of evil men are about to plunge it into utter darkness.

Yes, war with Iran could be stopped.

But we won’t do what it takes to stop it…nooooooo….we are far too “civilized” for that.

In our serta perfect sheep democracy we just wait for the next diebold election instead of getting off our asses, burning capitol hill to the ground and hangin the neo’s.

And the prize will go to whoever can identify the moment at which being civilized to the point of inaction in the face of gross crimes makes us uncivilized.

CoCo actually has a point. Time to get off the pot or take a dump. We, as the people of the USA, need to send a message to Washington and the Military/Industrial Complex: “WE DON’T WANT ANY OF YOUR FUCKING WARS!!!!” God how I hate to quote Axl Rose, but the wars we fight now, within our modern age only, “feed the rich and bury the poor.” Wake up America! All we take for granted will be gone soon…. Under a government that got it’s blueprint from Orwell’s ‘1984′. Open your fucking eyes and turn off your bloody TVs. This is reality.

WAR CAN BE PREVENTED! BUT, it will take overthrowing the rogue regime before the war which may be only days away.

Unfortunately, b/c even i don’t think that gives congress enough time to act. too bad, a couple of impeachments here, straight jackets there, perp walks everywhere would be a pretty sight.

@ cortiz:

I’m dutch and i still love you guys, imagine a world without Spank Rock, The Strokes, Fight Club and Star Wars. Yep, impossible.

World war III is coming. Thanks to Bush and his puppet like Blair. The attack on Iran wil not only cause instability to the Middle East, but the whole world. American people wake up and stop supporting these war mongers who are just after oil. They support dictators, but when those dictators no longer dance to their tune, they call for regime change. Saddam Hussein is one of them. They have supported dictators in Africa and now they want the African people to pay debts incurred by stupid leaders who they supported in killing their own people. To hell with Bush and his crones.

These terrorist states are not going to leave us alone regardless of what we do. If we do nothing, like the Clinton administration did, they will keep attacking us. If we retaliate then we have pin-heads blaming the U.S. for the worlds trouble. If a bully keeps beating me up just because he can and because I won’t do anything about it then I deserve to get the crap beat out of me. But eventually you have to stand up for yourself. Iran and the other terrorist states are the demons. Not the U.S. and Great Britain. They kill just because they hate everything that isn’t like them. We try and help the world, like in Kosovo for example. Too many idiots out there can’t see the forest for the trees. Sit down, shut up and pay attention.

The US and its dog Israel have no diplomats, can’t negotiate and they think they don’t need to for they have nuclear arms. A military solution to any dispute means every body is dead.

The kernel of news here is that Chalabi was an Iranian double-agent who duped the U.S. into war in Iraq. But Bamford seems to have abandoned his usual good sourcing practices to argue that U.S. foreign policy is being steered by the Israel lobby. If the Israel lobby was so powerful and so effective, why didn’t we go to war against Iran instead of Iraq? Now we’re boxed in and can’t confront the real enemy, Iran.

The characterization of “cabal” is particularly unfortunate here in the context of Bamford’s argument about Israel running our policy. Seems to me that countries like Saudi Arabia have much more influence over our foreign and domestic policy — anything to keep the oil flowing, even if it means looking the other way when the Saudis let the Wahhabis incite jihadists against us and even finance their activities.

What gives here?

The Congress & the House only represent the highest bidder, not the people, so there is no avenue for change there. The US media only reports what it’s corporate fear mongering propoganda–it’s doubful is an anti-war protest of 100 million people in Washington would get much air time. Our votes are not counted. The Evangelical Neocons seem determined to try to play God and blow everyone “all to Heaven”. So what are our options to avoid more & ever escalating war in the Middle East?

What we need is a national discussion, but this is as close as I’ve seen to one. Ever notice how most people don’t even want to talk about it? They won’t wake up until we’ve gone in and somebody blows up the Straits of Hormuz and gas is $10/gallon. When the dust settles China will be buying all the mideast oil and Israel will be their best friends after having given them all our military technology secrets smuggled out of the Pentagon.

I love how people blame Bush for the world’s problems. He certainly hasn’t done everything right (I know everyone here has never screwed-up… nah, no way!) but we ARE at war with them right now.

Facts:
Hezbollah is a UN-declared terrorist organization.
Hezbollah is supported by Syria and Iran.
Iran is trying (and has been for years) to develop or buy nuclear arms.
Iran wants “Israel off the map”

Certainly the US should NOT be the world’s police officers. We need a UN that does and enforces its resolutions (Iraq, disarming Hezbollah, etc) but that can’t be done with China and Russia always backing Iran and looking out for their best interest.

The lines are being drawn and teams are choosen, unfortunately. These people hate us and will come after us as they have before. I’d rather fight them in the Middle East than on the streets of NYC etc…

as soon as you realize 9/11 was not
just 19 arabs with box cutters, you
begin to realize the ‘war on terrah’ meme
was provided to us all for a different
reason. The blame is squarely upon the
neocons and their corporatist (i.e.,
fascist) buddies. Who are the terrahists?

I doubt that ‘public opinion’ can stop this war. Iraq was invaded after massive protests. The governments of Israel, like the government of the U.S., serves international banking, finance, and industry. The ‘fear and greed’, they generate bubbles back up to raise impressionable individuals to heights of unimaginable wealth and avarice. All slaves to rogue memes, Really Bad Ideas. Earth is literally running a fever – fighting off an infection. It would be nice if some humans survive, but there’s no guarantees.

Don’t forget that WWIII is a fantastic distraction from and excuse for the hundreds of trillions of debt the country has accumulated under W’s 6 years of cutting taxes for the rich and spending on vote-buying benefits, wars and the military industrial complex like Haliburton and Bechtel. It will happen, because he is now King George, and the Dems are completely prostrating themselves to show “support” for Israel’s bombing of Lebanese ambulances and UN personnel.

Just Think-
Its hundreds of billions, with a ‘B’ not trillions in debt (not that billions is anything to crow about. I truly hope you don’t think that we’d use a war as a ‘distraction for our debt’ given that the costs of a war are major causes of them in the first place.

Wow! So you guys really don’t care that Islamic fascists acquire nuclear weapons. Nobody is in this magazine gives a shit about that? Bring on the caliphate. Sometimes, as much as it pains you to hear it, sometimes war is the answer.

I am always amazed when people would rather rely on their bias and pessimism rather than study history. This is not the first time war has come to America. This is not the first time we have stood against Fascism, religious or secular. However, this is the first time Americans have declared defeat before the first shot is fired. As a member of the military, I know we have the might. As a thinking individual, I know we have the moral authority. But as an observer of our current culture, I don’t know if we have the will. There is a danger of becoming another failed empire on the ash-heap of history. An early demise caused by the drug-induced halcion dreams of a youth warped by a 60’s generation and lulled to a coma by a modern Hippodrome called television.

What Americans need to realize is what Israel fears most: No, it’s not Iran, Hezballah, Hamas or even its increasingly shaky Arab neighbors. Israel most fears a sharp and sustained rise in resentment towards its influences from THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ITSELF (despite hackneyed US press propaganda).

If the responses on this topic were reflective of generalized American opinions, then Israel and its very embedded lobby in the US have tons to worry about. Despite the neoconservative quasi-neo-Platonistic ideological mantra that “the masses are stupid and must be lied to”, a strong portion of the American public is quite aware of how their finances, military and government are appropriated by those without pure loyalty to the US Constitution.

It is this contingent of Americans that will make nazi-like conformity very difficult for neoconservative planners to implement, despite the tools they’ll use for domestic compliance in America.

These Americans are descendants of the original Minutemen, and know when a thorough purging of foreign actors and influences needs to be carried out for the sake of the American Republic.

Sometimes I think the State Department or Administration officials “leak” or send information to the media or blogs and such in order to get anti-American governments such as Iran to reconsider their actions and to just let them know we are talking about the possibility of going to war with them. I don’t believe at this time a war with Iran is likely or inevitable, however it is useful or in America’s interest to let the Iran government know that if they interferr with us we are talking about going to war with them.

That comment from Glen about the government floating the notion that we’re planning for war is about the only insightful thing recorded here so far. The only danger is that it can build its own momentum or, in this case, inflame public opinion here and around the world. Seems to me to be a risk worth taking when there are smart people in power. Sadly, that’s not the case here. And this crowd may actually believe what they leak.

It’s really unfortunate that so much of the material posted here is just angry, predictable, ideological ranting rather than considered analysis. Jews control the world. Gee, where have we heard that before?

I still don’t know why we would go to war with Iraq. What have they done wrong?

The comment from Glen discounts that neither the Iranians, nor their Chinese and Russian backers, probably take such supposed State Department “leaks” lightly. In fact, the more leaks from our side, the more taunts are thrown back in return, apparently. Not the best diplomacy.

I think these other governments (who are also tightly involved in economic deals that our government detests) are fully preparing for such a chaotic attack, as they feel like it’d be a chance to break our unique economic and political influences over other nations.

Separately, it’s ironic that the russian’s post here talks more about America as a constitutional republic than does the James E post. James E claims he’s a member of the military while at the same time attesting to American ‘empire’. Could’ve sworn that all of our military personnel are sworn to uphold our constitution, which last i checked doesn’t mention the need for empire.

For James E to claim that knowing the difference between ‘republic’ and ‘empire’ is akin to “the drug-induced halcion dreams of a youth warped by a 60’s generation” borders on Fox News inanity. Try telling people like Pat Buchanan, who prefers an American Republic to empire, that he’s a drug induced hippie. Wake up guy.

Iraq had no WMDS yet we attack

North Korea has WMD we do not attack

Can you blame Iran for wanting WMDS

Eric C. has an interesting observation that other governments “are fully preparing for such a chaotic attack” on Iran from the U.S. Creating that expectation has been a tool of our diplomacy for decades, and it worked pretty well against the Soviets, who had to take that unpredictability and irrationality into account in making their own policy.

If your opponent thinks you’re a bit wild and unpredictable and just might go nuts, they tend to moderate their behavior. Of course, the Soviet Union was a generally rational state interested in self-preservation. Islamic fundamentalist jihadists are not only stateless, but they don’t give a shit if they live or die. In fact, for the Shiites, victimization and martyrdom are part of the self-identity.

Makes diplomacy that much harder, but that much more important. Too bad Bush and Bolten don’t do nuance.

Question: Who elected people like Michael Ledeen to do anything on behalf of the US government? why are people like him given backstage passes to US foreign policy?

Anyone care?

Rich P.’s assumptions and analogy to the Soviets are off in that latest response.

The US and USSR were fairly even in capabilities, hence deterrence and m.a.d. doctrines worked better. Iran is also “a rational state interested in self-preservation”, only it is not the USSR, hence why the US and Iranians both sense that the US will carry out on its threats without a Soviet-like nuclear response. The Iranians are also closer to the Persian Gulf than we are, and can see the western warships gathering…

Yet, the US is now under-estimating what it will get into with an attack on Iran, because Iran will use other cards.

Over a week ago, the Chinese government quietly informed the US State Department that closure of the Strait of Hormuz (leading into the Persian Gulf) — for ANY reason — will be taken as an act of war by the Chinese people and its government (no, you did not see it in US media, for good reason). Pakistan could potentially fall to extremists and nukes could go missing. Egypt could endure a coup as well. The Russians would most likely back the Chinese in any military response, and nations like Venezuela and Sudan would halt oil imports to aggressors.

Try and work that into 25 year old war game assumptions.

It’s too easy for Newt Gingrich and his ilk to throw around phrases like “World War III” without getting into the messy details…

mit freundlichen Grüßen

A few facts.

In the last 30 years the US Government has given Israel $130 billion in foreign aid. I always wonder how much of that comes leaking back to the US to influence our political system. This could be through AIPAC or some other system. You can buy a lot of political power with only a billion.

B Mort — It is not hundreds of billions of debt ran up by Bush buy approximately $3 trillion. Basically Bush increased the national debt from $6 trillion (total ran up since the beginning of the country to preBush) to $9 billion. This was accomplished in 5 1/2 years. Makes you wonder what he can do in the next 2 1/2.

Opinion:

Well I guess we could attack Iran but that would probably accelerate the downfall of the US. In the end it would probably drive many Arab countries into the arms of Russia. In addition, it appears we are already losing in Iraq (hey 6,000 civilians were killed in the last 2 months. If that is not an out of control situation I do now know what is).

In addition most of Europe would probably stop doing business with us. China and other countries would probably stop accepting the one export of the US — little pieces of paper with green print on them. Why would any one want that paper any way — it can’t buy anything. China, Japan and India would probably start trading their goods for something of value like OIL. Maybe oil would start being denominated in ounces of gold. If that happened the dollar would be lucky to be worth 10 cents on the dollar. So then a barrel of oil would be priced at 700 dollars. What would that do to the economy.

Currently, most US Army units are start to fail their readiness ratings. You can not fight in Afghanastan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, maybe Somalia, maybe Taiwan (it is not like the Chinese to take advantage of a bad thing) and keep troops in Korea at the same time.

Yes, it might happen because the US government is bought and paid for but not by the American people. In addition, most of our politicians have no honor or in fact any brains. If it does happen, then both Israel and the US will probably be screwed.

People long ago told me not to bet against America but I have been ignoring that. Starting a few years ago I started accumulating Gold which is basically shorting the dollar and the US. Made quite a bit of money doing that. Now I have been shorting the stock market. If Bush the Idiot does attack Iraq will really make some dough. Then back into Gold — then I am going to make to Richard Pearle and go to Provence or somewhere else.

In a Democracy the people ultimately get the government they deserve.

To my friend Eric C.: “Empire-A political unit having an extensive territory or comprising a number of territories or nations and ruled by a single supreme authority.” A democracy can have an empire, and empires are usually mostly economic, not just military, enterprises.
I have never heard so many quarter-baked conspiracies and hackneyed cliches in my life. This blog reads like the Al-Aribia news page. Next you’ll be accusing Israel of eating Palestinian babies. Israel has many ties to America since many of its citizens were once Americans or Europeans. To all the other Zion-asstrians, I’m glad people like you don’t vote, but if you ever decide you’d like to, remember, it’s the third Tuesday in November.

Anyone convinced that Iran is working to acquire nuclear weapons (the prime justification so for for notions of war with them) would do well to peruse the columns of editorialist Gordon Prather, which appear at both drudgereport.com and antiwar.com. Antiwar.com in particular has archived his columns, stretching back to the very beginning of this affair.

Anyway, to summarize what Prather has said–Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA and adherence to the NPT has been as close to exemplary as any nation’s, far better than America’s—which (under Bush) has blown off arms reduction as we agreed by treaty with the Russians to do, deployed depleted uranium weaponry in Iraq, etc.

So, HELL NO, we shouldn’t go to war with Iran! Iran was ready to recognized Israel and go to war with the Taliban a few years ago.

They’d be a valuable ally in the war on terror,too—al Qaeda has increasingly shown itself to be a Sunni-oriented organization, and to be critical of Iran. Iran is the key to breaking up a world-wide, anti-western Islamic monolith, and to succeeding in the war on terror.

I’m sure James E. is rearing at the bit to comment on this. Bring it on, James!

An website called Antiwar.com seems to have some kind of agenda. And it’s hard to deny that Iran’s looking for nuclear tech when Iran itself says they are, “For peaceful purposes”. Of course, in the name of world peace, they may decide to nuke LA or Chicago, but hey, its easy to believe Iran, they’re so sensible and all.

Some facts that I know of and it’s useful for some of you guys who are under the influence of wrong and biased information from media:
1. An overwhelming majority of Iranians do NOT hate Americans, Jews, or any other nation. As a matter of fact they are very peaceful.
2. An overwhelming majority of Iranians DO hate their own government.
3.Iranians are the most pro-american nation in the middle east.
4. Iranian government is VERBALLY the most anti-american regime in the world.
5. An invasion on Iran, in addition to all disartress consecuences of a war, will destroy all the peaceful political opposition movements in iran and will enforce the regime.
6. When Saddam invaded Iran in 1980, he thought he could finish Iran in three days, but he accomplished nothing after an eight-year bloody war.
7. US, reportedly, has 30,000 nuclear warheads enough to destroy the planet earth several times.
8. US is the ONLY country that used a nuclear weapon on two civilian-populated cities leading to death of more than 100,000 people and misery for generations to come.
By the way after reading all the comments, I am confused and puzzled: who voted for Bush?!!!

In conclusion, war with Iran is still avoidable. But we have to act intelligently to avoid it. Given this administration’s track record, I’m not filled with optimism that we will.

James, I don’t know how to break this gently to you, but Iran hasn’t claimed it wants nuclear WEAPONS for peaceful purposes. It wants to develop nuclear ENERGY for peaceful purposes. Quite a big, hugely tremendous difference there, wouldn’t you say?

And I should add this too:
There is absolutely NO evidence that Iranian government is developing nuclear weapons.

While An Iranian is on here, I’d like to ask you something.

Do you think Ahmadinejad is a certifiable lunatic? I’m tending to think so. And do you think he speaks for the Iranian people?

Additionally, do you think he holds real power over implementing foreign policy? I’ve heard many say he doesn’t.

(in response to below post)

“Do you think Ahmadinejad is a certifiable lunatic?”

Do you think that the planning staff and White House members are madmen?

The ditto press claims that Ahmadinjad is a religious zealot, but shows that some of the White House leaders are using this same zeal for justification (of mass murder) to the christian dupes.

Cheney & Rummie are corporate raiders and this is just business.

Wolf, Pearl and the PNAC (Stern) gang are making sure the anti-semite jews (white ones, not the native dark skin jews) can achive “Greater IsNotReal” (control of all of biblical Canaan.)

For the brainwashed “Semite” means people from Semitic peoples and their languages in modern and ancient historic times have covered a broad area bridging Africa, Western Asia and the Arabian Peninsula.

So back to the point…

Is the leader of Iran crazy? Could be, but appears fairly clear eyed.

Are the leaders of the USA nuts?

Taking on Afganistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran and making them “democratic” would that be consider insane?

You be the judge. Or watch the obvious happening on a daily basis.

Did Afganistan, Iraq, Syria or Iran attack the USA?

At the moment greedy, lying, cheating corporate raiders and (etc.) Greater IsnotReal racists seem to be taking the lead when it comes to insanity.

Anyone who defends themselves is labeled a “terrorist” — over a million dark skined arabs have been mass murdered since the first Gulf “war” – who is doing the terrorisim?

Who’s got the weapons of mass destruction and who’s been using them?

USA, Britts and IsNotReal — and it’s possible the Britts may not participate in the Syria/Iran end of days scam.

So it’s the USA/IsNotReal vs. most of the world.

Sounds insane?

You bet.

To Mike Burns:
Indeed he is. But he does not speak for Iranian people. Unfortunately, after the dishonesty and political correctness that Iranians saw in the leaders of reformist movement (officially started with election of former President Khatami), they are in state of political indifference, especially with the increased poverty and stochastic economic situation.
Iran’s political situation is very complicated right now and there are a lot of struggle for power going on behind the scenes, mostly between radical lunetic military-minded conservatives (among them Ahmadinejad, a lot of high-ranking officers of The Revolutionary Gaurd, and Radical Mullas) and caution wiser politically-experienced conservatives (like former President, Rafsanjani, and the more conservative side of the remainings of the reformist movement). It seems that the last word in decision making comes from the Supreme Leader, Khamenei, although some believe that there are a small group of radical islamists that have siezed most powerfull positions in the government, parliament, and judicial system. So to cut the story short, it’s a bizare situation and unfortunately the US and other western countries do not understant the dynamic of the Iranian society. By invading on Iran, the regime will close the doors and crush the hopes of democracy for the Iranian nation. It’s too sad and bitterly ironic the most powerful nations in the world are moving toward the destruction of humanity. Too sad…

Mike Burns: Energy not weapons…then why are they trying to make their own highly enriched uranium instead of importing it at much less cost from Russia? Much of the equipment they’re getting would produce weapons quality U-238, useless in powerplants because of it’s instability. Second, reps from Iran visited N. Korea during their July 4th missile test. Seems an odd choice while under the international microscope.
But let me be clear, Iranian citizens, Persians not Arabs, are among the most clear-minded and amazing people out there. It’s their government that sucks. Controlled by an Islamic regime and headed by a certifiable lunatic. Look up some quotes and be amazed. I think war is inevitable to protect American interests and help the average Iranian. But not America vs. Iran, but Persian Culture vs. Arabic-Muslim Culture. Those who think violence never solved anything have not studied history.

James E … If you want to stand against fascism, stand against Bu$hCo. That is its current largest home. You are a fool (whether you are in the military, study history or whatever) if you believe anything our government promotes. Or that the neocons promulgate.

dr rdw: “You are a fool…if you believe anything our government promotes. Or that the neocons promulgate.” Nothing anyone says is to be trusted. Watch what they do, not what they say. Fascism is making people take down sat. dishes so they can’t watch Friends. Having a Revolutionary Police who will imprision or kill anyone who violates Islamic law. Or having the government run over an 8-year-old boy’s arm as a punishment for theft. And before you launch into some crazy conspiracy “America is Evil” bullcrap, think about why so many Iranians live here instead of there. How many American ex-patriots have moved to Iran? Watch what they do, not what they say.
And I’ve never figured out exactly what a NeoCon is. Other than some shadow organization who seems bent on making every wacko nut-job froth at the mouth simultaneously.

No matter what happens, your opinion doesn’t matter. That, in and of itself, is the problem.

War is inevitable with Bush & the Neo-Cons in office. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, not with Iraq going the way it is, but we’ll be going to war soon enough.

Initially we were warned by Rolling Stone and Trutout about the ominous Iranian bourse…and how the United Strates lived in fear of its currency being reduced to rubble. Well, that was an hysterical paranoid fantasy of the left…and this overly convoluted nonsense about war planning against Iran is the latest, lamest version. Round two.
If the United States wanted to attack Iran it would hardly need any further pretexts than those already provided..Israel likewise would simply be responding to an overt threat to destroy it.
It would take about a month to clean up the little damage Iran could do…and there would be no radical Muslim Iran left. Sounds like a fair trade to me.
Unfortunately, the US won’t be attacking Iran..or even Syria. The Israelis will stop outside Beirut and a largely useless European force will provide cease fire cover so Hezbollah can rebuild.

Captain Quarters–

What a spirited defense of the right-honorable Ledeen. Methinks the neo-con protesteth too much.

Are you on the aipac payroll to–or pro bono? Why not check w/ Messr. Ledeen before you respond.

These traitors as deserve the Manchurian punishment for treason. The bell has rung and soon they will be wringing their hands.

James E.: Why don’t you do a little reading to find out? Exercise the little gray cells, don’t you know.

One detail, Iran has over 60% of the world’s total uranium reserves (the next energy source)…Iran will be invaded by the US, if not by Bush in the short term, by the next US government.

“Physicist James Gordon Prather has served as a policy implementing official for national security-related technical matters in the Federal Energy Agency, the Energy Research and Development Administration, the Department of Energy, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Department of the Army. Dr. Prather also served as legislative assistant for national security affairs to U.S. Sen. Henry Bellmon, R-Okla. — ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee and member of the Senate Energy Committee and Appropriations Committee. Dr. Prather had earlier worked as a nuclear weapons physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California and Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico.”

Why have I posted this information? Because I think people need to read this man’s columns. As I’ve tried to explain before, he points out how Iran has kept the NPT and its Safeguards Agreement probably better than any nation on earth has, and for a time voluntarily maintained the Additional Protocol, until it became clear the EU was not negotiating in good faith with them. They are not close to developing weapons-grade uranium in quantities or on a scale close to what would be needed to build a bomb. Bush and Rice sought to portray Iran’s ending of its voluntary cessation of “enrichment” (which also covers reactor-grade as well as bomb-grade material)during the negotiations with EU out to be a violation of international treaties when it, in fact, wasn’t any such thing. And IAEA was given notice of such action years in advance, even though Iran could have waited until a mere six months before and still been within the letter of its Safeguards agreement.
Not that I think Iranian development of nuclear arms would be a casus belli, anyway. But even those who think it should be need to be aware they haven’t been working toward development of weaponry or “weaponizable” material. Mohammed el Baradei concluded this after three years of go-anywhere, see-anything inspections whose intrusiveness exceeded anything Iran was legally bound to allow under its Safeguards Agreement.

Dr. RDW:

I think the thing with the Iranian Oil Bourse was a little over-hyped. People who predicted it would, by itself, bring the solvency of the American government crashing down were obviously playing chicken little. But, the forces it could set in motion over a longer time frame could be devastating.

Suppose all Uncle Sam’s foreign creditors got together at once and decided to turn the screws on us in unison?

At that point, we’d probably see a gigantic tax increase, one that would strain just to keep up the interest payments on foreign debt. Nothing left over for domestic or military spending. Too bad, America.

It would be the beginning of the end. Economic collapse, social unrest,civil war, disintegration as a nation, loss of our Security Council seat, perhaps even the rest of the UN resolving to come in, occupy us, and apportion physical assets to meet the claims of our creditors.

Let’s hear it for the GOP and all they do for America!

And to get back to the questin at hand, yes, I think war with Iran is inevitable. This administration is under the Israeli govt.’s thumb (a la Mearsheimer&Walt), and Israel figures that Americans will probably never elect a group of people like this again in this lifetime unless Bush scores a foreign policy long-shot upset of the most miraculous kind. They want to launch their war and place their bet before November to try to influence the elections–an “October Surprise” they hope will dwarf that of Reagan/Bush in 1980, and one that will put Iran decidedly on the shitty end of the stick this time!

Perhaps the wiser question would be “Is war with Iran winnable?” (An oracle of old might say to George W. Bush “Attack Iran and you will destroy a great nation.” George W. Bush might interpret that incorrectly.)

Those who answer “yes” to “winnable” should be asked to define “winning” and asked the time frame in which that “win” might be accomplished, asked what the costs and US losses are likely to be.

Alternately, the original question might be changed by dropping the “un,” making it “Is war with Iran avoidable?” The main driving force for such a war is the administration and the neocons (and not the world situation.) It would seem that, as the article points out, it is the neocons who are pushing for war.

Are the neocons unavoidable?

Its time to start writting texts for the uninformed, make thousands of copies and distribute them in public areas. Thats the only thing we can do, wake up America from the propaganda. Then everything will organise itself – manifestations, etc…

Well, the one understood fact about this situation remains that the USA is pushing ahead plans for global domination through military invasion and occupation while that simultaneously bankrupts the nation financially and voids American credibility in the international political arena. Which seems more insidious, the Axis of Evil or the tyranny of military plutocrats in the Bush junta? America’s only victory in Iran would be if the neocons deployed a nuclear arsenal, both for the bloodbath and the global catastrophe from which who would emerge but the vampire aristocracy that has ruled this world for thousands of years. War on Terrorism is a pretext for ruthless extermination, for guerrila wars historically imply support from native populations. Unless We Take Back our world, the evil sect seems hell bent on reclaiming it from the clutches of the goyim, with nukes of course.

An Iran war is probably not winnable. As stretched thin as the armed forces are, and as much pent-up anger as there is at gross socioeconomic inequity at home, you’d not only not have the resources or the will to make the long commitment it would take to win (and winning would probably require genocide—God forgive us if we did have the “will” to win!), but it would probably trigger revolution at home, like the war with Germany-Austriahungary-Ottoman Empire did in czarist Russia in 1917.
Is it avoidable? I don’t know. Lately, the Democrats sound as warlike as the GOP. I don’t feel tremendously optimistic we can avoid it, even if the Democrats win in November. It sometimes feels like there’s just one party, the War Party.

Wake up people! We’ve been at war with Iran since 1979!

We have been ‘at war’ with Iran for a lot longer than that especially if you consider the CIA involvement…..

Iran, 1953: In 1951, popular, elected Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeq nationalizes Britain’s Anglo-Iranian Oil Co. (later BP) that was taking 85% of Iranian oil profits. UK appeals to US for help. Iran’s local CIA chief Kermit Roosevelt (TR’s grandson) orchestrates coup in 1953. Mossadeq imprisoned. Riza Shah Pahlavi restored to power, renegotiates oil contracts to assure 40% of Iranian oil to U.S. companies.(5) Shah remains a repressive dictator until overthrown in 1979.

Is it any wonder they don’t like us? So get real folks. Our transnational corps, our POS CIA and our ‘Ruling Class’ have been responsible for a great many evils. Start learning.

Whenever there is money to be made, polls to be improved, fear to be stirred, the masses and voters to be brainwashed to follow the line and not ask questions, there will be a war. the question is will be participate or will we tell our despicable leaders to fuck off and fight their own war? War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious.

~General Smedley Butler

Now why in the world would the Neo-con Zionist war mongers NOT make War with a country they hav been planning for years?

With the braindead sheeple who slavishly gobble and swallow on everything the corporate shill media puts up, there are enough idiots who believe that attacking Iran is in some way justified and will make their cringing little backsides safer.

So long as there is a sizeable number of morons who buy the bull sold by the war mongers, any war is possible.

Basically the question to be asked about any action this administration is considering is this.

Is it the dumbest most idiotic path, most likely to fail and cause massive further problems?

If the answer is yes, then consider it a certainty.

I have been using this rule to predict the Bushling Junat actions for the last three years and never been wrong yet.

Ze’evi

I really loathe pasty, hate filled Zionist Shills, I see you animals are being actively recruited by Israel to bombard forums with your deceitful poison.

B Mort

You are exactly the sort of moron I had in mind.

You call Hezbollah a terrorist organisation because your leaders say it is. Actually it is America and Israel who are committing the acts of terror.

1)How many UN Observers has Hezbollah killed ?

2)Why is it that the innacurate and primitiv weapons of Hezbollah are killing more IDF soldiers than civilians?

3)Especially when the highly accurate and modern weapons, supplied by the USA, of the IDF are killing mostly civilians, not just their declared victims, but also citizens of other nations?

4)How many ambulances have Hezbollah atacked? (Israel has fired missiles at two and strafed them as well.)

5)How many innocent civilians can be killed, deliberately, before it is called terrorism?

6)How many innocent civilians can you kill and still call yourself a humane nation of morals? So far 500,000 hasn’t made idiots like you stop for a moment to consider your own country’s position so how many will you kill before you stop pretending to be the good guys?

Hypocrisy is the American way, and if there is any nation which is worse than the USA for terror and mayhem, it is Israel, the original inventors of modern terror, and still its main proponents.

How many UN resolutions does Israel ignore before they feel compelled to follow one?

How many times does the USA intend to stand alone against the world and veto the UN resolutions which would at least state the truth about the nasty little terrorist nation of Israel? Since you no longer have a soul, what exactly are you selling these satans?

How many innocent Palestinians will be incarcerated without charge and tortured in Israeli Prisons before Israel is finally condemned by the world?

It took two IDF soldiers being captured on the Lebanese side of the border for Hezbollah to be condemned and the country of their origin destroyed.

The hubris, and hypocrisy of the USA and Israel is astounding.

As an Australian, I can only say I pray for the total destruction of Israel, it is a cancer on the world, and I long to see the day which is fast approaching when the USA collapses into the disgusting, stinking swamp of ignominy it has earned.

James E

This is the first time America has been the fascist enemy though!

I write after listening to a rock group at a local bar and drinking a fair amount of Local brew.
The issue Zionism. The fact of Israel is. There are many Israelis who do not agree with the pogrom. I am not antisemite. Half of my family is Jewish. And they are moral people. But they have been fooled by the international media meme.
Even Einstein was against Zionism. He knew what it would entail.

hmm i dont think that the true fight is with iran for they are like the little kid in the playground and the usa is the big kid with alot more punch !!!

with this lack of focus, what do we expect? and by the way, quit dropping letters, we still have a language, try to use it. anyway, trying to intellectualize an issue that is beyond our understanding is retarded. we are not equipped nor entitled to decide these people’s fate, deal with it. they are a victim of geography and belief, with is their’s alone. we are victims of moral ineptitude and need of their natural recources, simple as that. isreal is a victim of the constant need to not be a victim. they have proved their point, so have we. let the arabs prove their’s for once and not be treated like children, we have to stop this constant struggle between people who, in the end, are just people. we are never all going to understand each other. that is no reason to kill each other. enough is enough.

Dammitann

It saddens the rabbit to have to say this, but your post is unintelligable and babbling.

As for not being able to understand things, speak for yourself dear.

If you read the link I just posted you may wise up lots though, anything is possible.

Rabbit:

I found your posting that the Israeli soldiers were captured on the Lebanese side of the border. What was your source for this?

Thanks in advance

This is the first time I’ve read one of Rolling Stone’s “National Affairs” articles. Interesting. The blog is what I expected: a cluster fuck of liberal fanaticism. Please, don’t misunderstand that statement. I’m far from being a Republican, but not ready to hop into bed w/ the U.N. and swear allegiance to the impotent K.Annan, either. Who the hell is this Rabbit??? What a vivid imagination……Please, humor the rest of the bloggers/readers w/ specific sources for the “facts” you write about the “Terrorism of Israel & the U.S.” Otherwise, you sound like a graduate of one of the lovely madrassass’ educational systems. Then again, w/ your way of thinking, the Israelis were behind the lovely nightclub bombings in your country. Right????

By the way TOM TOM

I don’t know what planet you are on, but there never were any nightclub bombings in my country, none at all.

So whatever you are babbling on about is lost on all but yourself.

From the twisted logic you employ to attribute motives to me, it seems you are lost and need to find your way back to some RW circle jerk, where slogans pass for ideas and rhetoric garbage for information.

On a LW site, where actual facts are dealt with, and where independent thought is the order of the day, you are just about as useful as an ashtray on motorcycle.

For you Tom Tom I will be delighted to source the info about US and Israeli terror also tomorrow. I’m suprised you are not aware of it, the rest of the world is.

Rabbit:

If you happen to find a source I would appreciate it.

I also agree it is kind of irrelevant. Nothing justifies the mass killing of innocent people!

All the problems of every war, conflict, violence ever perpetrated upon this earth is because of one thing: the immature masculine consciousness. This immature consciousness exists in every race, skin color, ethnicity, culture, religion, political affiliation, educational and economic strata, therefore, there is no prejudice to its holder. It is profoundly pervasive in the fundamentalism and the radical and extremist beliefs within Christianity, Islam and Judaism; neither is it totally absent in atheists and agnostics. The one common denominator with the religious extremists is their belief in an anthropomorphic God, hence, the conviction of divine revelation that man is superior to woman. This immature masculine consciousness is found, on balance, in lesser numbers amongst moderate and progressive Christians, Christian Gnostics, Reformed Jews and Jewish Kabbalists, moderate Muslims, Sufis, Hindu mystics, Buddhists and Taoists. The one common denominator in each of these sects is their rejection of an anthropomorphic God. Thus, most of these latter people have a proclivity to not deify males and devalue women. Furthermore, most do not glorify war and aggression, rather they perceive them as unpleasant, unsophisticated, boorish and immature means to resolve conflicts.
This immature masculine consciousness is prominent in positions of power today from the West to the Middle East to Asia. In the mental health field, we refer to it as a spectrum of pathology from narcissistic personality disorder to the more severe sociopathy to the most severe, psychopathy. Research indicates 75% of persons diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder are males. The females who are diagnosed with this pathology have an appreciable masculine cognitive and emotional presentation, i.e., they are competitive and aggressive. Without reliable statistical data, a very conservative estimate of male sociopaths is 90% and I feel confident in my estimate that 99.99999% of psychopaths are males. Males also are the perpetrators of virtually all rapes, pedophilia, domestic violence and murders. While there are females who commit rape, domestic violence and pedophilia, their numbers are negligible from a statistical standpoint.
The hallmarks of this narcissistic pathology are its obsession with control, power and perfection. You could say they have an uncontrollable desire to control and dominate, especially, but not exclusively, those perceived as weaker and more vulnerable. The sense of omnipotence, grandiosity and entitlement in the narcissist pose a substantial and almost indefatigable inability for this consciousness to change so entrenched it is in its fantasy of superiority and sense that his ideas/opinions/beliefs are correct and “right”. Pervasive and chronic intrapsychic defenses are projection (attributing an undesirable and unwanted trait in one’s self onto another person), idealization of self and those who mirror self, denial of imperfection, an inability to be vulnerable, defensive autonomy, impulsivity and anxiety when a threat to self is perceived, externalization of blame and, the most primitive of defenses, splitting. Splitting is an alternating projection of idealization and devaluation and the immature masculine has a pervasive pattern of psychological splitting. The narcissist split is a type of “I am good, perfect and right and if you disagree with me, you are bad, wrong and evil” whenever he perceives a threat to his control, power or perfection. He is unable to simply agree to disagree and maintain peace. There is little ability to see the substantial amount of grey in life, rather life is perceived as rigid black/white or right/wrong issues. Believing himself to be infallible and his views/beliefs to be “right”, compromise is untenable because it threatens his omnipotence. The more severe types manifest a “Master/Slave” mentality and actually manifest this through control and domination of others. His superiority usually manifests through four layers: religion, gender, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Verbal attacks on this person only serve to create and magnify more rigid defenses, thus, his symptomatology becomes more salient and entrenched. So great is the conundrum of this pathology, the psychological defenses which need changing the most in the immature masculine consciousness are the very psychological defenses which prevent him from changing. Because of his intrapsychic conflicts and unassailable defenses, he rarely, if ever, pursues treatment As a result, for those rare few who do pursue therapy, the prognosis is highly unfavorable.

The clinical term is called narcissistic personality disorder, but it has been called malignant self-love. There is a benevolent narcissism and a malevolent narcissism. These pathologies exist rampantly in business, politics, religion, media, academia, law, medicine and science, along with every other arena of human life. The former presents to the world an external benevolent facade and is a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. The best example is religious patriarchy throughout history in Christianity, Judaism and Islam, proclaiming narcissistic statements such as “I am God’s chosen people” or “I am good and we must love one another” while, covertly and hypocritically, participating in discriminatory, despicable, sometimes heinous, acts from the devaluation and subjugation of women to pedophilia to beheadings and torture as exampled by the “Holy Crusades” of the Middle Ages and the “Holy Wars” (an oxymoron) of today. The malevolent pathology is far more overtly insidious, malicious and dangerous. Hitler and his heinous holocaust along with psychopathic serial killers such as Jack the Ripper, Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Daumer are perhaps the best notorious examples.

It would be difficult to overstate the fact that the prognosis of masculine world leadership, on balance, is highly unfavorable. As blatantly exampled by five millennia of patriarchal leadership, particularly as it pertains to war, the masculine psyche sadly resists psychological maturation and, as a consequence, vigorously resists learning from his predecessors. Were this to limit consequences to himself only and exclude any unfavorable costs to females and children, to a collective society historically dependent upon his guidance and the planet as a whole, it would be less lamentable. That it has reached the stage in the evolution of the human species where its development is correlational to the progeny of the entire species and the sustenance of the planet, demands that we all pay close attention.

The epidemiology of the immature masculine consciousness (narcissistic personality disorder) is substantial, particularly in world leadership, and has been so for thousands of years with patriarchy at the helm. While this pathology, paradoxically, can be credited for saving the species from annihilation 10,000 years ago when the brutal competition for food, water and safety was at a lower level Maslowian necessity, the pathology is anachronistic today because humankind has evolved to the point where we have all the resources at our disposal and only need the psychological maturity, scientific and technical knowledge, collaboration, creativity, compassion and goodwill to develop a strategy to see to its most equitable and just distribution to all people. Alas, the immature masculine would rather see that we all die if he, alone, cannot control and dominate.

This pathology exists in politics today in every country, however, it is nowhere more salient today than in leaders in America, Britain, China, North Korea, Somalia, Darfur, Chad, Congo and in Al-Quaeda and the Taliban as they all vie for domination and control. Its goals cannot be achieved by peace, rather only by nurturing and maintaining a vitriolic schism between the “common masses” of different countries, religions, ethnicities and cultures, so our eyes are diverted from the sociopathic and psychopathic leaders who have power over us. This pathology of abusive power is a pervasive cancer in the world. Indeed, it would be extremely difficult to overstate its profound danger in our leaders in the current era of nuclear technology, biological and chemical weaponry. That America, Britain, the Middle East is a beacon, to both allies and foes, of this immature masculine consciousness, this malignancy of hate, arrogance, deception, avarice and gross abuse of power both saddens and alarms me. It portends nothing but sorrow and tragedy for the progeny of humankind and for this planet. Woe unto us if we cannot learn to peacefully disagree and share our resources equitably and justly. If the immature masculine consciousness continues to be obscenely greedy and fails to restore us to a path of Goodwill towards “the All” and to what is in the best interest of every human being on this planet, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, education or socioeconomic status, we will all be sliding down the global warming path of destruction such that, in the end, none of our hate or anger will matter anymore because there will be no one nor anything left on this planet.

The only relevant question to be asked about stories by any journalist today is, Are you now or have you ever been in the employ of the CIA, the NSA or any other U.S. or foreign government agency? Were you paid by the U.S. or any other government or any other third party to write and run this story? Were you spoon fed this story and duped by some pr hack of an organization that was funded by a goverment agency?
Absent any verifiable denials of answers in the affirmative to the above questions, all stories by all journalists in all media are suspect.

Rabbit: I too would be interested in hearing the source for that story. I seem to have heard something about it myself, somewhere. Also, something about Israeli commandos being active not only within Lebanon, but in Syria and even Iran as well. Technically, that’s already an act of war.

Divine Echo, I’d politely suggest taking the long-winded mystical ruminations elsewhere. It may have its place, but I suspect it is elsewhere.

Mike Burns

Rabbit too has heard much about Israeli forcess sneaking around in Iran and Iraq, though not Syria.

It must now be clear to anyone who doubted, that the two IDF soldiers were captured while in southern Lebanon. As if such an act could justify the rolling holocaust being visited upon Lebanon by the Zionist state anyway. Now you know that Israel was the primary instigator.

This renders the claims that Iran or Syria had anything to do with this, into farce. Since the capture was an opportunistic one by Hezbollah, and not premeditated beyond the fact that Hezbollah had long since indicated it would attempt to capture Israeli soldiers to use for prisoner swaps, and had done so successfully before.

Those ninnies like James E who are bleating about us blaming Israel for the whole war, now can see that we are only speaking the truth by saying so.

Terrorism has been the hallmark of Israeli leaders, including Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir, Ehud Barak, Benjamin Netanyahu and Ariel Sharon, amongst others. The massacres, including Deir Yassin, Doueima, Safsaf, Tantura, amongst scores of others, and war crimes that they have orchestrated would take volumes to relate.

Assassination of Palestinian leaders and intellectuals, in Europe and the Middle East has gone on for years. Fathi Shikaki was assassinated in Malta in 1995 on the orders of Yitzhak Rabin. The role of Ehud Barak, dressed as an Arab woman, in the assassination of three Palestinian leaders, including the poet Kemal Nasser, in 1973 in Beirut, must not be forgotten.

Israeli assassination is not limited to Palestinians but includes the 1944 assassination of the British minister Lord Moyne in Cairo as planned by Yitzhak Shamir.

A horrible crime was committed in the assassination of the Swedish nobleman, Count Folke Bernadotte, a UN mediator, on Sept. 17, 1948, in Jerusalem, on the orders of Yitzhak Shamir, who later became prime minister of Israel. Count Bernadotte’s sin was his recommendation, as the UN mediator, that Palestinian refugees who were driven out from their homes by Israel should be allowed to return to their homes. This recommendation was the substance of the UN resolution 194, on Dec. 11, 1948, stipulating the right of return for the Palestinian refugees as soon as possible.

Israeli use of chemical weapons is also on record in the botched attempt to assassinate Khalid Meshal, a Hamas leader, in Amman in 1997, on the orders of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The first act of air piracy in the history of civil aviation was carried out by Israel in 1954, when a civilian Syrian airliner was forced down in Tel Aviv and its passengers and crew held hostage, despite international condemnation.

The first act of shooting down a civilian airliner was deliberately carried out by Israel when a Libyan airliner was shot down by Israeli jet fighters over Sinai in February 1973, on the orders of Israeli prime minister Golda Meir, killing 107 of its passengers and its entire French crew.

Israeli terror was not restricted to Palestinians, Arabs and Europeans but included its own closest supporter and ally, the United States. In 1954, Israeli secret agents bombed the U.S. diplomatic centres in Cairo and Alexandria (known as the Lavon Affair), in an attempt to put the blame on the Egyptians. Israel later honoured the perpetrator, Marcello Ninio.

In June 1967, Israeli forces attacked the U.S. spy ship USS Liberty, and strafed rescue boats, killing 35 and injuring 170 U.S. servicemen, in an attempt to conceal its own secret communications, and again tried to blame it on the Egyptians. To this day, incredible as it may seem, the U.S. Congress refuses to hold an inquiry into this crime, as requested by the surviving crew. Needless to say, no sanctions were imposed or calls to extradite the perpetrators were made.

Zionist terror did not spare Jews. In 1940, Menachem Begin’s Irgun Zwei Leumi terrorist gang bombed the ship Patria in Haifa harbor, killing 240 Jewish refugees, so as to put the blame on the British for political gain.

In 1950-1951, Israeli agents were dispatched to Iraq where they tossed hand grenades into the crowded Massauda Shem-Tov synagogue, causing numerous deaths, in order to blame it on the Iraqis and encourage reluctant Iraqi Jews to emigrate to Israel.

Rabbit, You are the one who is an idiot.

“You call Hezbollah a terrorist organisation because your leaders say it is. Actually it is America and Israel who are committing the acts of terror.”

Actually, moron, the United Nations labeled Hezbollah a terrorist organization, not the US.

“2)Why is it that the innacurate and primitiv weapons of Hezbollah are killing more IDF soldiers than civilians?”

Hezbollah’s rockets are hitting cities and civilian populations, not military targets.

“4)How many ambulances have Hezbollah atacked? (Israel has fired missiles at two and strafed them as well.)”

Hezbollah is using ambulances to move soldiers and arms. This is a violation of the Geneva convention, and if used for such purposes, they become military targets.

“As an Australian, I can only say
I pray for the total destruction of Israel, it is a cancer on the world, and I long to see the day which is fast approaching when the USA collapses into the disgusting, stinking swamp of ignominy it has earned. ”

So you long to see the US fall. When the US falls Australia will fall right behind it. Do you really think the Australian military can protect you from China, Iran, or North Korea?

“On a LW site, where actual facts are dealt with, and where independent thought is the order of the day, you are just about as useful as an ashtray on motorcycle.”

What a fucking joke. The last thing the left wants to deal with is actual facts. The left deals in propoganda. Independent thought my ass, there is nothing independent about socialism, and all you leftist pawns have not had an independent thought in your life.

Go fuck yourself, Tinyantor. There’s more diversity of independent thought here than in that neocon shithole you probably crawled out of.

It’s amazing how quickly a topic can go from something as important as another war, where millions of lives could be changed, young men and civilians alike could lose their lives, evil regimes could be overthrown and the world change as we know it, to a bunch of slack jawed yackles holloring about how “you’re stupid cause you got your info from one article” and “no, your stupider cause of where you got your info!”

It’s like listening to a couple of grade school kids arguing about who’s bookbag is cooler.

Why can’t a few of you grow up and actually explain what you think without attacking someone else?

It’s just sad.

Capitalist Pig and other pigs!

Thankyou for showing your desperation and sheer pigheaded ignorance.

Since the UN is normally pounded by such as you as being useless etc, and since it is dominated by the United States of Avarice, what difference does it make who makes the claim of someone being a terrorist?

I would have thought the point to be considered is that Terrorist is as Terrorist does!

Being called an idiot by a fascist logic challenged screeching Zionist shill, is like manna from heaven, do it again asswipe. Please!

You say Hezbollah’s rockets are hitting civilian targets, well so what? They aren’t accurate, they are amazingly hitting some military targets, and exactly how many civilians have they killed?

Hezbollah is using ambulances to move soldiers and arms. This is a violation of the Geneva convention, and if used for such purposes, they become military targets.

Your spurious claim that Hezbollah is using ambulances to move their men is rubbish. Everyone knows that Hezbollah are avoiding the civilians mostly due to distrusting them. Too many Zionist spies, and your claims that they are using ambulances is a lie.

More to teh point is this. The ambulances concerned had civilian victims inside, so are you saying thye just shoot up ever ambulance in expectations some MAY have a Hezbollah inside? That is rather disingenuous of you!

As for Oz worrying about China or Korea, get a life you bozo. Neither country has a history of invading their neighbors or making trouble. Thanks but we get along fine with most of Asia, and will do so even beter with Uncle am messing up our reputations.

Besides which, when the USA sinks slowly into the west, we’ll probably inherit what is left of your navy which will be stranded at sea.

Gigantor

The generic term for Neo-Con discussion forums, is
CIRCLE JERKS.

America and Isreal must pay. Go Hezbollah! Fight the real evil.

Thank you Rollingstone for once again demonstrating the complete uselessness of political message boards. The typical “poster” has the same understanding and influence on the events taking place around us as flowers in a field have with the movements of the sun. This “discussion-competition” seems to have all the intellectual significance and spiritual vitality of thumb wrestling. ” It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth (or post a message) and remove all doubt” – Mark Twain.

Sharpejkev

Considering what you just said,

what you just did,

is an excellent bit of self irony.

Well done!

Joni Akhbar: I don’t agree with jagovs like you anymore than ones like Gigantor. Just because Israel is bombing infrastructure, it doesn’t mean Hezbollah is right to drop rockets on Israeli civilians. I don’t blame them for fighting the IDF on their own soil, but the rocket thing is over the top. Do you want Lebanon to be turned into a parking lot? I don’t.

Generally speaking,don’t you nuance-challenged people get it?

Sharpedjkev: nobody forced you to come here. The exit’s just a click of a button away.

You are all illiterate, ignorant babies. Not a single one of you has a shadow of a clue about the world. Please leave your parents basements and get some sun.

Fact #1: You don’t have to like anybody, at all (Democrats, Republicans, Christians, or Muslims), for any reason.
Fact #2: Everyone (America, Iran, N. Korea, Israel, Palestine) does have to co-exist, afterall, we all live in this world together.
If you don’t like someone, for any reason, then leave them the hell alone. Stay away from them. Don’t talk to them. Don’t go where they live and harass them, due to a difference of culture, religion, or opinion. Hamas, Hezbollah, and Al Qaeda love to rant about the Zionist destruction of civillian life, until it’s them doing the destroying. These cowardly organzations love to support Islamic civillians, afterall, they make effective human shields. But the “Zionist” civillians (That’s us, America, along with Israel) are “infidels” and if the militant Islamists can’t convert us to Islam, then we are of no use to their religion and their cause, so we must be erradicated. The mid-eastern nations have been at odds with each other since the beginning of time, and we are already in the middle of it, and it’s not George W. Bush’s fault, he inherited what’s on his table. Remember the Iran hostage situation and all the airline hijackings that occured under Democrat Pres. Jimmy Carter’s administration? It was his negligance and inability to perform his duties that got the U.S. into the mid-east crisis to begin with. Republican Ronald Reagan took care of that, the way it should have been handled, and sent the impudent mid-eastern nations a message that America would be a force to reckon with. Liberal-minded democrats like to convieniently think that wars are started by “Neo-Cons”, but historically, the exact opposite is true. JFK, a democrat, got America into Vietnam. LBJ, a democrat, kept us there too long. Richard Nixon, a republican, got us out. And it’s irrelevant to even bring up Watergate; it doesn’t doesn’t matter, because no American lives were lost in the Watergate Scandal. It is worth mentioning that during the Clinton administration, America was expected to be the “world’s police force”. Now, under the Bush administration, America is criticized by other nations and fellow Americans for protecting itself on the world stage. Bosnia and Somalia were no threat to America’s national security, but Clinton couldn’t send U.S. “peacekeepers” to those nations fast enough. When the USS Cole was bombed off of the coast of Yemen, and the WTC was attacked the first time in 1993, Clinton did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Diplomacy doesn’t work when combated with malice and religious zeal and diplomacy is out of the question when dealing with Iran. Inevitably, we will be involved in a war with Iran. As for Lebanon, they’ll have to live in the ditch they dug. It’s their government’s fault they didn’t disband Hezbollah years ago when they were informed that it might be a wise idea. They chose not to, and now they can’t, so they have to deal with Israel.
*note*-I said what I had to say, and notice I did not call any political figure (past or present, democrat or republican) ignorant, neo-anything, inadequate, selfish, ineffectual, foolish, un-educated, or loathsome. Why can’t my democrat friend on the other side be as courteous when disagreeing with the policies of George W. Bush?

Israel! Fuck Yeah! Comin to save the mutha-fuckin day yeah!
For everyone’s talk about who’s facts are fucked up, I’m not seeing any hyper-links to back anyone’s shit up. Let’s get over ourselves, as aparantly we’re all bullshitters here. I’m not going to check this again, so in my future defense, “No! YOU’RE the one who’s stupid!”

Ah Rabbit, yet again ranting on an on making excuses for Terrorists. The rockets arent accurate so Israel shouldnt worry about them? Great logic there, and Hizbollah doesnt use the ambulances to move men/weapons? And also avoid civilians? Hmmm, that must be why they blocked civilians from leaving towns in South Lebanon to use as human shields and their deaths as propaganda. Listen, they fire from civilian areas for two reasons, shields and propaganda from the civilian deaths. Stop being an apologist. Use your brain.
Oh, and Mike Brown! …Tinyantor? are you kidding? How utterly lame. You can do better, how about calling me a facist war mongering Zionist pig? It’s hopelessly cliche, but then again, so is every anti-Israel, pro-terrorist post on here. Ship it!

war with iran is unavoidable and would have already happened if the iraqi insurrection hadn’t blown the wheels off the pre-emptive strike war machine of emporer bush. still, even this won’t stop the inevitable. our neo con leadership is sick and tired of waiting for the second coming and it is my belief that they will try to bring about conditions as they read them in the bible to ‘force’ the almighty to return. man i hate religious fanatics.

Well, it appears one thing is now patently clear; No matter the situation, no matter the threat, no matter the evidence, RS will always see the United States as the real bad guy in any given situation.
It amazes me that in an article as long as this one, no where are the facts about Iran, that not only have the United States worried, but also Europe and much of the rest of the World. Unanimous security council resolutions don’t happen all that often, especially among its current players, yet that is just what happened in regards to Iran yesterday. When France takes the lead in slapping down sanctions, you know the situation in Iran must be getting dire. Yet, from your article you would simply think this was an American concoction, for oil, or Halliburton, or starting a holy war, or whatever the conspiracy theorists are on about this time. I would say that Iran’s refusal to allow U.N. Weapon’s Inspectors to inspect Iran’s facilities, is a noteworthy fact worth mentioning. Along with that, how about the fact that Iran refuses to halt its uranium enrichment, regardless the consequences. What are they hiding that is worth violation of International Law?
Adding fuel to this inferno is the fact that Iranian President Ahmadinejad, had consistently stated that Israel should be “wiped off the map” and that the holocaust never even happened. I’m sure by now most people are familiar with that cute little mural on the former U.S Embassy building in Tehran, showing a missile being dropped on the United States, and the words “Down with the USA.”
Even if Iran was sane enough never to use its nuke arsenal for fear of MAD(Mutual Assured Destruction) it could easily pass the technology or weaponry onto any of the many terrorist organizations it has been known to support. Can you not fathom the catastrophic consequences of a nuke in the hands of a group who believe killing those who are not Muslim is doing the work of God; that dying while killing others of different faiths, is a sure ticket to eternal salvation?
All these facts and you are wondering why a plan is in place to deal with Iran? Of course, if Bush did nothing, and Iran does fire off a nuke or provide them to others, your magazine would be the first to put the blame for the carnage on Bush for letting the situation take happen.
And yet a plan to deal with Iran only makes sense when you have all the facts of the situation. So why then was this information missing from your conclusion about an impending war with Iran? Where was the anger over the constant belittling of holocaust victims from Ahmedinejad?
Was it that this information did not fit into your magazine’s policy on marginalizing the Bush administration at any cost? Do you not realize that in Iran, your magazine would never be allowed to exist, that journalists would likely be tried and hung for the articles on sex, drugs, and rock & roll RS puts forth on a bi-weekly basis? Is that the kind of society you want to defend? Is that the life you feel those in the middle-east deserve?
Wake up, RS. Its one thing to show both sides and be objective. Its another thing to root for everyone other than the United States, to bend the facts like you accuse others of doing, simply because you let your hatred of the Bush administration trump the established facts of the situation.

M Craffey
P.S. One last observation. In a magazine that prides itself on criticizing America’s unholy pursuit of the almighty dollar, its strikes me as ironic that in a magazine that is also supposed to be about music(remember?), I have to suffer through 20+ pages of corporate sponsors, before getting to a substantive article about music. Just some food for thought.

Gigantor

You are an apologist for war crimes. You also support state terrorism. Hezbollah Captured two Israeli soldiers, which is perfectly legitimate considering the two countries are still technically at war. Israel has concentrated its destruction and murder on Civilians, which is defined as Terrorism and also a War Crime. You can deny the facts all you wish, but the truth stands in stark contrast to your sick and cowardly world view.

With the following list of UN Resolutions against “Israel” which DID make it past a USA veto, mostly ongoing violations or sanctions, they have the temerity and hypocrisy to demand Hezbollah submit to UN resolution 1559 and disarm in the face of their vicious frenzied but well planned aggression.

1955-1992:
* Resolution 106: ” . . . ‘condemns’ Israel for Gaza raid”.
* Resolution 111: ” . . . ‘condemns’ Israel for raid on Syria that killed fifty-six people”.
* Resolution 127: ” . . . ‘recommends’ Israel suspends it’s ‘no-man’s zone’ in Jerusalem”.
* Resolution 162: ” . . . ‘urges’ Israel to comply with UN decisions”.
* Resolution 171: ” . . . determines flagrant violations’ by Israel in its attack on Syria”.
* Resolution 228: ” . . . ‘censures’ Israel for its attack on Samu in the West Bank, then under Jordanian control”.
* Resolution 237: ” . . . ‘urges’ Israel to allow return of new 1967 Palestinian refugees”.
* Resolution 248: ” . . . ‘condemns’ Israel for its massive attack on Karameh in Jordan”.
* Resolution 250: ” . . . ‘calls’ on Israel to refrain from holding military parade in Jerusalem”.
* Resolution 251: ” . . . ‘deeply deplores’ Israeli military parade in Jerusalem in defiance of Resolution 250″.
* Resolution 252: ” . . . ‘declares invalid’ Israel’s acts to unify Jerusalem as Jewish capital”.
* Resolution 256: ” . . . ‘condemns’ Israeli raids on Jordan as ‘flagrant violation”.
* Resolution 259: ” . . . ‘deplores’ Israel’s refusal to accept UN mission to probe occupation”.
* Resolution 262: ” . . . ‘condemns’ Israel for attack on Beirut airport”.
* Resolution 265: ” . . . ‘condemns’ Israel for air attacks for Salt in Jordan”.
* Resolution 267: ” . . . ‘censures’ Israel for administrative acts to change the status of Jerusalem”.
*Resolution 270: ” . . . ‘condemns’ Israel for air attacks on villages in southern Lebanon”.
* Resolution 271: ” . . . ‘condemns’ Israel’s failure to obey UN resolutions on Jerusalem”.
* Resolution 279: ” . . . ‘demands’ withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon”.
* Resolution 280: ” . . . ‘condemns’ Israeli’s attacks against Lebanon”.
* Resolution 285: ” . . . ‘demands’ immediate Israeli withdrawal form Lebanon”.
* Resolution 298: ” . . . ‘deplores’ Israel’s changing of the status of Jerusalem”.
* Resolution 313: ” . . . ‘demands’ that Israel stop attacks against Lebanon”.
* Resolution 316: ” . . . ‘condemns’ Israel for repeated attacks on Lebanon”.
* Resolution 317: ” . . . ‘deplores’ Israel’s refusal to release Arabs abducted in Lebanon”.
* Resolution 332: ” . . . ‘condemns’ Israel’s repeated attacks against Lebanon”.
* Resolution 337: ” . . . ‘condemns’ Israel for violating Lebanon’s sovereignty”.
* Resolution 347: ” . . . ‘condemns’ Israeli attacks on Lebanon”.
* Resolution 425: ” . . . ‘calls’ on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon”.
* Resolution 427: ” . . . ‘calls’ on Israel to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon.
* Resolution 444: ” . . . ‘deplores’ Israel’s lack of cooperation with UN peacekeeping forces”.
* Resolution 446: ” . . . ‘determines’ that Israeli settlements are a ’serious
obstruction’ to peace and calls on Israel to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention”.
* Resolution 450: ” . . . ‘calls’ on Israel to stop attacking Lebanon”.
* Resolution 452: ” . . . ‘calls’ on Israel to cease building settlements in occupied territories”.
* Resolution 465: ” . . . ‘deplores’ Israel’s settlements and asks all member
states not to assist Israel’s settlements program”.
* Resolution 467: ” . . . ’strongly deplores’ Israel’s military intervention in Lebanon”.
* Resolution 468: ” . . . ‘calls’ on Israel to rescind illegal expulsions of
two Palestinian mayors and a judge and to facilitate their return”.
* Resolution 469: ” . . . ’strongly deplores’ Israel’s failure to observe the
council’s order not to deport Palestinians”.
* Resolution 471: ” . . . ‘expresses deep concern’ at Israel’s failure to abide
by the Fourth Geneva Convention”.
* Resolution 476: ” . . . ‘reiterates’ that Israel’s claim to Jerusalem are ‘null and void’”.
* Resolution 478: ” . . . ‘censures (Israel) in the strongest terms’ for its
claim to Jerusalem in its ‘Basic Law’”.
* Resolution 484: ” . . . ‘declares it imperative’ that Israel re-admit two deported
Palestinian mayors”.
* Resolution 487: ” . . . ’strongly condemns’ Israel for its attack on Iraq’s
nuclear facility”.
* Resolution 497: ” . . . ‘decides’ that Israel’s annexation of Syria’s Golan
Heights is ‘null and void’ and demands that Israel rescinds its decision forthwith”.
* Resolution 498: ” . . . ‘calls’ on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon”.
* Resolution 501: ” . . . ‘calls’ on Israel to stop attacks against Lebanon and withdraw its troops”.
* Resolution 509: ” . . . ‘demands’ that Israel withdraw its forces forthwith and unconditionally from Lebanon”.
* Resolution 515: ” . . . ‘demands’ that Israel lift its siege of Beirut and
allow food supplies to be brought in”.
* Resolution 517: ” . . . ‘censures’ Israel for failing to obey UN resolutions
and demands that Israel withdraw its forces from Lebanon”.
* Resolution 518: ” . . . ‘demands’ that Israel cooperate fully with UN forces in Lebanon”.
* Resolution 520: ” . . . ‘condemns’ Israel’s attack into West Beirut”.
* Resolution 573: ” . . . ‘condemns’ Israel ‘vigorously’ for bombing Tunisia
in attack on PLO headquarters.
* Resolution 587: ” . . . ‘takes note’ of previous calls on Israel to withdraw
its forces from Lebanon and urges all parties to withdraw”.
* Resolution 592: ” . . . ’strongly deplores’ the killing of Palestinian students
at Bir Zeit University by Israeli troops”.
* Resolution 605: ” . . . ’strongly deplores’ Israel’s policies and practices
denying the human rights of Palestinians.
* Resolution 607: ” . . . ‘calls’ on Israel not to deport Palestinians and strongly
requests it to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention.
* Resolution 608: ” . . . ‘deeply regrets’ that Israel has defied the United Nations and deported Palestinian civilians”.
* Resolution 636: ” . . . ‘deeply regrets’ Israeli deportation of Palestinian civilians.
* Resolution 641: ” . . . ‘deplores’ Israel’s continuing deportation of Palestinians.
* Resolution 672: ” . . . ‘condemns’ Israel for violence against Palestinians
at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount.
* Resolution 673: ” . . . ‘deplores’ Israel’s refusal to cooperate with the United
Nations.
* Resolution 681: ” . . . ‘deplores’ Israel’s resumption of the deportation of
Palestinians.
* Resolution 694: ” . . . ‘deplores’ Israel’s deportation of Palestinians and
calls on it to ensure their safe and immediate return.
* Resolution 726: ” . . . ’strongly condemns’ Israel’s deportation of Palestinians.
* Resolution 799: “. . . ’strongly condemns’ Israel’s deportation of 413 Palestinians
and calls for their immediate return.

The war with Iraq is not about democracy, its not about weapons of mass destruction and its not about getting rid of Saddam. All those things are cover ups for what its really about. Its about money, oil and raw imperialism.

If the war in Iraq is all about oil, why are most of us still paying $3.00 per galon for gas? If the war is about money, why are we spending so much of it to help the people who live in Iraq? If the war is about raw imperialism, why is it still Iraq, and not a part of this ever-growing American Empire I continually hear so much about? The war is about the principle that there were WMD’s in Iraq. They are not there now; Saddam had plenty of time to ship them to Syria while the U.S. was trying to plan and initiate a “politically correct” land invasion. Pres. Bill Clinton & staff thought the WMD’s were there during his administration, but it’s o.k. for him to think that. He’s a democrat, and everyone knows that democrats are always right. Pres. Bush & staff thought the same thing Clinton did, and since he’s a republican, he’s an incompetent imbicile. I love liberals, they always go with what ever is convienient for them at the time. So there were WMD’s when Clinton was in office, but there weren’t any when Bush is in office? Double-standards rock! ! !

Thatt said, I will hasten to add that I never thought WMDs were a reason to go to war in the first damn place. If we could contain the USSR for nearly half a century in a mammoth nuclear arms race, we could have continued to contain Iraq asleep with one hand tied behind us.

Bush picked the issue that resounded best in the polls. The general ignorance and superstition of soccer moms and NASCAR dads is truly pathetic.

And empires come in a variety of descriptions and formats, SS. In theory at least, the most low-maintenance type of empire is the “sphere of influence” type, in which one insinuates one’s own hand-picked people into power in a country, and the people (theoretically) don’t realize they’re being manipulated—a variation on the “secret government” theme. NGOs are increasingly the tool of choice for creating these, since the world has had such a long time to get knowledgeable about, and accustomed to the modus operandi of agencies like CIA and MI5.

Recent examples of America’s efforts in this direction include the rigged elections in Belarus, Georgia, and Ukraine. Just wonderful. Encircle Russia and see how heavily we can ring them with arms and bases before they bite back. We’ve been headed in this direction under three administrations now. “End of the Cold war” my ass.

Just a case of two kidnapped Israeli soldiers?
Israel Completes Pull-out from Lebanon
May 24, 2000
Prime Minister Ehud Barak: “From now on, the government of Lebanon is accountable for what takes place within its territory, and the Lebanese and Syrian governments are responsible for preventing acts of terror or aggression against Israel, which is from today deployed within its borders.” The primary objective of this action is to ensure the security of Israel and its citizens, and to promote stability and peace in the region. Israel has no territorial aspirations in Lebanon, and hopes to see the Lebanese government restore and exercise its sovereignty and authority throughout the border region from which Israeli forces have left.
Result: Hezbollah begins to fire rockets into Isreal. Lebanon does not stop them or control their border with Isreal. 7.10.00 – Three IDF soldiers: Adi Avitan, Omer Suaed and Binyamin Avraham were kidnapped by the Hizbullah from the Mt. Dov sector. The Head of the Personnel Directorate held a press conference a year later saying the probability that the kidnapped soldiers are alive is low. Two weeks later the Chief Rabbi of the IDF announced the soldiers as casualties of war whose burial place is unknown.
16.10.00 – Hizbullah Secretary General Nasrallah announced that his organization was holding an Israeli citizen, Col.(res.) Elhanan Tannenbaum, apparently abducted while on a private business trip to Europe. 3.1.01 – First incident of fire at IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector.
16.2.01- Fire at an IDF convoy on Mt. Dov. IDF soldier Elad Shneor was killed, and three other soldiers were wounded.
14.4.01 – Fire at an IDF post in the Mt. Dov sector. IDF soldier Elad Litvak was killed.
14.5.01 – Fire at IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector.
29.6.01 – Fire at IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector. Two soldiers were wounded.
1.7.01 – Fire at IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector.
3.7.01 – Fire at IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector.
3.10.01 – Fire at IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector.
22.10.01 – Fire at IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector. The IDF returned fire.
23.1.02 – Fire at IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector. The IDF returned fire.
30.3.02 – Fire at IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector.
2.4.02 – Fire at IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector. The IDF returned fire.
3.4.02 – Two fire incidents at IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector and in the Hermon sector. An IDF soldier was severely wounded. The IDF returned fire.
4.4.02 – Fire at an IDF post in the Hermon sector.
5.4.02 – Fire at IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector and in the Hermon sector. The IDF returned fire.
6.4.02 – Fire in the Mt. Dov sector, the Hermon sector and an IDF post near the village of Rajar. A boy was severely wounded, another boy moderately wounded and three other civilians were lightly wounded. The IDF returned fire.
7.4.02 – Fire at IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector, the Hermon sector and an IDF post at the village of Avivim in the western sector. Three soldiers were severely wounded and another four were lightly wounded. The IDF returned fire.
8.4.02 – Fire at IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector, the Hermon sector and the northern Golan Heights. An IDF soldier was lightly wounded from smoke inhalation. The IDF returned fire.
9.4.02 – Fire in the Mt. Dov sector, the Hermon sector and the northern Golan Heights. The IDF returned fire.
10.4.02 – Fire in the Mt. Dov sector, the Hermon sector and the northern Golan Heights. The IDF returned fire.
11.4.02 – Fire in the Mt. Dov sector and the Hermon sector.
12.4.02 – Fire in the Mt. Dov sector and the Hermon sector. The IDF returned fire.
13.4.02 – Fire in the Mt. Dov sector and the Hermon sector. The IDF returned fire.
26.4.02 – Fire at an IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector. An IDF soldier was moderately wounded and other three were lightly wounded.
29.8.02 – Fire at an IDF post in the Mt. Dov sector. IDF soldier Ofer Misali was killed, and Two other soldiers were lightly wounded.
21.1.03 – Fire at an IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector. The IDF returned fire.
08.8.03 – Fire at an IDF posts in the Mt. Dov sector, Mt. Hermon sector and in the northern part of the Golan Heights. An IDF soldier was lightly wounded. The IDF returned fire.
2.1.01 – Small arms fire from the village of Ita, adjacent to Biranit, in the western sector. A civilian was moderately wounded.
1.4.02 – Small arms fire towards an IDF post in the western sector. The IDF returned fire.
10.4.02 – Small arms fire and an attempted attack on an IDF post in the Mt. Dov sector. The IDF returned fire and thwarted the attack.
6.5.02 – Small arms fire towards an IDF patrol in the western sector. The soldiers returned fire.
26.7.02 – Small arms fire towards an IDF patrol in the western sector.
12.3.02 – A shooting attack on the Shlomi-Metzoba route. Five civilians and IDF officer Lt. German Rojyakov were killed.
16.11.00 – A roadside charge was detonated near an IDF convoy.
26.11.00 – A roadside charge was detonated near an IDF convoy. IDF soldier Khalil Taher was killed and two other soldiers were wounded.
9.4.02 – A roadside charge was detonated near the village of Rajar.
8.12.02 – An armored Humvee drove over an explosive charge, and two soldiers were seriously injured.
15.1.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
23.1.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
31.1.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors.
1.2.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
4.2.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
7.2.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
17.2.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
19.2.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
28.2.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
4.3.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors..
11.3.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
5.4.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors..
9.4.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
24.4.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
5.5.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
8.5.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
11.5.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
A civilian resident of Shlomi was lightly wounded.
13.5.02 – - Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors..
18.5.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
27.5.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
31.5.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
9.6.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors..
14.6.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
18.6.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors..
20.6.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
23.6.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector and in the western sector. A house sustained minor damages as result of an unexploded bomb.
1.7.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors..
3.7.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
7.7.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors..
17.7.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
23.7.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
25.7.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
28.7.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors..
31.7.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors..
4.8.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
8.8.02- Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
11.8.02- Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
12.8.02- Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
13.8.02- Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
18.8.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector
20.8.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
25.8.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors..
27.8.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
1.9.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors..
2.9.02 Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
9.9.02 Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
18.9.02 Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
29.9.02 Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors.
18.9.02 Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors.
29.9.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
1.10.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors.
6.10.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors.
8.10.02 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors.
22.10.02- Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors.
31.10.02-Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
3.11.02-Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors.
17.11.02- Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
20.11.02- Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors.
28.11.02- Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors.
6.1.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
12.1.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
21.01.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
26.1.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
30.01.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
2.2.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors.
15.3.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern and western sectors.
18.3.03 – - Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
1.4.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western and eastern sectors.
9.4.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western and eastern sectors.
11.04.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western and eastern sectors.
13.4.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western and eastern sectors.
28.4.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western and eastern sectors.
29.4.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
30.4.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
01.5.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
04.5.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
05.5.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
14.5.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
15.5.03- Anti aircraft fire in the western and eastern sectors.
18.5.03- Anti aircraft fire in the western and eastern sectors.
19.5.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
21.5.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
22.5.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
26.5.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
28.5.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
04.6.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
08.6.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
12.6.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western and eastern sectors.
18.6.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western and eastern sectors.
22.6.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
23.6.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
24.6.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western and eastern sectors.
29.6.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western and eastern sectors.
5.7.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
6.7.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
11.7.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
16.7.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
17.7.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
20.7.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
22.7.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western and eastern sectors. One civilian was moderately wounded.
3.8.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western sector.
8.8.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the western and eastern sectors.
9.8.03 – Anti aircraft fire in the eastern sector.
10.8.03 – Haviv Dadon, 16, of Shlomi, was killed by shrapnel from an anti-aircraft shell fired by Hizbullah terrorists in Lebanon. Four civilians were wounded.
2.4.02 – Two Katyusha rockets landed near Kiryat Shmona.
3.4.02 – A Katyusha rocket landed near Kfar Yuval.
8.4.02 – Several Katyusha rockets landed in the northern Golan Heights. A 65-year-old shepherd was moderately wounded.
9.4.02 – Several Katyusha rockets landed in the village of Ein Kinya in the northern Golan heights.
10.4.02 – Several Katyusha rockets landed near the village of Majdel Shams in the northern Golan Height
21.10.00 – An attempted penetration attack near the Hatzbani River. Two terrorists were killed and another terrorist was wounded.
1.3.02 – An unarmed Lebanese citizen crossed the border near Metulla.
2.3.02 – An unarmed soldier of the Lebanese army crossed the border near Metulla.
11.7.02 – An unarmed Lebanese citizen crossed the border in the village of Rajar to look for a job.
09.08.02 – Two unarmed individuals entered into Israeli territory, in the area of Mount Dov, and were apprehended by our security forces. After an investigation, it became clear that they did not enter in order to carry out a terrorist attack. The two were returned to Lebanon.
01.11.02 – A Syrian citizen was apprehended while crossing the Israel-Lebanon border, in the area of Mount Dov. After an investigation, it became clear that he did not enter in order to carry out a terrorist attack. He was returned to Lebanon.
23.11.02 – An unarmed Palestinian entered Israel from Lebanon. After an investigation, it became clear that he did not enter in order to carry out a terrorist attack. He was returned to Lebanon.
15.4.01 – The IAF attacked a Syrian radar in Daher Albaider.
1.7.01 – The IAF attacked a Syrian radar in Riyak.

ISRAELI AGRESSION?
A little history on the attempted division of Palestine & Israel into two sovereign states and the willingness of Israel and by contrast the Arabs to have a two state solution and peace.
1947 UN Partition Plan
The land allocated to the Arab state consisted of all of the highlands, except for Jerusalem, plus one third of the coastline. The highlands contained no large bodies of standing water and were relatively secure from malaria, allowing a substantial permanent population to exist.
The Jewish state was to receive 55% of Mandatory Palestine. In the north, this area included three fertile lowland plains — the Sharon on the coast, the Jezreel Valley and the upper Jordan Valley. The bulk of the proposed Jewish State’s territory, however, consisted of the Negev Desert. The desert was not suitable for agriculture, nor for urban development at that time.
The UN General Assembly made a non-binding recommendation for a three-way partition of Palestine into a Jewish State, an Arab State and a small internationally administered zone including the religiously significant towns Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
RESULT: The 1947 Jerusalem Riots occurred following the 1947 UN Partition Plan. The Arab Higher Committee declared a three-day strike and public protest to begin on December 2, 1947, in protest of the vote. Arabs marching to Zion Square on December 2 were stopped by the British, and the Arabs instead turned towards the Commercial Center of the City, burning many buildings and shops. Violence continued for two more days, with Arab mobs attacking a number of Jewish neighborhoods. A side result of the violence was the decision by the Haganah Jewish paramilitary organization to use force to “stop future attacks on Jews”.
1948 Arab-Israeli War
After the United Nations partitioned the territory of the British Mandate of Palestine into two states, Jewish and Arab, the Arabs refused to accept it and the armies of Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon and Iraq, supported by others, attacked the newly established State of Israel. The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Amin al-Husayni, the Chairman of the Arab Higher Committee collaborated with Nazi Germany during the Second World War. In 1940, he asked the Axis powers to acknowledge the Arab right, “to settle the question of Jewish elements in Palestine and other Arab countries in accordance with the national and racial interests of the Arabs and along the lines similar to those used to solve the Jewish question in Germany and Italy (ie HOLOCAUST) “Arabs, arise as one man and fight for your sacred rights. Kill Jews wherever you find them. This pleases God, history, and religion. This saves your honor. God is with you.” In the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust, such statements by Arab leaders led to a widespread belief that the Israelis were facing a new “warrant for genocide.” In an official cablegram from the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States to the UN Secretary-General on May 15, 1948, the Arab states publically proclaimed their aim of creating a “United State of Palestine” in place of the Jewish and Arab, two-state, UN Plan. Syria, Egypt, TransJordan, and Lebanon invaded Israel.
RESULT: In 1949, Israel signed separate armistices with Egypt on February 24, Lebanon on March 23, Transjordan on April 3, and Syria on July 20. Israel was generally able to create its own borders, comprising 78 percent of Mandatory Palestine, 50 percent more than the UN partition proposal allotted it. These cease-fire lines were known afterwards as the “Green Line”. The Gaza Strip and the West Bank were occupied by Egypt and Transjordan respectively.
Six-Day War
This war was fought between Israel and the nearby Arab states of Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria. Egyptian aggression initiated the war as Egypt formed a blockade of Israeli shipping in the Straits of Tiran, removed the UNEF peacekeeping forces from the Sinai, and deployed a large military force in the Sinai on the Israeli border. Jordan in turn attacked the Israeli cities of Jerusalem and Netanya. Syria and Iraq joined the fight.
Result: At the war’s end, Israel had gained control of the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights
1973 Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to October 26, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab nations led by Egypt and Syria. The war began on the day of Yom Kippur with a surprise joint attack by Egypt and Syria. They invaded the Sinai and Golan Heights, respectively, which had been captured by Israel in 1967 during the Six-Day War. This war was part of the Arab-Israeli conflict, a conflict which has included many battles and wars since 1948. During the Six-Day War six years earlier, the Israelis had captured the Sinai clear to the Suez Canal, which had become the cease-fire line. The Israelis had also captured roughly half of the Golan Heights from Syria.
In the years following that war, Israel erected lines of fortification in both the Sinai and the Golan Heights. In 1971 Israel spent $500 million fortifying its positions on the Suez Canal, a chain of fortifications and gigantic earthworks known as the Bar Lev Line, named after Israeli General Chaim Bar-Lev.
On June 19, 1967, the National Unity Government [of Israel] voted unanimously to return the Sinai to Egypt and the Golan Heights to Syria in return for peace agreements. The Golans would have to be demilitarized and special arrangement would be negotiated for the Straits of Tiran. The government also resolved to open negotiations with King Hussein of Jordan regarding the Eastern border
Egypt and Syria both desired a return of the land lost in the Six-Day War. However, the Khartoum Arab Summit issued the “three nos,” resolving that there would be “no peace, no recognition and no negotiation with Israel.”
Result: Egypt recognizes and forges a peace deal with Isreal, in return they are returned Sinai. Syria refuses both peace or recognition of Isreal. Isreal ocuupies the Golan heights to this day.
The Lebanon War began June 6, 1982, when the Israel Defense Forces invaded southern Lebanon. The Government of Israel justified the invasion as a response to the assassination attempt against Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Shlomo Argov by Fatah – Revolutionary Council and to artillery attacks launched by the Palestine Liberation Organization against populated areas in northern Israel. After attacking PLO, Syrian and Muslim Lebanese forces, Israel occupied southern Lebanon. Surrounded in West Beirut and subject to heavy bombardment, the PLO and the Syrian forces negotiated passage from Lebanon with the aid of international peacekeepers.
Just a case of two kidnapped Israeli soldiers?
Israel Completes Pull-out from Lebanon
May 24, 2000
Prime Minister Ehud Barak: “From now on, the government of Lebanon is accountable for what takes place within its territory, and the Lebanese and Syrian governments are responsible for preventing acts of terror or aggression against Israel, which is from today deployed within its borders.” The primary objective of this action is to ensure the security of Israel and its citizens, and to promote stability and peace in the region. Israel has no territorial aspirations in Lebanon, and hopes to see the Lebanese government restore and exercise its sovereignty and authority throughout the border region from which Israeli forces have left.
Result: Hezbollah begins to fire rockets into Isreal. Lebanon does not stop them or control their border with Isreal. 7.10.00 – Three IDF soldiers: Adi Avitan, Omer Suaed and Binyamin Avraham were kidnapped by the Hizbullah from the Mt. Dov sector. The Head of the Personnel Directorate held a press conference a year later saying the probability that the kidnapped soldiers are alive is low. Two weeks later the Chief Rabbi of the IDF announced the soldiers as casualties of war whose burial place is unknown

Gaza Pull-Out plan
adopted by the government and enacted in August 2005, to remove all permanent Israeli presence in the Gaza Strip and from four settlements in the northern West Bank. The civilians were evacuated (a minority forcibly) and the residential buildings demolished after August 15, and the disengagement from the Gaza Strip was completed on September 12, 2005
Result: Almost daily rocket fire from Gaza into Israel

To Mike Burns,
I thought you posed a really effective rebuttal, until you pulled the liberal move of,yet once again, blaming the ignorance of Bush, soccer moms, and NASCAR fans. That’s getting kind of old, and in case you haven’t notices, it’s really not that effective. Maybe you could develop a liberal think-tank and pose some real solutions to the problems instead of just attacking the current leadership. No one gets anyhwere like that. But, since I’m a conservative, who voted for Bush (twice) and a NASCAR fan, I guess everything I have to say is discounted because I’m just an ignorant, hick, war monger, who knows absolutely nothing about history and current events. And of course everything the Republican party has ever done was ill-informed and certainly not in the best interests of our nation (such as Lincoln’s abolition of slavery, Nixon’s withdrawal from Vietnam, or Reagan’s insistince of tearing down ‘the wall’). Wow, if only I were as informed about the world around me as all the democrats are, like Barbara Striesand and Johnny Depp, I would be so much better off! Well, I guess there’s no hope for America, or me because I am a republican, live in a red state, and I vote republican, every time. No one likes war. Do you honestly think Bush creams his pants everytime a soldier gets killed? I don’t think he likes it anymore than you or I do. I thought the democrats were the ones who preached tolerance and acceptance of other peoples ideas and differences? I guess you do, as long as those you embrace think just like you do and share your opinions.
“All animals are created equal, some are just more equal than others”-George Orwell, “Animal Farm”.

I have to admit it – the situation does not look good. While I believe that democracy is inherently preferable to theocratic regimes and repressive dictatorships like the ones in power now in Tehran and Syria, there is no way the United States will have the support of the EU, Russia, China, etc. if the Bush Administration does decide that taking the fight to Iran is the next step in achieving the goal to build a politically and economically stable Middle East. America’s leaders have proceeded illegally, deceivingly and dishonorably in acheiving a mission that now seems only to be advocated by Zionists and pro-Israel types and those who are at the top of the oil industry ladders. Seeing stability in the Middle East dotted with pro-Western leaders and democratically-geard governments come to fruition is impossible when the majority of Americans don’t support their government’s decisions. It’s even sadder when most of those people support individual troops sacrificing their lives for what seems a noble mission, albeit one conducted by those who do not have the best intentions for people living in that region. Whatever happened to securing Afghanistan? The country is mired with insurgents. At least, America was justified in reducing the Taliban’s infrastructure from ritz to rubble. But the justification of war ended there. Securing Afghanistan should have been phase one. Then deal with Saddam and the Ayatollahs and others. We are seriously looking at very dangerous and disasterous situation for attitudes in the Middle East toward the United States. I don’t know how it will change. Perhaps we should just say fuck the Zionists and fuck the oil companies. Let’s get the hell out of there (like every adversary in the region wants) and let the individual countries sort it out themselves. We have the technology to move away from oil, and the Israelis have proven since their state’s creation in the late 1940s that they can take care of themselves.

Holy shit people….write a fuckin book already! These are blogs, not bibles. Just a little scarcasm kids, don’t get your panties in a twist.

Rabbit, You still showing your stupidity. You state:

“As for Oz worrying about China or Korea, get a life you bozo. Neither country has a history of invading their neighbors or making trouble. ”

Guess you forgot all about N. Korea invading S. Korea, a little thing called the Korean War. You do sound like you live in OZ, with Dorthy and Toto.

Hezbollah did use ambulances to move troops and weapons. And yes once you do that all ambulances become fair game, Israel has no way of knowing which has civilians in them and which have terrorist. That is how it works, you play by the rules all the time, or they are targets all the time.

And for all you liberal nuts. Give the Neo-con bullshit a rest. Do you really think anyone gives a shit when you call them a neo-con. Just another example of a liberals calling names to cover up their lack of a real argument.

Socialists Suck: I’m thoroughly fascinated by the implications of your statement. You thought I was going good until the NASCAR comment, you say? So that one statement invalidates evertyhing else, in other words?

Sounds to me like I’ve stumbled across a heretofore hidden variety of “conservative” political correctness. A new political animal has evolved!

It’s all about the capitalistic environment in the US going for as long as possible.

Economy is more important to Americans then human life, that is why the US will never leave other countries to do as they please within there own sovereign borders.

I used to be Bush`s best supporter until this Lebanon mess happened. It opend my eyes to how the media are so biased toward israel its almost humorous if it was not so serious.

I beg every America to do one thing, just one thing. Open your mind and your eyes and realize what is going on in the world. Then ask yourself who benefits from every action you see. Once you wake up and see with eyes unclouded, you will know the truth and see the lies throw at you as being blatant.

Now for my opinions:
Everything that is happen is purely for one peoples benefit, one countries benefit. When you look at who is begging for war and where these same peoples loyalties are, you can only come to one conclusion.

The media and such have over the decades smeared and ruined lives of people who speak out against these people. They label them ant0semitic and bigot and in some cases have even resorted to killing, or attempting to kill the people who disagree with their world views.

I am religious, i am a christian. But the one thing i am NOT is a stupid moron who thinks israel is the worlds saviour. I work with jewish people every day of my life and hear them laugh at how “guilable” U.S. christians are as long as the bible is invoked on the jews behalf. Jews have called me goy and they call non-jewish women in the office shiksa`s with no worry of being called the very names they call non-jews who ONLY speak the truth about what goes on.

If you think for one second the zionists and the jews care one iota about anyone other than their own, then you are part of the problem.

Mike obviously has his issues with “the Tribe” and that’s fine. he’s entitled to his opinion, even if he’s a goyim, but binding the whole middle east issue into one small matter and blaming it sqaurely on Israel is short-sighted and ignorant. So what if the US pulls its support and Israel is vaporized, do you for one second believe that the “islamofascists” will stop there? do you not recall the riots in france last year or the bombings in bali, london, madrid and mumbai? those had NOTHING to do with Israel, but everything to do with the spread of militant Islam. put your head back in the sand if you like, but the truth is anyone who backs, supports, defends or otherwise “gives comfort” to hezbollah, hamas, islamic jihad, or any like organization is a traitor to their respective country because they are spreading the infection of militantism. and, if they’re not a radical Muslim, they’re relegating themselves to being a dhimmi.

Thank you Rollingstone for JAMES BAMFORD’s excellent text. The Community Post only reflects general ignorance, except for few rabbits.

No one asked the question yet – why supporting Israel is in our national interest? It might have been in 1967, with Naser, but now it is only a liability. Since Israel does not have an effective extradition treaty with anyone, it may only be in the interest of some shisters like Tony Rich to pay our politicians to prop it. The petty $3B the defence contractors get is hardly worth it.

Must fight fatalism.
Iran war is not inevitable.
We need leaks from the good guys.
Not like Daniel Elsberg,
after the fact of Vietnamj.
Start the anti-war protests now. Stop the war in Iraq. Start reparations. If we paid $100,000 to each family who lost someone, the cost would equal only 20 days of war….something like that.
The motitavations of the warmakers are so convoluted that the only sensible response is stop.
Stop making enemies and dead people.
The State of Isreal will never get along with its neighbors.
Come on!
It is an idea whose time has come and gone.
We have no business supporting a State religion in a foreign country. I don’t want a State religion here in the US. Geeze imagine if the fundementalist christains took over the US. Why do I want to support fundementalist Jews or Muslims or
any state religions. NO. Bad for democracy, for sure.
My idea for Isreal: That it become a protected prayer place for the Judeo/Christian/Muslim sects. Not a STATE at all.
Let that state wither away,
Please.
Instead let it be
just an international CITY OF PEACE and prayer. It’s just a tiny place: an unholy little war nest.
Maybe it should be run by Buddhists. Don’t laugh.
Really, we need to get creative here.
Bottom line.
Oppose war.
Second Line
Don’t support religious fundementalists with guns
anywhere
anytime
anyhow.
Word
From
An Emersonian American.

Cheney has been slobbering all over himself, to figure out the perfect ploy to get us into Iran(So much oil-let’s steal their resources, this time).

Another war will cost everyone involved and, more innocent lives will be lost-how long will Americans willingly give up our principles and sensibilies to be taken hostage on another war-profiteering escapade to enrich the Halliburtons, Bush’s, Cheney’s, Rumsfeld’s and Rove’s and, Exxon/Mobile….

We need a new leader who has the positive, charismatic and intelligent mindset to negoiate/communicate with country’s leaders that are afraid of us and our intentions, and reach out to establish open talks with them…

The only plan that the Bush Regime want to follow is to grab resources and initiate more wars-haven’t enough lives been lost in the past few years to satisfy the macho thing that never works…

Everyone has to stand up and let our administration and congress know, “We don’t want a repeat of the War in Iraq…

We need to research and find ways to build good relations with Iran and its neighbors..

This could be life-changing-and give the World Hope….

Don’t fall for Bush and the Fear Card-we don’t need to be dragged into another horrible Bush mess.

you guys are idiots.
BUSH RULES!
Actually READ the facts. morons

jonny

jonny674

One day in the distant future, when our interstellar custodians stop by to see how their experiment spawning the human race went, they’ll sort through the rubble looking for the reason Homo sapiens killed themselves in a series of protracted wars that began in 2003. The evidence will be clear: Each side steadfastly stuck to their guns without backing down, all for the sake of proving one side or the other righteous and superior. But, unfortunately, like many human endeavors, both sides were wrong; both sides had lied; both sides idealized their causes and demonized their enemies. And such is the consistent foible of human affairs – the Achilles Heel that will, ultimately, and not very long from now, lead to the final fall. Whatever you do, cover your forehead so that the dreaded numbers, 666, cannot be imprinted there. The End Times they are a ‘comin’.

jonny14

war with Iran is not avoidable. At least not with the current administation

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GO COUGS!!..but i think we should start worrying about are own country and not others…i mean shoot canada has almost caught up to us…… scarry…..ps GO WAZZU COUGS

YOrsla Cool, bro!

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