Iran warns of preemptive strike to prevent attack on nuclear sites

[Walt Starr]

Iran warns of preemptive strike to prevent attack on nuclear sites

DOHA : Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani warned that Iran might launch a preemptive strike against US forces in the region to prevent an attack on its nuclear facilities.

"We will not sit (with arms folded) to wait for what others will do to us. Some military commanders in Iran are convinced that preventive operations which the Americans talk about are not their monopoly," Shamkhani told Al-Jazeera TV when asked if Iran would respond to an American attack on its nuclear facilities.


"America is not the only one present in the region. We are also present, from Khost to Kandahar in Afghanistan; we are present in the Gulf and we can be present in Iraq," said Shamkhani, speaking in Farsi to the Arabic-language news channel through an interpreter.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/101754/1/.html

[Mokito]

1. You reap what you sow. nt

[DemoTex]

12. Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.

Hosea 8

[Born Free]

15. This guys are windbags..

These guys are nothing but a bunch of windbags, they all like to make threats but in reality they will roll over like puppies. The individual people living in the countries are a different story, they will fight to the end.

[Mokito]

21. That's politics for ya. nt

[bemildred]

2. Yikes, they've been eating their wheaties.

First Israel, now the US in Iraq. I can hardly wait to
hear the counter-bluster from Colon or Dumbsfeld.

[screembloodymurder]

3. Wonderfull !

Bush's new slogan "Let's nuke em all".

[Jacobin]

4. Gee, where in the world did they learn that a pre-emptive

strike is acceptable????!!!!

:eyes:

[IA_Seth]

5. Good Job Dumbass (Bush)!

Go ahead and show the world the pre-emption is ok.

You reap what you sow.

I hate to sound pessimistic, but I honestly think if Iran gets involved this war in Iraq will look minor compared to the fallout that will take place (fallout - get it - nuclear pun).

But really, I think what Iran lacks in official military power they probably will make up for in religiously-driven militias. I fear that an attack on Iran and their Shia leaders will only create more terrorism throughout the region.

[coalition_unwilling]

7. Hello Armageddon

Those of us who have opposed the Iraq War since before its most-recent incarnation have been warning that the Law of Unintended Consequences was bound to ensue; once the genie of pre-emptive war is loosed, no one has the power to stop it. Those of us who know our history should prepare for a new '30 Years War'. The original only ended when each side had exhausted itself. Hmm, a new 30-Years War with nuclear weapons, now there's an uplifting thought.

Remember that pre-emptive wars are justifiable in certain circumstances, e.g., an imminent threat, but what Bush called pre-emptive war is actually a "preventive war" (destroying a threat before it even becomes a threat), the same rationale Hitler used to invade various and sundry. Preventive war was held to be a crime against humanity by the Nuremburg Tribunals after WWII.

Ironically, in this case, Iran will be fully justified (in the legal sense) in waging a pre-emptive strike in the face of imminent threats from Israel and\or the U.S. And if and when history has to judge, the blame will rest firmly on Bush for reversing three and a half centuries of international jurisprudence and 50 years of U.S. foreign policy. Unfortunately, by the time history renders it judgment, none of us may still be alive to take satisfaction in it.

[davekriss]

37. Well made point

I've argued the same on various boards. Good post!

[Zhade]

47. Damn good points. Welcome to DU.

We love intelligent posters!

:toast:

[fob]

6. The bush* doctrine, not just for hijacked democracies anymore!!

[MaryH]

8. There's that pesky pre-emptive strike thing again.

They can't do that. Only we can do that.

[Walt Starr]

9. Yep, that was my first thought when I saw it

Bush has set the standard for the world and if Iran sees the U.S. military in Iraq as a threat to itself, it is as justified in pre-emption as Bush was in his little adventure.

[iconoclastic cat]

10. Hmmm...what was the deadline that Israel gave for blowing up Iran's

nuclear reactor?

I see bad, bad things on the way.

[bemildred]

11. Actually this would seem to be a riposte to that.

Along with the threats also made to the American presence in Iraq.
With any luck it will have a stabilizing effect, but we will see.

[Purrfessor]

13. Bush to Iran: We will preempt your preemption!

n/t

[Disturbed]

16. Iran could....

launch missles and destroy the Israeli Nuke Sites. The same rational the US used to invade Iraq is valid. Israel has WMDs and has threatened Iran. I hope they don't do that, as I hope Israel &/or the US attack Iran. It would be a huge disaster for all concerned.

[NNN0LHI]

14. Sounds as though Iran is preparing to test a nuclear device soon n/t

[Bandit]

17. Seventy thousand troops to be withdrawn from Europe & sent to Iraq

Do you think this has Iran thinking? The way we have handled Iraq I am sure Iran is not nearly as worried about the might of the US as they may have two years ago. I am also sure that they have some allies that may just assist them if need be. China would be one I am sure.

[Kierkegaard]

20. The redeployment is to take place

over the next ten years, and the boys will be coming state-side, not going to Iraq. Of course the Iranians wouldn't trust anything this administration says. After what happened to Iraq, I'd be suspicious too.

[sandnsea]

27. realignment, redeployment

"Officials said exact details of the moves have not been finalized, but some of the troops from Germany and South Korea will be moved to expansion countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Eastern Europe."

"Eastern European nations -- most notably Poland and Bulgaria -- have been far more enthusiastic supporters of U.S. policy in Iraq than have been older NATO allies and Belgium."

Taking troops out of pesky old Germany and putting them into Poland. That's a real strategic difference. This is going to cost us billions more just because Republicans don't want to get along with our traditional allies.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/sunday/news_14e17d5cc61f226600f4.html

[thinkingwoman]

18. one October surprise...

coming right up!

Iran attacks us so W retaliates...voila! The war with Iran (they've been planning for a decade) is underway just in time for an election!

[LisaL]

22. YEP

And then of course Bush would have to cancel elections because of war.
How low can he go?
I don't think we have seen the limits yet.

[homegrownLeaf]

41. How low?

Let's hope he does not try to pull a Chavez and restrict radio and TV broadcasts. If Chavez keeps on his dictatorship drive Bush may pick up on it and its support by the populace and try to implement it too.

[Bandit]

46. How can someone elected by over sixty percent be a dictator?

I think you must listen to Fox News because you apparently don't know the difference between a Democracy and a Dictatorship.

[daleo]

19. I can't see them really doing this

In the article the warning was quite vague - the U.S. doesn't have a monopoly on pre-emptive strikes, we could do this, we are in the region, that sort of thing. Still, all the deterrence talk back and forth, as well as talk about troop repositioning, etc. can't bode especially well for the prospects of future peace.

The world needs a fresh start, without the BFEE in the White House.

[NMDemDist2]

23. this is so bad

on so many levels

all these bastards are nuts! Ours and Theirs

good lord help us all.

[David Zephyr]

24. George Bush Unleashes the "Pre-Emptive" Monster on Civilization.

What a mess Bush has made with our world with his "pre-emptive" war policy. Now Iran. Who's next.

It simply blows my mind how there are any Americans left who support this man as President.

He's made all of us less safe.

[mrbassman03]

26. Pre-emptive election strike?

Has he done that yet? I don't know if the TV ads count or if Bush would have to hire a guy named Bub to club Kerry's knees... whatever it takes, I guess...

[David Zephyr]

28. Tanya Harding?

I think she is a Republican. Welcome to the DU, mrbassman03 :)

[Swamp Rat]

25. Oh, don't worry. Reichmarshal Rumsfeld has it all mapped out.

[Lizzie Borden]

32. Oh God!

Sometimes I feel like crying when I see what's happenin'. You are so on target.

[Lizzie Borden]

33. Oh God!

Sometimes I feel like crying when I see what's happenin'. You are so on target.

[Ghetto_Boy]

29. Nuclear Israel and Nuclear Iran....scary

[NNN0LHI]

34. Nuclear North Korea too. Thats why we are getting the hell out of there nt

[TankLV]

30. We despirately need another "daisy" commercial.

You thought Goldwater was nuts, watch out for the bunch CURRENTLY in OUR White House!

We KNOW what they are capable of.

We need to restore sanity to Our Government.

The repukes have proven that they cannot be trusted to govern. Ever. Again.

[calimary]

31. Oh, Dear God. Look what we've started.

Now, preemptive strikes are NO LONGER off the table. Thanks to FUCKING bush. FUCK bush. cHENEY bush. Fuckin' cheney bush. Either way.

[autorank]

35. Fuck Iran and the horse it rode in on!

This is all we need, the end of the fucking world brought on by our bozo Bush and these idiots. Remember them, they're the Islamic Falwell's who sent children into battle against Saddam wearing 'keys to heaven' around their necks. The kids were used to detonate mines, it turns out. Fuck them. And, oh by the way, they have oil, what is their nuclear program about? It's about as legitimate as Pakistan's (which is probably where they'll get the technology to cause some real trouble). And while I'm at it, fuck Putin and the Russians for building the reactor. I wonder if this is what Bush saw when he 'looked into Putin's soul'...a psycho soul brother. FUBAR is no longer adequate to handle this type of stuff. Need a new acronym! We need to really pray and pray hard (and I'm not even religious) that our equivalents in Iran get their act together and rid the world of these religious clowns. We'll do our thing, they'll do theirs.

[autorank]

36. Jesus H. Reist!!! Iran's Nuclear Facility called Bushehr

I'm not making this up. This is so fucking stupid!!! If there is a God he/she/it has a very sick sense of humor or a primitive sense of irony!

[NNN0LHI]

39. Irans nuclear program is for energy

To protect their energy to be precise. If Iran does not possess a nuclear deterrent to protect their oil Bush will come and get it. Thats been shown in Iraq. Bush didn't pass out no plastic keys to the Iraqi kids he slammed Tomahawk cruise missiles into as they slept in their beds during Shock And Awe using our tax dollars last year. So that makes us better than the Iranians or something?

Don

[autorank]

40. Respectfully disagree

See this link. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19143-2004Jul27.html
I'm not saying we're a bed of roses. I am clear that Iran is a nightmare. This is the nation of wide-spread female circumcision, child murder (as referenced earlier) and no DU equivalents. I'm just frustrated that they too will have the bomb.

[homegrownLeaf]

42. Yes, we are much better than the Iranian government

The two can not even be compared.

[belab13]

43. I disagree

The precedent has been set by Israel and its bombing of the Iraqi nuclear plant. not to mention the recent and not so inconspicuous pre-emptive action of the U.S. I think Iran is just assuming full defensive posture and they have a legitimate right to do so. If their intelligence or say the Washington post says that the Israeli's are going to bomb their nuclear reactor then to my way of thinking the Iranians are perfectly within legal rights to protect their interests and people.

[autorank]

45. I love Dennis

There are 160 plus countries in the world. Subtract us and Iran is still a menace to the other 158. Iran is ruled by religious zealots (and yes, I'm disturbed by all countries ruled by religious zealots). They screw over their people on a regular basis. They should not have nuclear weapons. One of these new members of the nuclear club is actually going to pull the trigger at some point. It could be them, given their philosophy and treatment of ANYONE in Iran who disagrees with them. There would be NO DU in Iran; or if there were, they'd round us up and take care of business very quickly. I do like Dennis, however, so don't yell at me. Or go ahead and yell at me but think about this. The enemy of our enemy is not always our friend.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[Walt Starr]

44. Kick

:kick:

[BlueLogic]

48. Great!

Preemptive war: we must attack before there is a reason.

[IdaBriggs]

49. Surprise -- NOT! n/t