should the West invade and/or bomb the fuck out of Iran?

There's other issues like the article, like its claim that the IAEA has been consistent in finding Iran to be in compliance with their rules. This, of course, is ridiculously false. The IAEA found Iran to be in violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which they happened to sign, several months prior to this article's publishing. In fact, that's why Iran is going through the process of tearing those IAEA seals off and restarting their reactors, which is why this is such a big story right now.

http://www.rense.com/general59/theSunburniransawesome.htm

That Russia has even better ship-killers is not a surprise, either. Nor that they would sell them to generate cash. Our current navy is an expensive bauble that would die quickly against any especially well-equipped foe. But, just how many of these Russian missiles the Iranians own is a secret the author of that article didn't know and couldn't say. So he guesses they own gobs and gobs of them. Right.

His imaginative scenario for a decisive American military defeat by Iran in the Persian Gulf seemed like a lot of hand waving to me. If we lost that many lives and that much treasure in that short a time, the pressure to obliterate Iran would be overwhelming. Only the assurance that the USA would suffer equally in the exchange would deter a massive, explosive response.

The idea that Putin would underwrite the mullahs' adventure and put Russia's nuclear umbrella over Iran makes no sense at all. None. Zero. The scenario's picture of Putin sipping cocktails and deciding to teach the USA a lesson is, well, utter silliness from a crappy James Bond script.

In fact, come to think of it, its as if nowhere in the article is it mentioned that the US owns submarines. There's also the fact that if the US feels the carriers are so threatened, they don't need to drive them into the Persian Gulf. What, the commanders aren't going to think of that beforehand?

Israel Says It Has Proof That Iran Financed Tel Aviv Bombing, and That Syria Carried It Out

http://www.shoutwire.com/viewstory/4701/17_Year_Old_Girl_Sentenced_To_Death_By_Hanging

Islamic/Sharia law rules!

As an American I don't think we should have a death penalty at all, but the fact that we do doesn't mean we can't point out pure injustice when we see it.

I question this story as a pretext for "bombing" anyone. And I especially question it in light of the US's ramping-up of propaganda intended to soften up public opinion for a possibly imminent invasion. Ask yourself how many women were killed by state or quasi-state machinery LAST WEEK alone. Why is it this one we're hearing about?

Well, clearly not, at least not according to Amnesty, who tends to get this sort of thing right.

Yup. And Saddam Hussein was a bloodthirsty tyrant who killed his opponents, his detractors, or just about any old person he happened to find irritating. But look how wonderfully our invasion of Iraq has gone. Up for another experiment in occupation?

That has a lot to do with the fact that the drug traffic in the eastern parts of Iran aren't really regulated and because of Iran's rather arcane system of punishment. I'd guess that there's a lot more people in the Iranian system who don't serve time, but happen to be missing substantial portions of their body.

Lemme also repeat this for the thousanth time: there will not be a invasion of Iran in the forseeable future. Maybe bombing, and if so, probably by Israel, since they have the most to lose to a nuke empowered Iran. But no invasion.

is our unjust system of law an excuse for theirs? no.

that was my ONLY point above.

iraq is a better example. pointing out our hypocrisy tends to only get your point ignored. as much as we need a nationwide intervention ... for all these people that don't mind being spied on or think torture is okay... or who believe in religious freedom for themselves but not anybody else... or free speech as long as it's what they want to hear... etc etc... DENIAL is too everpresent.

it let's them focus on your negativity, not on OUR problem.
m.

It is difficult to solve other people's problems, msp. One can offer aid and assistance, but without a desire in the people you aid and assist to solve their own problems, the assistance is unavailing.

If, however, Iran wishes to cause problems for us, then they become our problems to solve and an invitation is not needed.

How would we know whether or not we're invited? Do remember, the fairly liberal reform parties in Iran were shut out of the election and the country ended up getting run by a guy some think was a terrorist/kidnapper. There were a lot of gains in Iran in the last decade and we may be on the edge of losing all of them.

but hopefully they'll just all rattle a lot of sabers, iran will keep slowly trying to get a bomb, the u.s. and europe will keep squeezing it to try to stop it, russia and china will keep playing both sides...i mean, the current situation, as unsatisfactory as it is all the way around, might be the best option for the near future.

I think the biggest difference between this and, say, Iraq (with which this episode is inexorably linked) is that Iran really does have a nuclear program that no one doubts (and that they admit) and really does have very close ties to terrorism. A stall tactic probably would work, given that most observers think that their production capability is currently near zero with no likelihood it'll progress much in the immediate future.

please to place bets as to when the airstrikes will start.

i would say ... june at the latest.

There's no proof that this is true -- the only source of info seems to be the Iranian govt and it wouldn't shock me if they're greatly exaggerating the capabilities of their weaponry.

This is nothing but a power play by Iran to get the UN off its back. You think it's a coincidence that Iran released this information the day after the UNSC passed a resolution giving them 30 days to suspend uranium enrichment and cooperate with the IAEA? Screw the earthquake, this took precedence.

The biggest potential losers here are the UN. They gave a similarly meaningless ultimatum to Sudan and choked that time too but a lot more people are paying attention this time. Be prepared to say goodbye to whatever little credibility the Security Council has left.

We're just being primed and primed, and then there's going to be some trigger event, perhaps staged, perhaps provoked, and then boom, draft. My brother had better stay in college if he knows what's good for him.

xpost

a draft is not that likely, I do not think the USA will ever fight another meatgrinder war again. Or at least, not one where it's meat is being ground.

as to war with Iran... I don't really see it. Iraq is such a fuck up, and the Iran dress rehearsal in Lebanon did not go that well, so it is hard to see bombing Iran accomplishing anything and hard to see the USA invading.

I wonder will the world just have to learn to live with Iranian nuclear weapons, like it has had to live with those of the USA, Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan, and Israel?