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Britain
Straw rules out war over Teheran's nuclear plan
2005-09-18
Britain ruled out military action to halt Iran's nuclear programme yesterday on the eve of a diplomatic battle by the West to take Teheran to the United Nations Security Council for possible political and economic sanctions.

As hostile rhetoric between the West and Iran intensified, Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, sought to allay fears that the dispute would ultimately lead to war.

Mr Straw: ‘A difficult moment for the international community’
He said that an intransigent speech at the UN a day earlier by the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been "disappointing and unhelpful". But Mr Straw played down the prospect that referring Iran to the Security Council for failing fully to disclose its nuclear activities would lead to an Iraq-style escalation ending in war.

"This will not be resolved by military means, let's be clear about that,'' Mr Straw told the BBC. "It needs to be resolved by all facilities available to the international community.''

Gotta love Staw, still believes it can be resolved with words and paper.
America and European countries fear that Teheran's attempt to make its own uranium-enriched fuel masks a secret project to make fissile material for atomic bombs.

Posted by:Captain America

#13  Okay, now you're messin' with mucky. That's pretty big juju...
Posted by: .com   2005-09-18 23:49  

#12  Sort... of like... PETA proves it is upset with ritual goat killing by ...
Posted by: 3dc   2005-09-18 23:41  

#11  Lol, 3dc! Mum's the werd.
Posted by: .com   2005-09-18 23:41  

#10  ...sh.... maybe... sh... some ....terrorists ... favoring the US ... or maybe ... just against Farsi or Shia or deserts or something... could do something just as dastardly as ... the Mad Mullahs plan with ....er..ah ... deniable... ah... independent unaffiliated ... ah ... terrorists....

There I said it.... Sauce for the goose and all that...

Posted by: 3dc   2005-09-18 23:38  

#9  Here we go again.

Who shares your limitless confidence that a launch of 10, 20, 50, 100 missiles (and that's precisely what I'd do if I was a Mad Mullah - mass launch) will be intercepted over Iranian territory?

I have this "funny" feeling that Sharon and the average Israeli would find it uncomfortable, at the very least, to sit and wait for the launch. Same for any and all Americans within range. There is no perfect anti-ballistic system. Period. Full stop.

You still post your theories couched in language suitable for facts writ by the Finger of God.

Sigh.
Posted by: .com   2005-09-18 23:26  

#8  I suspect the US is systematically, diplomatically boxing all of our "allies" into a corner they will find terribly difficult to weasel out of in the future. We do not do this with any foolish hope that they will support us in a war with Iran; only that they will be unable to oppose us in a war with Iran. A non-war, if we can manage it.

The only way that could come to pass would be if Iran commits the only UN capital crime: starting, or at least attempting to start, a nuclear war.

This means that we know they will have nukes, that they will put them on missiles, and that they will launch some of those missiles, most likely against a US fleet.

We also accept as an axiom that we cannot conventionally stop them from making nukes in the first place, or placing them on missiles, or firing those missiles. That is, we cannot guarantee that we can do this. And we know that our "allies" would not tolerate our attempting to do so unilaterally without provocation.

So the only thing we can do is make DAMN sure that no missile leaves Iranian airspace intact. And once the Iranians do launch a nuclear missile targetted towards someone else, by our agreements and existing UN protocols, we will OWN Iran.

And this is all the difference in the world. No one can lend *any* support to that regime against us, despite existing agreements. No one can even speak out against us. And finally, we have a totally free hand, to include the use of nukes ourselves, in doing whatever is necessary to stop Iran from using, having, making or doing anything with nukes ever again.

Once they have been emasculated by their unsuccessful efforts to use nuclear weapons, we most likely will give them an ultimatum. And by them, I mean the Iranian people, not their government, broadcast repeatedly over every electronic device in the entire country.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2005-09-18 23:12  

#7  And if nothing short of force dissuades them, what then, Jackie - after you've taken force off the table?

This statement / declaration / brain fart / whatever may not be the stupidest thing ever uttered by someone in his position, but it equals it. Wotta total idiot.
Posted by: .com   2005-09-18 22:48  

#6  America and European countries fear that Teheran's attempt to make its own uranium-enriched fuel masks a secret project to make fissile material for atomic bombs.

Only a secret to the left and the media (but I repeat myself).
Posted by: DMFD   2005-09-18 22:39  

#5  Nothing new here and so Iran is on it's way to the obtaining and exporting of nuclear weapons. Jawboning doesn't stop this stuff. Ask what convinced the Kadaffi to drop his efforts? It wasn't a stern EU 3.
Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom   2005-09-18 22:15  

#4  America and European countries fear that Teheran's attempt to make its own uranium-enriched fuel masks a secret project to make fissile material for atomic bombs.

Masks?

Last I heard, the "peaceful nuclear program" crap was a thin tissue believed only by people who think the UN is a viable organization.
Posted by: Robert Crawford   2005-09-18 21:51  

#3  Don't worry about it, Jack. Iran won't rule out nuclear war.

Be careful, Jack. You think Iran is just going to use any nukes they get against Israel (which will suit you fine) and probably us (which you won't care about much either).

But even if the alligator eats you last, they'll still eat you.

Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2005-09-18 21:46  

#2  Or, if Halliburton says so......tin hat anyone?
Posted by: Captain America   2005-09-18 21:45  

#1  Somehow Straw's "disappointing and unhelpful" doesn't carry the same weight as if Rummy said so.
Posted by: xbalanke   2005-09-18 21:42  

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