I suppose there's still time for a "November Surprise," isn't there?
Wow!Maybe a missile or two, but "dozens"?? Yes, I was as surprised as anyone by the numbers of missiles and the inclusion of so many (they're still counting) Shahab-3 long-range missiles in the latest round of tests in Iran (how 'bout that; it wasn't North Korea this time!) ... all capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Of course, the Iranians are only enriching Uranium for peaceful purposes (color television sets, self-cleaning kitty litters, electric can openers, etc.) and so the world can breath easily as they fire these 2000 km range missiles as part of ... what? The design of the Shahab-3 is likely a North Korean design (denied by Iran) and the timing and length (number of firings) of the tests are both highly suspicious.
The only words from Iran came from its Air Force Chief of the Revolutionary Guards, General Hossein Salami, who said, "A large number of advanced missiles, different in range, warhead and kind, were successfully test-fired at the same time."
At the same time? Wow! I'll bet le rouge et le noir got an eyeful while he's on holiday in Iran with his in-laws! It's a shame that the US-led maneuvers that were ongoing last week were completed on Monday; they would have gotten an eyeful too. Interestingly, the focus of those exercises was surveillance and they only missed today's fireworks by four days or so. The countries involved in the exercise in the Persian Gulf region (in alphabetic order) were Australia, Bahrain, Britain (of course), France, Italy and the United States (of course).
What next? The North Koreans seem to be complying with our desire for six-party talks, but the Iranians are acting like a sovereign country that isn't in our control as yet, although the UN's sanctions may slow them down a tad ... hopefully!
Considering that the likelihood of Iran possessing even one nuclear-tipped missile in less than four or five years, these tests raise more questions than they answer. The big question, of course, is "why?"
Surely, they haven't plans of raining conventional missiles on Israel (Tehran?), Saudi Arabia (their oil fields?), Bahrain (commercial facilities?), Qatar (US military facilities?) or the United Arab Emirates (ports, oil refineries and Islamic Disneyland) ... do they?
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a nut-case for sure, but from all indications, he's not suicidal ... is he?
posted by Dr. Joe @ 10:11 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Hi Joe,
so we just came back france today.
yes VOA (voice of america persian) was saying a lot about the maneuvers (maneuvre in french, which reminds me when my father was not home for many days ;)... the funny part is that iranian channel was then speaking about iranian maneuvres as well! you know: voa and iranian channels are making a war of information. they care about what the other say so much. in iran all the family (cousins uncles and so on)are watching VOA. The satellite is forbidden since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but who cares :D i believed it was fake like some VOA news but no since i read u and other news sites.
before i forget let me say you about the news on tv: america badly loosing war in iraq, israel bad, france under fire, china a good country, russia as well... well nobody cares anymore about the lies. In Iran before leaving i could see big "DOWN WITH USA" everywhere in the cities! i asked my wife and she said about the anniversary of hostage ambassy.
i am going to write points about my trip but my wife is the very smart specialist... i try to push her to translate her website in english but she spends much time for farsi one and care about "ninnies" (like kitties for some people ;). What shockes me in Iran is far less the dictatorship you feel in low technology and being late country with so many smart people. NO what shockes me is the difference between poor and rich!
oops for what you asked me... first let me say you no news on french newspapers and tv: it'smy country! i start be used with it. about iran there is a lot but a lot of bullshit in the words of the president. sadly i have a very bad new for you .. and us: the president is a member of a group forbidden in Iran! this group believes that it needs to make a hell so the hidden will come. fanatics. and a mollah always saying is a messenger of God doesn't help. of course not all mollahs (my wife's dad is seyyed) and poor them to live hatred by the young people (most of them) because this "republic". well the president is dangerous! yes! suicidal? no like i said he wants the terrible days beofr the hidden come back. The good new: he has no power. The bad new inside the good new: the power is in hands of terrible stupid religious leader (that he should not have been) khatemei.
for the missiles they were not speaking about it in iran channels as far as i remember or they didn't make noise... maybe a speech by the president i missed. (i was in tehran the two last days without watching tv)
hey so emirates have islamic disneyland? you know... a lot but very lot of iranians are in dubai.. i mean the rich iranian spend the money there or make business ... few of family of my wife who are as well american citizens (representative of kodak two of them)... i was thinking going there sell esfahan arts (carpets, wood work, books luxe made hand and all parisian luxe)... a luxe shop but it's a dream :D seeing working hard doesn't give any money enough to live correctly (my wife doesn't work right now). it seems impressive dubai :) the beautiful tower buildings... a lot of advertisements on iranian channels
cheers
khoda hafez , like say iranian (byebye) or à bientôt in french (see you soon)
how is doing your job?
not too hard work with them? if they are so isolated on this island (is it?) does it mean they are somewhat dangerous?
le rouge et le noir -
I'll write more later in a later posting, but wanted you to know that Dubai is referred to as the "Islamic Disneyland." I lived there before moving here to the State of Washington, and yes, the buildings there are splendid and continuing to grow ... both up and out -- into the water! You can look up the American University in Dubai (AUD) where I was a professor on the web.
Cheers
Joe
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