Hahahahahahaha

If any corporate CEO has done what OPEC has spent the last 30 years doing, they'd be in prison forever.

Fri January 13, 2012, 03:00 AM [Politics] If Iran steps over the line US may be forced to mark them a zero. There are rules (115)

Thu January 12, 2012, 07:00 PM [Main] Iran: "Our nuclear scientists are randomly asploding." USA: "Wasn't us." Israel: "I understand there has been a problem with suicides among the scientists, LOL" (262) (+62)

Wed January 11, 2012, 10:00 PM [Politics] The Pentagon wants to "lower the temperature" when it comes to Iran. Preferably to absolute zero (72)

Wed January 11, 2012, 10:00 AM [Main] Another Iranian nuclear scientist has car trouble (548)

Tue January 10, 2012, 07:00 PM [Main] I'm not saying Iran brought down the American RQ-170 spy drone with flying saucers and force fields... but it was flying saucers and force fields (87)

Tue January 10, 2012, 02:00 PM [Main] US ship rescues Iranian sailors at sea. This is not a repeat from Thursday (84)

Mon January 09, 2012, 11:00 PM [Politics] Santorum on why Iran shouldn't have nukes: "They're a theocracy. They have deeply embedded beliefs that the afterlife is better than this life." Clearly, Santorum is jealous (186) (+2)

Mon January 09, 2012, 07:00 PM [Politics] Leon Panetta lets it slip that Iran is indeed developing nuclear capabilities (175)

Mon January 09, 2012, 10:00 AM [Main] Now that the orgasmic glow of that whole "American navy rescued our sailors from pirates and we said thank you" thing has faded, Iran decides to roll over and sentence a captured American citizen to death (122)


What stories happened between that constant Iran thread-o-thon and this one?

False Flag
A series of CIA memos describes how Israeli Mossad agents posed as American spies to recruit members of the terrorist organization Jundallah to fight their covert war against Iran.

Robert Baer and Richard Engel on Hardball talking about Israel, escalating hostilities, and provoke Iran into an attack to justify a military response.

Trance750: If any corporate CEO has done what OPEC has spent the last 30 years doing, they'd be in prison forever.

That's probably why nation-states are sovereign entities that can form voluntary trade alliances with other sovereign entities. Limited liability corporations (at least theoretically) are not such things.

Iran has been reminding me of the tea party idiots lately. They just keep saying and doing stupid shiat, people look up for a second or two, them get back to their business because their power and influence is long gone.

Party Boy: False Flag: A series of CIA memos describes how Israeli Mossad agents posed as American spies to recruit members of the terrorist organization Jundallah to fight their covert war against Iran.

FYA: The report then made its way to the White House, according to the currently serving U.S. intelligence officer. The officer said that Bush "went absolutely ballistic" when briefed on its contents. "The report sparked White House concerns that Israel's program was putting Americans at risk...but this was different. No matter what anyone thinks, we're not in the business of assassinating Iranian officials or killing Iranian civilians." Israel's relationship with Jundallah continued to roil the Bush administration until the day it left office, this same intelligence officer noted.

There is little question that Jundallah is part of the Qaedan (new window) network. The Iranians have been blaming the Jundallah/Qaedan attacks on the US for years. But this has been going on since Bush was in office--I don't think it has much to do with the recent brouhaha over sanctions and the Straits of Hormuz--that seems more to provoke a spike in oil revenue for Iran in the face of coming sanctions. This threat against OPEC countries is pretty much along the same lines I think. They're trying to buoy the price to fill their coffers as full as possible before the fit hits the shan.

imprimere: HOWEVER, I want the US to take absolutely no major role in retaliation, other than embargos and a complete cutoff. Then, if more than nasty letters are issued, let the US provide NO MORE money, troops or weapons than any other nation.



Sorry, but the ink is already dry on this deal for the US and the Saudis.

Somacandra: I don't think it has much to do with the recent brouhaha over sanctions and the Straits of Hormuz

The release of this information is what is important. Theres going to be more blowback from various people over what is not covered on Iran. I'd consider this more of a shot across the bow.

You have an Obama administration who, just recently, expended a chunk of political capital on releasing oil from the strategic oil reserves to drive down prices to help boost the economy. In come the AIPAC sanctions, and Obama pleads to ease the impact of the penalties to avoid driving up oil prices. He loses. Oil prices go up over the nonsense that occurs afterwards, negatively affecting the US economy. Bonus? China Gets Cheaper Iran Oil as U.S. Pays for Hormuz Patrols. A varied group of other people, with the run up to the Iraq war fresh on their minds, arent too happy with this and with the televison media coverage. One example of this is from Robert Baer and Engel on Matthews. Baer is one of the very respected experts in the area. Another is from U.S. defense leaders that are increasingly concerned that Israel is preparing to take military action against Iran, over U.S. objections, and have stepped up contingency planning to safeguard U.S. facilities in the region in case of a conflict (fark doesn't like WSJ links, just google that sentence).

The selective reporting is atrocious, and its pissing people off. 2002 is very fresh in many minds.

Somacandra: Sorry, but the ink is already dry on this deal for the US and the Saudis.

Theres backstory on that deal.

The sale, under negotiation since 2007 was tied up with an Israeli deal with the F-35.

In 2005, the U.S. suspended cooperation with Israel on the fighter Jet, due to Israel's arms deals with China. Our problems with Israel selling China arms goes back a long way 1 2 3,

We agreed to sell (at the later date mentioned in the TFA) the F-35 to Israel as part of a renegotiated defensive package to Israel, where the US is giving Israel an overall $30 billion aid package. There was a settlement deal bantered around in there that didn;t work out, too.

This package was designed to "maintain Israel's military edge" in a arms sale to Saudi Arabia.

Now, this deal with the Saudis was suspended, and reviewed (Sen Weiner ) in good part over a hub bub that that the Saudis were getting were weapons the "U.S. has been selling Israel such weapons since the 1990s."

Moreover, addressing Israeli concerns, advanced sensors on the new Saudi F-15s will have technology built in to prevent them being used against their Israeli equivalents.

Theres been Saudi relations downslide from when the neocons took over the Bush presidency and pushed out old Bush friend Prince Bandar. Lets remember that Bill Kristol was advocating replacing the Saudi monarchy in 2002.

King Something: billionaires who run the oil companies.

Billionaires that run the oil companies have hated these sanctions since they were firs passed in the mid nineties. Even Cheney railed against them.

Amos Quito: Perhaps it's time that America review the definition of "friends" vs that of "enemies".

Well, if you got your news here, it would be pretty hard to come to any conclusion but "hurr, lets go invade.. glass parking derp."