Iran: Yes We're Really This Stupid.

Well Iran decided they wanted to be a big boy on the block and shot off a ballistic missle. Soon after they decided to threaten U.S. forces in the region by saying they would launch a pre-emptive strike to defend their nuclear facilities.

Now to give one the run down...Iran is controlled by a Old Fundementalists who represent about 25% of the nation. The other 75% is WELL under 30 years of age. Needless to say they don't alwayw agree with those in power and sucha threat is not sitting well with them since THEY would be the ones facing U.S. Forces.

Unlike IRAQ this would be a much diffrent and inherantly more brutal conflict since nuclear weapons would be at the heart of the matter. For IRAN to come out and have the balls to make such a threat only shows how desperate they are to stay a power player in the region. Unlike N.Korea who most analysts know is falling apart and a joke militarily (Entire villages and cities are collapsing due to mass famine) IRAN is on just about everyone hitlist. Now if they attack current U.S. forces "In the Region" which includes ANYWHERE in the Mid-East of within ballistic missle range of IRAN...a confrontation will occur to say the least. Nuking U.S. forces jsut wouldn't sit well these days.

It's a stupid threat that only adds to the parinoia and fear IRAN likes to cause and while they think nothign will come of it...it's a dumb gamble and really highlights how much that nation needs to be dealt with. These kinds of weapons are not to be left in the hands of a nation liek IRAN...fundementalists and ballistic missles is not a mix for stability in a region already fucked to peices.

IRAQ was a hassle...now IRAN thinks they can do as they wish. Only reason this bugs me is the honest reality that is conflict were to arise a draft would not be out of the question. Dunno about you but I'm not to keen on heading over to IRAN. May sound a bit parinoid but if you look at IRAN's recent history...they're not the most "sane" lot.

Dunno about all of you but I'm getting pretty sick of this region.

Here's the NY Times blurb on it:

TEHRAN, Aug. 19 - Iran's defense minister, Vice Adm. Ali Shamkhani, has warned that Iran may resort to pre-emptive strikes to prevent an attack on its nuclear facilities.

Admiral Shamkhani made his comments in an interview on Al Jazeera television on Wednesday in response to a question about the possibility of an American or Israeli attack against Iran's nuclear projects.


"We will not sit to wait for what others will do to us," he said. "Some military commanders in Iran are convinced that preventive operations which the Americans talk about are not their monopoly. Any nation, if it feels threatened, can resort to that."

There has been speculation here that Israel may attack Iran's nuclear sites, as it struck against Iraq's nuclear facilities at Osirak in 1981.

A commander of Iran's hard-line Revolutionary Guards warned this week that Iran would strike Israel's reactor at Dimona if Israel attacked Iran's nuclear sites.

"If Israel fires one missile at Bushehr atomic power plant, it should permanently forget about the Dimona nuclear center, where it produces and keeps its nuclear weapons," said the commander, Gen. Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr.

Admiral Shamkhani said Iran was certain that Israel would not carry out such an attack without a green light from the United States. "So you cannot separate the two," he said.

On Thursday, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi urged the International Atomic Energy Agency to close its file on charges that Iran was developing nuclear weapons, state-run television reported. This month, the United Nations agency affirmed Iran's claim that the highly enriched uranium found at an Iranian site had been carried in on equipment Iran purchased in the black market.

"If the case is not closed, it intensifies the suspicion about interference of political motives and pressures within the agency," Mr. Kharazi said.

The nuclear watchdog agency is scheduled to report its findings on Iran's nuclear activities at a meeting in Vienna starting Sept. 13. The United States has urged the agency to send Iran's case to the United Nations Security Council, which can impose sanctions.