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Iran's Military Nuclear Program Lasted Longer Than We Thought (thebulletin.org)
Lasrick writes: Two articles in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists analyze the IAEA's December 2nd report (PDF) on the possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program. Ariane Tabatabai goes into what the report did (and did not) reveal: "According to U.S. intelligence, Iran ceased its nuclear-weapon-related activities in 2003 and did not subsequently make a political decision to resume them. The IAEA report unsurprisingly indicates that Tehran did have a “coordinated” nuclear weapon development program until 2003. Iran further engaged in some activities after 2003 but these were not coordinated, according to the report." Harvard's Martin Malin summarizes key takeaways from the process: "[T]he report points out that, unfortunately, Iran has taken steps that make it more difficult for the country to put the past behind it."
The Persian people? Absolutely. The militant theocracy actively supporting terrorism in at least 5 sovereign nations? Hell no.
People are still dumb enough to believe Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapons program?
They had a functioning democracy. They were even on their way to decent women's rights and progressivism. However, Anglo-Persian Oil Company (British Petroleum) didn't like how they wanted to nationalize their oil fields. So the US staged a coupé, and installed a dictator. There was another revolution later ... and you get the idea.
> The militant theocracy actively supporting terrorism in at least 5 sovereign nations? Hell no.
Wait wait. Um...America is a semi-theocracy (in the sense conservatives have used religion to bolster pro-war agendas) and is the largest state sponsor of terror in the world! The US has the largest air force, squadrons of remote killing machines (predator drones) and ten active air craft carriers (the nations with the 2nd largest fleets of aircraft carriers all have 2 or less).
You know why Iran wants nuclear weapons? They're not weapons. No one can actually use them today (Mutually Assured Destruction; if two or more nuclear nations launched weapons, the devastation would be beyond measure). It's the same reason Pakistan has them. It's about power.
They're scared, and rightfully so. The US, UK et al has been meddling in their nation for decades. None of these countries want war. All they want is to defend themselves from the US, Russia, the EU and anyone else that wants to take from them again.
You're right, you're not getting any benefit. The US gets only a very tiny amount of oil from the Middle East. We get it from North and South America, mostly - actually by a huge margin. I don't recall the number but I think it's a single digit percentage of our oil comes from the Middle East the last time I looked.
Hmm... In 2012 NPR had it at about 12% but it's gone down since then as we've ramped up our production and Canada's sending us millions of barrels as they've ramped up too.
http://www.npr.org/2012/04/11/...
So, yeah, we get pretty much Jack and Shit for oil from the Middle East. We're certainly not dependent on them. Those stats are a few years old. I believe we get more from Africa now than we get from the Middle East. China, on the other hand, is the major importer of oil from the Middle East. Conclude what you will from that but it's true that you're not getting any benefit directly. (We do get some petrochemicals and resultant products from China's oil consumption.)
"So long and thanks for all the fish."
Which means that the scientists report to a guy in regular clothes instead of a military uniform.
America is a semi-theocracy
That has legalized abortion, pornography of many ilks, gay marriage, constitutionalized freedom of religion including no religion and regionalized polygamy and prostitution? Yeah. Keep talking about this theocracy you talk about. I'm not a religious person myself but this is bullshit. People like you won't be happy until you can jail a man for so much as saying god bless you at a sneeze. As for the conservatives using religion to bolster war? Cite. Fucking cite it from a conservative with actual power in this arena or shut your fucking filthy sewer.
Then you are a fool with no knowledge of history. The US lives for war, they have been at war for almost the entire time they existed.
No. Children are collateral damage.
That's at least how it is for civilized countries. For countries that engage in and support terrorism, killing children is the objective. It's not just a mistake that doesn't serve the mission goals.
Although "children" can certainly be combatants. The idea that they can't ever be combatants is just vanity of pampered rich Westerners that can't relate to conditions in the rest of the world.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
Aw...those fluffy little Iranians wouldn't hurt anyone, they only want to protect themselves...from the women and children in Syria that Assad is busy killing with the Iranian lapdogs, Hezbollah, or the useful idiots from Iraq they've convinced to fight in Syria, or their own poor suckers they've sent there? Them are some ferocious women and children they're killing. Or those naughty Jews in Israel who never gave a flying rat's ass about Iran until Iran decided to care about Israel? Or is it the Big Bad Sunnis in Iraq they can use as a foil to re-kindle their centuries long theocratic war?
And how do you know the Iranians don't think they can use nukes? There's no deterrent unless you actually have plans to use the damn things.
They had a functioning democracy. They were even on their way to decent women's rights and progressivism. However, Anglo-Persian Oil Company (British Petroleum) didn't like how they wanted to nationalize their oil fields. So the US staged a coupé, and installed a dictator. There was another revolution later ... and you get the idea.
No, Iran didn't have a "functioning democracy." The Prime Minister overthrew the "functioning democracy." He dissolved parliament, was ruling by decree, and faked an election in which he received a higher percentage of votes than either Hitler or Stalin in an attempt to "legitimize" his actions. Even worse, he refused the power of the head of state, the Shah, to remove him as would any monarch in a constitutional monarchy. That is the "functioning democracy" that was "overthrown." The US and UK didn't "install a dictator," they restored the rightful head of state, the Shah, to power after he fled the country in the face of the Prime Minister's coup overthrowing the government.
Wait wait. Um...America is a semi-theocracy (in the sense conservatives have used religion to bolster pro-war agendas)
Um ... that isn't a theocracy or "semi-theocracy." Your claim is complete rubbish.
and is the largest state sponsor of terror in the world! The US has the largest air force, squadrons of remote killing machines (predator drones) and ten active air craft carriers (the nations with the 2nd largest fleets of aircraft carriers all have 2 or less).
No the US isn't the largest state sponsor of terror in the world. That is rubbish. If you want to try to claim that please provide the data?
The US has aircraft carriers?! Oh noes! So what? You might notice that the US is also far from many of its allies? What do you think that means?
You know why Iran wants nuclear weapons? They're not weapons. No one can actually use them today (Mutually Assured Destruction; if two or more nuclear nations launched weapons, the devastation would be beyond measure). It's the same reason Pakistan has them. It's about power.
No, they're actually weapons. Iran will use them to intimidate its neighbors that are already terrified of it, and may attempt genocide against Israel. Many of the Gulf States are on a weapons buying binge to try to counter Iran. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and possibly Turkey will obtain nuclear weapons if Iran does. On the other hand Britain may give up nuclear weapons which would leave France as the only European nuclear power. That would leave Europe open to nuclear threats by Iran. Iran already has missiles that can reach Europe, and a design for a nuclear warhead to fit those missiles.
They're scared, and rightfully so. The US, UK et al has been meddling in their nation for decades. None of these countries want war. All they want is to defend themselves from the US, Russia, the EU and anyone else that wants to take from them again.
More rubbish. Iran actively meddles in the affairs of many nations across the Middle East. It is directly backing rebels in Yemen, it supports Hezbollah in Lebanon, and has combat troops in Iraq and Syria. As I previously stated many of its neighbors are terrified by it and the threats that it makes. The Secretary General of the UN has rebuked Iran for the genocidal threats it makes against Israel. I don't know how you come up with this "poor little Iran" nonsense, but it has little relation to reality.
much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell