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Ahmadinejad rules out war against the U.S. or Israel

http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx?Id=649109

Ahmadinejad rules out war against the U.S. or Israel
7/8/2008 1:56 PM ET
In a statement that may defuse the escalating tension in the Persian Gulf since Monday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ruled out the possibility of a war between his country and the U.S. or Israel.

Ahmedinejad's statement comes in the wake of reports that Iran on Tuesday started military maneuvers in the Persian Gulf a day after the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln moved into the Gulf of Oman so its warplanes can fly missions over Afghanistan.

Addressing a news conference on the sidelines of a summit of developing Muslim nations in Malaysia, Ahmadinejad predicted that the Israeli regime would collapse without Iranian action.

"I assure you that there won't be any war in the future," Ahmadinejad told reporters in response to a question on whether he has called for the destruction of Israel.

He said he did not believe that people in America would endorse President George W Bush for an attack on Iran because it would be a "political suicide."

"The economic, political and military situation will not let Mr Bush do that," Ahmadinejad added.

The Iranian leader is of the opinion that the United States' intervention in other countries poses a "great threat in the Middle East and the whole world."

Ali Shirazi, an aide to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was quoted as saying Monday that Iran will hit Israel, U.S. ships in the Gulf, and American interests around the world if it is attacked.

"The first bullet fired by America at Iran will be followed by Iran burning down its vital interests around the globe," Ali Shirazi said, while addressing the Revolutionary Guards.

Although an outbreak of war over the nuclear dispute between Iran and the world powers seems not imminent, the Iranian government frequently says it will remain on high alert and make any aggressor regret its actions.

Any development based on geopolitical factors related to Iran influences the oil price, as the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, is a vital channel for energy supplies. Upto 40 percent of the world's crude oil is carried through the Persian Gulf waterway.

A war of words between Iranian and Israeli officials raised concerns of military confrontation and influenced oil prices to record highs in recent weeks.

Ahmadinajad's latest stand on the war indicates that despite spirited rhetoric from Iranian leaders, Tehran doesn't prefer a military conflict with the United States.

On the other side, Washington is also wary of the repercussions of a possible war, which would drive surging crude prices even higher, fueling a global recession.

Last week, Vice Admiral William Gortney, the new commander of the U.S. Fifth Fleet said that the American naval presence in the Persian Gulf poses no threat to Iranian interests.

He told reporters in Bahrain that the White House only seeks to send a "very clear message" that its naval presence will help maintain security and provide stability in the region.

The European Union imposed new sanctions on Iran in June after it rejected a package of incentives offered to persuade the Islamist country to suspend uranium enrichment.

Iran, which insists that uranium enrichment is meant for peaceful purposes, has said it is prepared to negotiate with major world powers on condition that the talks had to address its nuclear rights.

created by charlatan on Jul 10, 2008 at 05:08:19 pm     Comments: 6

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Comments ... #

The axis of photoshop:

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/2008/07/iranian_missile_tests_not_what.html

posted by jhostetler on Jul 11, 2008 at 10:49:32 am     #



If photoshop is a war crime then Hugh Hefner's fledgeling empire has hell to pay.

posted by charlatan on Jul 11, 2008 at 02:56:48 pm     #



fixed!

posted by charlatan on Jul 12, 2008 at 10:30:12 am     #



That looks like a real life version of the Missile Commando game.

posted by jr on Jul 12, 2008 at 01:00:50 pm     #



Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran would "cut off the hands" of any foreign enemy that attacked the country, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

"Before the enemies can put their fingers on the trigger, the armed forces will cut off their hands," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying.

The remarks, delivered Sunday, came just days after Iran conducted long-range missile tests and threatened to target "the heart of Israel" and 32 U.S. bases in the Middle East if those countries attacked Iran.

"This is only a small part of Iran's defense capabilities and in future we will unveil more of our defense capabilities if it is needed," he said.

Iranian officials said Wednesday that the country test-fired its Shahab-3 missile — a longe-range weapon that it says can reach Israel — and eight other missiles

posted by Kooz on Jul 13, 2008 at 03:54:31 pm     #



Israel should be wiped off map, says Iran's presidentEwen MacAskill and Chris McGreal in Jerusalem The Guardian, Thursday October 27, 2005
Article history
Iran's new president created a sense of outrage in the west yesterday by describing Israel as a "disgraceful blot" that should be "wiped off the face of the earth". Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who is more hardline than his predecessor, told students in Tehran that a new wave of Palestinian attacks would be enough to finish off Israel.
The populist leader's comments, reported by the state-run media, come at a time when Tehran is under pressure over its suspect nuclear weapons ambitions and alleged involvement in attacks on British troops in Iraq.

He said: "Anybody who recognises Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation's fury, [while] any [Islamic leader] who recognises the Zionist regime means he is acknowledging the surrender and defeat of the Islamic world." He was addressing a conference titled The World Without Zionism.

His speech was immediately condemned by the US, Britain, France, Germany and Israel. The Foreign Office could not recall a similar statement from a senior Iranian leader since the former president Hashemi Rafsanjani five years ago called for a Muslim state to annihilate Israel with a nuclear strike. Since then, there has been a mild thaw in relations between Muslim states, including Arab ones, and Israel.

But Mr Ahmadinejad rejected compromise: "There is no doubt that the new wave [of attacks] in Palestine will wipe off this stigma [Israel] from the face of the Islamic world." Recalling the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of Iran's Islamic revolution, he said: "As the imam said, Israel must be wiped off the map."

The US and Britain are leading a push to have Iran referred to the UN security council next month because of fears that it is covertly engaged in securing a nuclear weapons capability by deciding to restart a uranium conversion programme, an early step towards such an ability. Tehran has repeatedly said its programme is for civil use only.

Both the US and Britain saw their fears about Mr Ahmadinejad's election confirmed when he made a fiery speech at a UN summit in New York in September. His predecessor, Muhammad Khatami, had tried to improve links with the west and been less vocal in condemnation of Israel.

The US said the president's remarks proved the accuracy of Washington's fears. "I think it reconfirms what we have been saying about the regime. It underscores the concerns we have about Iran's nuclear intentions," Scott McClellan, the White House press secretary, said.

Mark Regev, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, said: "Unfortunately this is not the first time that we've heard such an extremist message from the Iranian leadership. I think there is a growing understanding in the international community that the regime is not Israel's problem alone, but a problem the entire international community must grapple with."

Israel views Iran as its main security threat in the Middle East. The defence minister, Shaul Mofaz, has said Tehran could be capable of developing a nuclear weapon within months and that there is a need for urgent action to prevent that.

Israel has issued thinly veiled threats against Iran's nuclear programme if diplomatic efforts fail and is buying 500 "bunker-buster" bombs from the US that could be used to destroy the facilities. The Israeli foreign minister, Silvan Shalom, raised the question of the nuclear programme with the visiting Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, in Jerusalem yesterday. Russia is selling nuclear fuel for the reactors to Iran, despite Israel's objections.

France and Germany expressed concern about Mr Ahmadinejad's remarks yesterday. Jean-Baptiste Mattei, a French foreign ministry spokesman, said: "We have noted press articles reporting the comments of President Ahmadinejad. If these comments were indeed made, we condemn them with the utmost firmness." A German foreign ministry spokesman, Walter Lindner, said: "Should these comments have actually been made, they are completely unacceptable and to be condemned in the sharpest terms

posted by Kooz on Jul 13, 2008 at 03:55:59 pm     #