Iranian fauxtography? You want some real Iranian fauxtography?
From Iran - Dramatic Failure:
Iran was so proud of its rocket launch. It announced it to the world and then said it would put any Muslim satellite into space. Just one little problem. They can't get their rocket off of the ground safely.
Iran's attempt to launch a dummy satellite into orbit earlier this week was a "dramatic failure" that fell far short of the country's assertions of success, Reuters quoted a US official as saying on Tuesday.
Monkey in the Middle accompanied the above info with the photo at the top of the page.
You want Iranian fauxtography?
Well, do you punk?
by Mondoreb
The anti-war blogosphere has been awash with stories about a frightening, imminent attack by the U.S. and Israel on Iran.
Someone in Iran must be paying attention.
Iran has moved ballistic missiles into launch positions, with Israel’s Dimona nuclear plant among the possible targets, defence sources said last week.
The movement of Shahab-3B missiles, which have an estimated range of more than 1,250 miles, followed a large-scale exercise earlier this month in which the Israeli air force flew en masse over the Mediterranean in an apparent rehearsal for a threatened attack on Iran’s nuclear installations. Israel believes Iran’s nuclear programme is aimed at acquiring nuclear weapons.
Some sources say the Iranian attack on Israel has already begun--in the form of Hizbullah's constant barrage of rockets. As YNetNews puts it, "There is, however, a very serious twist to this war: It is no secret that Iran is using Lebanese territory as a frontline zone for an assault on northern Israel."
Hizbullah's rockets continue to pound Israeli cities, towns, and villages, creating a wave of Israeli refugees fleeing the north.
The displaced northerners can be seen all over Tel Aviv: They are families, young people, and children, all searching for accommodation and a place to rest.
The constant attacks by Hizbullah are creating daily, heart wrenching tragedies. Israelis are being killed and injured after trying to take cover from rocket barrages, or for simply going to work.
Is the missile movement the first warnings of a direct Iranian attack? A defensive move? Or, is it just Middle Eastern bluster and posturing, with Iran content to let Hizbullah do the heavy lifting?
The sources said Iran was preparing to retaliate for any onslaught by firing missiles at Dimona, where Israel’s own nuclear weapons are believed to be made.
Major-General Mohammad Jafari, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard, told a Tehran daily: “This country [Israel] is completely within the range of the Islamic Republic’s missiles. Our missile power and capability are such that the Zionist regime – despite all its abilities – cannot confront it.”
An editorial in a government newspaper, Jomhouri Eslami, said: “Our response will hit right at their temple.”
US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, arrived in Israel Saturday for talks with top Israeli defense officers. There was speculation that this visit was about Israel seeking permission from the U.S. for an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.
“Although the visit had been planned well in advance, we got the feeling he was coming to make sure we’ll obey the strict timetable agreed with the US,” said an Israeli defense source.
Is it all just saber-rattling? Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has threatened to "wipe Israel off the face of the map", once Iran acquires nuclear weapons.
Are we seeing the prep work of an Israeli response to Ahmadinejad's nuclear threats?
Regardless, one suspects that the anti-war crowd won't be staging any protests about the Hizbullah attacks on Israeli citizens anytime soon.
by Mondoreb
Source/image:
* Iran's attack on Israel has begun
* Iran ready to strike at Israel’s nuclear heart
* civitatensis
The Human Shield Movement has announced it reached its 10,000th pledge member. The lucky guy to sign on as a Human Shield Volunteer number ten thousand is Steven Morris from Birmingham. Morris has pledged to use his body as a "human shield" against an "attack on Iran" from "neo-con" President Bush.
Volunteers are from 22 countries not from Iran have pledged to travel to the Middle Eastern country at a moment's notice to place their "human shields" or in simpler terms, their bodies in front of civilian infrastructure in Iran in order to "prevent what they believe would be a catastrophic and unjustified attack" from the "warmonger" President Bush.
While we believe if there were to be such an attack it would be catastrophic, especially for the Human Shields, we're not so sure it would be unjustified. We wondered if each of the Shields will be assigned large bold numbers for identification purposes if their worst case scenario is confirmed. We suggest each Human Shield also receive a form to fill out for future Honorary Darwin Awards.
As for their being to able to travel to Iran at a "moment's notice" do these people have enough frequent flier miles so they won't have pay full price for an airline ticket? Or do they care, after all this will probably the last trip they ever take even though they believe their Human Shield plan of defense will deter any attack by President Bush and the United States against Iran.
A "powerfully worded warning" was sent to the White House while spokesman for the movement, David Tyler, said "Traditional methods of protest are ineffective in the face of the neo-Con determination to implement their global vision".
As to why these people believe their lives are worth anything baffles us. Life is cheap, war is hell, and Human Shields are worth a dime a dozen then you could buy the whole lot for under ten bucks.
By LBG
Source - Payvand's Iran News - Human Shield Movement to Iran recieves 10,000th Pledge
Image - Atom Smasher.Org
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Same As it Ever Was
Iran has seen the face of the enemy--and it's plastic.
No, we're not talking about Nancy Pelosi; Iran's top prosecutor said imports of Barbie dolls and and other decadent Western toys will have destructive cultural and social consequences for the Islamic Republic.
Iran's conservative clerical establishment often rails against the perceived dangers of U.S.-inspired culture and consumerism, branding it "Westoxication."
But young Iranians are often keen consumers of such music, films and other goods from the West. Iconic toy brands can be bought in children's shops in the capital Tehran and elsewhere.
"The appearance of personalities such as Barbie, Batman, Spiderman and Harry Potter and ... computer games and movies are all a danger warning to the officials in the cultural arena," said Prosecutor General Ghorban Ali Dori Najafabadi in a letter to Vice President Parviz Davoudi published in the Mardom Salari daily.
Najafabadi, a high-ranking cleric, said Iran was the world's third biggest importer of toys and suggested this posed a threat to the "personality and identity" of the new generation.
The cartoon at the beginning of this story is from October 2006: once again Cox and Forkum were ahead of the curve. The cartoon above chronicles the Saudi freak-out at the time over Barbie.
Maybe it's contagious.
by RidesAPaleHorse
image: cox and Forkum
Source: Official sees "Destructive" Barbie influence
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Pat Buchanan on MSNBC.
It's not that the attack on Iran is back on the table; it's why was it ever taken off the table as an option?
by Mondoreb
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[NOTE: This was originally posted on November 7 2007, but we saw it and thought, "Hey! You can never have enough reminders that Islam is the Religion of Love or Peace or whatever.]
The Left's always maintained that Ahmadinejad has a tender side. Who knew?
Saw this over on Gateway Pundit and it caused some rethinking: Might Islam, after all is said and done, really be the religion of love?
From the same great country that brought you homosexual execution.
You can't spell "fatwa" or "NAMBLA" without the two "A"'s.
by Mondoreb
images:
* ibloga
* rotten gods
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Originally posted November 7 2007 at DBKP at Blogger.
The Russian construction company that is helping construct Iran's Bushehr nuclear reactor is nearly doubling its staff at the facility.
Russia's nuclear constructor Atomstroiexport will nearly double its staff on the construction site of the Bushehr nuclear station Russia is building for Iran, the company's president said late Thursday.
"Earlier all our problems stemmed from irregular equipment supplies, now this is no big problem. But the problem of the lack of personnel remains, the deficit of workers is quite significant," Sergei Shmatko said as quoted by the Interfax news agency.
There are currently 1500 Russian specialists working at the complex now. Within the next few weeks, the company plans to bring in around 300 new specialists and bring in another 1000 before the end of 2008.
Western countries suspect that Iran's PR of developing nuclear power is a cover for an atomic weapons program--something that Iran denies.
The fact that Iran is sitting on large reserves of petroleum and natural gas may have something to do with the believability of its cover story about needing nuclear reactors to produce electricity.
Russia has relatively close ties to Iran, despite disputes over various times during the construction of the nuclear reactor.
However, on Wednesday Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denounced Iran for constantly showing its intentions to develop rocket technologies and enrich uranium.
It will be interesting to see if the disputes are quieted or if Russia realizes that the Iran that is your friend today is the Iran that exports Islamic revolution to Russia's Muslim citizens tomorrow.
Chechna, anyone?
by Mondoreb
hat tip: Jack Gregson, Freedom Phoenix
image:
Source: Russia to Double personnel in Bushehr
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.
20 Ahmadinejad Quotes on his Apocalyptic Vison
“I am decisively announcing to the whole world that if the world-devourers [i.e., the infidel powers] wish to stand against our religion, we will stand against their whole world and will not cease until the annihilation of all them. Either we all become free, or we will go to the greater freedom which is martyrdom. Either we shake one another’s hands in joy at the victory of Islam in the world, or all of us will turn to eternal life and martyrdom. In both cases, victory and success are ours.”
--Ayatollah Khomeini, quoted in an 11-grade Iranian schoolbook
The 2008 election contests have taken the spotlight off of Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lately in the United States.
Ahmadinejad has put the spotlight back on himself the last several days.
In a speech on Sunday, Ahmadinejad reminded those who urge "negotiations" with Iran that there will be no negotiations--if the country is Israel.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that Tehran wants expansion of relations with all nations and countries, except the "illegitimate Zionist Regime."This would make sense, as Ahmadinejad has more than once vowed to "wipe Israel off the map."
Why negotiate with a country that will no longer exist--if he has anything to do with it?
On Monday, he spoke to crowds in Tehran on the 29th anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran.
This speech was also a reminder to those who think "negotiations" are the answer.
Hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad struck a defiant tone as he spoke to giant crowds marking the 29th anniversary of the Islamic revolution Monday, vowing never to slow down nuclear development and announcing plans for more rocket launches in Iran's space program.
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators marched through the capital Tehran, chanting "Death to America" and burning effigies of President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
All this could be dismissed as the rantings of a deranged madman--there are certainly no shortage of those in the Middle East--except that Ahmadinejad is deadly serious about a couple of things: the destruction of Israel and his Apocalyptic world view that manifests itself in the coming of the 12th Imam.
The 12th Imam and the Mahdi are Ahmadinejad obsessions.
The Mahdi, according to Shi'ite tradition, will arise at some point before the day of judgement, institute a kingdom of justice, and will in the last days fight alongside the returned Isa Al-Maseeh (Jesus) against the Dajjal, the Antichrist.
Shi'as believe that Muhammad al-Mahdi will reappear when the world has fallen into chaos and civil war emerges between the human race for no reason. At this time, it is believed, half of the true believers will ride from Yemen carrying white flags to Mecca, while the other half will ride from Karbala, in Iraq, carrying black flags to Mecca. At this time, Muhammad al-Mahdi will come wielding God's Sword, the Blade of Evil's Bane, Zulfiqar (Arabic: ذو الفقار, ðū l-fiqār), the Double-Bladed Sword.
And lest any compare him to Christians who believe in the prophesies of the Bible's Book of Revelation, the Iranian president has put his money--or rather Iran's--where his mouth is.
As mayor of Tehran, for example, Mr. Ahmadinejad appears to have in 2004 secretly instructed the city council to build a grand avenue to prepare for the Mahdi.
And Ahmadinejad will soon be the Iranian with his finger on Iran's nuclear trigger.
From a December 2005 piece by Charles Krauthammer.
But it gets worse. The president of a country about to go nuclear is a confirmed believer in the coming apocalypse. Like Judaism and Christianity, Shiite Islam has its own version of the messianic return -- the reappearance of the Twelfth Imam. The more devout believers in Iran pray at the Jamkaran mosque, which houses a well from which, some believe, he will emerge.
When Ahmadinejad unexpectedly won the presidential elections, he immediately gave $17 million of government funds to the shrine. Last month Ahmadinejad said publicly that the main mission of the Islamic Revolution is to pave the way for the reappearance of the Twelfth Imam.
And as in some versions of fundamentalist Christianity, the second coming will be accompanied by the usual trials and tribulations, death and destruction. Iranian journalist Hossein Bastani reported Ahmadinejad saying in official meetings that the hidden imam will reappear in two years.
At his U.N. speech in September of last year, Admadinejad said, ""O mighty Lord, I pray to you to hasten the emergence of your last repository, the Promised One, that perfect and pure human being, the one that will fill this world with justice and peace."
And when he returned to Iran, he stated, "one of our group told me that when I started to say "In the name of God the almighty and merciful," he saw a light around me, and I was placed inside this aura. I felt it myself. I felt the atmosphere suddenly change, and for those 27 or 28 minutes, the leaders of the world did not blink. … And they were rapt. It seemed as if a hand was holding them there and had opened their eyes to receive the message from the Islamic republic."
All this talk of the Apocalypse even has some Iranian mullahs worried.
[S]ome Iranian clerics quietly say they are worried about a leader who has become the foremost public advocate of Iran's nuclear program. "Some of us can understand why you in the West would be concerned," a young mullah here told me last week. "We, too, wonder about the intentions of those who are controlling this nuclear work."
In August of 2007, Ahmadinejad gave a series of speeches concerning his Apocalypic visions.
Here are 20 quotes taken from those speeches, given August 18-29.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Apocalyptic Vision
"The Hidden Imam is heir to everything that has been good and beautiful throughout history, and the call [to await his coming] is a call [to have faith] in the missions of the divine prophets, in monotheism, and in justice."
--August 25-26, 2007
"In these days, humanity longs for monotheism and justice. With God's grace, the [preparations] for a flood of compassion, truth and justice will soon be complete."
--August 25-26, 2007
"The message of Mahdism, which calls [to believe] in the Savior [i.e. the Hidden Imam], brings hope and joy to people [throughout the world]. [It is] a message of steadfastness and patience and of resisting the oppressors [i.e. the West, headed by America]; it is a message of submission [to God] and of the pursuit of justice and honor. The current situation in the world has led the nations to reject in disgust the rule of the oppressors."
--August 25-26, 2007
"Now is the time to invite people to accept the rule of the righteous, and [especially that] of the most righteous of [rulers] - the Hidden Imam."
--August 25-26, 2007
"Today's imperialist forces give humanity nothing by forcing wars [upon it], plundering its resources, violating [human] rights, issuing threats, trampling human dignity and [spreading] corruption, vice and insecurity."
--August 25-26, 2007
"The oppressors and tyrants are responsible for all the difficulties and problems currently faced by the nations, and the only way to establish justice is through popular uprising and determined resistance in the face of these oppressors."
--August 25-26, 2007
"[The day] of these aggressors... who are oppressing and controlling the nations, is now coming to an end."
--August 25-26, 2007
"Those who [seek to] distract the people with materialistic philosophy of one kind or another, and who pursue materialism, have brought humanity nothing but despair and deception."
--August 25-26, 2007
"The time of the righteous rulers will come, and the most righteous of rulers, [i.e. the Hidden Imam], will form a government and thereby instate the monotheism of Abraham [throughout the world]. That day is not far away."
--August 25-26, 2007
"Our enemies naturally feel threatened by the call to [believe in] the Mahdi, for they do not want people to think about justice. But our reply to them is that the era of the aggressive [powers] has come to an end. We believe that it is time for the righteous to rule, and for humanity to be properly [re]born out of love, knowledge, and spirituality."
--August 25-26, 2007
"Today we must prepare ourselves to discharge the responsibility [placed] upon us... which transcends the [boundaries of the] Muslim world."
--August 18-19, 2007
"Islam is the truth. This truth was only partly revealed in Judaism and Christianity, but is fully revealed in Islam."
--August 18-19, 2007
"Today, as ever, the world needs the Hidden Imam, [for] it is suffering under the yoke of dishonest [rulers]."
--August 18-19, 2007
"Our mission transcends the geographical boundaries of the Muslim [world]. Our clerics have a responsibility to call upon humanity as a whole to [embrace] the [true] monotheism and the rule of monotheistic principles."
--August 18-19, 2007
"The current problems faced by the world result from [the rule] of unworthy rulers."
--August 28, 2007
"The ultimate solution is to replace these unworthy regimes and rulers, and to establish the rule of the Hidden Imam."
--August 28, 2007
"Those who are not versed in [the doctrine of Mahdism] believe that the return [of the Hidden Imam] will occur only in a very long time, but, according to the divine promise, [his return] is imminent."
--August 28, 2007
"The Iranian nation and the Islamic Revolution have a pivotal role in preparing the ground for the coming of the Hidden Imam."
--August 29, 2007
"We must rapidly develop Iran in order to create the [right] conditions for his [the Hidden Imam's] coming, and we must also help the rest of the world's nations [to prepare for his return], in order to precipitate this great event."
--August 29, 2007
"The responsibility that currently rests on Iran's [shoulders] is very heavy; it is the kind of mission [with which] the divine prophets [were entrusted]. It does not permit us to rest or slumber even for a moment. Have you ever seen a prophet take a rest from the fulfillment of his mission?"
--August 29, 2007
20 reasons why any "negotiations" with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will ultimately prove fruitless.
How can a man negotiate away that which is foretold?
by Mondoreb
images:
* blogforpeace
* slydawg
* swordattheready
Sources:
* Ahmadinejad: The Return of the Mahdi is Imminent
* The Madhi
* The Twelfth Imam
* In Iran, Arming for Armageddon
* The Mystical Menace of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
* Nuclear Iran means Nuclear War
* Iran Won't Stop Enrichment
* Ahmadinejad: Iran want relations with all countries except ”illegitimate” Israel
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A tale of countries, two embassies, and no Ambassadors. The Iranians ordered the Canadian Ambassador to pack his bags and catch the red-eye back home. Even though Iran has expelled the Canadian ambassador the Canadian Embassy will remain open, run by the charge d'affair.
OTTAWA – Canada's ambassador to Iran has been ordered to leave the country, Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier said in a statement late Monday.Canada has refused to "accept" the candidates that Iran has proposed.
Bernier says the decision is entirely unjustifiable.
The statement says Ottawa will continue to monitor the well-being of the other embassy staff in Tehran. [1]
What was missing from the Star article was the reason behind the "cold shoulder" given to Iran from Canada. From the BBC:
Relations between the two countries have been strained since a Canadian-Iranian journalist died in police custody in Iran in 2003.No word yet from Iran as to why they chose to expel the Canadian Ambassador. At this juncture it's become an 'Ambasssadorial Impasse.'
In November, the UN passed a Canadian-sponsored resolution condemning Iran's "systematic violations of human rights". [2]
Source - 1 - Toronto Star - Canadian ambassador to Iran expelled: Foreign Affairs
Source - 2- BBC - Iran 'expels Canadian ambassador'
By LBG
Image 1 - [media.canada.com]
Image 2 - [iranair.ru]
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The September 9 Attack on Syria: Israeli Electronic Warfare Capabilities Beyond Any Yet Displayed
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An awesome display of electronic warfare capabilities by Israel in September sparked a sharp reaction in Russia today. It all may bode ill for Iran tomorrow.
Electronic warfare capabilities reached new heights during the September 9 Israeli attack on Syria. That was the revelation from the November 25 issue of Aviation Week & Space. The revelations apparently touched a nerve somewhere in Russia.
Today Pravda carried a story imparting their own spin to the events described in AW&S, along with an interview with Richard J. Aldrich and an editorial wrap-up that featured a scary prediction.
The article packed an informational punch. The authors of the AW&S piece, David A. Fulghum, Robert Wall and Amy Butler, covered a lot of ground.
Among the highlights were: the elements of the electronic attacks carried out by the Israelis; methods the Israelis used to penetrate Syrian air defenses undetected; an Israeli claim that rejected any link between the Syrian and Iranian nuclear programs; and a rebuttal to that claim by John Bolton.
First, the highlights of the Aviation Week & Space article, "Israel Shows Electronic Prowess".
Elements of the electronic attack:
Elements of the attack included some brute-force jamming, which is still an important element of attacking air defenses, U.S. analysts say. Also, Syrian air defenses are still centralized and dependent on dedicated HF and VHF communications, which made them vulnerable. The analysts don’t believe any part of Syria’s electrical grid was shut down. They do contend that network penetration involved both remote air-to-ground electronic attack and penetration through computer-to-computer links.
“There also were some higher-level, nontactical penetrations, either direct or as diversions and spoofs, of the Syrian command-and-control capability, done through network attack,” says an intelligence specialist.
The penetration by non-stealthy aircraft using electronic means:That ability of nonstealthy Israeli aircraft to penetrate without interference rests in part on technology, carried on board modified aircraft, that allowed specialists to hack into Syria’s networked air defense system, said U.S. military and industry officials in the attack’s aftermath. Network raiders can conduct their invasion from an aircraft into a network and then jump from network to network until they are into the target’s communications loop. “Whether the network is wireless or wired doesn’t matter anymore,” says a U.S. industry specialist (AW&ST Nov. 5, p. 32; Oct. 8, p. 28; Feb. 19, p. 31). Now development of the technology in Israel is being confirmed.
The links between the various nuclear programs:Israeli officials reject any suggestion that the Syrian and Iranian nuclear programs were or are linked in any way. “I don’t think Iran knew anything about what Syria was doing,” says a long-serving member of the Israeli parliament with insight into military affairs. “I don’t think they would have told the Iranians. They didn’t need Iranian assistance because they had help from the North Koreans.”
John Bolton disputes that view:However, John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, disagrees. “I’d be very surprised if the Syrians were to engage at least without Iranian acquiescence,” he says. And, “it may be beyond that,” he tells Aviation Week. Since Syria alone lacks both the funding and expertise for a nuclear weapons program, it would logically turn to Pyongyang for technology and oil-rich Tehran for funding, he says.
Moreover, Bolton says the use of network attack is a clever move by the Israelis. He contends that it will serve as a deterrent for Iran. Or, at the very least, it sends a message that even the advanced, Russian-built air defense systems won’t protect Iran’s nuclear activities.
Next, the Pravda take.
The Russian paper starts out first with a claim that the U.S. provided monitoring assistance during the attack itself.The U.S. provided Israel with information about Syrian air defenses before Israel attacked a suspected nuclear site in Syria, Aviation Week & Space Technology is reporting in its Nov. 26 edition.
The U.S. was monitoring the electronic emissions coming from Syria during Israel's Sept. 6 attack, and while there was no active American engagement in the operation, there was advice provided, according to military and aerospace industry officials.
The first event in the raid involved Israel's strike aircraft flying into Syria without alerting Syrian air defenses. The ultimate target was a suspected nuclear reactor being developed at Dayr az-Zawr. But the main attack was preceded by an engagement with a single Syrian radar site at Tall al-Abuad near the Turkish border, Aviation Week reports.
Next, Pravda poses several questions concerning the attack to Richard J. Aldrich.Pravda.Ru has interviewed Professor Richard J Aldrich, Department of Politics and International Studies University of Warwick, to find out more about US interference into the conflict between Israel and Syria.
Pravda.Ru: Can we speak here about the US interference into the conflict between Israel and Syria?
Richard Aldrich: Not really. Intelligence and technical co-operation amongst friendly countries is now so widespread that it is hardly meaningful to talk about 'interference'. Many European countries also exchange intelligence with Israel. Indeed, during the Cold War, Israel even exchanged intelligence with the Soviet Union. Even intelligence rumored to come from Israeli espionage operations inside the United States!
In this case, Aviation Week has made it clear that it was Israeli personnel and units that undertook these electronic operations, not Americans.
However, there are important benefits from this close relationship for both the United States and Israel. Israel clearly benefits from very advanced technological assistance in the area of electronic intelligence and network warfare which may have helped with this operation. Equally, it is likely that the United States received reports on the operational effectiveness of this equipment in return. In short, the operation against Syria would have provided the US military with great opportunities to see the latest secret equipment under "live battle conditions". This is always considered to be invaluable.
Pravda.Ru: It is well-known fact that most part of Syrian strategic objects is operated by Russia. Is there a possibility that it was US intelligence operation against Russia?
Richard Aldrich: Not really. It is unlikely that Russia has given its latest air defense equipment to friendly countries in the Middle East and so the United States would not learn much about current Russian capabilities by looking at Syrian Air Defense. Its more likely that the United States would gather useful intelligence against Syria itself during this operation. The information might also be useful against another regional power operating similar types of equipment.
Pravda.Ru: Can we speak here that this operation will launch a new war in the field of electronic and digital technologies?
Richard Aldrich: Electronic warfare has been around a long time and had already reached quite a level of sophistication during the Second World War. However, the new aspect of this operation was the use of network attacks. It appears that the command and control systems of the Syrian military were directly attacked by Israelis using computers as weapons. This is a specialist form of military hacking. For many years there has been an active debate about how practical and realistic the idea of pure 'network warfare' really is. During the wars in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s this activity seemed to be limited to fairly trivial "denial of service" attacks.
Finally, the Pravda piece sums up with a scary prediction--especially if you're a Russian military planner or ally.Now, perhaps we have seen the first live example of the military application of network warfare.
One of the troubling issues with network warfare is that it is hard for the victim to know if they have been attacked - or merely suffered a network failure. Even if they are sure they are being attacked, they can't always tell who is attacking them?
For this reason, Israel's attack on 6 September appears to herald a frightening new era in the realm of electronic warfare.
All this happened in the last couple of days; it's a lot of information.
And it's only the parts that we know.
by Mondoreb
notes by: Little Baby Ginn
[image: bsos.umd.edu]
Sources:
Pravda, "USA Helps Israel Only to Test Its Arms Under Live Battlefield Conditions"
Aviation Week & Space, "Israel Shows Electronic Prowess"
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General Motors might have one more thing to worry about in the future: Islamic cars, produced with the motoring Muslim in mind.
More about the "Islamic car", from YahooNews:Malaysian automaker Proton plans to team up with companies in Iran and Turkey to produce "Islamic cars" for the global market, a news report said Sunday.
The report details that Proton isn't doing too well financially these days. The company reported a loss of $169 million in the 2007 financial year. In the three months ending June 30, it posted its fifth quarterly loss of $13 million.
Proposed by Iran, the collaboration would include installing features in automobiles such as a compass to determine the direction of Mecca for prayers, and compartments for storing the Quran and headscarves, Proton's Managing Director Syed Zainal Abidin told national news agency Bernama.
What they (Iran) want to do is to call that an Islamic car," he was quoted as saying while on a visit in Iran. "The car will have all the Islamic features and should be meant for export purposes. We will identify a car that we can develop to be produced in Malaysia, Iran or Turkey.
It's no wonder; when their cutting-edge idea is the Islamic car.
by Mondoreb
& Little Baby Ginn
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Celebrating the first notch on the belt of the Great Satan's warriors. Wonder if they had any barbecue?
Iranians took to the streets last week to commemorate National Day Against Global Arrogance (NDAGA). One of the events it celebrated was the Iranian shin-kicking of the "Great Satan" in 1979.
More on this colorful Iranian tradition from Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting:
Americans remember the event a bit differently.
The rallies marking this year's National Day Against Global Arrogance, an Iranian tradition since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, started Sunday across the country.
Students from schools and universities converged at the site of the former US embassy in Tehran, better known in the Iranian history as the "Den of Spies."
November 4 holds great significance in Iranian history because of three decisive events: the conquest of the former US embassy in Tehran by Muslim Students (1979), the sending to exile of the late Founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini by the ex-shah (1964) and the designation of the day as Students Day (in remembrance of several students martyred in 1978 while taking part in a protest rally against the former shah).
Some shouted slogans against the "occupying Qods regime. Some shouted slogans against the United States. Some, one imagines, shouted slogans to attract attention to themselves.
The Iranian celebration of NDAGA prompts a thought: some of the same Americans whose policies turned out so wrong then, are urging American leaders to follow their policies presciptions now. Those policies are the familiar mix of thumbsucking, handwringing and enemy-coddling that helped to create the Islamic Republic 28 years ago.
Those policies have led the world to a situation where a country has, for the first time, vowed to erase another from the map if given the means to do so. Those means are being pursued furiously every day. If Iranian policy is not changed, a day beckons when Israel will be a memory.
And if past statements by Iran's leaders are to be believed, other sites down the memory hole might be Denver, St. Louis, Miami, or Boston.
Bad policy and inaction 28 years ago started this thorniest of problems. Bad policy and inaction today will make the first NDAGA celebration seem like a quiet picnic.
by Mondoreb
& Little Baby Ginn
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Duane Patterson, on the Hugh Hewitt blog at Town Hall must have the ability to read minds. He puts pixels to what millions were thinking:
Tuesday evening, virtually no one watched the Democratic presidential debate on MSNBC, because by and large, it was virtually unwatchable. But there was one section that caught my eye, and if you are someone who cares about the continued existence of the state of Israel, regardless of which political party you belong to, it should have caught your eye as well.Exactly. When military options are ruled out, the only options left are nagging and hand-wringing. Admittedly, the Democrats are proficient at both, but that doesn't mean either will slow down the Iranian mullahs on their way to turning the Zionist Entity into a nuclear-tinged parking lot for Syria.
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is well known for his apocalyptic speeches about how the Zion state cannot continue, how they must be wiped off the map, etc. So when a Holocaust-denying, religious zealot is in a position of importance in a country who is trying to obtain nuclear weapons capabilities, when that same country is supplying or training many of the main terrorist organizations in the world today, when that country is interfering in the metamorphasis of Iraq by supplying weaponry that has killed our troops, you would naturally conclude that Iran is a growing threat, is not showing any signs of cowering to international sanctions, and could indeed grow into a threat that will require a military solution to stop an unthinkable genocide.
For example, Democrat candidate Bill Richardson called for a "diplomatic Surge" after a speedy American troop withdrawal. Diplomatic surge? Only in a Democrat war room could such a phrase be uttered without everyone present collapsing in laughter.
What's this "diplomatic surge" going to offer the Iranians that would make them pause in their nuclear ambitions? Royalty rights to Richardson's next UFO paperback?
The Democrats are all dancing on the head of a defeatist pin.
If the other side doesn't think there's any consequences to behavior that might offend, then offensive behavior carries no penalties for them. Somehow, one guesses that Tehran will survive both a diplomatic surge and the next Dem hand-wringing offensive. Iraqi and Israeli citizens won't be so lucky.
As Patterson puts the Clintonesque "stand/clarification/waffle/today's position":
Standard Clintonian double-speak. She will only pledge to try. But if they do become a nuclear power, well, Israel, it sucks to be you.
The Democrat debates were unwatchable. In Israel and most of Iraq, they were unthinkable.
MORE ON THE DEBATES:
The Democrats debate firm stands on military options.
Edwards' take on Clinton's stand on her Iran war vote:
Asked whether he stood by his characterization of Clinton’s rhetoric as “doubletalk,” Edwards replied firmly, “I do.”
by Mondoreb
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by Mondoreb
This is getting to be too much like the synapses of a lab rat clicking. Mo Dowd needs to come up with a column idea, Evil Dick Cheney is the subject, then we respond to it. Our keyboard and Dowd's both need a Pavlovian drool shield.
The latest on Evil Dick Cheney, related as Dowd channels the spirit of Scarlett O'Hara, gazing skyward and breathlessly intoning "tomorrow is another day", in the New York Times:
RUSSERT: First you threatened to take action if Iran built a nuclear weapon. Now you’re threatening to take action if Iran knows how to build a nuclear weapon. What’s next? You threaten to take action if Ahmadinejad dresses up as a nuclear weapon for Halloween?And then the big finish.
CHENEY: Well, the difficulty here is, each time he has rejected what he was called upon to do by the international community. I’m not sure now, no matter what he says, that anyone would believe him. He’s pretending he doesn’t have W.M.D., just like Saddam.
RUSSERT: It’s so close to the next election, Mr. Vice President, shouldn’t you just keep on the diplomatic track and let the next president make this decision?
CHENEY: You really want Rudy Giuliani playing with the nuclear button, Tim? Now, that’s insane.
The above excerpt is representative of the whole. Evil Dick Cheney and his Malicious Minions are beating on the war drums and dancing madly around a campfire somewhere in Washington. All the while, poor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is off giving nuclear alms to widows.
And in New York, Mo Dowd is thinking, "Doesn't anyone realize the danger? I must warn them! Quick Lassie! Go get Timmy!" This episode's Guest Star: Rudy Giuliani as "The Nuclear Madman"!
Nuclear Arms in Iran? The U.S. Take Action? Maureen takes on Evil Dick Cheney?
Q.E.D. to the max.
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by Mondoreb
News detailing Iranian transgressions, a day after sanctions were leveled against the Quds Force and other components of the Revolutionary Guards. This diplomatic move could just prevent a war with Iran. More on the offending behavior from CNN:
The Quds Force, the elite unit of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, provides "lethal support" to the Sunni-dominated Taliban for use against U.S. and NATO forces, according to information in the new U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran.Specifics were also given as to the types of munitions and military gear shipped to forces battling U.S. and Coalition troops.
The Quds Force is the "Iranian regime's primary instrument for providing lethal support to the Taliban," and it "provides weapons and financial support to the Taliban to support anti-U.S. and anti-coalition activity in Afghanistan," the Treasury Department alleged Thursday in announcing economic sanctions against the Quds Force and other Iranian military and financial entities.
Iran is a predominantly Shiite nation and is known to support Shiite fighters in Iraq, where Shiite and Sunni Muslims have been at odds in recent years, and in Lebanon.
"Since at least 2006, Iran has arranged frequent shipments of small arms and associated ammunition, rocket propelled grenades, mortar rounds, 107 mm rockets, plastic explosives, and probably man-portable defense systems to the Taliban," the statement said.Changing Iran's behavior without resorting to war is the goal of diplomacy. Sanctions were one such diplomatic option that was exercised yesterday. Voices will be raised about this "drumbeat of news leading to war with Iran".
But those with only a passing interest in the news of the day, as opposed to news junkies, might be surprised to learn that Iran has been arming forces that have been killing American troops. Upon learning this, they may wonder why steps aren't being taken to combat this.
Yesterday's sanctions, and the news informing of why the sanctions were taken, are the first such steps. Such diplomatic steps might prevent, rather than further, war with Iran.
DBKP.com - Bigger, Better!.
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.
Better Late Than Never
by Mondoreb
U.S. State Department to-do list:
1-Further U.S. interests.
2-Fight terror.
3-Stymie Iran.
...
450-Freeze Iran's Revolutionary Guards' assets.
Why this move comes now is a puzzler. The question is: why, after much evidence that Iran has contributed to the deaths of U.S. servicemen in Iraq, hasn't the economic screws been applied before? U.S. Gen. David Petraeus, complains of the Revolutionary Guards and their negative impact on U.S. operations in Iraq and this hadn't been done? No wonder he was complaining.
More on the belated action from the AP:
The Bush administration announced sweeping new sanctions against Iran Thursday — the harshest since the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in 1979 — charging anew that Tehran supports terrorism in the Middle East, exports missiles and is engaging in a nuclear build up.Rice elaborated on the sanctions and their target. More on this from CNN:
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, said the moves against Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, an element of its defense ministry and three of its largest banks are designed to punish Tehran for weapons proliferation and alleged support of terrorist organizations in Iraq and the Middle East.
Rice accused Iran of "pursuing nuclear technologies that can lead to a nuclear weapon; building dangerous ballistic missiles; supporting Shia militants in Iraq and terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories; and denying the existence of a fellow member of the United Nations, threatening to wipe Israel off the map." Video Watch Rice tell why sanctions are being imposed »
"Many of the Iranian regime's most destabilizing policies are carried out by two of its agencies: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or the IRGC, and the Quds force, an arm of the IRGC," she said.
The web of commercial ties between Iran and the Revolutionary Guards was explained.
Paulson said it is nearly impossible for overseas businesses or banks to "know one's customer" in Iran and avoid unwittingly funding terrorism or other illicit activities.
Because of the Revolutionary Guard's broad reach into business and other spheres, "it is increasingly likely that if you are doing business with Iran you are doing business with the IRGC," Paulson said.
The Revolutionary Guards organization, formed to safeguard Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, has pushed well beyond its military roots, and now owns car factories and construction firms and operates newspaper groups and oil fields.
Current and former members now hold a growing role across the country's government and economy, sometimes openly and other times in shadows.
The guards have gained a particularly big role in the country's oil and gas industry in recent years, as the national oil company has signed several contracts with a guards-operated construction company. Some have been announced publicly, including a $2 billion deal in 2006 to develop part of the important Pars gas field.
Now numbering about 125,000 members, they report directly to the supreme leader and officially handle internal security. The small Quds Force wing is thought to operate overseas, having helped to create the militant Hezbollah group in 1982 in Lebanon and to arm Bosnian Muslims during the Balkan wars.
Some background on the Revolutionary Guards'(Pasdaran) operations and divisions from Global Security:
The Pasdaran has maintained an intelligence branch to monitor the regime's domestic adversaries and to participate in their arrests and trials. Khomeini implied Pasdaran involvement in intelligence when he congratulated the Pasdaran on the arrest of Iranian communist Tudeh leaders.The Revolutionary Guards are now even more influential than the Iranian Army, figures the Economist:
The Baseej (volunteers) come under the control of the Revolutionary Guards. In 1988, up to 900,000 baseej were mobilized. The Baseej allegedly also monitor the activities of citizens, and harass or arrest women whose clothing does not cover the hair and all of the body except hands and face, or those who wear makeup. During the year ending in June 1995, they reportedly "notified 907,246 people verbally and issued 370,079 written notices against ‘social corruption’ and arrested 86,190 people, and also broke up 542 ‘corrupt gangs’, arresting their 2,618 members, and seized 86,597 indecent videocassettes and photographs.
The Ashura Brigades force was reportedly created in 1993 after anti-government riots erupted in various Iranian cities and it consists of 17,000 Islamic militia men and women. The Ashura Brigades are reportedly composed of elements of the Revolutionary Guards (Pasdaran) and the Baseej volunteer militia.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), set up more than two decades ago as an ideological counterweight to the less politically minded (and now less well-equipped) regular army, may be quietly taking control.With U.S. men and women in uniform dying in Iraq because of the Revolutionary Guards' actions, it's about time the freezing of assets has taken place. It's long overdue.
The reformists, once dominant but now being squeezed out of power, fear so. Last year their conservative opponents helped a former guardsman become Tehran's mayor. In May, another was appointed to head the broadcasting monopoly. One reformist newspaper reckons that some 90 out of 290 deputies in Iran's new parliament have a background in revolutionary and military institutions.
Iran, and president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, can continue to thumb their nose at the world. There's now an economic price to pay for it.
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