By Scott Ritter The long-awaited “progress report” of Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker on the status of the occupation of Iraq has been made, providing Americans, via the compliant media, with the spectacle of loyal Bush yes men offering faith-based analysis in lieu of fact-based assessment. In the days and weeks that have since passed, two things have become clear: Neither Congress nor the American people (including the
by Gareth Porter The Lieberman-Kyle amendment has just passed the Senate overwhelmingly after two sections were removed to satisfy Democrats that it will not serve as a backdoor authorization for war against Iran, using U.S. forces operating in Iran. Even after that compromise, it remains a poison chalice, because it endorses a set of “findings” that are fundamentally false and which are being used by the administration to lay the
PRESS TV reports: The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that would tighten sanctions on Iran’s energy sector and recognize the IRGC as terrorists. According to US media, Tuesday the US House of Representatives passed a bill only hours before Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s UN General Assembly address. Prepared by Chairman of the US House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Lantos, the bill was approved by a
Posted on the blog Moon of Alabama: ——- Shortly after Columbia University’s president insulted the invited guest Ahmedinejad by repeating lies of the Bush government, there was this event. Columbia University World Leaders Forum, CMU Monday, September 24, 2007, 9:00–10:00 a.m.The Italian Academy, 1161 Amsterdam Avenue at 117th StreetGurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, President of Turkmenistan Co-sponsored by the Harriman Institute A keynote address followed by a question and answer session with the
(taken from the blog Tangible Info) INTERPRETER: The president is reciting verses from the Holy Koran in Arabic. (Not translated.) PRESIDENT AHMADINEJAD: Oh, God, hasten the arrival of Imam al- Mahdi and grant him good health and victory, and make us his followers and those who attest to his (rightfulness ?).Distinguished Dean, dear professors and students, ladies and gentlemen. At the outset, I would like to extend my greetings to
Below is the transcript of the introductory remarks to President Ahmadinejad (taken from the Tangible Info blog). I have added some short comments inside this text. MR. BOLLINGER: I would like to begin by thanking Dean John Coatsworth and Professor Richard Bulliet for their work in organizing this event and for their commitment to the School of International and Public Affairs and its role — (interrupted by cheers, applause) —
Demonizing the Iranian president and making his visit to New York seem controversial are all part of the neoconservative push for yet another war. By Juan Cole “Salon” — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad‘s visit to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly has become a media circus. But the controversy does not stem from the reasons usually cited. The media has focused on debating whether he should be
Enemies will regret any attack on Iran: IRGC commander TEHRAN — The enemies will bitterly regret any attack against Iran, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Major General Mohammad-Ali Jafari said here on Saturday. As a united nation with strong defense capabilities, Iran has become invincible and “definitely the outcome of any attack on Iran will be bitter and regretful for the enemies,” Jafari told reporters on the sidelines of
by John Byrne President Bush’s former United Nations ambassador John Bolton said the United States would stand behind a pre-emptive strike by Israel against countries developing “WMD facilities.” In his remark, printed in Tuesday’s edition of the Israeli daily Yediot Achronot, Bolton directly referenced Iran. “The greatest concern is to prevent Iran and other countries in the region from acquiring nuclear weapons,” Bolton said, according to JTA.org, a Jewish news
by Omid Memarian As the war of words between Western nations led by United States and Iran’s hardliner government over its nuclear programme has escalated in the last few weeks, a cartoon published on the editorial page of the Columbus Dispatch on Sep. 4 has created a furor amongst Iranians worldwide. The cartoon by staff member Michael Ramirez portrayed Iran as a sewer with the word “extremism” on its lid.
By Kathleen and Bill Christison* Former CIA analysts Kathleen and Bill Christison argue that a US and/or Israeli attack on Iran to bring about regime change and strengthen US and Israeli dominion over the Middle East is likely to take place before the Bush administration leaves office unless a concerted effort is made to impeach Bush and Cheney. The internet is loaded these days with reports of the inevitability of
TEHRAN — A senior Air Force commander said if the Zionist regime of Israel dares to launch an air attack, Iran will strongly retaliate.Speaking to Fars News Agency on Wednesday, Brigadier General Mohammad Alavi, Army’s deputy Air Force commander for operations, rejected allegations by Zionists that Iran cannot do anything if Israel hits Iran with cruise missiles.“Our armed forces are well-prepared to give a crushing response to Israel if it
TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- The Foreign Ministry will pursue the case with the Iranian national who has been beaten in the United States, the ministry spokesman said here on Tuesday. Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini further expressed concern and regret about the beating of the Iranian National, Zohreh Asemi, in New York, a statement released by the Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Bureau said. Stressing that Iranian Foreign Ministry is handling
by Michel Chossudovsky Quoting official sources, the Western media is now confirming, rather belatedly, that the Bush Administration’s war plans directed against Iran are “for real” and should be taken seriously. “Punitive bombings” directed against Tehran could be launched within the next few months. The diplomatic mode has been switched off: The Pentagon is said to be “taking steps to ensure military confrontation with Iran” because diplomatic initiatives have allegedly
A special investigative report from inside Iraq By Greg Palast Monday, September 17, 2007- Did you see George all choked up? In his surreal TV talk on Thursday, he got all emotional over the killing by Al Qaeda of Sheik Abu Risha, the leader of the new Sunni alliance with the US against the insurgents in Anbar Province, Iraq. Bush shook Abu Risha’s hand two weeks ago for the cameras.
WASHINGTON: The U.S. has a 14-ton super bomb more destructive than the vacuum bomb just tested by Russia, a U.S. general said Wednesday. The statement was made by retired Lt. General McInerney, chairman of the Iran Policy Committee, and former Assistant Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. McInerney said the U.S. has “a new massive ordnance penetrator that’s 30,000 pounds, that really penetrates … Ahmadinejad has nothing in
by Michael Adler (source: AFP)Tuesday, September 11, 2007 VIENNA (AFP) – UN nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei walked out on an afternoon session Tuesday of his IAEA to protest an EU speech which did not fully support his deal for new inspections in Iran, diplomats told AFP. “He walked out because the EU did not support the Secretariat,” a diplomat who was at the meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s
by Scott Ritter It should come as no surprise that the Bush administration’s newest military-man-of-substance-turned- political lapdog, General Petraeus, maintains that the situation in Iraq is not only salvageable, but actually improving, due to the “surge” of U.S. combat troops into Iraq over the past year. All the president and his collection of GI Joe hand-puppets ask for is more time, more money and more troops. There is no reason
By Mark Lavie in Jerusalem In its strongest condemnation of Israel since last summer’s war, Human Rights Watch said yesterday that most Lebanese civilian casualties were caused by “indiscriminate Israeli air strikes”. The international human rights organisation said there was no basis to the Israeli claim that civilian casualties resulted from Hizbollah guerrillas using civilians for cover. Israel has said that it attacked civilian areas because Hizbollah set up rocket
How the press spent its summer vacation by Eric Boehlert News that Katie Couric would anchor the CBS Evening News from Baghdad this week created a major media splash. After earlier suggesting that type of assignment would be too treacherous for a single mother of two, Couric did an about-face. She stressed that as a journalist she wanted to get a better sense, a firsthand account, of how events were
