More saber-rattling from Tehran. From MEMRI, :
Iranian Revolutionary Guards Political Bureau head General Yadollah Javani wrote in the conservative daily Kayhan, which is close to Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei:"Threats of this kind are nothing new, but Iran must respond to these threats. [2] To deal with the invader, Iran will use all its capabilities within and outside Iran. It seems to me that in his [Hamedan] speech, the leader was referring to the use of all means of force, as Iran has in its possession all means of force on the highest level."...The converging of millions of Iranian youth imbued with the spirit of Shehada [martyrdom] in the Basij forces [3] ... along with a courageous leader, the trend of the Islamic awakening, and the consolidation of many supporters around Iran's Islamic revolution can [all] go into action in times of crisis and play their part in light of these threats.
"Today we have in our possession long-range smart missiles which can reach many of the interests and vital resources of the Americans and of the Zionist regime in our region. Thus, if the enemies show stupidity and make any mistake towards Iran, [Iran] will certainly use all the means and capabilities at its disposal.
"Today we enjoy high deterrent ability, and if the enemy acts in madness and wants to try his luck, he will, as the leader said, quickly see his black fate, and will regret acting against Iran's Islamic regime." [4]
More than a hint of nervousness there from jolly Mullahs.Turn their words around and you are nearer the truth. Millions of brave youth would very much like to do Shehada [Martyrdom] on the Mullahs although robbing them of certain body parts first so these Crazy Clerics won't be able to do much with their promised virgins. Guess Mullahs will just have to be content with a bowl of raisins instead.
"and outside Iran"
So a reverence to the fifth collums and sleepers Iran had created in almost any state it has a diplomatic presence. And of course Hezbollah.
In the "Triumph of Disorder. Islamic Fundamentalism, the New Face of War" written by Morgan Novel he says that Iran has equiped the Nation of Islam with weapons.
This is something worth investagating by lawenfrocment agencies of America.
Get Iran sorted out before Kerry gets in!!!
We heard the same sort of tough talk from Saddam and Uday Hussein before we went into Iraq and overthrew them.
Muslims always talk tough.......Bring it, Iran.
DC,
Actions and ,of course, US/Coalition missiles speak louder than words, (especially religious rants).I'm with you , bring it on!!!
It would be comforting to think that there is intelligent coordination with Israel on all this. For whether or not it is America, or Israel, that takes upon itself the High-Noon task of destroying Iranian nuclear facilities, wherever they are, Iranian missiles can still, in a frenzy, be sent Iraq-wards towards American bases. If Israel is given the task of destroying the nuclear facilities, because the American government can not or will not take that task upon itself (it may be argued that Israel will hardly suffer any further than it already does in Muslim, and world, eyes), will American planes and missiles simultaneously destroy what they can of Iran's planes and missiles, so retaliatory strikes against American forces in Iraq, or Turkey, are minimized? Israel cannot be expected to do everything. And it can be expected, of course, to receive near-universal condemnation for measures which, undertaken out of absolute necessity on its own behalf (and on that of the Americans, for any Iranian nuclear weapons, no matter how small, would by the Iranian government, or groups and groupuscules connected to some in that government, would not hesitate to use such weapons (a rogue pilot will do, if supplied by a rogue group of sympathizers) against American forces anywhere within reach), will also have many unintended beneficiaries, including all the indifferent, or ungrateful, or even hostile members of the EU, and, of course, the anti-Shi'a regimes of the Gulf states will also be secretly relieved.
Despite the condemnation -- when it comes to Israel no hypocrisy or injustice is impossible for its enemies -- many will harbor in their hearts, all over the world, as they should, a swelling secret gratitude to Israel. Such gratitude will only be expressed, in heartfelt fashion, in this country, but even in Western Europe, even elsewhere, it will be felt.
For, as happened after the Israeli destruction in 1981 of Iraq's nuclear facilities in or close to that celebrated Sunni triangle, an undertaking at the time so squarely opposed, so roundly condemned, everyone -- including those restless thinking Iranians who will then have the regime that torments them visibly humiliated and weakened (Idi Amin's regime never recovered from the Israeli raid at Entebbe), possibly fatally -- will be, in almost geometric progression, much safer than before.
Khamenei sounds like he is very worried about his job security.
Well, he may be full of bluster, but he isn't dumb.
If the various bad guys operating in Iraq keep killing civilians as they did this morning, they are going to continue isolating themselves, making them an easier target for Iraqi security forces. They are rapidly turning from being the hunters to the hunted.
Allawi's government won't stand for this. They arrested 500 in a sweep yesterday. They'll doubtlessly bust more heads over this, as they don't have to tiptoe around as the coalition forces have. As Zarqawi himself noted, now that Irqis are in power, the power of the terrorists is being suffocated.
They have gone from ambushes, to IEDs, to individual kidnappings. They are being forced to more and more petty attempts at insurrection as they are being revealed and dismantled.
If this continues at such a brisk pace, and Allawi keeps applying pressure against the terrorists while gaining the trust of the Iraqi people, it might free up some of the 130,000+ American soldiers to resume regime change operations elsewhere.
As we well know, the Iranian people have no love for their government. If we can isolate and decapitate their civilian leadership while taking out WMD and C&C targets, couldn't we conceivably topple the Mullahcracy with minimally more force than we used in Afghanistan?
Given the number of student arrests and casualties in Iran due to the protests this past week, things can't possibly get any uglier over there, Iran is going to have to be next on Bush's list.