http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/02/09/rice/index.html
“Rice: Iran must halt nuclear program”
Bolding mine
Is this going to make Iran…
a) Abandon weapon development?
b) Expedite weapon development?
Iran is totally going to call the bluff too, and then what?
What the fuck are the Bush people doing?
What are they doing? Following their agenda. It’s not like it’s a shock.
I suspect we’ll be dropping bombs after we’ve given FranGermUK a reasonable few months of “negotiations.”
Yeah! Go back to writing crappy vampire novels, and stay out of international politics!
Oh, wait. Wrong Rice…
Sometimes I like to think we’re joining the EU in playing a brilliant game of “Good-Cop, Bad-Cop” with Iran.
Course I thought that might be the case in Iraq, to, until the bad cop beat the prisoner to a bloody pulp.
So yeah, I agree this is pretty dumb. If I were Iran, I’d had both of my neighbors invaded by the U.S., had been put on the axis of evil, and was convinced that the US was out to get me even before any of this happend, Rice’s comments would convince me that a nuclear deterent was a good idea, not a bad one.
This is especially true given that the Iranians know that it will be a few years till we can launch a serious assault, given lack of troops, etc. So from their point of view, now might seem the best time to attempt to get some nukes, as we can’t immedietly move to stop them, but that we might invade later unless they have a nuclear deterent.
Great work, Condi, as this only re-affirms Iran’s need for nuclear deterrents ASAP.
How about a bipartisan strategy among Democrats, sane Republicans, and Independents, that says:
"If you continue to manufacture pretexts for invading countries contrary to international law, we will work, regardless of our own party affiliation, to ensure the defeat of anyone in Congress who supports you in the 2006 elections. And then we will proceed to impeach you, considering that you have set the precedent that Presidents (and presumably their subordinates as well) can now be impeached for any pretext whatosever that suits the Congressional majority.
Think they might listen to that?
Preach it, World Eater!
We already know what Iran will do. How? Why this lovely BBC article from the 7th.
Yes, I realize it’s only (yes that was a touch of sarcasm) the top nuclear negotiator, but I still think he’s worth paying attention to.
Are you seriously surprised?
Didn’t this shit break months ago? About Buscho’s planned trump into Iran?
The idea that we can somehow stuff the nuclear weapon genie back in the lamp is so far out of date it’s not even funny. Someday Togo, Nauru, and Luxembourg will all have nuclear weapons. We need to get used to it, and start making sensible plans for dealing with it.
After 20+ years of purging liberal to moderate voices from their ranks, I’m not sure that even all of the sane Republicans could give House Democrats a majority. Most of the party in Congress appears to have tippled the Kool-Aid.
No I think the actual quote was “we’ll retaliate with holy fire the likes which you can’t imagine”. Hmmm I wonder if he’s talking about nukes? Ya think?
I find this course of action insane, and it seems like everyone else does. If that’s the case why are we still proceeding?
There’s a significant difference between speculation on an internet message board and a direct statement from the US Secretary of State with slightly-more-than-implied threats implicit. It does, however, explain Powell’s rush to leave the post, if Bush has been pressuring him to make this same policy statement.
Speculation which, IIRC, came from one of the most reputable news reporters in the country. I’d be shocked if anyone is truly surprised by this course of action regardless of past speculation, given this administration.
I doubt the neo- cons will listen–I would like to see the Dems work on finding support in the mods (if any are left). I would love to see this bandied about–but the American people have to wake up to their role in the world. I know I’m preaching to the choir, but we really don’t need to be the spoiled babies of the free world. We could be true leaders, not resented bullies.
And that Kool-aid has got to go. Someone here (on another thread) said it best: the neo-cons put party before nation–and that is deadly to the nation.
Just my 2 cents.
Well, I didn’t say I was surprised. Truthfully, the only thing that this Administration could do that would surprise me is be either honest or competent. If they did both, I think I’d die of shock.
That said, nobody’s surprised, I don’t think. They’re somewhat rattled by the bluntness and threat-tossing by the chief diplomat of the US, but that wouldn’t be the first time the Bush White House has gotten the definition of a government position wrong. I didn’t expect an outright “Let’s you and him fight!” statement from Dr. Rice…
Does anyone else get the feeling btw that Iran will be more likely to give/sell some wmd shit away?
Well even if we didn’t think it I’m sure in the months to come we will be told that is what they are planning to do … or are doing based on “Special intellegence”
Lord I hope their chemical weapons trucks look more realistic this time round.
Lol, I wonder if “Cody” has a toy truck he drives. I can just picture Condi at the UN now with photos of it.
Starting another war.
Stop the planet - I want to get off.
For the record, the slightly more then implied threat is to refer Iran to the security council, not to bomb the crud out of them. As I said earlier, we are to tied up and vulnerable after Iraq to plunge in to Iran in the immediate future.