US ready to strike Iran by spring

On the HS50s, I found this from the Herald-Tribune

Franz Holzschuh, Steyr's CEO, said the company had not officially been contacted by anyone to verify the serial numbers on the rifles. He said there was a possibility the weapons were reproductions and that there were "thousands" of these in circulation...

U.S. officials could not confirm the validity of the report, said William Wanlund, spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Vienna, Austria.

"Obviously, if the reports are true, it would be profoundly disturbing," he said.
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There are obviously many allegations flying around. It's going to be important differentiate those confirmed by accountable sources from the rumors.
 
Same thing, 15/19. I do appreciate the links- But notice there is no source for the information named, just "the Telegraph reported". Lacking a source, we can't put much weight on it.
 
I heard ABC News insinuating that Moqtada has relocated to Tehran. That's significant to this story if true, whatever the reason. Since Sadr's been keeping the brakes on the Shi'ite militias, this could be bad news.
 
hypewaders said:
I heard ABC News insinuating that Moqtada has relocated to Tehran. That's significant to this story if true, whatever the reason. Since Sadr's been keeping the brakes on the Shi'ite militias, this could be bad news.
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If true, yes, its very bad news. The Mahdi Army will be uncontrolled. The US can look forward to the escalation they were advocating, only from the other side.
 
An example of how the real meaning of an event can be very unclear from an early headline: "Al Sadr Fled Iraq, Fearing U.S. Bombs"

"Moqtada Visits Tehran" as a headline wouldn't alarm me much, because a nice friendly (temporary) visit on his part to Tehran would seem routine to me. In fact he's been making speeches from Tehran, without really raising eyebrows. But if Moqtada Sadr is no longer safe in Sadr City, whether it's due to more militant Shi'a militants than he threatening his personal safety, or if (as ABC News reports) the US is running him out of town, things just got significantly more dangerous. In combination with the present finger-pointing at Iran, this could get a lot more dangerous in a hurry.

If the Shi'ite militias are about to seriously cut loose with an escalation of reprisals on Sunnis or Americans over this, then all this rumbling about the Iran connection suddenly has a whole scary new dimension.

Here's news.com.au's little blurb on this, really just parroting ABC- the only other story on the subject I've found so far. Like ABC, they're saying he's been gone 2 or 3 weeks, which is no surprise since he's been giving speeches from there, without any speculation that I've seen about his junket being extended for "health reasons".

(edit) I really don't know what to make of this. If ABC is intentionally trying to rile things up without substance, this is a bloody good way to do it (turning a routine diplomatic trip into an ominous exodus). If they're irresponsibly blustering ("lookitim run, the sand-nigger's skeeerd of us!") then it's highly irresponsible. If it turns out there's really something to this, then I know I'm going to be very worried.

Damn these low standards in high-profile journalism! If they keep fucking around like this a lot of people could get killed because of a thoughtless headline.
 
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It's a fucking beauty. Lots of oily spoils, or spoily oils up there. We even have the Israelis aligning with the Kurds, and Turkey with their stake, so that Iraq's peaceful oasis can get wound up into stark raving hell in no time. Can't we just crucify the handful of idiots in Washington that initiated this whole cataclysm, and call the whole thing off? Can't we all just get along?

I know, I know. Too late.





Fuck.
 
It's still unclear if Moqtada has bugged out as more stories are published:

(CNN) Iraqi sources have not confirmed Sadr's departure, and a source close to the cleric told CNN that his presence in Iran is a "rumor."

As recently as Thursday, Sadr's office told CNN the cleric was in Najaf.

The U.S. officials said they did not know why Sadr had departed Iraq for Iran or how long he might stay. The officials suggested his departure was tied to the increase of American troops ordered by President Bush and that it could be a sign that he was in fear for his life.

Whatever the reason, it was not clear what effect Sadr's absence -- if he is, in fact, in Iran -- would have on his Mehdi Army...

Some observers have predicted that followers of al-Sadr and his Mehdi Army militia -- which has been blamed for a large part of the sectarian violence in Baghdad and other parts of Iraq -- would be overlooked, because the al-Sadr movement has backed al-Maliki, who is also a Shiite.
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These nameless "US officials" and their media mouthpieces are playing with fire it when it comes to the psychology of Arab power politics: Crowing that Moqtada is scared of them puts immense pressure on Moqtada to react soon. I sure hope he continues to keep a cool head.
 
"these are the same as claiming that Iraq has WMD's"

But last time around (leading up to the attack on Iraq) the President wasn't denying plans for war like he is now. I suspect (hope?) there's a sense in his monkey-brain that he's cracked open the gates of hell enough already.
 
All this anonymous sourcing, scapegoating Iran and challenging Moqtada's manhood, is really getting to me. This is really fucked up and reckless, anonymous bastards ratcheting up dangerous tensions, and playing with other people's lives without any personal accountability. I've been hoping not to be left alone in my indignation. Not much comfort here so far...

I did find IraqSlogger venting about the same bullshit:

Why are US officials hiding behind the cloak of anonymity when presenting the most detailed evidence yet that Iran is supplying weaponry to anti-US forces in Iraq?

After weeks, if not months, of US official planning to present a damning "dossier" of incriminating evidence against Iran, and after this same US administration presented us with lopsided, erroneous information about the capability and evil intentions of the Saddam Hussein regime, the best the US government can give us today is incendiary evidence presented at a Baghdad news conference by three US officials who refuse to be quoted by name?

That's disgraceful and unacceptable.
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Aren't any of you outraged by this cowardly recklessness?
 
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hypewaders said:
All this anonymous sourcing, scapegoating Iran and challenging Moqtada's manhood, is really getting to me. This is really fucked up and reckless, anonymous bastards ratcheting up dangerous tensions, and playing with other people's lives without any personal accountability. I've been hoping not to be left alone in my indignation. Not much comfort here so far...

I did find IraqSlogger venting about the same bullshit:



Aren't any of you outraged by this cowardly recklessness?
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I don't think anyone is actually swallowing this bull, not even the ones dishing it out. Unfortunately it makes no difference to the outcome.
 
Note to self: The conventional wisdom herein, distilled, says that talking and acting big is the same thing as being big and being able to demonstrate that fact in real-time.

Thus is life within the alternative universe of tea-time.

Ah-ha. Containment works afterall!
 
Mr. G said:
Note to self: The conventional wisdom herein, distilled, says that talking and acting big is the same thing as being big and being able to demonstrate that fact in real-time.

Thus is life within the alternative universe of tea-time.

Ah-ha. Containment works afterall!
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Bigger is not necessarily better.

mg-cartoon-024-iran.jpg
 
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