Iran between rock and hard place.

Iran between rock and hard place.

Micah Zenko wrote in Sunday's LA Times that "Iran has until late September to respond to the latest international proposal aimed at stopping the Islamic Republic from developing a nuclear weapon. Under the proposal, Iran would suspend its uranium enrichment program in exchange for a U.N. Security Council commitment to forgo a fourth round of economic and diplomatic sanctions. But if diplomacy fails, the world should be prepared for an Israeli attack on Iran's suspected nuclear weapons facilities. As Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently acknowledged: 'The window between a strike on Iran and their getting nuclear weapons is a pretty narrow window.'...The current infighting among Iran's leaders also has led some to incorrectly believe that Tehran's nuclear efforts will stall. As Friday's International Atomic Energy Agency report on Iran's nuclear programs revealed, throughout the political crises of the last three months, Iran's production rate for centrifuges has remained steady, as has its ability to produce uranium hexafluoride to feed into the centrifuges." (http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-zenko30-2009aug30,0,4989051,print.story)

The Washington Post reported that "The new head of Iran's judiciary, Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, fired the main prosecutor in the trials of dozens of opposition figures accused of plotting to overthrow the country's leadership, the semiofficial ISNA agency reported Saturday. Prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi had built a case based on confessions and intended to prove that senior aides of the defeated candidates in the June 12 presidential election were involved in a foreign-backed plot to bring down the leaders of the Islamic republic. The opposition says that the election was rigged to ensure President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's reelection and that the confessions were coerced."

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/29/AR2009082902296_pf.html)

Reuters reported that "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's proposed new intelligence minister pledged to 'confront the enemies' soft war' as he outlined his planned policies during a heated debate in parliament on Monday...Nominated Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi said he would bring a new approach to national security, as he addressed parliament ahead of a confidence vote on Ahmadinejad's new cabinet scheduled for Wednesday. One planned strategy would be 'to improve the intelligence capacity to confront the enemies' soft war,' said Moslehi, a former official in the elite Revolutionary Guards of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He did not elaborate." (http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE57U2NP20090831)

The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board on Monday wrote that "The mullahs understand that the only real challenge to their nuclear ambitions is likely to come from Israel. They've long concluded that the U.N. is no threat, as IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei has in practice become an apologist for Iran's program...In recent days, the Administration has begun taking a harder line against Tehran, with talk of 'crippling' sanctions on Iran's imports of gasoline if the mullahs don't negotiate by the end of September. Rhetorically, that's a step in the right direction." (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203863204574348533106427974.html)

The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board on Monday wrote that "The mullahs understand that the only real challenge to their nuclear ambitions is likely to come from Israel. They've long concluded that the U.N. is no threat, as IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei has in practice become an apologist for Iran's program...In recent days, the Administration has begun taking a harder line against Tehran, with talk of 'crippling' sanctions on Iran's imports of gasoline if the mullahs don't negotiate by the end of September. Rhetorically, that's a step in the right direction." (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203863204574348533106427974.html)

Dow Jones reported that "Iran is to put 14 new oil or gas fields for tender in the near future, an Iranian news agency said Saturday, amidst increased uncertainty for the country's oil industry. The semi-official agency Shana said the Iran Central Oilfields Co. will award contracts for six natural gas fields - requiring $3.6 billion of investment - and eight oil fields. They include the Koohmond gas field, with a capacity of 24.8 million cubic meters a day, and an expected required investment of $1.65 billion." (http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=200908301954dowjonesdjonline000264&title=iran-to-put-14-new-oilgas-fields-for-tender-agency)

Above stories sourced form:

unitedagainstnucleariran.com

A large explosion more than two weeks ago which killed two people and has crippled the huge petrochemical facility of the Iranian Pars Petrochemical Company in Bandar Assaluyeh was almost certainly an act of sabotage, according to Michael Ledeen, a regular writer on Iran based at the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies. Writing on the pajamasmedia website, he says the previously unreported explosion caused fires throughout the facility, at least 30% of which was totally destroyed. He says preliminary estimates are that it will remain closed for a month or two, adding to the Iran’s crisis over refined fuel products, which are in short supply because of sanctions and lack of domestic refining capacity. The plant provided liquid propane used by many buses and taxis which have now had to revert to using petrol. link

SOURCE:

John Bolton wrote in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal that "Last week, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohamed ElBaradei attempted to whitewash Iran's nuclear weapons program by issuing a report ignoring substantial information about weaponization activities and downplaying continued noncooperation. Even the Obama administration apparently now understands that resuming the long-stalled 'Permanent-Five plus-one' negotiations (the U.N. Security Council's permanent members plus Germany) with Iran is highly unlikely to halt Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Accordingly, President Obama is readying two alternatives. One is to characterize 'freezing' Iran's nuclear program at existing levels as a 'success.' However, this less than complete termination of Iran's nuclear program would run contrary to years of determined clandestine efforts. Such a freeze is utterly unverifiable and amounts to surrender. This will result in a nuclear-armed Iran."

(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970204731804574383162213828906.html#mod=todays_us_opinion)

US trebles MOP "bunker buster" bombs order, wants them fast

DEBKAfile Special Report

September 1, 2009, 9:44 AM (GMT+02:00)

MOP: Twenty-one foot long "bunker buster" bomb

In view of new information about Iran and North Korea's underground nuclear facilities, the US Air Force has asked to speed up the delivery of 10 to 12 giant Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bombs, according to Air Force Lt. Gen. Mark Shackelford.

Unusually, DEBKAfile's military sources report, the order has been trebled in less than a year after Congress was first asked for $68 million to buy four MOPs by the US Pacific Command which covers the Korean area and US Central Command which oversees Iran. On Aug. 3, the Pentagon announced a decision to accelerate delivery and again on the 30th for the order to be filled as soon as possible by July 2010 at latest.

Gen. Shackelford said: "These are purchases beyond just those needed to test their capability. In other words (the military is seeking to) build a small inventory of, I believe, 10-12 bombs."

The MOP, using GPS and inertial guidance to find its target, can penetrate 200 feet underground, and is the last of a line of American super bombs.

SOURCE:

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Stop Iran's NUKE , CHECK LIST.

Paradigm modifications:

By Gerald:

N. Korea, talks;

Iran , Talks Check

N Korea, Sanctions

Iran, Sanctions Check.

N. Korea More Sanctions.

Iran More Sanctions, Check.

N Korea 2 non nuclear agreements.

Iran no agreements yet.

N. Korea tests Nukes anyway, Twice.

USA does nothing militarily.

N Korea Takes American hostages.

USA sends former President.

Iran watches

N Korea more sanctions,

N. Korea tests missiles....

N. Korea no nuke pradigm a total failure

Current no nuke Paradigm,

sanctions, agreements

not working with N. Korea.

FAILURE;

CHANGE IRAN'S NO NUKE PARADIGM.

BOMB IRAN's NUKE FACILITIES.

no talks , no agreements

and NO nuke tests.

G

.