[Elmer]

And if the specter of WWIII isn't troubling enough, see this story:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1192380635847&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

The story gives a brief background of Iran's chief Nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili.

[partially posted here, from the Jerusalem Post]:
THE MOST worrying revelation about Jalili's past appeared recently in the Iran Diplomacy Web site. This Teheran-based news agency, in an article titled "Dr Ali Leaves, Dr Saeed Enters" revealed that for most of his career at the Foreign Ministry, Jalili worked closely with Mojtaba Hashemi Samare, a leading messianic and a close ally of Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, the most well-known and high-ranking messianic cleric in Iran. The article talks about how Jalili cooperated with Hashemi Samare in the Inspectorate department of Ministry. It also mentions that for a short time, Jalili also worked with Ahmadinejad. Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi is a former member of the Hojattieh, a messianic splinter group which was disbanded by Ayatollah Khomeini in the early 1980s because of its extremist views. The sect's goals are to sow chaos - the goal of which is to incite a massive war, presumably necessary to speed up the return of the Shi'ite messiah, known as the Mahdi. After the forced disintegration of the sect, Mesbah Yazdi moved to the holy city of Qom, where he ran the Imam Khomeini Foundation and the Haghaniye [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]school[/color][/color]. From there, he passed on his messianic beliefs to young clerics and revolutionaries whom he hoped one day would reach senior government levels. One of his early successes was Hashemi Samare, who in the early 1990s managed to find a position inside Iran's Foreign Ministry. He soon rose through the ranks and became one of the key officials at the ministry. His main job there was to make sure that Iranian ambassadors were staying true to revolutionary beliefs and Islamic ways while serving abroad. He soon developed a much-feared reputation for recalling diplomats and even ambassadors whom he suspected of becoming Westernized. Some were said to have been locked inside the basement of the Foreign Ministry for days, where, using interrogation techniques including physical violence, he "re-educated" them. ANOTHER IMPORTANT characteristic of Hashemi Samare was that in his office, instead of a picture of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, he hung a portrait of the messianic Mesbah Yazdi. He showed no fear about showing where his true allegiances lay. During his entire career, Hashemi Samare has looked for, and recruited fellow messianics. No one else would be allowed to work with him. In the 1990s, one of these associates included a little known war veteran and bureaucrat called Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who for a very short while, worked for him at the Iranian Foreign Ministry. After that Ahmadinejad was posted to the Ardebil province where he became the governor. The two men continuously maintained contact and upon his return to Teheran in 1997, their friendship and cooperation continued. Today, Hashemi Samare is Ahmadinejad's deputy and most trusted confidant. He can be seen everywhere with the president, especially during foreign travel, such as his recent trip to New York, and when receiving for senior foreign visitors such as Putin. Some former reformists have even said that while praying, Ahmadinejad stands behind Hashemi Samare; an unmistakable sign of respect and adherence which a person can show to his mentor in Iranian religious circles. JALILI'S CLOSENESS with Hashemi Samare, and his appointment as the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) and as the head of Iran's nuclear negotiation team shows that the messianics have scored another major victory in placing one of their allies in a senior political position. Now they can boast that, along with holding positions of power in the Ministry of Intelligence (Gholam Hosssein Ejehi), Ministry of Interior (Mostafa Pour Mohammadi), and, of course, the Presidency (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) - by having Saeed Jalili as chief nuclear negotiator, they now have a stronger say over how Iran deals with the West over its nuclear program.

[david cotton]

Hello everyone
I have worked in Iran, and I was treated very well by all the Iraninan people that I met and worked with.

I think we need to remeber that the average Iranian familily is very much like us. They are just trying to get on with thier lives try to do the right thing.

When it comes to the people in charge, it may be a different matter. They do not have free elections as the people in charge have been appointed by god.

I do think we should do all we can to stop Iran from getting the bomb......but attacking Iran is not the way forward. That will only make us more enemies.

We need to help the people develop and want to change. Iran has started to change alot, and the young people are starting do enjoy many western things, such as Rock music and french style coffee bars. Even the girl's are starting to slowly make changes to their dress code rules.

I think the west needs to understand that these peoples lives to have value. The way the news is reported in the west, tends to make people in the middle East and Africa seem to have no value. Here in London, we lost 50 plus people in the bombings and the event will never be forgotton. In Iraq they loose 50 people in a bombing and its forgotton by the end of the news.

Anyway, I hope Mr Bush does not launch his attack to soon. I'm in the process of getting an Iranian Visa at the moment.

[Rush104]

It's getting a little more interesting...

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/...ia-04091/#more

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...cle%2FShowFull

[Hornchurch]

Originally Posted by david cotton

Hello everyone
I have worked in Iran, and I was treated very well by all the Iraninan people that I met and worked with.

I think we need to remeber that the average Iranian familily is very much like us. They are just trying to get on with thier lives try to do the right thing.

When it comes to the people in charge, it may be a different matter. They do not have free elections as the people in charge have been appointed by god.

I do think we should do all we can to stop Iran from getting the bomb......but attacking Iran is not the way forward. That will only make us more enemies.

We need to help the people develop and want to change. Iran has started to change alot, and the young people are starting do enjoy many western things, such as Rock music and french style coffee bars. Even the girl's are starting to slowly make changes to their dress code rules.

I think the west needs to understand that these peoples lives to have value. The way the news is reported in the west, tends to make people in the middle East and Africa seem to have no value. Here in London, we lost 50 plus people in the bombings and the event will never be forgotton. In Iraq they loose 50 people in a bombing and its forgotton by the end of the news.

Anyway, I hope Mr Bush does not launch his attack to soon. I'm in the process of getting an Iranian Visa at the moment.

an Interesting & enlightening post !

[JustPlaneNuttz]

Originally Posted by Rush104

I don't see why everybody's getting their panties in a wad about this...remember the Reagan years? The massive arms build-up, the overseas basing of new weaponry, the name calling and all the rhetoric flying? Remember all the doom-and-gloomers saying nuclear war was going to happen at any moment? Remember all the movies put out trying to scare us into knocking on the doors of Congress demanding that we get rid of nukes? What happened?
We were able to conclude some meaningful treaties with the Soviets, once they saw that we (as a nation) were serious in our resolve. Later on, all of this played a part in the downfall of the Soviet Union. Not a bad thing, in my book.
I'll bet that we will not be going to war with the Iranians anytime soon. All of this reminds of the crap we went through with North Korea the last few years. No big war erupted there, either.

With respect, I have to say 'yes' I remember the Reagan years. But aside from Maggie & Ronnie's F-111 raid, not much else happened, unlike now. We (the West) got attacked twice -- for our cultural and religious differences by a dangerous bunch of zealots who have decided they are going to tell us how it is. Not cool.

Yes we have to be vigilant, no there isn't a 'spook' under every bed, and I'd be watching that kook in North Korea very very carefully.

Prep the subs!

[JustPlaneNuttz]

Originally Posted by hworth18

And one more..

Oh man, that is just TOO rich!

(*ROTFLMAO*)

[jim]

Originally Posted by JustPlaneNuttz

Oh man, that is just TOO rich!

(*ROTFLMAO*)

DOH, its night time over there, got any of those green looking type binoulars eh?

[Rush104]

Originally Posted by JustPlaneNuttz

With respect, I have to say 'yes' I remember the Reagan years. But aside from Maggie & Ronnie's F-111 raid, not much else happened, unlike now. We (the West) got attacked twice -- for our cultural and religious differences by a dangerous bunch of zealots who have decided they are going to tell us how it is. Not cool.

Yes we have to be vigilant, no there isn't a 'spook' under every bed, and I'd be watching that kook in North Korea very very carefully.

Prep the subs!

I understand where you're coming from. With respect, let me add one more thing to consider about Iran- before any action is possibly taken against them, let's make sure that they DON'T ALREADY HAVE ANY NUKES. It's very possible that some of the uaccounted for Soviet ones may be there.
We don't want to risk the possibility of a repeat of what nearly happened in 1962- had we invaded Cuba, our troops WOULD have been met with tactical nukes, both from the land based FROG regiments and the attack subs. We had absolutely no clue about these tactical nukes until 1992- when we were allowed access to the KGB archives.
Let's make absolutely sure that there won't be any nasty nuclear surprises awaiting our forces before we take any actions against Iran...

[JustPlaneNuttz]

Originally Posted by Rush104

I understand where you're coming from. With respect, let me add one more thing to consider about Iran- before any action is possibly taken against them, let's make sure that they DON'T ALREADY HAVE ANY NUKES. It's very possible that some of the uaccounted for Soviet ones may be there.
We don't want to risk the possibility of a repeat of what nearly happened in 1962- had we invaded Cuba, our troops WOULD have been met with tactical nukes, both from the land based FROG regiments and the attack subs. We had absolutely no clue about these tactical nukes until 1992- when we were allowed access to the KGB archives.
Let's make absolutely sure that there won't be any nasty nuclear surprises awaiting our forces before we take any actions against Iran...

I couldn't agree more. 'Haste makes waste' -- just look at the frikkin' mess we're already in.