Do you believe Iran is a threat to world peace & stability, or just a target of Bush propaganda & spin?

Question

Do you still think Iran is close to having a nuclear weapon? Or believe Ahmadinejad threatened to wipe Israel off the map? Or think Iran is arming the Sunni Insurgents in Iraq?

Iran is at least 10 years from any bomb:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5039956.stm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/01/AR2005080101453.html

It’s now accepted fact that Ahmadinejad has never said “Wipe Israel off the map”. It was a mistranslation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad_and_Israel#Translation_of_phrase_.22wiped_off_the_map.22
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/jonathan_steele/2006/06/post_155.html

There’s nothing to back-up the claim that Iran has been arming the insurgents in Iraq:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/03/AR2006100301577.html
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,124061,00.html

Do you agree that Iran presents no threat & any military action is unjust?

Can people follow the links and read the text and sources before they just repeat the propaganda they've been fed.

Try and provide recent & credible sources to prove your fears against Iran. Otherwise, just go with the flow & accept the Iran threat is really propaganda & political fiction.

Almost everyone is responding with the solid view that the propaganda against Iran is fact.

There's nothing to back this up apart from the same fear tactics that fooled you into supporting the Iraq war.

You can't compare Ahmadinejad to Hitler. Hitler illegally invaded a weak nation, attacked a faith group, used prison camps, used torture, denied justice, used chemical weapons on civilians, used propaganda etc. etc.

Only one nation does all of this today and it isn't Iran!! It's their accuser!

** UPDATE **

cuzob - Yes, I am reading the answers, including your one. They are all very interesting, although some are unnecessarily aggressive!!

Have you read some of the excellent and learned answers after your one? The responses from kcl_30, mancunian, AndyB & electro_nnn might be of interest to the open minded.

Answer 1

Then move to Iran since the US semms to cramp your style.

Answer 2

Wonder how many country's back in the 30's thought Hitler was a pretty nice guy?
This guy Ahmadinejad is bad news, You don't have to wait ten years to make a nuclear weapon all it takes is some C-4 and some enriched uranium in a suitcase and buddy you have a weapon of mass destruction.
Is this impossible, just look at what is going on at our southern boarders If they can bring in tons of illegal drugs into our country how hard will it be to bring in a small package full of destruction.
Iran has been at the forefront of terrorism for many years, They not only supply weapons and financial aid to the insurgents in Iraq but to other middle eastern countries as well.
As far as a mis interpretation of wiping Israel off the map, I'm sure he was not extending an olive branch, It is well known that Iran has deep hatred not only for Israel but also the United States.
I do not agree that Iran does not pose any military threat , What is it going to take to open the eyes of some people to the fact that this guy is a loose cannon.
Unless Iran is willing to to go to the negotiating table and act as responsible member of a world community a plan for military action should be left on the table.

Answer 3

Iran was a democracy the Americans destroyed that
Iran has been an American target for the last 30 years this is nothing new.
If Iran is supplying Iraq so is every other moslem nation out there.
The Americans cant handle 25 million people in Iraq how are they going Iran who is 4 years war ready with 80 million - Bush is a madman in power

http://360.yahoo.com/antiwar_girl

Answer 4

Now I will not write alot here don't need to. I was going to just let this question pass but after reading all the bullshit in here I can't.
To those that think Iran is not a threat I ask this. WHAT IF YOU ARE WRONG! YOU WILL SAY THAT IS A BIG IF AND IT IS.
Will all of you that support letting this country develop the big bomb please place a list of those you chose to die so we can all read it. Cause they will die along with all the others that will get killed if we let this happen. Oh yea make sure to put your close friends and your whole family members names on that list.
The bomb thing is not just Iran it is anyone that wants to make one. We have enough of them now, need no more, it needs to be over. Has to start somewhere and this is as good as any to do just that.

Answer 5

No, its a case of American economy not so good, Saddam converted all iraqui wealth to the Euro, Iran has done the same, both do or did business with China and Russia instead of the Us, as bush said America is addicted to oil, so the Bush adminstration thought they'd show the world how they perfected media manipulation and how they will stop at nothing to acheive full control of whatever they wanted regardless. That's it in a nutshell. sounds too vulgar? It is, its America and its Bush backed by the Israeli lobbies. Why did they choose someone so inarticulate? To show the world that they will not be able to rely on American peoples hearts and minds as the media will smooth every thing over effectivley, even if its a mathematical impossibility, the American media will make it oh so possible. God bless America and Bush who speaks to God and the Americans that actually beleive he does!
China strikes a deal with 40 african countries for peaceful trade...America builds a base in Africa...makes sense doesnt it...more death in Africa to come...watch this space....the yankees are coming...

Answer 6

First of all, you are blatanly trying to "spin" your arguement by adding a link to a military site implying that the military doesn't support the idea.If you read the byline you'll notice that it's an Associated Press news story put up for discussion (read the discussion blasting the story here:http://forums.military.com/1/OpenTopic?a=dl&f=672198221&s=78919038&x_id=124061&x_subject=Bush's%20Iran%20Stance%20Echoes%20Iraq&x_dpp=Y&x_link=http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,124061,00.html). Apart from that the other sources you quote are holier than thou news people who think they know more about world politics than the people we actually elected.A bunch of "monday morning quarterbacks" if you will.Please remember just because it's in the news doesn't make it true.Furthermore it's not what the media says, but what they don't say.Seems to be a lot of lies by ommission going on in the news these days.Last but not least, I don't need any evidence against Iran other than the facts that "death to America" seems to be the national slogan, and one of the oil richest nations in the world is building a nuclear reactor.That's like owning a sawmill, and building your house out of steel.Doesn't make much sense.
If you need further convincing that it's not the US and Bush starting all this for oil, stop getting your news from MTV and The Comedy Channel, and watch this PBS Frontline documentary:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/front/view/


A quote from the transcripts:

REDA SAYEM: [through interpreter] We believe that the caliphate shall be restored, and we believe that Rome shall be conquered. Islam was the dominant power in the world for the longest time of any empire. For more than a thousand years, Islam ruled the world, until the fall of the caliphate. Communism lasted only 70 years before it fell. Capitalism will fall soon. We offer the alternative, an Islamic program. But the West is not willing to try it. The West is afraid that they will have to give up its sensuous lusts and greed for money.


Quote:"Almost everyone is responding with the solid view that the propaganda against Iran is fact"

Are you reading these posts?I don't think you are.Did you bother at least reading the transcripts of the documentary I mention.I looked at your "facts", you should at least have the courtesy to look at mine.And what's with this propaganda crap?How do you know that your facts aren't propaganda?

From Websters- Propaganda;The systematic propagation of a doctrine or cause or of information reflecting the views and interests of those advocating such a doctrine or cause.

You could be accused of the same thing.

Quote: "There's nothing to back this up apart from the same fear tactics that fooled you into supporting the Iraq war."

There's plenty of facts to support this, but they are wasted on you because you're convinced that somehow we're all a bunch of brainwashed sheeple, and you have been granted magical powers to see the truth.Tell me, what's George Bush thinking right now?What about Ahmadinejad?What's he thinking?You don't know do you?So how the hell do you know what the the truth is?Because some idiot who couldn't cut it in law school and had to become a reporter told you?

Answer 7

USA is much more likely to be a treat to other nations than Iran
Nowadays we can see America invading other countries without any proved reason, THIS is a treat not a country like Iran that has lots of problems controlling its own people, economy, industries…
Iranian government can't even protect it's boundaries against attack of terrorist groups in the east and west
How can't they be a treat?
They may only be a treat to Sahyonism(Zionists) the and Israel regime, the regime which is attacking Al Aqsa Mosque in these days
I'm Iranian, also a Muslim and I really feel near to my brothers in Iraq and even in other countries like Imarat,but unfortunately because of propaganda in these countries they all feel that Iranians are terrorist, however Iranians never have had any plan to have war against them and I think they are wrong, they have same enemy that is called Israel
And you American leaders do you want to know what I think about you? "You kill people to become wealthy , then when you have killed , you need to show that they were terrorist , so you lie , you waste a lot of money on your medias and military , so you again have to kill people… this what you have done in Iraq and Afghanistan, shame on you
But it won't last long, some day son of those parents that you have killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and all over the world will take revenge
No one have forgot The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs
No one CAN forget what you did in Vietnam
History will show your real face to the people of the world
Some guys remind me of taking American embassy in Tehran, Now I remind them of what you did a few week's ago in Iraq about Iranian diplomats

As an Iranian I don't like war (I think no one likes war except Mr. Bush), but if Americans attack Iran, don't think that it'll be like what you did in Iraq, I myself will resist until I die, we Iranians cant stand violence

Go and pray that it won't happen, otherwise lots of people in both sides will be killed, I'll be more sad for those American soldiers that even don't know why they are fighting and for whom they are fighting and just kill and become killed

Answer 8

Iran has been developing nuclear energy secretly for about 10 years.
Recently, when the International Community asked for transparency to its nuclear program, Iran gave them access to its plants so that they could check that its goal was to use nuclear power as an energy source and not as a weapon.

The fact is that it did not give them access to all departments of its plants.So, when NATO, the EU and the UN asked Iran to suspend its nuclear program until they verified Iran aimed good, Iran ignored them and started a second round of nuclear program.

My opinion is that, of course every nation on earth has the right to create nuclear power, as long as they prove that they are not doing it to create nuclear weapons.

Now, you could say we do not know if USA and other countries are using nuclear power to make weapons, and you would be quite right in saying so.

The thing is,( apart from the US and other countries that create nuclear power) why does Iran not prove its claims about using nuclear power for civil purposes?

Answer 9

Iran is no threat to America. Sure US TV shows people in Iran shouting death to America but if went to America I am 100% sure that I could get a crowd of Yanks together who would glad begin chanting death to Iran!

The reason that Iran is high on the US hitlist is two fold. Iran is a huge oil producer. That in itself does not make it a target because the US can simply buy oil from Iran. The problem with Iran is that they started doing what Saddam did. Iran for years has cut dollar transactions to a minimum but last year Iran did the unthinkable (well Saddam did this too) - they began to trade their oil in Euros. What does this matter you ask yourself? Well it matters a hell of a lot if you are American. The economics is quite simple.

Oil is currently traded in dollars which means that anyone who wants to buy oil needs dollars. Where do dollars come from? America. Who has the sole right to print dollars? The Federal reserve in America. How can I get dollars? Trade with America!!!!
Now when the US are printing dollars for next to nothing and using these dollars to buy goods from other countries (cars, TVs etc) then you can see how they are effectively getting something for nothing - dollars cost next to nothing to print but can buy goods worth hundreds of times the cost of printing. This is why the US continues to run the highest trade deficit in the Western world. They import 48% more good than they export.

If countries trade oil in Euros, however, then the demand for these dollars and the US no longer gets something for nothing. venezuela are also considering selling their oil in Euros and if more countries follow suit then it spell a big crash for the US economy. The dollar is already weak and an oil trade in Euros could kill it off.

Now you know why the Iraq war was fought and why there are sabres being rattled towards Iran. Iran doesn't want to attack the US or America. They know they could never win by attacking. By drawing the US or Britain to attack them - well they stand a reasonable chance. They have witnessed what is happening in Iraq. They have seen that it is useless to confront the US head on. What will Iran do? If attacked, my guess is that Iran will arm and stand down its army. It will break its army up into well armed militia groups or cells and tell them to simply attack the US whenever and wherever the opportunity arises. In an initial attack by the US Iran will probably respond with all it has. It has decent anti air missile systems, tanks and planes but after this intial phase expect a guerilla war ten times more fierce than the Iraq insurgency.

Answer 10

Why take the risk? If we annihilate Iran AND Syria, who's going to do anything about it? It would make an example to all Arab or Islamic states and cut off the support of funding for terrorists worldwide. The only caveat I would have is to try and preserve the oil installations. GWB may be a mad dog, but at least he's barking for us! The dismal and malevolent regime that ahmadinejad would inflict on all of us is a worse threat than fascism under the nazis. Delenda est Iran!

Answer 11

Iran is not a threat to world peace and stability...it's just the propaganda of the US and the Jews. By waging war on Iran, Iraq, Syria and all other mid-eastern Moslem countries, the US is hoping to wipe out Islam, the religion, from this earth. They can try till kingdom come, and perhaps even succeed to kill every moslem in this world, but no way can they destroy the religion altogether. Seek and sustain peace on earth for all, Moslems, Jews, Hindoos, Christians!!!