Netanyahu's Clear Red Line Reinterpreted

UN Photo/J Carrier

Oct. 1, 2012 - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held up a cartoonish drawing of a bomb last Thursday during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly.  

He was making a point: Iran's nuclear program is dangerously close to being capable of producing a nuclear weapon.

‘‘How much enriched uranium do you need for a bomb? And how close is Iran to getting it?’’ Netanyahu asked rhetorically. ‘‘Well, let me show you. I brought a diagram.’’

Netanyahu held up the drawing of a bomb with a lit fuse, and with a red marker he drew a "clear red line" through the bomb to indicate "the threshold that Iran was approaching and that Israel could not tolerate — 90 percent of the way," reported The Associated Press, "to the uranium enrichment needed to make a nuclear weapon."

Another interpretation, by Chicago News Bench

Chicago News Bench's own interpretation of Netanyahu's cartoon bomb is pictured below. We replaced the original bomb with the Danish cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed.

Why? Actually, we meant no disrespect to non-violent Muslims by that. What we did mean is that, although he did not say it, Netanyahu and his advisors undoubtedly know that the Iranian bomb is an Islamic bomb.

Netanyahu is not simply up against the threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon - he is trying to ward of the threat of an Islamic nuclear weapon. By that we simply mean that Iran, by way its nutjob President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has publicly and repeatedly said that the Jewish nation of Israel must be "eliminated." The reasons for that, as given by Ahmadinejad or his Iranian colleagues, is always based in their interpretation of Islam.

"Note that word—'eliminated'," wrote The Wall Street Journal on Sept. 25. "When Iranians talk about Israel, this intention of a final solution keeps coming up. In October 2005, Mr. Ahmadinejad, quoting the Ayatollah Khomeini, said Israel 'must be wiped off the map.' Lest anyone miss the point, the Iranian President said in June 2008 that Israel "has reached the end of its function and will soon disappear off the geographical domain."

Some are calling it "The Bibi Bomb" or "Bibi's Bomb" after Netanyahu's nickname. It has its own hashtag on Twitter, too: #bibibomb.

Whether or not the presentation was effective is a subject of much debate.

I'd say it was very effective, if only because it caused a lot of people to discuss the matter who might not have without the stunt.

Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon felt the same way . He told Israel’s Channel 2 TV that the resulting jokes about the cartoon bomb ‘‘are maybe part of the success because it was an unforgettable speech that delivered its message,’’ and, ‘‘Today everyone is talking about it.’’

Idiot U.S. Navy Official Blabs About Prepping For War With Iran

Vice Adm. Mark Fox

February 12, 2012 - As if we haven't had an abundance of security leaks from low-ranking aides and bureaucrats over the years, all gleefully published by the fifth column mouthpiece mainstream media, along comes this imbecile: Vice Admiral Mark Fox, commander of the 5th Fleet. Adm. Fox is flapping his loose lips about U.S. military preparedness for any possible conflict with Iran.

ABC News is running an AP story today that Fox, who is the top U.S. Navy official in the Persian Gulf and commander of the 5th Fleet, "said Sunday he takes Iran's military capabilities seriously but insists his forces are prepared to confront any Iranian aggression in the region."

That's good to know, I suppose. Fox, reports AP, spoke at the naval force's Bahrain headquarters that the Navy has "'built a wide range of potential options to give the president' and is 'ready today' to confront any hostile action by Tehran."

What the hell? Why are we broadcasting our battle readiness status? It gets worse...

"He did not outline specifically how the Navy might answer an Iranian strike," the AP report says, "or an effort to shut the entrance to the Persian Gulf, though any response would likely involve the two U.S. aircraft carriers and other warships cruising the waters off Iran." (That's my emphasis added.)

Adm. Fox told reporters that the U.S. Navy attempt to stop Iranian from putting mines in the Strait of Hormuz or Persian Gulf as an “act of war” the international community wouldn’t tolerate, the U.S. Navy’s top Gulf commander said, according to a Bloomberg report.

WHY is the commander of the 5th Fleet saying this? First of all, you always want to keep your foes in the dark regarding what capabilities you would bring to a fight. Secondly, this kind of talk could be seen as provocative by Iran. Unless we want to fight them, why piss them off any more than we need to?

"We've developed very precise and lethal weapons that are very effective, and we're prepared," Fox said. "We're just ready for any contingency."

Good to know, Admiral. Now shut your big mouth..

Duh: Obama Gets Name of British Embassy Wrong

November 30, 2011 - You thought it was pretty funny when Herman Cain messed up the name of Uzbekistan, didn't you? Sure you did. "U-becky becky becky becky stan stan," is what he called it, albeit tongue-in-cheek, as he said in an interview in October.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton quickly had a good laugh about it with none other than Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan. Yep, pretty funny when a conservative politician intentionally mispronounced Uzbekistan, eh?

But what about Barack Obama's expertise on foreign affairs?  In a press conference last night, Obama had no teleprompter. In a remarkably ignorant statement, he called condemned the recent storming of the British Embassy in Tehran, Iran. Problem is, he called it "the English Embassy."

For those of you who, like Obama, are as ignorant about foreign affairs as the average 3rd grader, the correct term is "British Emabassy," not "English Embassy."

This is succinctly explained by Nile Gardiner at The Foundry in a Nov. 30 column:. "In case the president is unaware," he wrote, "England forms part of Great Britain, which also includes Scotland and Wales, though not Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. There is no such thing as an 'English' embassy anywhere in the world, and there hasn’t been one for several centuries."

What Obama did, in effect, was to refer to a foreign embassy that technically does not exist. There is no such thing as an "English Embassy" anywhere on Earth. Gardiner also wrote that "One can only imagine the kind of howls of derision that would greet any presidential contender if that kind of basic error were made..."

Great Britain has no embassies, just England does not. England is part of Great Britain, which in turn is part of the United Kingdom.

The "Know Britain" website tells us that many Brits are confused by what the term "Great Britain" means. "Try asking a person living in the United Kingdom the exact meaning of the expression they have on their passports: 'The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'. Many will not be able to provide an adequate answer. No wonder, therefore, that confusion also exists outside the United Kingdom and that in other European countries people erroneously group together the English, Scottish and Welsh under the word in their own language meaning 'English'."

Will Hillary Clinton yuk it up with any world leaders about Barack Obama incorrectly calling the British Embassy in Tehran the "English Embassy?" No, I don't think so either, and the Mainstream Media won't play it up either.

Obama's defenders might call his "English Embassy" reference an understandable gaffe, but it clearly was not. Rather, it was the result of Obama's ignorance.

In the press conference, Obama said the following: "All of us, I think, are deeply disturbed by [pause] the [pause] aaahhh [pause, brain fart] crashing of, uh, the English Embassy. Ah, thuh, the embassy of the United Kingdom in Iran."  He got it wrong not once, but twice. It is not the "embassy of the United Kingdom." It is the embassy of Great Britain, or "British Embassy."

The President of the United States should certainly know this. But we'll give him this much: He's on a par with some of the lesser educated citizens of the UK for not knowing the basic political makeup of the British Isles.

Here's something else we can (and should) all laugh at: Michele Bachmann has stated that she would close the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Problem is, the United States does not have an embassy anywhere in Iran. We haven't had one since the Iranian hostage crisis during the Carter administration, when revolutionaries stormed our embassy there and held it for 444 days.

Talking Points Memo reports that, "According to a tweet from NBC News’ Jamie Novogrod, Bachmann responded to the recent raiding of the British embassy in Iran, by saying that if she was President, she would close down the U.S. embassy there." What's especially disturbing about Bachmann's statement is the fact that she is a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence.

UPDATE 4: LOUD EXPLOSIONS ROCK IRANIAN CITY | CONFLICTING REPORTS CAUSE CONFUSION

November 28, 2011 - IRAN - Two mysterious explosions shook the city of Isfahan (or "Asfahan") in western Iran today, reports Ya Libnan, which quotes the semi-official Fars News Agency. The explosions are thought to have happened at or very near the Shahab-4 Ballistic missile facility.

"Two explosions have been reported in the Iranian town of Isfahan," reports JewishPress.com. "The first occurred at around 2:30 AM and was originally reported by Farsnews, until the report was taken down. Israel’s Channel 10 is reporting that a second explosion occurred not long ago at a Shahab-4 ballistic missile facility, also in Isfahan. Isfahan hosts a nuclear technology center and a uranium conversion facility, as well as a production plant which make alloys for nuclear reactors."

www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iran/shahab-4.htm

It is still not clear what exploded or what caused the explosions. The only thing that is certain is that there are conflicting reports and a lot of confusion about the incident, as the Israel Matzav blog reports.


This may be significant because a uranium conversion plant not far from Isfahan went became fully functional in 2004. Today's blast comes as tensions between Israel and Iran are at an all-time high, and there is much speculation that Israel will attack Iran's nuclear facilities in an effor to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear weapons.

An updated item from Haaretz highlights how confusing this story really is. Some of the confusion is intentional. "Speaking with Fars news agency," reports Haaretz, "Isfahan’s deputy mayor confirmed the reports and said the authorities are investigating the matter. However, after the incident was reported in Israel, the report was taken off the Fars website." (My emphasis added.)

According to The Telegraph UK, "some sources told news agencies there had been a blast on military facilities, [but] others said there had been a fireball at a petrol station. Residents of the city were independently telling relatives and friends overseas that the city had been shaken by a massive blast in the early afternoon."

Fox News is also referring to the Fars report, and added "the Pentagon and the International Atomic Energy Agency both said they had no reports of an explosions in the city, which has a uranium conversion plant nearby."

Meanwhile, Haaretz (Israel) is also reporting that North Korea has supplied Syria and Iran "with a special kind of steel used to upgrading missiles and building centrifuges for uranium enrichment, the German newspaper Die Welt reported over the weekend."

And, just as a footnote, it will be 64 years ago tomorrow that the United Nations created the modern nation of Israel. On November 29, 1947 the U.N. passed Resolution 181, which divided the British-ruled Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state.

Iranian General: 'Israel Must Be Wiped Off The Map'

July 25, 2011 - The genocidal tendencies of Iran are not limited to nutjob President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. One of its top military men, Basij Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naghdi, is saying that Israel must be destroyed. It's almost cliche, but still frightening, to hear this kind of hate speech from the radical Iranian regime. Oh, and he's written a poem. Here is an excerpt from a post today by Reza Kahlili: In reaction to the recent assassination of Iranian scientist Dariush Rezaiinejad, chief commander of the Basij Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naghdi stated: "The main plot for this criminal act was conceived by the American government, and since it is scared of the reaction by the Muslim world due to the uprisings in the region, it had the Zionist regime commit the heinous act....In order to protect the security of our country, we have no option but to have the Zionist regime wiped off the map." Original source: Pars Daily News... Naghdi's post appeared late this morning on Pajamas Media and is being widely quoted in the blogosphere. The mainstream media, as of 5:13 PM Chicago time, has nothing about this story. General Naghdi is not merely a proponent destroying Israel. He also fancies himself to be something of a poet, it seems. He wrote a poem called “The Youth and Soft War,” about the "soft war" being waged by the U.S. against Iran. This "soft war," he says, is being conducted via Twitter and Facebook. A line from the poem: "Bombs and missiles failed to scare me. He came back with the rumor-spreading Twitter and Facebook." More about Naghdi's poem at Payvand Iran News... RELATED: Iran's top leader names mediator in power struggle - AP (IranFocus.com) Photo: ISNA

Audio of Ahmadinejad, Farrakhan, New Black Panther Leader Plotting Overthrow of U.S.

December 28, 2010 - TREASON - The New York Post had this back in September, but today we get shocking audio (hear it below) of a meeting between New Black Panther leader Malik Zulu Shabazz, Louis Farrakhan and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. What did they discuss? "Ways," writes Gateway Pundit, "to build an alliance, secure raw materials and overthrow America." That's right: Overthrow the United States with a bloody Muslim-race war. Might they start by killing "cracker babies?" Will we be hearing condemnations of Shabazz and Farrakhan anytime soon from President Barack Hussein Obama have to say about this? Or Jesse Jackson? Or Al Sharpton? Don't count on it. Does a meeting with a hostile foreign leader, in which you discuss ways to overthrow your own nation constitute treason? You bet it does. Here's the New York Post's story from Sept. 27: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's six nights in New York featured a secret sit-down with militant minister Louis Farrakhan, heckling in a hotel bar, and a fear of being rubbed out that bordered on paranoia, the New York Post reported Sunday. The president shared a hush-hush meal with Farrakhan and members of the New Black Panther Party Tuesday at the Warwick Hotel on West 54th Street. Full story here... RELATED: Fox Interview of Malik Zulu Shabazz, Chairman of the New Black Panther Party New Black Panther Party: "Lets kill some Cracker babies"

Wow, Cartoon Lambasts Global Warming, Iran AND the Fed Bureaucracy...

... all in one neat and hys-frikkin-sterical package. This was created by IronyCurtain, one of the creative lunatic geniuses at iOwnTheWorld.com com. IC emailed it to me t'other day and wondered if it qualified as a snow photo. It does not, of course, but it's so funny I had to share it. See more fun right-wing hate speech at iOwnTheWorld.com. Go on, visit them now... Leave a Comment * Conservative T-Shirts Follow CNB on Twitter * RSS Feed

State of Alert in Lebanon; New Sanctions For Iran

Flashpoints, Middle East: These are breaking news items late on February 6, 2010 (as of 21:00 EST). Trouble Brewing in Lebanon: Haaretz.com - Hezbollah has raised its state of alert in Lebanon following the recent war of words between Israeli and Syrian officials, according to a report by the Beirut correspondent of Saudi daily Al-Okaz. The report cites growing concerns in Lebanon that Israel is either planning to attack Lebanon, or that tensions in the region will result in an Israeli operation there... IsraelNN.com - US Threatens Iran with Fresh Sanctions (Note: Is anybody else getting a feeling of deja vu? I half expect Colin Powell to give a slide show in a few weeks at the UN to explain why we need to invade Iran.) Leave a Comment * Conservative T-Shirts * Follow CNB on Twitter * RSS Feed

Israel Preps for War with Iran, Syria Beats War Drums

February 3, 2010 - Breaking - War seems imminent in the Middle East. This report today from debka.com is very alarming: Arab voices were fanning Middle East war fever Wednesday night, Feb. 3. debkafile's military sources report that not only are Syrian leaders beating war drums - Syrian foreign minister Walid Muallem said in Damascus: "Israelis, do not test the power of Syria since you know the war will move into your cities" - but Egyptian military sources have put out information purporting to outline Israel's preparations to strike Iran. Debka.com's article goes on, with more info, which I've put into abbreviated list form here: - Israeli Navy and the US Fifth Fleet have been charting Persian Gulf waters and Iranian shorelines "in preparation for attacks" - Israeli Defense Forces intelligence and special forces ... have been marking out routes.... to hit Iran's nuclear installations - Egyptian sources say that Saudi Arabia is [to put it in my own words] freaking out about all of this - Some of this has already been "leaked in Cairo Wednesday night to ... a publication which Egyptian intelligence often uses ..." Full Article and more details at debka.com QUESTIONS: Since this is so widely known now, will the Obama Administration talk about it? How has Hillary Clinton been involved in all of this? Will Israel soon find itself embroiled in a war with Iran and its puppet state Syria? How deeply will the U.S. get pulled in, and how will this affect our efforts on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan? RELATED: Syria: If Israelis declare war, we'll hit their cities US seeks to restore Damascus envoy Assad: Israel pushing Middle East to war Ehud Barak Warns Syria Of Confrontations, Incite Against Iran Netanyahu: If Hamas wants a deal - there will be one Analysis: negotiation with Iran an "unending waltz" After test failure, US warns Iran over defensive missiles Iranian Proxies: An Intricate and Active Web UN Gives Green Light for Israel, Syria, Iran War Leave a Comment * Conservative T-Shirts * Follow CNB on Twitter * RSS Feed

Video: People Tear Down Khameini Billboard in Iran

Part of the November 4 protests in Iran.

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Huge Protests Rage Today in Iran (Nov. 4)

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Today, the Persian people are fighting for their rights - and their lives - in Iran, coincidentally on the 30th anniversary of the siege of the US Embassy in Tehran (thanks in large part to Pres. Jimmy Carter). The people of Iran are not giving up - are you paying attention, Tea Partiers?

The Mullahs and Ahmadi-Nejad have underestimated the will of the Iranian people. This is because they assume that they can fully control the people of Iran. But Iran exists far beyond her borders. The true Iran is embraced by the American people; the true Iran is embraced by the French, the Swiss, the Canadians and even the British. Just as the Iranians demonstrated in the streets of Iran/Tehran to show their solidarity after September 11th, we, Planet Iran, an untouchable number of people are giving tireless support to the people in Iran during their quest for freedom.(Source: Planet Iran)

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This video shows protesters begging Obama to help them. They chant "Obama, Obama, either with them or us." So far, Obama has wimped out in showing any real support for their fight against tyranny.

Some related hot posts about the protests today: Massive Protests Against Regime In Iran – People Chanting “Die, Die Dictator!” Live Blogging from Iran Street videos of protests in Tehran, Nov. 4 (YouTube) Opposition supporters clash with Iranian security forces Iran's anti-US protests could turn on Ahmadinejad Iran has boosted production at uranium mine – report Conservative Caps, Shirt and more! Leave a Comment - Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Visit us on Twitter!

Awesome Video - Huge Iran Protests Planned for Nov. 4 #iran

Never give up. The person who posted this video (below) on YouTube, "jambonjamasb," writes: "A video to remind everyone of the hardship being endured under the fascist dictator in Iran. The people are still being brutalised as the world governments ignore their plight. They will protest again on the 4th November [2009]. Please support them." Jambonjamasb asks that you share the link to this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDHABfzJd0Y.

Conservative Caps, Shirt and more! Leave a Comment - Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Visit us on Twitter!

Mousavi Assassination Attempt Fails

Here you go, fetch! http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Mir+Hossein+Mousavi+assassination+attempt+foiled&btnG=Google+Search Leave a Comment... See Our Online Store Chicago News Bench RSS Feed We're on Twitter...

Protests Ramp Up in Iran

You thought it was over? Not hardly. AP reports this morning that the protesters in Iran have a renewed vigor. These are the first protests in the 11 days since Iran's theocratic dictator, "Supreme Leader" Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, brutally put them down. About two dozen protesters were killed in clashes with police forces during the previous protests. Hundreds of young men and women chanted "death to the dictator," confronting police wielding batons and firing tear gas in the capital Thursday as opposition activists sought to revive street protests despite authorities' vows to "smash" any new marches. Full Story from Associated Press/Yahoo! News... Let's understand this. You don't openly chant "death to the dictator" when your leader is actually a dictator unless you really mean it. To do so invites that dictator's police force to kill you where you stand, no questions asked. Keep an eye on Iran. The situation in Iran is far from over. Leave a Comment... See Our Online Store Chicago News Bench RSS Feed We're on Twitter...

Obama's Iran Wimplomacy, Shades of Carter

Like Jimmy Carter before him, Barack Obama just doesn't get it. President Carter allowed - yes, allowed - the radical Islamic fundamentalist revolution in Iran to happen in the late 1970's. Then, Carter did nothing to prop up the Shah of Iran. Granted, the Shah was something of a bastard, but as the old saying goes, he was "our bastard." More importantly, the Shah was a far better alternative than the lunatics that replaced him. Now, in 2009, those lunatics and their successors still run Iran with iron fists, more repressive than the Shah ever was. Whereas Carter betrayed the Iranian people by allowing the lunatics in, Obama today has betrayed them by not speaking out soon enough - or with enough resolve - against the barabaric response to the protesters in the streets. About 20 are known to have been killed. Hundreds more have been badly injured, maimed, and imprisoned. Mark LeVine, Middle Eastern historian, wrote this for Al Jazeera: It took more than a week of intensified government repression against protesters in Iran before Barack Obama, the US president, moved from cautious commentary to describing the crackdown as "violent and unjust". LeVine hits Obama's Wimplomacy (my word) with no mercy: Rather than encourage Arab democrats, the Obama administration is improving ties with Libya and returning an ambassador to Syria, where today we are courting Bashar al-Assad as a "key player" in the region, despite his country's abysmal record on human rights and democracy. Obama, like Carter and so many other Democrats, seem to have a knee-jerk fear of offending dictators. They also have an instinctive love of them, such as Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, Mao, and so on. You can walk down any city street and see Che Guevara shirts. It's extremely rare indeed to see anybody wearing a Benito Mussolino shirt. The Left loves dictators. LeVine continued by touching on why it's so important for an American president to do what Obama has not done, which is to give assurance to those longing for democracy: Consider what would happen if, instead of staying on the sidelines in Iran while playing softball with Israel and trying to woo other autocratic regimes into our orbit, Obama could look the Iranian leadership in the eyes and make the same demand of them that he should be making of all the leaders of the region: democratise and grant freedom to the peoples under your control. At least then the brave Iranians risking their lives for democracy, and the long-repressed peoples of the region more broadly, would know that the US stands up for them. While the vast majority of U.S. citizens would love to see true democracy take hold in Iran, the sad fact is that the U.S. has officially not stood up for the Iranian people. The top official to fail in that duty, the one who is symbolically and politically most important, is Barack Obama. At the end of LeVine's column, Al Jazeera added a post script. "The views expressed by the author are not necessarily those of Al Jazeera," it said. Here's my post script: The views expressed by Mark LeVine are in complete synch with those of Chicago News Bench. Leave a Comment... See Our Online Store Chicago News Bench RSS Feed We're on Twitter...

Updated - Mousavi Urges Revolution in Iran

Hundreds of thousands have been protesting in the streets of Iran's major cities for over a week now. Until now, people have been reluctant to call this the start of a "revolution." Let me be one of the first. Here's why: The protests began after what many worldwide consider to be a rigged presidential election on June 12. Incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed victory over challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi, but millions of Iranians question the honesty of the election results. A huge number of the ballots were cast on paper, yet only hours after the polling booths closed Ahmadinejad was officially declared the winner. The question was asked en masse, "How could the results have been known so quickly?" Today (June 20), a report from Reuters in Tehran says that "Opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi said the Islamic Republic must be purged of what he called lies and dishonesty, sending out a direct challenge to conservative rulers after a day of unrest across Tehran." Them's fightin' words, and earlier today a report from Telegraph.co.uk noted that Mousavi may be ready to die for his cause: He dramatically raised the stakes in the standoff with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after publishing a letter to the country's highest electoral authority in which he cited examples of electoral fraud to support his "undeniable right" to call for a re-run of the election. Mr Mousavi made his defiant call during a speech delivered in southwest Tehran, according to an ally, who telephoned a western news agency shortly afterwards to report: "Mousavi said he was ready for martyrdom and that he would continue his path." I'm not sure how this cannot be called the beginning of a revolution. The "leader" of the protesters publicly states that he's ready to give his life to the cause of fair elections, reform of the government, and grave defiance of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, known in Iran as the "Supreme Leader." (Khamenei and his council of fanatical mullahs are the real power in Iran, not any sitting president.) Meanwhile, Mousavi's supporters have been proving for eight days that they, too, are ready to die in the streets for principals of freedom. Because of a state clampdown on telecommunications and a general news blackout in Iran, it's hard to know exactly how many have died, but it seems certain that at least 12 19 have been killed by Iranian security forces. So, revolution in Iran seems imminent. A full week of protests, with violent reaction from police and other security forces, a leader who publicly says he's ready to die for the cause and urges his supporters to keep defying the authoritarian regime, even calling out "Death to Khamenei"... What else to call this but the beginning of a full-blown revolt? Meanwhile, after a week of noncommittal, weak-kneed comments about the situation in Iran, the American Supreme Leader Barack Obama finally said something forceful. He has warned Iran to cease what he called "violent and unjust" actions against the protesters (FoxNews). RELATED: Some very recent headlines about Iran... Real-time results for "#iranelection" - Twitter At least 19 dead in Iran unrest, hospital sources say - CNN.com Mousavi ready to be 'martyr' - Arab News Mousavi is ready for martyrdom - Examiner.com Riot police clash with Iran protesters - Radio New Zealand Protesters cry: 'Death to Khamenei' - Independent (with timeline June 12 - 19) A great web site I found with Iran news - http://www.demotix.com/home See Comments... Visit Our Online Store Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Hey! ChiNewsBench is on Twitter

Hillary Clinton, Iran, and a Canadian Cannon

Hillary Clinton and the Obama Administration are made to look like cowardly fools in the video below. In that video, the first three minutes contain an excellent report from the streets of Tehran, where hundreds of thousands of people continue to demonstrate in the streets against "alleged" national voter fraud in the June 12 presidential election. The best part, however, is the press conference at 3:00 minutes into the video, in which U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says, "We, like the rest of the world, are waiting and watching to see what the Iranian people decide. The United States has refrained from commenting on the election in Iran." It was a cowardly statement by Clinton, in which she avoided taking any stand for justice and democracy, or to even try to send a message of hope to the people of Iran - or any warning to the dictators in power. Then, the coup de grace from Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister, Lawrence Cannon, whose statement showed us that Hillary is a coward who was either lying or is completely ignorant of diplomatic efforts by other nations, including Canada, our next door neighbor and one of our very best allies. "Canada's deeply concerned by reports of voting irregularities in the Iranian election," Cannon said. "We're troubled by reports of intimidation of opposition candidates' offices by security forces. We've tasked our embassy officials in Tehran to closely monitor the situation, and Canada's calling on Iranian authorities to conduct fair and transparent counting of all ballots." The comparison of these two statements, by Clinton and Cannon, is stark. Cannon's statement made Clinton look like a fool. Whereas Clinton said that "We, like the rest of the world, are waiting and watching to see what the Iranian people decide," Cannon showed neatly that such is not the case. Rather, as Cannon pointed out, Canada was not merely waiting and watching, but also actively urging action by the Iranian authorities. His subtle, diplomatic message was clear and aimed squarely at the Iranian authorities by, in effect, demanding that they straighten out the election results and show satisfactory proof that the results were fair. Whereas Clinton said that "The United States has refrained from commenting on the election in Iran," Cannon went on to make some very strong statements on behalf of Canada. By saying that Canada is "troubled by reports of intimidation of opposition candidates' offices by security forces," Cannon effectively said that Canada believes something unsavory happened in the handling of ballots in last Friday's election. Probably without meaning to, Cannon showed the world how cowardly, ignorant and afraid to offend the Iranian dictatorship the Obama Administration truly is. See Comments... Visit Our Online Store Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Hey! ChiNewsBench is on Twitter

Iran Protesters Braver Than "Tea Party" Protesters

The whole world loves Obama? Not quite. Iranians, upset back in January by Obama's failure to do anything substantial regarding Gaza, are not exactly fans of Barack Obama. More recently, many Iranians are dissing Obama for his gutless lack of any condemnation of the obvious election fraud there last week. Photos of the Gutless Appeaser were burned in January (click photo for link), others were made to look as though blood was dripping from his lying mouth, and still others were placed on the ground to be trampled upon. Today, hundreds of thousands of Iranian people are risking arrest or even being shot by police as they disobey anti-rally orders as they march through the streets. Most Tea Party protesters, in contrast, won't attend a rally if they can't be assured of a good parking space, a latte for the march and a nice place to grab lunch afterward. In most of the rest of the world, freedom is still thought of as something worth dying for - or at least risking latte deprivation for. Ironically and sadly, too many Americans no longer bother to get out of their easy chairs to stand up for their fundamental rights. Now, I ask you, when will the timid and so-far gutless Tea Party "protesters" start getting serious and doing this? "What?!?" you say, "how can you ask that?!? Are you suggesting that Tea Party protesters burn Obama in effigy?" Damned right I am. Democrats have burned effigies of every Republican president since Lincoln. And remember, folks, dissent is patriotic. Haven't you heard? While some Iranians were chanting "Death to Obama," I would urge people to NOT do that. It's not only illegal and stupid and wrong, it's also what Democrats and leftists have chanted about every Republican president since Lincoln. While I would urge adopting some tactics of the Left, we don't want to become too much like them. And while we're at it, let's ask ourselves why in hell the residents of Cook County haven't yet picked up pitchforks and torches and stormed Cook County offices. "What?!?" you might say, "how can you ask that?!? Are you suggesting that people storm the offices of Cook County government?" Damned straight. After all, the people of Iran are upset about an election being stolen. What the hell do you think Todd Stroger and the iron-fisted tyrants of the Cook County Democrat Party did in 2006? (In case you don't know, let Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica explain it to you in this video. You might want to invest in a pitchfork after watching it.) See Comments... Visit Our Online Store Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Hey! ChiNewsBench is on Twitter

Functioning Iran Proxies (Updated)

FUNCTIONING IRAN PROXIES As of 1:30 PM (Chicago Time), 15 June 2009: 218.128.112.18:8080 and 218.206.94.132:808 and 218.253.65.99:808 218.253.65.99:808 and 219.50.16.70:8080 The June 12 general election in Iran smells bad. Very bad. Incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed victory over challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi, but millions of Iranians question the honesty of the election results. A huge number of the ballots were cast on paper, yet only hours after the polling booths closed Ahmadinejad was officially declared the winner. The question was asked en masse, "How could the results have been known so quickly?" One way, of course, would be if the results were known in advance. In other words, if the fix was in for Ahmadinejad. This is what has tens of thousands of protesters taking to the streets of Tehran and other cities, in protest of what they consider to be a case of election fraud. Another reason to be very suspicious of the election results is the fact that Iran has cracked down China-style on Internet activity. Social web sites, such as Facebook and others, have been effectively blocked by Iran's government. Twitter seems to be the only outlet for Iranians in Iran to communicate with the rest of the world. In 1989, their spiritual counterparts in the dark days of the Tiananmen Square Massacre used fax machines successfully to get their messages of despair and oppression out. Now, in Iran, Twitter is a digital message in a bottle, telling of police beatings, large-scale arrests and more of what you would expect from a totalitarian regime. The Australian newspaper reports this today about the communications crackdown: As reports of political violence in Iran intensified after Friday's disputed election won by incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Islamic republic has managed to shut down most forms of communication with the outside world. Access to the popular networking site Facebook has been restricted on occasion before, during and after elections, stopping Iranians from sharing their stories with the world. But Twitter has somehow avoided being blocked and has provided a rare glimpse into the violence that has engulfed the capital, Tehran. The 140-character limit has not stopped protesters from giving vivid accounts of the violent scenes they had witnessed.... Mobile phone and satellite communications seem be to victims of jamming as well, according to a report from Guardian.co.uk. RELATED: Shots fired as more than 100000 Iranians defy rally ban - (15 June) Guardian.co.uk See Comments... Visit Our Online Store Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Hey! ChiNewsBench is on Twitter

Iran Protesters Killed, Violence Increasing

In the wake of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad re-election on Friday, June 12, thousands of protesters are in the streets. Many have been badly beaten by riot police. There are now reports that at least three protesters have been killed. The man who ran against Ahmadinejad in last week's election, Mir Hossein Mousavi, is urging his disappointed followers to act nonviolently. Many Iranians suspect that the election may have been rigged in favor of Ahmadinejad. In a government crackdown on opposition, more than 10 Iranian reformist leaders - supporters of Mousavi - have been arrested, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Sunday. According to ynetnews.com, "The al-Arabiya network has reported at least three people dead in riots that broke out in Tehran following the results of the Iranian elections." Facebook, YouTube, Friend Feed, Twitter and other social networking sites were reportedly blocked on Saturday. (Source) Some are still able to get their messages out, however, such as these folks on Twitter, probably through third-party applications. BBC reports that "Some of the protesters in Tehran wore Mr Mousavi's campaign colour of green and chanted 'Down with the dictator', news agencies report." Photo source: http://threatswatch.org/rapidrecon/ RELATED: Riots Erupt in Tehran as Iranian President Ahmadinejad declares victory - LA Times Violence escalates in Iran, first deaths reported, communication cut off - breakingtweets.com West concerned by Iran fraud claims - Aljazeera.net Iran arrests 10 leaders of reformist groups - Agence France-Presse/Inquirer.net World reacts to Ahmadinejad election - Washington Times Iran news coverage - Guardian.co.uk Iran: True Revolution Against False Revolution - netwmd.com See Comments... Visit Our Online Store Chicago News Bench RSS Feed ChiNewsBench is on Twitter