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Tehran has complained to the UN about remarks made last week by Hillary Clinton on the circumstances under which the US might attack Iran.

The Democratic presidential hopeful said last week the US could "totally obliterate" Iran if it attacked Israel. ...

Asked how she would respond if Iran launched a nuclear attack on Israel, she replied with a stark warning.

"If I'm the president, we will attack Iran... we would be able to totally obliterate them," she told TV network ABC.

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Sen. Barack Obama said Friday the use of military force should not be taken off the table when dealing with Iran, which he called "a threat to all of us."
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Obama said global leaders must do whatever it takes to stop Iran from enriching uranium and acquiring nuclear weapons. He called Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "reckless, irresponsible and inattentive" to the day-to-day needs of the Iranian people.

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On September 24, Barack Obama--the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from Illinois, and a shoo-in favorite--suggested "surgical missile strikes" on Iran may become necessary. "[L]aunching some missile strikes into Iran is not the optimal position for us to be in" given the ongoing war in Iraq, Obama told the Chicago Tribune.

"On the other hand, having a radical Muslim theocracy in possession of nuclear weapons is worse," he said. Obama went on to argue that military strikes on Pakistan should not be ruled out if "violent Islamic extremists" were to "take over."

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Obama: "An (Iranian) attack on Israel is an attack on our strongest ally in the region, one whose security we consider paramount.

"That would be an act of aggression that I would consider unacceptable and the United States would take appropriate action."

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[ 01 May 2008: Message edited by: M. Spector ]

While Rodham is threatening to "totally obliterate" Iran, O'Bomber would only use some "surgical missile strikes". It's more akin to a health care type of procedure.

Surely, as Canadians, we would support surgery over euthanasia?

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A top Israeli official has said that if Iran continues with its alleged nuclear arms programme, Israel will attack it. ...

Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Iran's nuclear programme must be stopped by what he termed all possible means.

"The international community has a duty and responsibility to clarify to Iran, through drastic measures, that the repercussions of their continued pursuit of nuclear weapons will be devastating," Mr Olmert said."If Iran continues with its programme for developing nuclear weapons, we will attack it. The sanctions are ineffective," Mr Mofaz told Yediot Ahronot.

"Attacking Iran, in order to stop its nuclear plans, will be unavoidable," he said.

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Originally posted by MCunningBC:
I think it's worthwhile rembering that most Euorpean nations have been worried about Iran's nuclear ambitions, especially France.

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Originally posted by unionist:

I heard somewhere that Israel has nuclear weapons and Iran does not. Glad that doesn't bother you.

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Israel is not officially a nuclear weapons state, in that they have never publicly tested a bomb. But I think it's widely acknowledged that they probably have something like 100 to 300 nuclear warheads that could be delivered by aircraft, a nuclear arsenal comparable to that of the UK or France.

There are serious concerns about Iran acquiring nuclear warheads, probably because their regime is thought to be somewhat irrational, rather like that of the late Saddam Hussein.

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Originally posted by MCunningBC:

Israel is not officially a nuclear weapons state, in that they have never publicly tested a bomb.

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That will be comforting to the "millions" you said they would kill in an unofficial nuclear strike.

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There are serious concerns about Iran acquiring nuclear warheads, probably because their regime is thought to be somewhat irrational, rather like that of the late Saddam Hussein.

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The dude with the WMD? yeah, I remember him. Good thing the U.S. is too rational to ever use nuclear weapons. Well, other than that one time. Er, two times.

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But the point remains that most European nations, and particularly France, have stated that it would be unacceptable to them if Iran were to acquire a nuclear weapons capability.

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Originally posted by unionist:
I'll be happy to add "Sarkozy" to the list of McCain, Rodham, Obama and Olmert who have threatened to wipe Iran off the face of the map if it ever does what the U.S. has done.

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I think you're right that Sarkozy has been the most outspoken, but the EU and the UN generally have stated that they want Iran to avoid arming itself with nuclear weapons.

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And the Byzantines warned against the Persians, and the Franj feared the Saracens, and...

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In the Middle East, however, reaction to Mr. Obama’s speech, which was broadcast live on several Arab-language television stations, was immediate, and strongly negative. Some of the sharpest reaction came from Palestinian leaders who had previously expressed hope that Mr. Obama would break with what they saw as a pattern of American favoritism toward Israel.

“This statement is totally rejected,” said Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority. He added, “We will not accept a Palestinian state without having Jerusalem as the capital.”

Even within Israel, where the speech was overwhelmingly applauded, some analysts suggested Mr. Obama had staked out a position beyond that of current Israeli leaders. One television commentator said his language was reminiscent of former Prime Minister Menachem Begin of the hard-line Likud Party, who signed a peace accord with Egypt but expanded Israeli settlements in the West Bank

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Barack Obama is no better than a Likudnik.

Vote Nader.

[ 07 June 2008: Message edited by: al-Qa'bong ]

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I heard somewhere that Israel has nuclear weapons and Iran does not. Glad that doesn't bother you.

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The current leaders of Iran have stated in no uncertain terms that they wants Israel to be wiped off the map and annhilated. I've never heard even the most extreme Israeli political figures say that they will settle for nothing less than the elimination of Iran as a country.

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Originally posted by Stockholm:
- but whose to say that Iran might not decide to lob some hydrogen bombs at Israel just for the fun of it.

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Oh absolutely, I can just imagine anyone in their right mind and betting they could pull off a nuclear strike on Israel without fear of retaliation.

Dr. Strangelove: Mr. President, ... Deterrence is the art of producing in the mind of the enemy... the FEAR to attack!

Are you out of your mind?

eta: I think things are looking pretty bad enough as it is without wishing another Korean peninsula standoff a la MacArthur. And I think what may be a deterrent for bombing Iran right now is the fact that the axis of weasels are unsure of whether Iran's SCO partners would intervene militarily. However we do know that global capitalism is approaching crisis levels not so entirely different from what led to the world wars and military aggressions during the cold war era. Socialism or barbarism?

[ 07 June 2008: Message edited by: Fidel ]

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I can just imagine anyone in their right mind and betting they could pull off a nuclear strike on Israel without fear of retaliation.

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Originally posted by Stockholm:

so, are you suggesting that its a good thing that Israel has nuclear weapons because it deters Iran from launching a first strike?

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There is no legitimate purpose for nuclear weapons. What does that say for Israel?

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so, are you suggesting that its a good thing that Israel has nuclear weapons because it deters Iran from launching a first strike?

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Iran cannot launch a first strike, since Iran does not have nuclear weapons.

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Originally posted by MCunningBC:
I think you're right that Sarkozy has been the most outspoken, but the EU and the UN generally have stated that they want Iran to avoid arming itself with nuclear weapons. I don't have links to actual resolutions or statements, but that's from memory. It's a widespread concern, not just the individuals you mention.

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It's a widespread concern... why exactly? Because of Iran's history of aggression against its neighbours? Because of its belligerent threats of attack against... ummm... Because why exactly?

The U.S. tricked and pressured the EU and the UN into applying sanctions against another country in the area that also started with Ira_. It turned out that the only aggressive intent was that of the U.S. Unless you count the invasion (past-tense) of Kuwait, with the blessing of April Glaspie.

So Iran is well within its rights to tell the US and Israel and France and any other nuclear nation that tells Iran to stop its nuclear program to shove it.

If the US and Israel do not have the moral authority to try to control these monstrous weapons, Canada should.

Unless you believe that everyone in the world deserves his or her personal nuclear arsenal, there should be mechanisms in place to prevent their spread.

Even if one thinks that Ahmadinejad is a modern Socrates, and not an antisemitic quasi-fascist, that doesn't mean that it is a good idea to spread weapons to Iran.

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Originally posted by jeff house:
If the US and Israel do not have the moral authority to try to control these monstrous weapons, Canada should.

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Canada?

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Originally posted by jeff house:

I have even heard that sometimes, good countries could be led by bad people.

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Who armed Israel to the eye teeth and several of Israel's arch enemies simultaneously?

Which country armed both Iran and Iraq during their war of the 1980's? Iraqgate and Iran-Contra were total failures for democracy in the U.S.

And since Gulf War I(remember "nurse Nayirah"), weapons sales to the Middle East increased over 500%, including weapons sold by Canada.

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The current leaders of Iran have stated in no uncertain terms that they wants Israel to be wiped off the map and annhilated. I've never heard even the most extreme Israeli political figures say that they will settle for nothing less than the elimination of Iran as a country.

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They never said any such thing. You are a liar, and a few other things that if said would get me banned. You are the Fox News of Babble.

In fact, Israeli politicians have repeatedly called for the annihilation of Iran, as have more than one US presidential candidate. All this hatred for a nation that has never even threatened to attack its neighbours since antiquity.

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but whose to say that Iran might not decide to lob some hydrogen bombs at Israel just for the fun of it.

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And Nuremberg code to respect sovereign borders is violated constantly by repeat offenders. Socialism or barbarism? An axis of weasels has already chosen.

[ 08 June 2008: Message edited by: Fidel ]

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Unless you believe that everyone in the world deserves his or her personal nuclear arsenal, there should be mechanisms in place to prevent their spread.

Even if one thinks that Ahmadinejad is a modern Socrates, and not an antisemitic quasi-fascist, that doesn't mean that it is a good idea to spread weapons to Iran.

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I doubt anyone would disagree with how you've framed this Jeff, but in the real world it amounts to an argument that America has enough nukes so no one else needs any.

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Originally posted by jeff house:
Unless you believe that everyone in the world deserves his or her personal nuclear arsenal, there should be mechanisms in place to prevent their spread.

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Duhhhhhhhhhhhh, there is a mechanism.

It's called the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Iran is a signatory. So is Iraq. Both of them said they were not developing nuclear weapons. Both of them were not and are not developing nuclear weapons.

Only four (4) countries in this world are not signatory. Do you know you they are?????

1. India
2. Israel
3. North Korea
4. Pakistan

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but whose [sic] to say that Iran might not decide to lob some hydrogen bombs at Israel just for the fun of it.

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Originally posted by KeyStone:
Someone should have asked her what she would do to Isreal if they launched a nuclear strike against Iran.

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