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9/06/2006


 

Free Republic Commentary 9/07-10/08

Iran 'using British banks to channel money to terrorists'
Posted by humint to mewzilla
On News/Activism 10/08/2006 2:49:31 PM PDT · 9 of 10

First, while Iranian financial institutions are prohibited from directly accessing the U.S. financial system, they are permitted to do so indirectly through a third country bank for payment to another third country bank. Today, we have cut off one of the largest Iranian state-owned banks, Bank Saderat, from the U.S. financial system. Here is why: This bank, which has approximately 3400 branch offices, is used by the Government of Iran to transfer money to terrorist organizations. Iran uses Saderat to transfer money to Hizballah. Iran also uses it to transfer money to E.U. designated terrorist groups Hamas, the PFLP-GC and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Thanks for the link


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Iran 'using British banks to channel money to terrorists'
Posted by humint to ARealMothersSonForever
On News/Activism 10/08/2006 2:43:32 PM PDT · 8 of 10

So what is the US to do? Impose economic sanctions on Great Britain because of their support for Iran, and Iranian business? Specifically BP.

The question of international sanctions on Iran - outside of the UN - is one of cooperation based on mutual interests. The Brits have said they will cooperate. That is, the British Government has said they will cooperate. This is what we're witnessing here. The consequences of not economically destabilizing Iran are obvious. Any bank helping Iran make nukes or support terror will get a slapdown from the appropriate enforcement agency. To your point about Carter – you note it’s a mess. Are you suggesting we lay around in filth, and do nothing? Or are you suggesting sanctions are a limp wrist approach to solving the Iran crisis? The media has gotten bored of it but I can assure you that every day the Iranians are inching closer and closer to an operable nuclear warhead.


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Iran 'using British banks to channel money to terrorists'
Posted by humint
On News/Activism 10/08/2006 1:22:49 PM PDT · 9 replies · 147+ views

observer ^ | 08 OCT 2006 | Conal Walsh
The Financial Services Authority is urgently scouring Britain's banking system for evidence of Iranian terrorism funding following an alert from the US authorities. The move comes after officials at the FSA were shown American intelligence indicating that suspicious Iranian funds were being funnelled through the City of London and other financial centres. Hank Paulson, the US Treasury Secretary, claimed last month that Iran was using the western banking system to sponsor international terrorism and nuclear procurement. Paulson warned that 'blue chip banks' were being unwittingly used by a network of 'more than 30 front companies' controlled by Tehran. America also...

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Life in the YANG - The genius behind being wrong in America
Posted by humint
On Bloggers & Personal 10/07/2006 2:07:16 PM PDT · 1 reply · 28+ views

HUMINT ^ | 7 OCTOBER 2006 | HUMINT
The Yin Yang symbol from Chinese Philosophy represents opposing natural forces. Yang,literally translated, means the sun or sunny. Yin, being the natural opposition is thought to be the moon, darkness or shade. Sir Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion: - To every action there is an equal but opposite reaction - is an extremely pure definition of the Yin Yang symbol. While natural balance, God’s fulcrum if you will, is accepted by the mortal mind even when the opposing forces have complex dependencies like “morality” and are thusly, vague. Chinese philosophers commonly apply Yin Yang symbolism vaguely, including, among...

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Allah Akbar!
Posted by humint
On Bloggers & Personal 09/25/2006 10:58:51 PM PDT · 4 replies · 203+ views

humint ^ | 25 Septemper 2006 | Thomas Jefferson

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Iran's Donkey
Posted by humint
On Bloggers & Personal 09/23/2006 10:14:18 PM PDT · 1 reply · 68+ views

humint ^ | 9-11 and 9-24 | fox news +
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran closed down two opposition newspapers on Monday, one of which had recently poked fun at hard-line President and the way his government has handled nuclear talks with the West. It was a fresh show of determination by Iran's ruling clerical establishment to silence dissent over its handling of nuclear talks with the West and deny reformers a chance to air their views ahead of elections scheduled for Dec. 15. The rights group Reporters Without Borders voiced concern last week about harassment of Iranian journalists, including prison sentences and interrogations. Ahmadinejad has purged dozens of journalists, university...

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The recruit: How did this girl go from Toronto to a terrorist training camp in Iraq?
Posted by humint to BlackVeil; Clive
On News/Activism 09/23/2006 9:41:56 PM PDT · 17 of 24

RICHMOND HILL - The video playing on the 36-inch Hitachi television in Mustafa Mohammady's living room in the suburbs north of Toronto shows his daughter Somayeh in a paramilitary uniform, her hair tucked under a khaki scarf that's knotted at the neck.

The home video has come to the Mohammadys from the plains north of Baghdad, where their daughter lives in a guerrilla compound called Camp Ashraf, the headquarters of the Organization of the Freedom Fighters of the Iranian People.

A student at Etobicoke Collegiate Institute, Somayeh dropped out of Grade 10 to join the rebels, and for the past several years her parents have done little else except try to get her back to Canada. They have written pleading letters to guerrilla commanders and the Canadian government. They travelled to Iraq four times.

But she is there still.

"Her brain's been washed," her younger brother Morteza said. "The Canadian government needs to take her out of there. We know my sister is not a terrorist."

The Mohammadys are nervous and sleepless with worry, but as much as the parents are torn up that their daughter is a member of what the Canadian government calls a terrorist organization, in arguably the most dangerous country in the world, they also know they are partly to blame because she went to the camp with their consent.



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Being nice to suspected terrorists is suicidal
Posted by humint to SoldierDad
On News/Activism 09/23/2006 12:20:26 AM PDT · 15 of 20

SoldierDad: To Transcend is to rise above. Those that have their heads in the air will not stay there, but will fall with devastating results. Just keep watching the next elections.

Article: In short, the clash between Senator McCain, et al., and the President of the United States is more than just another political clash. It is part of a far more general, and ultimately suicidal, confusion and hand-wringing in the face of mortal dangers.

HUMINT: This statement nails it. Unfortunately it doesn’t fix anything. Some jobs suck and there's nothing anybody can do about it. Compelling confessions makes interesting television - but doing it for a living is worse than treating sewage. In fact the two jobs are synonymous. Jobs to compel confessions are inherently rare and are almost always clandestine. Therefore there's very little social context to support their requisite coercive techniques.

What I think most people miss however is where and when torturous [as opposed to coercive] techniques are used. Inspecting the historical applications of torture and comparing those to acts of terrorism, one quickly realizes similarities. A torturer has no regard for the sanctity of the lives of their enemy - just as the terrorist is committed to exterminating their foes.

While the West is compelled to intrusively inspect the minds of terrorists and criminals, the objective is always to save lives. Alternatively, the Iranian government – among other state and non-state actors - is committed to destroying dissent. While there is no moral equivalent to Western interrogation and medieval torture, the issue deserves juxtaposition. Where we are now [in terms of violence] is not where we want to be. Where they are now is exactly where our ancestors have been. No Red Blooded American will return to medieval society without a fight.

Our objective to transcend, not retreat.


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Being nice to suspected terrorists is suicidal
Posted by humint to SoldierDad
On News/Activism 09/22/2006 11:42:13 PM PDT · 9 of 20

...there are just too many sheople in this country with their heads buried in the sand

I disagree. Most Americans have transcended - and now have their head in the air.


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Being nice to suspected terrorists is suicidal
Posted by humint to FARS; odds
On News/Activism 09/22/2006 11:21:10 PM PDT · 2 of 20

Even with a nuclear Iran looming on the horizon and the prospect that its nuclear weapons will end up in the hands of international terrorists that it has been sponsoring for years, many in the media and the government that is supposed to protect us have been preoccupied with whether we are being nice enough to the terrorists in our custody.



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Being nice to suspected terrorists is suicidal
Posted by humint
On News/Activism 09/22/2006 11:19:10 PM PDT · 19 replies · 490+ views

Thomas Sowell ^ | Saturday, September 23, 2006 | Thomas Sowell
When you enter a boxing ring, you agree to abide by the rules of boxing. But when you are attacked from behind in a dark alley, you would be a fool to abide by the Marquis of Queensbury rules. If you do, you can end up being a dead fool.

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Iran a Bigger Threat Than Al Qaeda, Congressman Warns
Posted by humint to Flavius
On News/Activism 09/22/2006 10:26:41 PM PDT · 6 of 11

I'll take valet e-faqih for $1000 Who was an ideologically bankrupt theocratic dictator?

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Iran Could Cut West's Oil Supplies In Event Of War, Warns American Chief In Gulf
Posted by humint to cajungirl; SierraWasp
On News/Activism 09/20/2006 10:18:02 PM PDT · 53 of 55

We all drive less, turn the thermostats down this winter and prove we don't need their damned oil. Which will be radioactive anyway after we get thru with them.

Unfortunatly, demand consistantly outpaces conservation efforts.



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From a "Free" Country to a Free Country...
Posted by humint to MNJohnnie
On Bloggers & Personal 09/20/2006 9:36:06 PM PDT · 4 of 4

You might want to consider how easy it would be for the Americans to just say "they hell with all you whiners, we are going home". A little gratitude for liberation after 40 years of rape, torture and murder might not be so misplaced. It certainly would be more appropriate then elitist pompous arrogance and lecturing.

I agree that the War is not the central end all be all of life in America, but it should be - until victory. I absolutely agree with this Iraqi blogger - most Americans do not know what is going on in Iraq. A great number of Iraqis do not either. Most of the world's attention is focused on the blood and guts. There's more to the story. Packing up and going home would be a terrible idea. I suggest more reading and less Southpark MNJ.


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Anderson Cooper interviews Ahmadinajead
Posted by humint to ikez78
On News/Activism 09/20/2006 8:15:12 PM PDT · 20 of 27

humint: The translation was inaccurate at times. He said "the people of Palestine should decide what to do with their occupiers". His points were softened by the translator. I enjoyed watching AC telling Ahmadinejad "we have a FREE PRESS here in America, unlike the PRESS IN IRAN". Although the interviews had similar questions AC did a better job grilling the guy than Mike Wallace. The bigger picture here is that Ahmadinejad is demonstrating beyond any doubt that negotiations can't work with his government. Iranian officials don't answer questions. They pose their own questions instead. The only reason they do it is to hide from their responsibility to their people, neighbors and the international community.

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From a "Free" Country to a Free Country...
Posted by humint
On Bloggers & Personal 09/20/2006 7:53:10 PM PDT · 3 replies · 114+ views

Treasure of Baghdad via HUMINT ^ | Saturday, September 16, 2006 | Treasure of Baghdad
I spent the last weekend with a friend of mine, an American reporter whom we worked together in Baghdad. He came from Boston to attend a wedding of a relative of his friend. We met on Sunday. He took me to Pat’s, Philadelphia’s most famous cheese stakes’ restaurants. We took the cab to Pat’s. on the way, the nosy taxi driver asked us where we come from? My friend told him that he came from Boston and that I came from Baghdad. Silence followed. “Oh the enemy, you mean? I should report you to the CIA!” the driver said. I...

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Iranian Alert - September 16, 2006 - Pakistan releases 2500 Al Qaeda and Taliban
Posted by humint to DoctorZIn
On News/Activism 09/17/2006 11:14:44 PM PDT · 4 of 5

Pakistan releases 2500 Al Qaeda and Taliban.

4 Arrested in Alleged Al Qaeda Bomb Plot From Times Wire Reports - September 17, 2006

Four suspected Al Qaeda members accused of plotting attacks on Yemen's capital were arrested, a day after security forces foiled near-simultaneous attempts to blow up two oil installations, authorities said. Interior Minister Rashid Alimi said the suspects had links to the four would-be suicide bombers who were killed Friday as they tried to strike the oil installations. Security forces confiscated 12 bags, each containing 88 to 110 pounds of highly explosive material, he said. The four men planned to stage attacks on Yemeni and foreign targets in the capital, Sana, he said.

2500-4=2496... Not Good.



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Iranian Alert - September 15, 2006 - Iran denounces Pope, asks for apology
Posted by humint to SierraWasp
On News/Activism 09/17/2006 4:56:13 PM PDT · 32 of 34

What percentage of your productive waking hours do you spend on such wishful thinking?

I'm an engineer - virtualy every hour I'm awake I think wishfully. How do you prefer to think?

The economics of terror are worthy of inspection. Considering the reality that Islamic fascism and pan-Arab nationalism are the cohesive forces trying to drive all but the West’s cash out of the Middle East - we should be considering alternatives. It’s undeniable that energy economics are the primary reason the West is interested in the Middle East. Supporting universal liberty and the rule of law across the region are the only plausible plans to eliminate the threat ME terror threat. The Bush Administration has it right. The status quo cannot continue. The incredible wealth transfer from the West to Middle Eastern leaders ill equipped with the requisit fiscal responsibility has to stop. New leaders there will have to start recycling petro-dollars in progressive instead of regressive ways. The American public – especially our teachers and professors – are an important part of the story. They are the ones who harbor the capacity to understand and articulate what is happening, so that this and future US administrations have the latitude to do what must be done.

Check out Cotton and Oil


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Cotton and Oil
Posted by humint to oyez
On Bloggers & Personal 09/17/2006 4:39:11 PM PDT · 8 of 8

Is it any wonder that so many oil and gas fields are closed to exploration?



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Cotton and Oil
Posted by humint to Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin
On Bloggers & Personal 09/17/2006 3:32:04 PM PDT · 6 of 8

Money and power for the North were the main reasons for the Civil War, not slavery as is so widely accepted...

The Economics of the Civil War

With so much to lose on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line, economic logic suggests that a peaceful solution to the slave issue would have made far more sense than a bloody war. Yet no solution emerged. One "economic" solution to the slave problem would be for those who objected to slavery to "buy out" the economic interest of Southern slaveholders. Under such a scheme, the federal government would purchase slaves. A major problem here was that the costs of such a scheme would have been enormous. Claudia Goldin estimates that the cost of having the government buy all the slaves in the United States in 1860, would be about $2.7 billion (1973: 85, Table 1). Obviously, such a large sum could not be paid all at once. Yet even if the payments were spread over 25 years, the annual costs of such a scheme would involve a tripling of federal government outlays (Ransom and Sutch 1990: 39-42)! The costs could be reduced substantially if instead of freeing all the slaves at once, children were left in bondage until the age of 18 or 21 (Goldin 1973:85). Yet there would remain the problem of how even those reduced costs could be distributed among various groups in the population. The cost of any "compensated" emancipation scheme was so high that even those who wished to eliminate slavery were unwilling to pay for a "buyout" of those who owned slaves.



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Cotton and Oil
Posted by humint to ClaireSolt
On Bloggers & Personal 09/17/2006 12:44:59 PM PDT · 4 of 8

Although there are always many factors in historical events, only Marxists throw away everything but the economic. Lincoln greeted Harriet Beecher Stowe saying she was the little lady that started the Civil War. The issue was human bondage, not racism.

I totally agree. Beyond economics, religion played a major role in the anti-slavery abolition movement. Beyond religion, the institution clearly conflicted with the concepts of liberty and moral justice evident in the founding principles of the United States. Alternatively - Islamic fascism and pan-Arab nationalism are the cohesive forces trying to drive all but the West’s cash out of the Middle East. It’s undeniable that energy economics are the primary reason the West is interested in the Middle East at all. Supporting universal liberty and the rule of law across the region are the only plausible plans to eliminate the threat emanating from the Middle East. The Bush Administration has it right. The status quo cannot continue. The incredible wealth transfer from the West to Middle Eastern leaders ill equipped to absorb such fiscal responsibility has to stop. Leaders there will have to start recycling petro-dollars in progressive instead of regressive ways. The American public – especially our history teachers – are an important part of the story. They are the ones who harbor the capacity to understand what is happening and articulate it, so that this and future US administrations have the latitude to do what must be done.


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Cotton and Oil
Posted by humint
On Bloggers & Personal 09/17/2006 11:10:31 AM PDT · 7 replies · 155+ views

humintel ^ | Dr. Then And Now
THEN ...there can be no doubt that opponents of slavery had come to view the South's "peculiar institution," as an obstacle to economic growth. Despite clear evidence that slavery was profitable, abolitionists--and many people who were not abolitionists--felt strongly that slavery degraded labor, inhibited urbanization and mechanization, thwarted industrialization, and stifled progress, and associated slavery with economic backwardness, inefficiency, indebtedness, and economic and social stagnation. When the North waged war on slavery, it was not because it had overcome racism; rather, it was because Northerners in increasing numbers identified their society with progress and viewed slavery as an intolerable obstacle...

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Ineptitude on Iran - Askari
Posted by humint to humint
On Bloggers & Personal 09/17/2006 12:09:22 AM PDT · 2 of 2

Professor Askari received his B.S. in Civil Engineering, attended the Sloan School of Management and received his Ph.D in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Before coming to GW in 1982, he was a Professor of International Business and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, an Assistant Professor at Tufts University, and an Instructor at MIT. Askari has served on the Executive Board of the IMF and as a consultant to the OECD, the World Bank, the IFC, the UN, the Government of Saudi Arabia, and a number of multinational corporations.

Professor Askari's publications include Economic Development in the Countries of the GCC: The Curse and Blessing of Oil (1997), Third-World Debt and Financial Innovation (1991), and Saudi Arabia: Oil and the Search for Economic Development (1990). He is also the co-author with John Forrer, Hildy Teegen and Jiawen Yang of two books on economic sanctions, Economic Sanctions: Examinig Their Philosophy and Efficacy (Praeger Publishers, 2003) and Case Studies of U.S. Economic Sanctions: The Chinese, Cuban and Iranian Experience (Praeger Publishers, 2003). Professor Askari has written a number of opinion-editorials for the New York Times, The Washington Post, and The International Herald Tribune, and has appeared on CNN, CNBC, and NBC.



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Iranian Alert - September 15, 2006 - Iran denounces Pope, asks for apology
Posted by humint to Ernest_at_the_Beach
On News/Activism 09/16/2006 11:48:19 PM PDT · 30 of 34

I've no idea how you get Terror Free Oil....same problem as you would have in the early 1800's getting non slavery cotton!!

THEN

there can be no doubt that opponents of slavery had come to view the South's "peculiar institution," as an obstacle to economic growth. Despite clear evidence that slavery was profitable, abolitionists--and many people who were not abolitionists--felt strongly that slavery degraded labor, inhibited urbanization and mechanization, thwarted industrialization, and stifled progress, and associated slavery with economic backwardness, inefficiency, indebtedness, and economic and social stagnation. When the North waged war on slavery, it was not because it had overcome racism; rather, it was because Northerners in increasing numbers identified their society with progress and viewed slavery as an intolerable obstacle to innovation, moral improvement, free labor, and commercial and economic growth.

On March 14, 1793, Eli Whitney obtained a patent for the cotton gin. The cotton gin made the production of cotton highly profitable. This changed the economics of slavery greatly. Many had believed that slavery would slowly die out, as the tobacco fields (where most slaves were employed) were slowly depleted. The economical production of cotton, on the other hand, greatly increased the economic importance of slavery to the South, thus ensuring its continued dependence on it.

NOW

"Dependence on foreign oil jeopardizes our capacity to grow," Bush said in a speech focused on the economy -- a key issue in November elections that might determine whether the GOP retains control of the House and Senate. Democrats contend the middle class isn't enjoying the benefits of U.S. economic gains. They say sluggish median earnings show paychecks have failed to keep pace with inflation, and they note rising health care and energy costs. Gasoline prices have eased over the past month, but Bush warned against continued reliance on oil-producing countries where the United States is unpopular. "The problem is we get oil from some parts of the world and they simply don't like us," Bush said. "And so the more dependent we are on that type of energy, the less likely it will be that we are able to compete, and so people have good, high-paying jobs."



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Iranian Alert - September 15, 2006 - Iran denounces Pope, asks for apology
Posted by humint to SierraWasp
On News/Activism 09/16/2006 11:06:19 PM PDT · 28 of 34

What's that supposed to mean/be?

Terror-Free Oil Initiative is dedicated to encouraging Americans to buy gasoline that originated from countries that do not export or finance terrorism. We educate the public by promoting those companies that acquire their crude oil supply from nations outside the Middle East and by exposing those companies that do not. We are also looking into creating a healthy debate concerning alternate methods of fuel production and consumption.


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Iranian Alert - September 15, 2006 - Iran denounces Pope, asks for apology
Posted by humint to Getready
On News/Activism 09/16/2006 4:10:53 PM PDT · 18 of 34



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The psychological underpinnings of the new cold war
Posted by humint to GarySpFc; A. Pole
On News/Activism 09/16/2006 1:15:22 PM PDT · 10 of 14

Russia and China have also been the weightiest advocates of the multi-polar global model, which by definition rejects the US dominance. This view also implies that no single power holds a monopoly on good and/or evil and that no single power has the authority to dispense marks for good or bad behaviour; such processes take place strictly on the multilateral soil of the United Nations. This stance too goes directly against the grain of the US determination to change the world in its democratic image.

The danger in this, if accurate, is the lack of moral clarity at the United Nations. With members whose nationals have interrogated, tortured and executed civilians, and in some cases American diplomats – what tact should Americans take? Unfortunately there is no alternative leadership that associates enforcing the rule of law, domestically and internationally with GOOD. For example, the Iranians who are business partners with the Russians and Chinese consider asymmetric assaults on the United States and our allies GOOD. To them, adhering to international standards of jurisprudence and enforcing the rule of law is – EVIL.

Rivers of blood will flow in the future if our allies, observers and enemies fail to acknowledge that Americans do not rule – they manage. If compelled to do so by fools – Americans will manage their enemies as they have done in history. Even now, with the US as the sole super power, when a nation goes against the grain of US determination, the act is a prelude to dialogue. A heavy handed hegemonic empire would not exhibit the kind of patience the American people and their representatives afford the United Nations. If the US were a mono-political hegemonic empire – would there be room for the UN at all? The fact is, the only serious advocates for a multi-polar global model are Americans. The reason is simple. Americans hold law, respect and tolerance sacrosanct. Sadly, few others do. It is incumbent upon the United Nations to adopt legitimate law, respect and tolerance before the words GOOD and EVIL hold moral authority when uttered by a UN Secretary General.

General Douglas MacArthur: Military alliances, balances of power, Leagues of Nations, all in turn failed, leaving the only path to be by way of the crucible of war. The utter destructiveness of war now blocks out this alternative. We have had our last chance. If we will not devise some greater and more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door. The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character that will synchronize with our almost matchless advances in science, art, literature, and all material and cultural developments of the past 2000 years. It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh.


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Top Japanese Banks To Refrain From Iranian Business
Posted by humint to jdm
On News/Activism 09/15/2006 10:59:24 PM PDT · 3 of 3

Happy to see another country joining the US to punish Iran financially

Good move Japan.


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Ineptitude on Iran - Askari
Posted by humint
On Bloggers & Personal 09/15/2006 10:55:18 PM PDT · 1 reply · 49+ views

humint ^ | 15 Sep 2006 | Hossein Askari
ASKARI’S CONCLUSION There is a viable alternative to imposing more sanctions: stop threatening Iran, especially in public. And America should attempt to understand (not necessarily agree with) the Iranian perspective, minimize U.S. hubris and engage in true dialogue. Iran would be instrumental in allowing the United States to solve most of the problems it faces in the Middle East, including achieving peace and stability in the region, saving U.S. lives and treasure and enhancing global energy supplies. HUMINT REBUTTAL Hossein is trapped in dimension where only he, and presumably those who agree with him, maintain the capacity to understand Iran,...

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Reza Pahlavi Offers Senators Three-Pronged Approach on Iran (Speaks in Front of Senate)
Posted by humint to nuconvert
On News/Activism 09/15/2006 7:25:02 AM PDT · 10 of 33

I think Reza Pahlavi is the scariest thing to the mullahs; Scarier than anything we or the EU might be willing to do at the moment.

When it comes to opposition, there is real evidence the [PMOI, MEK, NCRI] are the scariest thing to the mullahs. To be sure, the mullahs will do anything to stay in power, no matter who suggests an ambition to depose them. When it comes to RP, LA based TV broadcasts have yet to depose the mullahs or reveal details of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Do you think he’s softening the ground for democracy’s arrival in Iran or a return to pre79 dictatorship?


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Reza Pahlavi Offers Senators Three-Pronged Approach on Iran (Speaks in Front of Senate)
Posted by humint to Vermont Lt
On News/Activism 09/15/2006 6:21:36 AM PDT · 5 of 33

I hope and pray for a free Iran. However, this guy will never, ever, be the Shah.

Two questions:

  1. do you hold him responsible for his father’s acts?
  2. is he not a legitimate candidate for president as any other Iranian exile?


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Victor Davis Hanson: Those Saudi Students. It’s not irrational to be wary of this deal
Posted by humint to Tolik
On News/Activism 09/15/2006 6:16:11 AM PDT · 16 of 25

And if we must let in thousands of students from the Middle East, why not the children of those kindred brave souls fighting for democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan?

This incisive question has no legitimate answer.


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Opposition: Iran Using Laser Enrichment
Posted by humint to gonzo
On News/Activism 09/14/2006 9:45:33 PM PDT · 5 of 6

YES!!... we finaly have a Reuters photographer faking photos for the free world.

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Iranian Alert - September 13, 2006 - Sharansky: A troubling story from Putin.
Posted by humint to DoctorZIn
On News/Activism 09/14/2006 9:03:04 PM PDT · 4 of 6

Sharansky: A troubling story from Putin. * Natan Sharansky, Los Angeles Times reported that in 2000, Russian President Vladimir V. Putin told me a story that he has been unable to get out of his mind. The story involves a nephew, a suitcase, a train to Manhattan and a nuclear bomb.

[snip...] Considering the apocalyptic fanaticism of Iran's leader, it is an open question whether the current regime in Tehran is capable of being deterred through the threat of mutually assured destruction. But given how the world has responded to Hezbollah, the point may be academic. For surely Iran would be better served by using proxies to wage a nuclear war against Israel. And if there is no accountability, why stop with Israel? - The road to a suitcase bomb in Tel Aviv, Paris or New York just got a whole lot shorter.

Sharansky nailed it - My estimate is that Iran’s first strike against Israel will be delivered by suitcase or piloted aircraft. The bunkers and missiles they build are geared more for the war of attrition after their first strike. Think about the recent battle for Lebanon. Iranian military planners designed Hezbollah’s strategy and tactics to the letter. The war in Lebanon was more telling than the NK tests and the Chinese submarine video released by the Iranians. In the case of the video being a dup, we shouldn’t assume they lack the ability to launch missiles submerged - as they claim. Their strategy is clear but their ability is not. What we do know is that their military and political ability is improving remarkably. Once their confidence reaches a tipping point, expect an overt militant provocation from the Iranians. No one builds an empire quietly.


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The Tehran Calculus
Posted by humint to gusopol3
On News/Activism 09/14/2006 8:51:27 PM PDT · 38 of 45

why does no one's calculus ever include SDI? If the NK tests of July are any indication of their shared capability to deliver a warhead, nuclear threat isn't even on the horizon. Plus their sub-launched missile turned out to be a hoax, right?

I believe Iran’s missile arsenal and the bunkers they build to store them have a purpose other than first strike. My estimate is that Iran’s first strike against Israel will be delivered by suitcase or piloted aircraft. The bunkers and missiles they build are geared more for the war of attrition after their first strike. Think about the recent battle for Lebanon. Iranian military planners designed Hezbollah’s strategy and tactics to the letter. The war in Lebanon was more telling than the NK tests and the Chinese submarine video released by the Iranians. In the case of the video being a dup, we shouldn’t assume they lack the ability to launch missiles submerged - as they claim. Their strategy is clear but their ability is not. What we do know is that their military and political ability is improving remarkably. Once their confidence reaches a tipping point, expect an overt militant provocation from the Iranians. No one builds an empire quietly.


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The Tehran Calculus
Posted by humint to Collier
On News/Activism 09/14/2006 8:20:43 PM PDT · 29 of 45

What about Israel? Do you think maybe they'll take them out before us?

Good question. Iran is an existential threat to Israel. Iranian officials have repeatedly made their political and military ambitions toward Israel clear. Iranian officials constantly repeat their ambitions in a blatant attempt to foment a wider confrontation with Israel. If we wash away the emotional content bleeding out of both sides of this debate, something undeniable becomes clear. As responsible governors, Israeli officials are duty bound to act in defense of their electorate, even if the only option they have is that of unilateral action. The question isn’t “if?” but “when?” Iran will be able to strike Israel with a nuclear warhead. Do the cold calculus as CK suggests. Take all of the estimates you’ve heard in the free press – now look at the earliest estimate. It’s about 18 months as far as I’m aware. If this happens to be the earliest classified estimate Israeli governors are facing - The Israelis are duty bound to act, with or without us.


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The Tehran Calculus
Posted by humint to okie01
On News/Activism 09/14/2006 8:04:11 PM PDT · 25 of 45

There is no loyal opposition, anymore. Only an opposition...

Despite all of the evidence in your favor in the run up to elections, I sincerely hope you are wrong about this.


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Fundaresentalism (Spengler)
Posted by humint to Dumb_Ox
On News/Activism 09/14/2006 8:00:21 PM PDT · 18 of 18

You're talking past Spengler. Spengler's approach is qualitative, yours is quantitative.

I am talking past Spengler because my approach is both qualitative and quantitative. His approach is singularly qualitative however he isolates a specific group of Americans and then broadly labels all Americans "stupid". Whenever a brilliant mind like Spengler's suggests someone or something is stupid, I'm surprised. Brilliant minds rarely dedicate much attention to subjects they consider stupid.

Personally, I find the study of intelligence fascinating. I've long considered the collective intelligence of American society brighter than any other in history. There is a wealth of data to support my hypothesis. If you're not convinced by a genuine measure of a society's intelligence in the form of patent analysis, I'm doubtful you're interested in a serious discussion. In any case, I recomend that you seriously consider the science of intelligence before joining those who make broad assertions of social stupidity.



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The Tehran Calculus
Posted by humint
On News/Activism 09/14/2006 7:26:40 PM PDT · 44 replies · 788+ views

WAPO Page A19 ^ | Friday, September 15, 2006 | Charles Krauthammer
In his televised Sept. 11 address, President Bush said that we must not "leave our children to face a Middle East overrun by terrorist states and radical dictators armed with nuclear weapons." There's only one such current candidate: Iran. The next day, he responded thus (as reported by Rich Lowry and Kate O'Beirne of National Review) to a question on Iran: "It's very important for the American people to see the president try to solve problems diplomatically before resorting to military force." "Before" implies that the one follows the other. The signal is unmistakable. An aerial attack on Iran's nuclear...

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Fundaresentalism (Spengler)
Posted by humint to Dumb_Ox; Spengler; Billthedrill
On News/Activism 09/13/2006 7:11:21 PM PDT · 9 of 18

The problems with such pseudo-humility are legion. But just one question: since these middling classes are so complacent, who among them will act on their behalf and challenge the elites who do in fact rule over them?

In my humility, I’m anxious to hear what you think the legions of problems with my logic are. Please share them with me. If I were expressing pseudo-humility, I’d be less inclined to read your logical deconstruction of the house of points I’ve built above. Spengler’s assertion that Americans are stupid is easy to refute. Analytically speaking, we see very quickly, the opposite is true. Your loaded question is equally easy to collapse. Before I do that, let’s consider the concept of intelligence. Labeling a society “smart” or “stupid” reveals more about the labeler than the labeled. Consider what the study of Artificial Intelligence suggests. Bloating a neural network with information can retard its function. This is irrefutable evidence that the more we know about something, the dumber we become about that topic. What actually tells us is that any measure of intelligence is subjective. All markers have a scale and every scale has a context. Spengler’s context is demonstratively subjective. Here are graphs that disprove Spengler’s claim.

The large number of citations per U.S. patent held by U.S. nationals in all areas of technologies indicates that the United States produces higher quality innovations. Quality indices also confirm this. Figures 13a–g plot the quality index of patents across all technologies for G–7 countries. They show time trends for average patent quality. Undisputedly, average patent quality for the United States is superior to that of any other G–7 country and has improved over time across all technologies. On average, for all G–7 European countries and Japan, the quality of patents has declined in most industries, except for the U.K. computer and communications industries. The quality of patents in the United Kingdom's computer and communications industry group has increased starting in the 1990s, but registered a decline since 1998. In general, except for the computer and communications industry group, Canada has upgraded the quality of its patents throughout the study period. While the overall quality of Canadian patents displays an upward trend over that period, it has been falling since 1998 across all industry groups, except chemical and other industries. Nevertheless, unlike Japan and all European G–7 nations, Canada has maintained an above average patent quality in each industry group, but has walked behind the United States at a declining pace. The following graphs are for Computer, Electrical, Mechanical and Other - Industries.

Now I’ll consider your points. First, Americans are not complacent. Second, the suggestion that an elite American should act on behalf of other Americans totally contradicts my major premise. American society is intellectually decentralized. Decentralization with a core awareness and respect for “average” is precisely why American society can do what none other before it has done. And finally, Americans do not rule, they manage. You could argue that in the days of slavery, Southerners in America had imperial designs, but those days are long gone. Average Americans with values we hold sacrosanct today, rose up. For a brief moment they intellectually aligned themselves to thwart a clear and present threat. They did so to preserve government for the people, by the people. Americans would intellectually align again to face fascism in WWII. I believe American society will have to align again to face down Islamic Fascism in this recent war, the Global War on Terror. If we as a people do not intellectually align, we may indeed lose this war. Once the terror threat is destroyed, if it can be, Americans will again decentralize and aggressively pursue their individual passions.

Spengler is an antagonist. He’s always provocative. This time he’s wrong.

INTELLIGENCE

  1. capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts, meanings, etc.
  2. manifestation of a high mental capacity: He writes with intelligence and wit.
  3. the faculty of understanding.
  4. knowledge of an event, circumstance, etc., received or imparted; news; information.
  5. the gathering or distribution of information, esp. secret information.
  6. Government.
  7. information about an enemy or a potential enemy.
  8. the evaluated conclusions drawn from such information.
  9. an organization or agency engaged in gathering such information: military intelligence; naval intelligence.
  10. interchange of information: They have been maintaining intelligence with foreign agents for years.
  11. Christian Science. a fundamental attribute of God, or infinite Mind.
  12. (often initial capital letter) an intelligent being or spirit, esp. an incorporeal one, as an angel.


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Fundaresentalism (Spengler)
Posted by humint to Nathan Zachary
On News/Activism 09/12/2006 9:59:58 PM PDT · 5 of 18

humint: where did all of the intellectual innovation come from?"

Nathan Zachary: Such as?

First, my choices are not going to be Spengler's. I lean more toward the technical advances which require an appropriate environment like ours to get off the ground. Second, my comment was not a defense of Robinson or Falwell. Rather, we as Americans do not universally agree on our intellectual talisman. That’s precisely what makes Americans so creative. I assert that our intellectually eclectic nature makes us simultaneously humble and smart. Make note that Spengler is calling Americans stupid through a medium invented and propagated by Americans. Are we as a people not responsible (in part) for Spenger’s successes on Asia Times Online? So what if most users exploit the most powerful tool invented by mankind for exploring such nonsense as porn and or internet gambling? They are blessed with the ability to use it for other, more intellectual things. The genius of the internet is in its potential for greatness. Its potential never matched its general perception derived from its most common exercised functions. I’d say the same thing for American society. To answer your question specifically would take too long. I recomend you look here to find what I would consider intellectual inovation…



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Ship with N. Korean Weapons Seized Enroute to Syria
Posted by humint to IrishMike
On News/Activism 09/12/2006 9:23:28 PM PDT · 21 of 27



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Iranian Alert - September 11, 2006 - Islamic Republic's sub missile launch a fake
Posted by humint to DoctorZIn
On News/Activism 09/12/2006 9:05:11 PM PDT · 11 of 11

Los Angeles Times reported that U.S. military intelligence has determined that a video released by the Iranian government purporting to show a test of a new submarine missile is bogus. it matched a video of an earlier Chinese test. "It's the identical launch," a Pentagon official said. "The plume, everything, is the same."

Iranians in league with their fascist leaders are adept liars. Unfortunately, the fake video is no indicator they lack the capability to do what they claim.

The officials asked that their names not be used because the Defense Department had decided not to publicize the discovery. Taking on the role of superpower tattletale could exacerbate already tense relations, or provoke more, real tests.

This is a laughable point. Either call it like you see it or don’t call it at all. Tattletale… is this reporter from the third grade?


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Fundaresentalism (Spengler)
Posted by humint
On News/Activism 09/12/2006 8:48:14 PM PDT · 17 replies · 393+ views

ASIA TIMES ^ | Sep 12, 2006 | Spengler
After the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the Reverend Pat Robertson declared, "Why it's happening is that God Almighty is lifting his protection from us." The Reverend Jerry Falwell exclaimed, "The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad." Falwell, whose influence has declined faster than his name recognition, retracted these remarks, but the effect of this and many other stumbles by US evangelical leaders amounts to a syndrome. At the risk of coining a new Bushism, I call...

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Six soldiers, translator detained by Iran
Posted by humint to gaijin
On News/Activism 09/09/2006 6:49:37 PM PDT · 6 of 7

the Iranians bagged those UK SBS guys 18 months ago,right?

yep


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Six soldiers, translator detained by Iran
Posted by humint
On News/Activism 09/09/2006 6:33:22 PM PDT · 6 replies · 285+ views

DNAINDIA ^ | Saturday, September 09, 2006 15:50 IST | AFP
BAGHDAD: Six Iraqi soldiers and a translator were detained by Iranian forces near the Khanaqin border crossing northeast of Baghdad, the defense ministry said on Saturday. "An officer and five soldiers were detained by Iranian border guards while carrying out their duties in the Khanaqin sector near a border checkpoint," a ministry statement said. A second statement released by the ministry said that an Iraqi translator was also detained along with the soldiers. News of their detention, which provincial police said happened Thursday, came as Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Malki confirmed plans to visit Iran next week. The two countries...

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VIDEO: The Religion Of Pieces. Awesome.
Posted by humint to lmr; A. Pole; dirtboy; parisa; ClaireSolt; AHerald; Spengler; FARS; china; Persia; Amen; wtc911; ...
On Bloggers & Personal 09/09/2006 5:29:13 PM PDT · 34 of 51

There is only so much you can do in 4 minutes...

True - American history in pictures and quotes. The point is to establish context for the Global War on Terror. For those in need of it.


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America's ideologue in chief
Posted by humint to A. Pole
On News/Activism 09/09/2006 7:13:37 AM PDT · 27 of 80

In Iraq [America], we see the inevitable tragedy [triumph] of ideology, of allowing some intellectual construct, not rooted in reality, to take control of the minds of men.

Vision, passion and time reveal great works. Unfinished masterpieces never look right.


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Victor Davis Hanson: Is the Western Way of War Dead? Not yet, but it may soon be irrelevant
Posted by humint to Tolik
On News/Activism 09/08/2006 8:31:19 AM PDT · 22 of 45

We may indeed witness eventually the end of the primacy of the Western way of war. Yet that demotion will not be due to the Islamic way of war, but rather to the specter of a thermonuclear exchange with paradise-loving enemies, immune to notions of deterrence — an awful situation in which conventional Western military advantage is reduced to nothing.

For the West to win, I’m convinced we’re going to have to take asymmetric warfare to the enemy’s doorstep. The West needs to replace the bankrupt fascist ideology of our enemies with faith in liberty and the rule of law, at the community level. This is not a luxury as some suggest. If the West cannot operate as allies of communities across the ME then we’ll need intermediary allies that can. Every other plan will only delay and effectively exacerbate the core conflict. The longer the West waits – the more blood this conflict will demand. VDH is right. This is not a new kind of war. It's just a kind we haven't seen in a while. This kind of combat requires we see the whites of their eyes.

Thanks for the PING. Great Post!



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Yes, America is an empire....(Europeans are content in their decadence)
Posted by humint to Publius64
On News/Activism 09/07/2006 10:54:15 AM PDT · 38 of 40

There was not a trace of contradiction in my position.

You’re consistent alright. I have several comments about your position in this thread and I’ll bid this conversation farewell. No response from you is expected or desired.

  • You’re demonstratively wrong – The accepted definition of empire I posted earlier does not describe American domestic or foreign policy.
  • You’ve made assertions you cannot know – My knowledge of history on any topic, including the Roman Empire, is not known to you.
  • You’re a distractor – The Roman Empire, no mater how benevolent or otherwise, is not historically analogous to contemporary America.
  • You’re a manipulator – The intellectual application of the term empire by the Founders could not have conceived contemporary America. The Constitution they drafted is a testament to that fact. The Founders knew they couldn’t describe the destiny of our nation as an empire or otherwise. If you are looking for legitimacy there, contact Webster’s or American Heritage – maybe they’ll be as amenable to your vocabulary as I was willing to be. Your best hope is that they consider the word empire an antagonym – thereby adding your definition of empire as used by the Founders.
  • You’re either disingenuous or intellectually imprecise – I conceded your point if and only if you conceded you were using the word empire as an antagonym. The quotes you chose were obviously out of context.


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