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Gopher

Joined: 04 Jun 2005
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Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 9:04 am Post subject: Iran Threatens Suicide Attacks... |
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TEHRAN, Iran (Reuters) -- Some 200 Iranians have volunteered in the past few days to carry out "martyrdom missions" against U.S. and British interests around the world if Iran is attacked, a hard-line group said Sunday...
"Because of the recent threats, we have started to register more volunteers since Friday," Samadi told Reuters by telephone.
"Some 200 people have registered to carry out operations against our enemies. America and Britain are definitely considered enemies."
Chanting "Death to America" and "Nuclear technology is our right", volunteers registered their names at the former American Embassy in southern Tehran on Sunday.
"We will give a good lesson to those who dare to attack our country," said Ali, a 25-year-old masked volunteer, after filling out registration form.
When asked why he had covered his face, Ali said: "I do not want to be recognized when traveling abroad to harm American and British interests..."
The Committee for the Commemoration of Martyrs of the Global Islamic Campaign, which says it has no affiliation with the government, was formed in 2004. Since then Samadi said some 52,000 people have signed up to be involved in possible attacks.
The Sunday Times of London, quoting unnamed Iranian officials, reported Iran had 40,000 trained suicide bombers prepared to strike western targets if Iran is attacked.
"The main force, named the Special Unit of Martyr Seekers in the Revolutionary Guards, was first seen last month when members marched in a military parade," the report said...
"Iran has forces at its command far superior to anything al Qaeda was ever able to field," wrote former White House counterterror chief Richard Clarke and former State Department official Steven Simon. |
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/04/16/iran.wrapup.reut/index.html |
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ontheway
Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Location: Somewhere under the rainbow...
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Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 10:24 am Post subject: |
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Good post.
ALL of these would-be martyrs have been created by US interventionism in Iran and other Middle Easten states for more than 50 years, and, of course, the British and French before that.
"when will they ever learn,
when will they ever learn" Peter, Paul and Mary |
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bigverne

Joined: 12 May 2004
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Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 11:28 am Post subject: |
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ALL of these would-be martyrs have been created by US interventionism in Iran |
Yes, it's all our fault for being nasty to those poor, adorable, and otherwise peaceful and tolerant mussy-wussies. |
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Bulsajo

Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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ontheway wrote: |
Good post.
ALL of these would-be martyrs have been created by US interventionism in Iran and other Middle Easten states for more than 50 years, and, of course, the British and French before that.
"when will they ever learn,
when will they ever learn" Peter, Paul and Mary |
Wow, a sighting of the rare and elusive Iranian apologist, I can't wait to tell the society I saw saw one- beautiful plummage! |
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Gopher

Joined: 04 Jun 2005
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Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 2:28 pm Post subject: |
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[deleted]
Last edited by Gopher on Sun Jun 11, 2006 9:14 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Alias

Joined: 24 Jan 2003
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Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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Another reason against bombing Iran.
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Poison-laced missiles raining down on U.S. troops in Iraq or Afghanistan, the downing of a U.S. passenger airliner, suicide bombers in major cities, perhaps unleashing their deadly payload in a shopping mall food court. It could be 9/11 all over again. Or worse.
On the political front, more anti-Americanism.
Renewed venom aimed at Washington from European capitals, greater distrust from China and Russia, outright hatred in the Arab and Muslim world. Oil prices spiralling out of control, a global recession at hand.
In Iran, a galvanizing of a splintered nation. An end to hopes for political reform, a rally-around-the-leader phenomenon common among the victimized, an ability to rebuild a nuclear program in two to four years.
These are the potential costs of a U.S. military strike in Iran.
"It would be Iran's Pearl Harbor and it will be the beginning of a war, not the end of a war. It will set back American strategic interests for a generation," says Joseph Cirincione, the director for non-proliferation at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
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http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0415-04.htm |
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desultude

Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf
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Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 9:25 pm Post subject: |
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Bulsajo wrote: |
ontheway wrote: |
Good post.
ALL of these would-be martyrs have been created by US interventionism in Iran and other Middle Easten states for more than 50 years, and, of course, the British and French before that.
"when will they ever learn,
when will they ever learn" Peter, Paul and Mary |
Wow, a sighting of the rare and elusive Iranian apologist, I can't wait to tell the society I saw saw one- beautiful plummage! |
It's not being an apologist to point out how things develop. I would be shocked at anyone defending suicide bombings and other forms of terrorism (state sponsored or not) but it is a pretty good idea to see what fuels it.
Anyone remember the Shah of Iran? And his good puppet masters? The west had a role in what has developed in the Middle East.
Learn from history, or suffer its repetition.
Right now it looks like the west, led by the U.S., is in a downwardly spiraling crisis with the fundamentalist government of Iran. That is a statement of fact. It is useful to discuss, openly, without resort to labeling people, how it got to be that way. |
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Bulsajo

Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 9:37 pm Post subject: |
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desultude wrote: |
Right now it looks like the west, led by the U.S., is in a downwardly spiraling crisis with the fundamentalist government of Iran. That is a statement of fact. It is useful to discuss, openly, without resort to labeling people, how it got to be that way. |
Here's a question- at one point can we say that Iran has paid back in full the sins committed by the US? How many acts of terrorism? The kidnappings, the hostages? The bombings, the hijackings? The embassy in Tehran? The bombing of the embassy in Beirut? The bombing of the marine barracks shortly after?
So, yeah- I label anyone who says "but, the Shah, yadda, yadda, yadda" as an apologist.
Iran is the biggest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, and has been for the last 25 years (save perhaps for a couple of Taliban/al Qaeda years in Afghanistan). Just because Bush says as much does not make it any less true (kind of obvious really, but since there is a definite tendancy on this board to automatically assume that if it came from Bush's lips it must be untrue, it needs to be pointed out).
And as Joo is fond of saying (again, there is a definite tendancy on this board to auto- well, you get the picture) Iran has been waging a war- usually hidden and by proxy- against the US ever since the Ayatollahs came to power.
Could the same ever be said of the US? |
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desultude

Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf
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Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 9:51 pm Post subject: |
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Bulsajo wrote: |
desultude wrote: |
Right now it looks like the west, led by the U.S., is in a downwardly spiraling crisis with the fundamentalist government of Iran. That is a statement of fact. It is useful to discuss, openly, without resort to labeling people, how it got to be that way. |
Here's a question- at one point can we say that Iran has paid back in full the sins committed by the US? How many acts of terrorism? The kidnappings, the hostages? The bombings, the hijackings? The embassy in Tehran? The bombing of the embassy in Beirut? The bombing of the marine barracks shortly after?
So, yeah- I label anyone who says "but, the Shah, yadda, yadda, yadda" as an apologist. |
That is not the point, and I am surprised you think that it is. Who is right or wrong is not the point. There is a mad cycle going on, the west has had a role in setting it into motion, by, among other things, setting up the process whereby the Shah's dictatorial rule was replaced by a fundamentalist state. I am not saying that the west is solely responsible for what is happening, but events did not develop in a vacuum.
Fundamentalism sucks, no matter whose it is. It is particularly dangerous when the believers have such a faith in their rectitude, and in the joys of an afterlife, that they lose all regard for their own and other's lives. |
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Bulsajo

Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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desultude wrote: |
Who is right or wrong is not the point. |
I saw an implication of blame in the post in question where you did not.
But looking back on the thread, perhaps I wouldn't have been led to that interpretation if not for Bigverne's post right after.
So perhaps I owe ontheway an apology for calling him an apologist.
On the rest your post I am in agreement. |
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desultude

Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf
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Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 10:13 pm Post subject: |
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Bulsajo wrote: |
desultude wrote: |
Who is right or wrong is not the point. |
I saw an implication of blame in the post in question where you did not.
But looking back on the thread, perhaps I wouldn't have been led to that interpretation if not for Bigverne's post right after.
So perhaps I owe ontheway an apology for calling him an apologist.
On the rest your post I am in agreement. |
Yeah, some posters have the disturbing quality of regularly derailing rational discussion.
You have broad shoulders. Congrats. A lesson which could be heeded by many of us here on the board.  |
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