Ominous Signs Suggest Iran War Close

Seizure of British marines could be "Gulf of Tonkin" long yearned for by warmongers

 

Paul Joseph Watson

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

 

As tensions surrounding Iran's seizure of 15 British navy personnel continue to build, ominous signs that war is nearing give an indication that this could be the new "Gulf of Tonkin" Bush and Blair have long yearned for to justify air strikes on Iran.

 

The U.S. has escalated war games in the area, "The manoeuvres involve the USS John C. Stennis and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, marking the first time the two strike groups have operated in a joint exercise under the US Navy's Fifth Fleet," reports the AFP.

 

Russian news outlets are reporting that such activity represents, "Heightened U.S. military preparations for both an air and ground operation against Iran," that closely resembles the situation immediately before the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

 

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has given the Iranians just days to return the marines safely before harsher steps are taken.

 

It's difficult to know who to trust concerning exactly whose waters the marines were in, Iraq's or Iran's, when Ahmadinejad's slender grip on power survives only by feeding his own population war propaganda, while Bush and Blair have become the very iconography of deceit in the modern age.

 

A high ranking Iraqi official expressed his surprise that British forces were even operating in the area.

 

Brigadier-General Hakim Jassim, commander of Iraq's territorial waters, told the BBC: "Usually there is no presence of British forces in that area, so we were surprised and we wondered whether the British forces were inside Iraqi waters or inside Iranian regional waters."

 

 

Former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray,

slammed the spin and rhetoric Tony Blair has cased the crisis in, pointing out that the Royal Navy boarded the ships not to conduct inspections on weapons smuggling, but to look for tax evaders.

 

"In international law the Iranian government were not out of order in detaining foreign military personnel in waters to which they have a legitimate claim," said Murray, adding "For the Royal Navy, to be interdicting shipping within the twelve mile limit of territorial seas in a region they know full well is subject to maritime boundary dispute, is unnecessarily provocative."

 

What seems to be unfolding are similar circumstances that led to the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon last summer, where two Israeli soldiers were "kidnapped" after they had crossed the border into Lebanese territory.

 

It seems highly unlikely that the Iranians would risk further international condemnation by kidnapping British marines in Iraqi waters, but whatever the truth, the fact remains that the "coalition of the killing" are no strangers to violating international rules defining sovereignty and kidnapping foreign nationals for political gain.

 

Bush has green-lighted the CIA policy of globe-hopping to snatch terror suspects off the streets of foreign countries, the

most high profile case being Islamic cleric Abu Omar in Milan in 2003.

 

On January 11, U.S. military forces raided an Iranian consulate in Arbil and detained five Iranian officials

who are still prisoners to this day.

 

Bush and Blair's denouncements of Iran's actions are accompanied by more than a whiff of hypocrisy and if this situation continues to escalate it may become the "Gulf of Tonkin" they have long yearned for to justify ordering air strikes against Ahmadinejad's nuclear and military facilities.

No more war!

yes the war is close, even closer now with them kidnapping those british... and almost being able to make a nuke. I just hope the world wakes up and many nations take action, otherwise things are going to get worse. But as history has shown us, most nations igore problems til they are out of control.

^ you sound like you 'like' war... and that its necessary?

almost being able to make a nuke. I just hope the world wakes up and many nations take action, otherwise things are going to get worse. But as history has shown us, most nations ignore problems til they are out of control.

 

Errm...sounds like you have been captured by US media again. All this making a nuke is all media buzz words. People hear "they want a nuke" and they just believe it.

You even said in the other thread that they have them already...how could you think that, when all Iran have expressed is a desire for peaceful nuclear power?

 

I'll tell you how....because your media has somehow convinced you that "those people over there are bad" and that your government are the "good" guys - which of course is a purely fallacious fact. From what we have all seen in recent years the Anglo-American Crime Syndicate are ruthless killers who will pretty much do anything the move their agenda forward.

 

Whether leaders in the middle-east have already been lobbied, paid off and are part of their countries own downfall is also up for some sort of debate. I mean the recent British sailor crisis has seen some very silly behaviour from the Iranian government....the sort of behaviour which seems to purposely to make themselves appear as foolish as possible.

 

I mean, if these letters and video admissions of guilt by the British captives are all fake and have been orchestrated by the Iranians (which they do actually look staged to me) then surely after their eventual release the sailors would then just say "well, we were told to say and write those things".

 

So the whole point of the 'admissions' seems really pointless - as it only would further demonise then Iranians at a later date, when the sailors are released.

 

This then also begs the question....will the Iranian government want to let the sailors go?

If surely all the fake admissions of British guilt would be put to rest when they are released, thus rendering all this pointless. It only can make Iran more of an easy target for our media/governments.

 

This is a very odd situation we have here......it seems like their might be a lot more going one than we think.

 

 

PS - By they way....why do you think things are allowed get seemingly 'out of control'?? It's a little government tactic called Problem, Reaction, Solution. Laying down new order out of chaos. It's how they get things done.

You dumbshit get your head out of your ass. They allready test fired missles. And yes sometimes war is nessecary. You take the fight to them to prevent it from comming to your soil. It suprises me sometimes how utterly stupid some people are.

Ok, I'm now a "utterly stupid" "Dumbshit" and I apparently have my "head up my ass"....

 

Well, as long you have made a point. Your ways do not make Texas look good.

yes the war is close, even closer now with them kidnapping those british... and almost being able to make a nuke. I just hope the world wakes up and many nations take action, otherwise things are going to get worse. But as history has shown us, most nations igore problems til they are out of control.

 

I sincerely hope not. Bush isn't the most intelligent person on the planet, but even he probably realizes that a war with Iran isn't a good idea. At least, I hope so.

UK sees promise in Iran contacts

 

 

Tony Blair believes Iran wants to achieve an "early resolution" to the crisis over the Royal Navy crew through direct talks, Downing Street has said.

 

A statement was issued late on Tuesday after further UK contact with Iran, including directly with its chief negotiator Ali Larijani.

 

The UK had proposed direct bilateral talks and awaited a response, it said.

 

However, both countries continue to dispute whether the 15 crew were in Iran's waters when seized on 23 March.

 

"The prime minister remains committed to resolving this by diplomatic means," Downing Street's statement stressed.

 

'Encouraging signs'

 

It came hours after Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett had urged caution over hopes that the sailors and marines held by Iran may soon be freed.

 

She said people had read a lot into remarks by the prime minister earlier in the day about talks with Iran entering a "critical" 48 hours.

 

BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall said No 10's statement appeared to be an encouraging sign.

 

And the fact it was released late on Tuesday suggested officials were "excited" about progress, she said.

 

In other developments on Tuesday, new photographs were released showing the Royal Navy crew.

 

The crew, from Plymouth-based HMS Cornwall, can be seen wearing tracksuits, smiling and playing chess.

 

Leading Seaman Faye Turney, 26, is not wearing a headscarf as she had in previous TV footage.

 

Dual aims

 

The naval personnel have been held captive since being seized by Iranian Revolutionary Guards in the northern Gulf last month.

 

Iran says they strayed into its territorial waters, but the UK maintains they were in Iraqi waters after returning from searching a merchant vessel.

 

In comments before No 10's statement, Mr Blair said the UK had two aims - firstly to make Iran understand that "the pressure is there" and secondly to ensure the "door is open" to diplomacy.

 

He added if "peaceful, calm negotiation" was not possible, the UK would have to take "increasingly tougher decisions".

 

The prime minister spoke after Mr Larijani hinted to Iranian state radio that a new phase in the talks with the UK had begun.

 

"If they continue this path they can change the situation logically... in such a way that the issue is resolved," he said.

 

But Iranian Vice President Parviz Davoudi insisted the UK still had to admit its personnel had crossed into Iran's waters.

 

"Certainly if Britain accepts that they have illegally trespassed into Iran, and guarantee that they won't repeat it, the issue will obviously become negotiable and can be resolved through a rational process," he said.

 

Hossein Shariatmadari, editor of Iranian newspaper Keyhan, said talk of a critical 48 hours by Mr Blair was "laughable".

 

"They have been giving us deadlines since the revolution and they have never been able to achieve any," he said.

 

Bush backing

 

Foreign Office Minister Lord Triesman has had talks with the Iranian ambassador in London eight times since the crew's capture.

 

It is understood that one area under discussion between the two countries is how future disputes over the contested Shatt al-Arab waterway may be avoided.

 

US President George Bush has described the crew's capture as "indefensible" and said he backed the UK's efforts to resolve the crisis peacefully.

 

There have been suggestions that the crew's case could be improved by the release of five Iranian officials held by the US since January.

 

The BBC's Jim Muir, in Baghdad, said senior Iraq officials were negotiating with the US embassy and the US military over the issue.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6523729.stm

I sincerely hope not. Bush isn't the most intelligent person on the planet, but even he probably realizes that a war with Iran isn't a good idea. At least, I hope so.

 

And how do you figure bush is stupid? You must be einstein right dang my bad...

And gazebo you know yes I do call people names and get very passionate about issiues like this. Only because I truely grasp how important it is and I cant just sit by and watch idiot after idiot get fed this crap. Your the ones getting tricked by the mass media. All they want to do is create just a little doubt and frankly they have done a damn good job. You say your informed... how? By who? Tell me id love to know!

Ok, I'm now a "utterly stupid" "Dumbshit" and I apparently have my "head up my ass"....

 

Well, as long you have made a point. Your ways do not make Texas look good.

 

As with most democrats you dont even address MY point all you do is spout about HOW I made my point. Well you know its about time someone was blunt with you about all this.

It would be stupid to go to war with Iran. The U.K. hasn't got the man-power to go in and fight.

As with most democrats you dont even address MY point all you do is spout about HOW I made my point. Well you know its about time someone was blunt with you about all this.

 

Ha, I really don't need you being "blunt with me" - from what you have posted I'd eat you for breakfast if you wanted a debate.

 

You didn't make any real point - and if you did it was "they have already test fired missiles" and "you take the fight to them to prevent it happening on your soil".

 

Those to statements of yours mean what exactly?

 

I know that sometimes "have to take the fight to them" - but not in this case when it's all based on a fake and false pretext.

 

And....They have test fired missiles? Yeah they have.....so have many, many countries - including both of ours - and we have even tested many nuclear weapons too. So why is "they have tested missiles" a good argument?.......it's not, is it?

 

Look, I'm a nice, honest and decent person who does not want to see every true freedom in our world disappear. I've spent years on this and it's a very complex affair.

The way that you have addressed this and me from the start leaves me with the overwhelming impression that you aren't deeply involved with this area and that there are massive amounts of information that I dare say you cannot be bothered to read.

 

Well, that's fine…a shame however, but it’s up to you......Just for a 22 year old I guess I expected a little bit more maturity.

US to attack Iran by end of April: report

 

From correspondents in Middle East, 03:00 PM IST

 

The US is planning to attack Iran's nuclear reactors and other nuclear facilities by the end of this month, the Kuwait-based Arab Times newspaper reported Wednesday.

 

Citing anonymous sources in Washington, it said that various White House departments had started preparing the political speech to be delivered by the US president later this month, announcing the military attack on Iran.

 

The speech will provide the 'evidence' and the 'justification' for the US to resort to the military option after failing to persuade Tehran to give up its nuclear ambitions, said the report.

 

Full Article here...

 

http://www.indiaenews.com/middle-east/20070404/45848.htm

 

 

I've seen many stories of this. Let's hope it's not true.