Oct 19 2007

Run Up to WWIII?

I noticed this article yesterday from Associated Press, and following the foot-steps of several players in the run up to war with Iran, it looks like time is running out.

MOSCOW – Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made a surprise trip to Moscow on Thursday to discuss Iran’s nuclear program with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who just returned from talks with Iranian leaders in Tehran.

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The very day after Putin meets with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Isreali Prime Minister Ehud Olmert makes a surprise visit to the Kremlin.  His message;

“In a situation in which Iran has nuclear weapons and Syria has sophisticated weapons from Russia, Israel will have to weigh its actions against these threats.”

Other Isreali officials (Ze’ev Hanin, an Israeli expert on Russian affairs) have declared Olmerts message as;

“Iran must not be allowed to acquire the atom bomb. Officials here have warned time and again that if the world does not stop Iran, Israel will. They say military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities is a last resort, but it is an option.”

Link

That was Thursday, Oct. 18.  On Wednesday, Oct. 17, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Ehud Olmert as part of preparations for a U.S.-hosted peace conference in November or December. However both parties declined to reveal details about the talks, saying that it was a private meeting.

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Also, of course, Putin met with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday, Oct. 17.
Link

Putin had carried a message of friendship and cooperation for Iran.
Ahmadinejad stated that talks were held in an amicable atmosphere, adding, “Russia has said it will complete construction of Iran’s Bushehr power plant.”
“In his interview with reporters, Putin has also announced that Russia will carry out works on Bushehr power plant and will complete it,” he said.

“Russia is responsible for completion of Bushehr plant and we think this will happen,” Ahmadinejad stressed.

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Not to mention our American goof-ball Bush’s remarks made recently at a press conference called specifically to threaten the entire world of an eminent World War III;

“We’ve got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel,” Bush said.

“So I’ve told people that, if you’re interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon.”

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So I see quite a bit of movement from these players, could it be that we are getting closer every minute to attacking Iran, and if we don’t, Isreal will.
These last few days have been historical, and there’s practically no mention of it in American press-go figure.  Am I missing something here?

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    • KrisC on October 19, 2007 at 15:54
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    You know you have them buried down in the basement-go find em…..

  2. just bought a big bucket of hydrogenated food from Costco, he says in case of earthquake.  I think it is  one month supply. Anyway it is good for twenty years.

  3. compared to other leaders.

  4. worthwhile coverage of this diplomatic flurry in the U.S. press, even in the WaPo and NYT. One has to scour the www for a few crumbs. Here is one from an opinion piece posted at Novosti today.

    Here is the key passage, which perhaps gives a hint of where Putin is heading:

    But what is off-limits to the general public is unlikely to be a secret for leaders of the countries concerned with the Iranian issue. And they are anxious to know not only what Putin said, but also how the Iranians reacted to his words.

    Clearly, Tehran will not give up its nuclear programs, including uranium enrichment on its territory, but the situation could change if Iranian settlement were to take the same path as the solution to the North Korean nuclear dossier.

    However, there is one important proviso. Already now Iran is an extremely influential player in the Middle East, Caucasus, and Central Asia, even without nuclear weapons. Tehran’s ambitions and opportunities in no way compare with Pyongyang’s. Iran would have to be offered far more than North Korea. Mostly likely, it will not be economic assistance, investment or help in the development of the nuclear industry, but also official recognition of Tehran’s role in solving Middle Eastern problems.

    Previously, Russia has not objected to that. Only the United States and Israel have been vehemently opposed. But are there other options? And what new ideas are lurking behind the Iranian leaders’ rhetoric? Olmert and Bush want to know.

    In other words, what the Russian president has brought back from Tehran will now shape the situation in the Middle East.

    Here is one possible translation: Putin has some cards and is playing them. Any solution will require the recognition that Iran is a major regional player.

    I would also not be surprised if Putin gave Olmert a stern warning that Russia would ensure that Iran would not be caught unawares by an Israeli or U.S. strike. Russian technical intelligence capabilities should be sufficient to give Tehran some warning that Israeli or U.S. planes or cruise missiles were about to be launched or were actually on the way to targets.

    With some warning of such an attack, Iran, modest as its military capabilities may be in comparison to the massive U.S. firepower in the Persian Gulf, probably has some interesting and challenging responses in mind. Iran could very well launch salvos of lethal anti-ship missiles even before the Israeli bombs or U.S. cruise missiles arrived on Iranian targets.

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