PANETTA: IRAN NOT DEVELOPING NUCLEAR WEAPONS

"Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday that Iran is enriching uranium in a peaceful nuclear program but that Tehran has not decided to develop an atomic bomb... Top U.S. military and intelligence officials gave separate testimonies in congressional hearings on Thursday regarding Iran, and...  they all reiterated the consensus that Iran’s nuclear program is purely civilian in nature..."

http://news.antiwar.com/2012/02/16/panetta-iran-is-not-developing-nuclear-weapons/

IRAN'S NUCLEAR POLICY: LATENCY

"... An Iranian nuclear bomb is neither imminent nor a foregone conclusion. The 16 U.S. intelligence agencies judge with high confidence that Iran has conducted no nuclear weapons-related experiments since 2003, that it currently has no nuclear weapons program, and that is has not made the political decision to pursue nuclear weapons. In theory, this provides ample political space for Obama to pursue a sustained process of diplomacy dedicated to ensuring that Iran's nuclear program remains verifiably peaceful.

In practice, however, we often see the opposite from Washington -- self-imposed time limits on diplomacy, unprecedented coercive measures, and sensationalistic journalism about an imminent Iranian nuclear weapon. Why the disconnect? Because at present, Iran is pursuing a strategic middle ground called nuclear latency: It aims to build a nuclear energy program that would allow for the production of a nuclear weapon on short notice if an existential threat came to the fore...."

http://www.niacouncil.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8827&security=1&news_iv_ctrl=-1

WHY U.S. WILL NOT ALLOW ISRAEL TO BOMB IRAN

"... The Department of Defense is aware that the thousands of US personnel at the US embassy in Baghdad...  are vulnerable to attacks by the Mahdi Army if Israel bombs Iran, as are US facilities in the Gulf such as the al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar and the US naval base in Manama, Bahrain. That is, there is no such thing as a unilateral Israeli military action against Tehran. Any such strike would immediately cause attacks on US facilities in the region and bring the US into the war... Washington should remember the law of unintended consequences.
http://www.juancole.com/2013/01/obamas-inaugural-danger.html>http://www.juancole.com/2013/01/obamas-inaugural-danger.html

AHMADINEJAD ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS

"... Ahmadinejad scoffed at the notion of an Iranian nuclear buildup. "A nuclear weapon? For what? For what purpose?" Ahmadinejad said in an interview with the Associated Press. "Why would we do that? What would we use it for?"

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/ahmadinejad-u-n-assembly-speech-video-155849849.html

IRAN CLARIFIES MEANING OF "WIPE OFF MAP"

"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made clear what he meant when he said Israel should be "wiped off" the map... asked in response to whether Israel should be "wiped off" the face of the map, as he once said... (he replied)... "So when we say 'to be wiped,' we say for occupation to be wiped off from this world. For war-seeking to (be) wiped off and eradicated, the killing of women and children to be eradicated.... The path is to recognize the right of the Palestinians to self-governance."
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/24/world/meast/iran-ahmadinejad-interview/index.html

IRAN SAYS STRIKE WOULD TRIGGER WW III


"Israel is stepping up threats of carrying out a unilateral strike against Iran’s nuclear energy facilities before the US presidential election on November 6... Israeli threats are based on the unsubstantiated claims that the peaceful nuclear activities of the Islamic Republic have been diverted to the acquisition of military nuclear capability...
"A senior Iranian military commander has warned that an Israeli strike on the Islamic Republic could trigger the World War III... "the situation would spin out of control and management; this war is likely to degenerate into the World War III. It means that some countries might enter the war in favor of or against Iran,” Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Aerospace Division of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), said on Al-Alam television."



http://presstv.com/detail/2012/09/23/263155/cmrdr-warns-of-wwiii-if-iran-attacked/

ATTACK ON POWER LINES TO IRANIAN NUCLEAR FACILITIES

"... power lines between the holy city of Qom and the underground Fordow nuclear centrifuge facility were blown up with explosives on Aug. 17.... the power lines leading to Iran’s Natanz facilities were blown up as well.... power cut off is one of the ways to break down centrifuge machines... U.S. Special Forces have trained for sabotage missions inside Iran for years. “From the first reports, this attack looks like something from our guys..."

http://news.yahoo.com/sabotaging-iran-nukes-084500157--politics.html

ISRAEL SAYS NO WAR IMMANENT

"... Amos Gilad, top aide to Defence Minister Ehud Barak... signaled on Saturday that there would be no unilateral attack on Iran in the coming weeks... (saying) "... it looks like it will be quiet... it seems to me that even the Iranians understand... and are not crossing the line .. of implementing and building a nuclear bomb..."

http://news.yahoo.com/israeli-official-signals-no-war-imminent-iran-174202360.html>http://news.yahoo.com/israeli-official-signals-no-war-imminent-iran-174202360.html

IRAQ HELPING IRAN SUPPLY ARMS TO SYRIA

"Iran has resumed shipping military equipment to Syria over Iraqi airspace... to the frustration of American officials... the flights have enabled Iran to provide supplies to the Syrian government despite the efforts Syrian rebels have made to seize several border crossings where Iranian aid has been trucked in... Iraq could take several steps to stop the flights, including insisting that cargo planes that depart from Iran en route to Syria land for inspection in Baghdad or declaring outright that Iraq’s airspace cannot be used for the flights..."
"The Iranians have even provided a cargo plane that the Syrian military can use to ferry men and supplies around the country... (and) Iraqi Shiite militia fighters... are now making their way to Syria to help the Assad government.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/05/world/middleeast/iran-supplying-syrian-military-via-iraq-airspace.html?_r=2

U.S. DISOWNS ISRAEL IF IT STRIKES IRAN

"... the US would not be “complicit” in an Israel strike against Iran... The Obama administration has put Israel on harsh notice that an attack on Iran to disrupt or delay its nuclear armament will be refused US missile backup - both in the course of the operation and to cover Israel’s back in the event of a counter-strike widening into a general Middle East conflict. The Netanyahu government will bear full and exclusive responsibility for the consequences of attacking Iran."
http://www.debka.com/article/22324/

IF ISRAEL ATTACKS IRAN, IRAN WILL ATTACK U.S. BASES

"Iran could hit U.S. bases in the Middle East in response to any Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities even if American forces played no role in the attack, the leader of Lebanon's Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah said... "A decision has been taken to respond and the response will be very great," Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said..."
http://news.yahoo.com/iran-could-strike-u-bases-israel-attacks-hezbollah-055101337.html

KHAMENEI SAYS IRAN HAS NO INTEREST IN NUCLEAR WEAPONS

"Iran has no interest in nuclear weapons but will keep pursuing peaceful nuclear energy, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told heads of state from developing countries in Tehran. Iran... host(ed) a summit of the 120-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)..."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/30/ayatollah-khamenei-iran-nuclear-designs_n_1842039.html

IAEA REPORT: IRAN PROGRAM MAY BE BEYOND ISRAEL'S TO ABILITY STOP

"... the International Atomic Energy Agency... report has put Israel in a corner, documenting that Iran is close to... the capability to produce nuclear weapons in a location invulnerable to Israeli attack... (there) seems to be a consensus that Iran’s program may soon be beyond the reach of Israel’s military capability... Military professionals concede the potential effectiveness of an Israeli strike is decreasing as Iran moves more of its operations underground."
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/31/world/middleeast/report-on-iran-nuclear-work-puts-israel-in-a-box.html?_r=2

IAEA CONCERNED ABOUT NUCLEAR SITES AT FORDO AND PARCHIN

"The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)... says Iran has doubled production capacity at the Fordo nuclear site... a facility buried deep inside a mountain near the holy city of Qom... Iran says the aim of the Fordo site is to enrich uranium for civilian use up to a maximum of 20%..."

"The overall Parchin complex is one of Iran's leading munitions centres - for the research, development and production of ammunition, rockets and high explosives. The Parchin site is suspected of being used for experiments related to nuclear weapons... the IAEA said the Parchin site had been "sanitised" and that Iran had "been conducting activities at that location that will significantly hamper the agency's ability to conduct effective verification", if inspectors were granted access..."

"... the IAEA concludes that it is unable to say that all nuclear material in Iran is for peaceful activities."

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19424097

IRAN ONLY WANTS "BREAKOUT CAPABILITY"

"There is no good evidence of an Iranian nuclear weapons program, and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has admitted as much publicly. The goal appears to be to attempt to prevent Iran from becoming sophisticated enough to have a breakout capability (i.e. to have the ability quickly to construct a warhead were they to decide to do so). The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which Iran is a signatory but Israel is not, guarantees countries the right to close the fuel cycle so as to construct nuclear electricity generation plants... (Iran says) civilian nuclear enrichment facilities... are for the production of electricity via nuclear reactors..."
http://www.juancole.com/2012/08/mitt-romneys-coming-war-on-iran-a-tale-of-two-conventions.html

IRAN CALLS FOR NUCLEAR ARMS BAN

"Iranian diplomatic leaders called for an international ban on nuclear arms by the year 2025... as the nation kicked off this year's Non-Aligned Nations Movement (NAM) Summit. Over 120 nations met in Tehran... "
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/08/27-2

IRAN COMMANDER WELCOMES ISRAELI STRIKE

"... Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guard's air force... says Israeli strike would give Iran a reason to attack Israel and get rid of the Jewish state forever... he also claims Israeli threats of a strike are just part of a psychological war against Iran."
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/senior-iranian-commander-welcomes-israeli-strike-1.459065

DESCRIPTION OF ISRAELI PLAN TO ATTACK IRAN

"... leaked text suggests that an Israeli operation would begin with a massive cyber attack against Iran's infrastructure, to "paralyse the regime and its ability to know what is happening within its borders". Ballistic missiles would be fired at Iranian nuclear targets, albeit with conventional non-nuclear warheads. Cruise missiles would be fired from Israeli submarines in the Gulf... According to the text, it will not be just the main Iranian nuclear facilities that are struck, but command-and-control systems; research-and-development facilities and the residences of senior personnel in the nuclear and missile development apparatus..."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19272737

ISRAEL MAY DRAG U.S. TO WAR BEFORE ELECTION

"More Washington insiders are coming to the conclusion that Israel’s leaders are planning to attack Iran before the U.S. election in November in the expectation that American forces will be drawn in.... Netanyahu gives every evidence of believing that — for the next 12 weeks — he is in the catbird seat and that, if he provokes hostilities with Iran, Obama will feel compelled to jump in with both feet, i. e., selecting from the vast array of forces already assembled in the area. Sadly, I believe Netanyahu is probably correct in that calculation. Batten down the hatches."
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/08/13-2

IRAN'S REFUSAL FOR ADVANCED NUCLEAR INSPECTIONS

"...(The) International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) verification under the Additional Protocol... (is) a voluntary but advanced nuclear safeguards standard introduced in the mid-1990s. ... if Iran wants to put an end to repeated Western calls for it to prove that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful... the Additional Protocol is the solution. The one and only proof of a peaceful program that the non-proliferation community cannot contest are the assurances that can result from the IAEA's Protocol investigations: "no undeclared nuclear activities or material".
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/NH08Ak01.html