Posted on 01/21/2006 4:20:34 PM PST by FairOpinion
A DEFIANT Iran announced it has begun pulling its foreign currency accounts out of European banks to protect its assets from possible UN sanctions over its nuclear program.
As analysts estimated the amount of those funds at up to $50 billion, Iran also called for a reduction in OPEC oil production - raising the possibility that the country would use oil in its stand-off with the West.
Iran pumps about four million barrels of oil a day, making it the second largest producer in OPEC after Saudi Arabia.
Underlining his challenging stance, Iran's hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, held a meeting in Damascus, Syria, yesterday with leaders from the Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
They expressed support for Iran's right to nuclear power and criticised US and European opposition to Iran's enrichment of uranium, a process that can produce material for atomic bombs.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.scotsman.com ...
completely boycott Iranian oil
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, held a meeting in Damascus, Syria, yesterday with leaders from the Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
What more do we need to know? Iran thinks that now is the time to go nuke. And it probably will. So it's back to the past --- Cold War II.
Is there no one to rid us of this meddlesome Imam?
Damn, that makes Mr. Drysdale look like a piker trying to keep Jed's money in his bank.
We don't buy it anyway, and haven't for years. That doesn't really affect the price in any case.
I think we should put the Klintoons on this task. A little ARKANCIDE maty be in order.
I hope we're just "warning" them while we get things in place. I'm not normally very concerned about this posturing by third-world hell-holes, but the current prez of Iran is such a nutcase that suddenly the impossible seems not only possible but likely.
Oil can't be boycotted because it is fungible. Better to deny airline flights to Iran and landing rights in countries involved.
We already have a complete boycott of Iranian Oil.....
Iran lowering oil production without OPEC raising its production would certainly impact oil prices right away and pretty hard as crude supllies to the entire world would be lowered.
I'm currently long on oil futures, but this guy and his country need to be taken down.
I don't think this is a STRIKEWARN. Looks more like an "Okay, you want to pressure us? Here's the withdrawal slip for our Ramadan account." They're counting on the bankers to whisper in the ears of European leaders and have them back down, probably to buy more time.
There's a little difference. As cold blooded as the Soviets were we could be sure they weren't interested in their own obliteration and would never use a nuke. The same can't be said of Ahmadinejad and the mullahs.
I think Ahmadinejad and the mullahs are as interested in their own survival and continuing in their positions of power as the Soviet Politburo was. It's the ignorant religious fanatics they control that are the problem. However, we, and the Israelis, know who controls them, don't we. And the Iranians know we know. It's Realpolitik all over again.
BTW, I think it's likely Iran is already nuclear capable.
Dimplomacy at its D(U)immest!
I agree-- Not only are they nuclear- they also have Bin Laden, they have already smuggled BAD weapons into Russia, France, Germany< US, and China...Spain maybe?
They have cells- the "Truce" message was a sign to get ready- activate- go under ground, whatever....
PREPARE- the WAR has just begun....
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