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Iran turns up heat in nuclear war of words
Scotsman ^ | 23 Jan 2006 | BEN LYNFIELD AND MIKE THEODOULOU

Posted on 01/22/2006 9:59:53 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe

IRAN yesterday warned Israel it would be making a "fatal mistake" if it took military action against Tehran's nuclear programme.

The warning came as part of escalating verbal warfare between the two regional rivals, with Shaul Mofaz, Israel's Iranian-born defence minister, saying Israel would not let Iran acquire nuclear capability.

"We are giving priority at this stage to diplomatic action, but we cannot tolerate a nuclear option for Iran and we must prepare ourselves," Mr Mofaz said.

Iran's Foreign Ministry yesterday branded Mr Mofaz's comments "a form of psychological warfare".

A spokesman said: "Israel knows how much of a fatal mistake it would be [to attack Iran]. This is just a childish game by Israel.".

But speakers at a seminar in Israel yesterday voiced suggestions ranging from a show of military force to bombing Iran's nuclear installations.

"Only a show of force by the entire world, including the United States and, afterwards, Israel, will be effective in doing away with Iran's acquiring nuclear capability," said Yitzhak Ben-Rafael, an army reserves general who teaches at Tel Aviv University.

Ephraim Sneh, an MP from the opposition Labour Party, said: "The state of Israel is on a collision course with the Iranian regime."

Tensions between the two countries are given a bizarre twist by the fact that several senior Israelis are from Iran.

Mr Mofaz was born in Garmsar, south-east of Tehran, as was the hardline Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map".

And he is advised by Dan Halutz, Israel's former air-force commander and now chief of staff, whose parents were born in Iran. Moshe Katsav, Israel's president, is another Iranian-born Farsi-speaker.

Meanwhile, Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical Iraqi cleric, said yesterday that his Mahdi army would help to defend Iran if it were attacked by a foreign nation.

"The Mahdi army is beyond the Iraqi army. It was established to defend Islam," he said.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 01/22/2006 9:59:55 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
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Comment #2 Removed by Moderator

To: Certain_Doom
That's painting with a pretty broad brush, but it's not all that far off the mark. Both the Jews and the Arabs from the regions are Semitic.

But you've also got to remember that Iranians aren't Arabs, they're Persians.

Confused yet?

L

3 posted on 01/22/2006 10:11:28 PM PST by Lurker (You don't let a pack of wolves into the house just because they're related to the family dog.)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

---Meanwhile, Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical Iraqi cleric, said yesterday that his Mahdi army would help to defend Iran if it were attacked by a foreign nation.

"The Mahdi army is beyond the Iraqi army. It was established to defend Islam," he said.---

What a moron! :^)


4 posted on 01/22/2006 10:19:46 PM PST by claudiustg (Delenda est Iran!)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Israel: You first, Uncle Sam.


5 posted on 01/22/2006 10:22:20 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck
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To: Tailgunner Joe

The problem with Iran is that after you have stated your purpose to "burn Israel off of the map" there is not much more room to increase your threats. What are they going to do, double burn the Jews?


6 posted on 01/22/2006 10:41:34 PM PST by American in Israel (A wise man's heart directs him to the right, but the foolish mans heart directs him toward the left.)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

7 posted on 01/22/2006 10:54:23 PM PST by BJungNan
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To: Lurker

What has Arabs/Persians have to do with Islam? It is an ideological force, not racial revolution. Look at Indonesians who are neither Arabs, nor Persians, can be some of the most fanatic Islamics. I doubt they look in the mirror and scratch their beards and say "Allahu Akbar, this is for our master Arab race!"


8 posted on 01/22/2006 10:54:33 PM PST by sagar
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To: sagar
The poster I responded to was suprised that there are Iranians in the Israeli government. He made the mistaken statement that those Iranians are Arabs. They aren't.

I realize that those Iranian Muslims share the same sick and twisted 'religion' the Arabs do. I merely pointed up some ethnic, not religious differences between Iranians and Arabs.

What I will bet is that the Iranians serving in the Israeli government aren't muslims.

L

9 posted on 01/22/2006 11:00:08 PM PST by Lurker (You don't let a pack of wolves into the house just because they're related to the family dog.)
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To: Certain_Doom

Actually, there was a study that showed a strong link between Kurds and Jews. The ties to Arabs are more distant as are ties to Persians)they are not Arabs).


10 posted on 01/22/2006 11:02:26 PM PST by sheik yerbouty ( Make America and the world a jihad free zone!)
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To: claudiustg

Someone needs to give Fatboy Sadr a good beating.


11 posted on 01/22/2006 11:21:48 PM PST by zarf (It's time for a college football playoff system.)
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To: sagar
The Arabs do a have superiority complex though. In Darfu they kill the non-Arabs gleefully...
12 posted on 01/22/2006 11:42:57 PM PST by endthematrix (None dare call it ISLAMOFACISM!)
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"Don't try to keep us from killing you all or we will kill you all."

One of those kind of deals huh,'mohammed'?


13 posted on 01/23/2006 12:29:11 AM PST by LegendHasIt
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To: Tailgunner Joe

"IRAN yesterday warned Israel it would be making a "fatal mistake" if it took military action against Tehran's nuclear programme."

Let's see now. Iran (a country currently without nukes) is warning Israel (a country with nukes) that it is making a "fatal mistake"? Are they really that idiotic? That's like a guy with a knife warning a guy with a gun not to mess with him.

What a total group of morons.


14 posted on 01/23/2006 12:34:48 AM PST by MissouriConservative (I would love to change the world, but they won't give me the source code)
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To: Certain_Doom; Lurker
"I think there was a gene study that showed the Israelis and the Arabs to be all the same people."

Absolutely correct, and what a firestorm it raised. I think it was pulled from publication due to PC.

" But you've also got to remember that Iranians aren't Arabs, they're Persians."

I could be wrong, but I believe the Mullahs are not Persian.

15 posted on 01/23/2006 12:52:18 AM PST by MonroeDNA (Look for the union label--on the bat crashing through your windshield!)
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To: Tailgunner Joe
Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical Iraqi cleric, said yesterday that his Mahdi army would help to defend Iran

And so will the Democrats.

16 posted on 01/23/2006 4:14:53 AM PST by libertylover (Bush spied. Terrorists died.)
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