Posted on 07/16/2006 10:22:00 AM PDT by NYer
Iran warned its arch-enemy Israel of "unimaginable losses" if it attacks Syria and vowed that it was standing by the Syrian people.
"We hope the Zionist regime does not make the mistake of attacking Syria, because extending the front would definitely make the Zionist regime face unimaginable losses," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.
"Iran is standing by the Syrian people," he said of the Islamic republic's sole regional ally.
"We have offered and will offer Syria and Lebanon spiritual and humanitarian support," Asefi insisted, reiterating Iran's denial that it is providing military and financial assistance to the Hezbollah movement.
The Israeli army has said Hezbollah militants had used an Iranian-built radar-guided anti-ship missile in an attack on Friday on an Israeli warship off Lebanon's coast.
The attack marked the Lebanese militia's first successful strike on an Israeli warship, dealing an unprecedented blow to the Jewish state's military. One Israeli sailor was killed and three more were missing, feared dead.
An Israeli military intelligence official has also alleged that around 100 members of Iran's powerful ideological army the elite Revolutionary Guards were in Lebanon, acting as military advisors to Hezbollah.
Iran is a major backer of Hezbollah, but regularly insists that it only gives "moral support" to the Shiite movement.
"We have no Guards there. It is not true that we have sent missiles. Hezbollah is capable enough. The Zionist regime is under pressure," Asefi said, repeating Iran's denial of any connection to the attack.
He also hit out at the United States after President George W. Bush said Israel had "every right to defend itself".
"The United States has had a destructive role by vetoing resolutions and hence encouraging the Israeli crimes," Asefi said, referring to Washington's use of its veto in the UN Security Council Thursday to block a resolution calling for a halt to an Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.
"The United States should reconsider its policies and correct its wrong attitude of supporting the Zionist regime."
On Friday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad boasted that Israel was not powerful enough to take on Iran and also warned against an attack against Syria.
"Thanks be to God, despite its criminal and savage nature, the Zionist regime and its supporters in the West do not have the power to look in the same way towards Iran," the fiercely anti-Israeli president said.
"If Israel commits another act of idiocy and aggresses Syria, this will be the same as an aggression against the entire Islamic world and it will receive a stinging response," Ahmadinejad said in a telephone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad.
The hardline president, who has calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map" or moved as far away as Alaska, has also compared Israel's military strikes on Gaza and Lebanon to tactics used by Nazi Germany's leader Adolf Hitler.
"Their methods resemble Hitler's. When Hitler wanted to launch an attack, he came up with a pretext," Ahmadinejad said Saturday.
"Zionists say they are Hitler's victims, but they have the same nature as Hitler," said Ahmadinejad, who has previously described the Holocaust of six million Jews in wartime Europe as "a myth."
"We have two solutions for the crisis. One of them, which is a logical one, is that as you (Western nations) who imposed this regime by fabricating stories, you put an end to it and take it with you," he said.
Ahmadinejad's second solution was to have a referendum in which only the "true Palestinians," decide their fate.
It sure appears that way to me too. I wonder if they have smuggled one to hezbollah.
Israel and the US had better be prepared...
I don't think Iran is trying to bait Israel into an attack which Iran would say legitimizes an Iranian war with Israel.
(1) If that were the goal, the line in the sand could have been hitting or invading Lebanon. (Last week Iran was standing with Lebanon. Well, that threat didn't do anything, and Iran hasn't been able to do squat, so Syria is the new meaningless line.)
(2) Iran has no intent of open war with Israel. The mullacracy (not iranians) are cowards. They and their mouth piece talk tough, but the talk is all over the board (one day boasting of massive material support to Hezbollah, the next denying it). EVERYTHING is about political warfare -- not hot warfare.
(3) Iran can't fight "wars." The best they can do is send brainwashed paupers, boys, and women with explosive vests to their deaths. So, Iran doesn't want an open and free fire zone war. They want political grayness which they can exploit. The status quo is just fine with them.
No, all they are doing is PR for their campaign to be the Defender of the Faith.
Their defense plan? The world community pulling Israel off the proxies because the proxies are being mauled. In the meantime, Iran works on its nuclear capability and talks tough.
You know the type - in the middle of a fight they turn purple yelling at one of the fighters - so long as someone is standing between them and the fighter they're yelling at. If there were any chance of the fighter gazing at them before unleashing on them, they'd stay quiet. Notice how Adjdusugu? keeps saying Israel and the U.S. can't even look at Iran?
I love your Mecca Weather Forecast.
I agree with that.
They know that Israel (as a civilised nation) would not attack Iran without extreme provocation, so they are pushing it and talking tough.
If Israel even sniffed that Iran had/or where tempted to use Nuclear weapons they would cease to exist.
Sounds like "I double dog dare you" kind of statement.
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Maybe Syria is giving Hesbala the WMD's that came out of Iraq?
FRmail me to be added or removed from this Judaic/pro-Israel/Russian Jewry ping list.
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Bring back the Phalange.
I think that if Israel was hit hard and was about to be overrun,then all of the Israeli nukes that we have be hearing about for years would be launched.How many do they have?Estimates range from 150 to 750.Iran would cease to exist in any meaningful way.Too bad about Syria also.
You got that right. Screw Russia and China with their ramblings.
These are the people who spent about a decade sacrificing their high school graduating classes trying to defeat Saddam. Ended in a stalemate.
My money's on Israel. Israel will have air superiority, and in a nuke exchange, they can obliterate Iran.
I am in favor of a joint US - Israeli assault on both Syria and Iran . End this once and for all now , or it will go on to haunt us for years and years . Just like North Korea.
Let's get it done with ...now
"Mother of all Battles" is Sunni. "Unimaginable losses" is Shi'ite.
I just popped over to DU and DailyChaos, and it is truly appalling that these so-called "Americans" are supporting terrorists and continued terrorism against Israel--the anti-semitism is out and out unbelieveable there! Here's a sample: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/7/16/43054/2374
These people would throw a party to see Iran nuke Israel off the map. Are they related to Iran's Lil'Hitler president??
There was a reported sale of Nuclear tipped cruise missiles to China and Iran by the Ukraine in 2005.
Google is your friend :~)
I'm thinking we're gonna get to bomb some nuclear facilities in Iran, after all...
Lol! Thanks for the graphics ... excellent!
It's about time for us to reiterate our unwavering support for Israel, and to caution Iran that any intervention will result in massive retaliation by the United States of America.
Every 10 years the raghead jihadists need to be bombed to oblivion. They're too stupid to remember lessons from the past. Israel was reluctant to bomb them 10 years ago and look what they got! Only the dumbest, most immoral, demonic people would declare war against the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
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