Iranian terror plot intercepted

[dZeus]

Interesting secondary sourcing, but my primary source was an Imam at a local Shi'a mosque whose had dealings with the Haghani. Good guy with very interesting tales about his homelands whacked out leadership. His congregation, and members of a local Synagogue, cover at local church charities & meal kitchens during Christmas, Easter etc. so we can celebrate.

I retract my hasty accusation with your explanation. I hope you can forgive me for that.

Without accusing your source of this, you have to keep in mind that people who've fled regimes can also prove to be very unreliable sources. The Iraq-WMD affair has plenty of examples of those.

[TransformX]

scuds, as in the Russian missiles fired by Saddam Hussein on both Israel and Iran?

Maybe you should ask George H. W. Bush about how that stuff was funded.

Point isn't about having them, it's about using them...

Also, I know it's out of topic but:

[cjolley]

The whole idea that this is made up by the US administration is just silly.
There is no motive, and huge disincentives to get involved in ANOTHER war.
That might even be why Iran would be willing to risk it.

IF this is a setup it would be much more likely to be coming from the Saudis.

Besides, it's not like Iran is above being this crazy.

[dZeus]

Point isn't about having them, it's about using them...

Also, I know it's out of topic but:

ok, so Iran use scuds while they don't have them? What's the point you're trying to make exactly?

[dZeus]

The whole idea that this is made up by the US administration is just silly.
There is no motive, and huge disincentives to get involved in ANOTHER war.
That might even be why Iran would be willing to risk it.

IF this is a setup it would be much more likely to be coming from the Saudis.

Besides, it's not like Iran is above being this crazy.

Yeah it's not like the US administration doesn't have a history of 'making up' evidence.

If the west wants to stop terrorism, maybe we should first of all stop supporting the Saudi government and their second export product of Islamism (Wahhabism/salafi islam).
Oh wait, we're addicted to their oil...

[TransformX]

ok, so Iran use scuds while they don't have them? What's the point you're trying to make exactly?

That unlike western powers, those countries don't think twice about actually putting their arsenal into use. If you see a missile, you can bet they have all the intentions of launching it.

[dZeus]

That unlike western powers, those countries don't think twice about actually putting their arsenal into use. If you see a missile, you can bet they have all the intentions of launching it.

So which country has Iran directly attacked?

And 'unlike western powers'? What do you call the whole recent exercises in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya exactly?

[cjolley]

Yeah it's not like the US administration doesn't have a history of 'making up' evidence.

I didn't say they couldn't or wouldn't.
All governments shade things and make things up when they want to.
I said that there are too few motives and too many costs in this case.

[KRSESQ]

I find it a little amazing (just a little) that the first place people go when they hear news like this is "US Government conspiracy!" Nobody withholds judgement until the evidence is presented. But that doesn't matter since even once the evidence is presented the first place people go is "Fabricated!"

After all, there's no conceivable way the peaceful, freedom-loving leaders of Iran would ever undertake such black-hearted action.

The idea that the US has brought this global incredulity upon itself by its international actions over the last 50 - 60 years is disheartening, to say the least.

Now it doesn't matter how airtight-ironclad any evidence we have might be. No one in the international community will believe or accept it. So the release of evidence is mainly to satisfy the American sense of justice, not to convince anyone else of its veracity, since that's clearly not possible.

So if the veracity of the evidence doesn't matter, why should we care if anyone in the world believes it? Why should we seek redress in the international court of opinion when international opinion is set immutably against us, no matter what we say or do?

[Umfriend]

Sorry, but that is silly. I'll conceed that there will always be people arguing that something is a conspiracy and the US government is not the sole target of that.

But reasonable people will be aware that elements within the US adminstration have in the past on occasion fabricated events, "evidence" and have been prone to accept testimony that suited their agenda.

airtight-ironclad evidence will do just fine. Find me some for once.

[Jammrock]

Yeah it's not like the US administration doesn't have a history of 'making up' evidence.

Name one major government that has never made up evidence, or lied, or twisted the truth, or used propaganda... thought so. Not that it makes it right, but don't point fingers at someone when you're own government has most likely done it several times, too.

Now, whether they do it the extent, or on the scale, that the US government has allegedly done it ... that's a different story.

[Jammrock]

What do you call the whole recent exercises in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya exactly?

Job growth. Someone has to make the bombs.

[Joking, of course, and in poor taste, I'm sure. My daughter has a cold and was up several times last night so I'm a bit grumpy today.]

[Umfriend]

Name one major government that has never made up evidence, or lied, or twisted the truth, or used propaganda... thought so. Not that it makes it right, but don't point fingers at someone when you're own government has most likely done it several times, too.

Now, whether they do it the extent, or on the scale, that the US government has allegedly done it ... that's a different story.

So we all get to shut up because our own governments **** up?

In any case, dZeus's and my government isn't major so we can point at will

[cjolley]

It is just beyond credulity that the US would make this up.
There would be a HUGE likelihood that it would be found out. Think of wikileaks.
Think of the damage it would do.

For what gain? There is just no comparative up-side for us.
It would do us less harm to just say "We don't trust Iran and we are just going to bomb the crap out of their nuke program until it's gone. Tough beans if you don't like it."
Most of the world would be glad to see it go. But not happy to see us make up a transparent falsehood.

[Umfriend]

I don;t think the notion is that the US makes things up. Just that they may be far to easily (and conveniently) convinced this was indeed instigated by Iran and that retaliation is not only justified but neccessary.