ElBaradei: Military Strike On Iran ‘Would Lead Absolutely To Disaster’
ElBaradei: Military Strike On Iran ‘Would Lead Absolutely To Disaster’
Prior to the Iraq war, International Atomic Energy Agency chairman Mohammed ElBaradei warned there was “no evidence of ongoing prohibited nuclear or nuclear-related activities in Iraq.” He was subsequently smeared by the administration, but ultimately vindicated as the recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize for getting it right.
Today on CNN, ElBaradei sounded alarms about the Bush administration’s increasingly hawkish rhetoric in regards to Iran’s alleged nuclear ambitions. “We have the time” to use diplomacy, ElBaradei urged. There is “no military solution” with Iran:
I very much have concern about confrontation, building confrontation, Wolf, because that would lead absolutely to a disaster. I see no military solution. The only durable solution is through negotiations and inspections. … My fear if that we continue to escalate from both sides from both sides that we would end up into a precipice, we would end up into an abyss.
Watch it:
ElBaradei poured water over Vice President Cheney’s confident declaration last week that “Iran is pursuing technology that could be used to develop nuclear weapons. The world knows this.” While ElBaradei did not rule out Iran having an “intent” to obtain nuclear weapons, he explained that there is no evidence that Iran is currently pursuing such a program right now:
I have not received any information that there is a concrete, active nuclear weapon program going on right now. … We have information that there have been maybe some studies about possible weaponization. But we are looking into these alleged studies with Iran right now. … But have we seen having the nuclear material that can be readily used into a weapon? No. Have we seen an active weaponization program? No. So there is a concern, but there is also time to clarify these concerns.
ElBaradei also urged the U.S. to halt its fiery rhetoric and directly engage Iran in talks: “The earlier we go into negotiation, the earlier we follow the North Korean model, the better for everybody.”
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Too bad no on listens to the experts who have been there. In Cheney’s case willing to sacrifice our intelligence assets (Valerie Plame) who were in there. They don’t want the truth they want war. That is where their profits come from.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:06 pmWhy are Bush and Cheney always the last to know about every single thing.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:11 pmWhy are the absurd bankrupting neo-cons Bush and Cheney threatening Iran? Because they want to maintain the corporate-war atmosphere so the American people will never discover that their war on the Iraqi people was just a cover to allow the transfer of billions of American taxpayer dollars illegally into the pockets of Halliburton Corporation, Blackwater Corporation and other greedy Republican corporations… This heist is the biggest theft in human history, or at least certainly in American history.
And to think that it all began with five stupid supreme neo-cons who stopped the counting of votes in Florida, overthrew our Democracy in December 2000 and let Cheney seize power.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:17 pmShouldn’t the third paragraph end with:
October 28th, 2007 at 3:18 pm“While ElBaradei did not rule out Iran having an “intent†to obtain nuclear weapons, he explained that there is no evidence that Iran is currently pursuing such a program right now:”?
Here’s how and why the war with Iran will happen.
Botch will declare war with Iran after a “Gulf of Tonkin” type incidence with our Navy there. It could even be faked up by our own mil/pol/corp/facist alliance.
Then he will declare Marshall Law and suspend the elections of 2008. And begin serving his third-riech term in office!
Why? They can’t afford to lose power and face hundreds of years in prison. And, they’ve come this far; abusing the reich-wing Christianistas, sucking up billions in mil/pol/corp/facist dollars and corrupting ever level of the government — they have to take the last move. They will do it! They will invade Iran!!
October 28th, 2007 at 3:19 pmOK, you caught it!
October 28th, 2007 at 3:20 pmI would have bet big bucks that after all of the lies regarding Iraq were exposed and no WMD found, no ties to al Qaeda, no greeting as liberators, the war was not paid for with Iraqi oil, it didn’t take two weeks, it wasn’t an easy victory, there is an occupation, permanent bases are being made, GWB is a worse dictator in Iraq then Hussein was, torture continues to go on in the prisons, etc. that no one would ever listen to the fake drumbeat of this administration again. I would have lost that bet.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:21 pmElBaradei can talk all he wants, the decision will not be made based on facts, but based on the will to do do it.
No facts whatsoever will stand in the way. The attacks have been decided upon long ago. The only thing that can avert it is impeachment or open rebellion of the joint chiefs of staff. And don’t count on the democrats, either.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:23 pmComment by Dave C — October 28, 2007 @ 3:21 pm
I would be one of those taking your money…sorry…
October 28th, 2007 at 3:23 pmWhat I want to know is this:
If Darth & Shrubya decide they’re actually crazy enough to invade Iran, exactly whom do they plan to accomplish this task with? Our existing military ground forces are already stretched dangerously thin across the globe as it is.
Or as we talking about the D-word here?!
October 28th, 2007 at 3:25 pmDixie,
October 28th, 2007 at 3:25 pmMarshall was a recovery plan for Europe, martial is a form of military law. ;)
Comment by GL2814 — October 28, 2007 @ 3:25 pm
Darth and W are not concerned with that. They will have a tougher row to hoe if they fail to create a real crisis. Dr. Strangelove is waiting!
October 28th, 2007 at 3:30 pmComment by GL2814 — October 28, 2007 @ 3:25 pm
Actually, Botch and Dick(head) think they can just bomb Iran and all will be good. They really believe that airstrikes alone will do the job. No Army needed. Just surgical.
Then the Iranians begin bombing the phu(ck out of Israel and our bases in Iraq, leaving our troops like sitting ducks there and destroying assests around the world using Hezbolla, etc. We are phucked if we invade Iran.
This sh|t has to be stopped!!
October 28th, 2007 at 3:31 pmWe will be greeted as liberators.
The Oil will pay for the war.
They are trying to make nuclear weapons.
They support the terrorists.
It will be a short war possibly around 3 months.
I think we have all heard these LIES before, just can’t remember when.
Buck Fush
October 28th, 2007 at 3:32 pmGL2814, they are delusional, they expect it to be over after two weeks, stop….sorry, that was the other war.
They will start it and f-ck the consequences, they are not the ones to have to die for it, they’re the ones who are making money off of it.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:32 pmComment by WaltTheMan — October 28, 2007 @ 3:25 pm
Thanks for the correction. The fact that I’m currently reading “The Nine” by Jeffery Toobin probably helped to contribute to this error.
Actually, “Marshall Law” under Thurgood Marshall would be a good thing. 8-))
October 28th, 2007 at 3:34 pmDoes anyone believe that Iran will stop the Turks from taking out the Kurds in northern Iraq if we attack Iran??
October 28th, 2007 at 3:36 pmNo, Dixie, Iran has its own problem with Kurds. Basic problem is that the Brits screwed up when they partitioned their former empire. They were as ignorant as W about the tribes there.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:40 pmThe Brits had their a$$es handed to them and learned a lesson.
In 2002 I was pointing out the failure of the Brits and comparing the ignorance of Botch and Dick(head) to the Brits complete defeat.
Nobody wanted to listen. I was amoung the extreme minority calling this war a failure before it started. This is way I am so pissed these days.
You don’t have to be a genuis to have avoided the sh|t this admin was about to sling!
October 28th, 2007 at 3:53 pmIt will lead to disaster :
If Middle east Oil Hegemony and Freedom are disaster , than bring on more Disaster!
G.B. Bush
**Worst President in American History.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:57 pmI was born in Tennessee where all hearts are young and free and my father shoveled horsesh!t all day long, but when his day was done, he found a diamond in the dung and sent me off to join the Calvary… – Start of ole Army song. = Getting militant!
October 28th, 2007 at 4:05 pmAs much as I hate to say it…since Bush and Cheney chose not to listen to El-Baradei the first time around (Iraq), what reason does he or anyone else have to suggest that they’ll listen to him this time around despite the fact that Iraq proved itself to be a boondoggle for the most part? None — absolutely none whatsoever.
October 28th, 2007 at 4:07 pmThis is the country and people that the Neocon Zionazis in the Bush administration want to bomb. It helps when we look at the situation in terms of real people who are proud of their country and who don’t deserve to be murdered.
Iran has not initiated a war or invaded another country for at least 500 years. Can you say the same thing about the US?
http://conflictiran.blogspot.com/2006/04/inside-iran-city-life.html…
October 28th, 2007 at 4:10 pmTroll Alert: Known serial trolls TCDon and exley have violated T.P. with their presence earlier today.
Please do not feed the serial trolls
October 28th, 2007 at 4:16 pmI wonder if Bush/Cheney have taken into consideration this statement by General Mahmoud Chaharbaghi, of the Revolutionary Guard, “Enemy bases and positions have been identified…., The Guards ground forces will fire 11,000 rockets a minute into identified enemy positions within the first minute of any aggression against the Iranian territory”
October 28th, 2007 at 4:20 pmGo read up how the Russians slaughtered the Germans with Rocket/Artillery fire on the Eastern Front, and when they took Berlin in ‘45. They unleashed 10’s of 1000’s of rockets and Arty fire into the Germans, with no let-up for days! That will give you a idea of what Iran can do in the small confined area of the middle east!
They’ll clean anyone’s clock that sticks their head up above ground!
If you’re having trouble with the link I posted, try this one
http://conflictiran.blogspot.com/2006/04/inside-iran-city-life.html
October 28th, 2007 at 4:25 pmBeing right or wrong means absolutely nothing to this administration and its supporters. They are wrong about creationism, they are wrong about the rapture, and they are wrong in every possible way about world affairs. But the utter failure of their insane beliefs to match any semblance of reality simply means nothing to them.
October 28th, 2007 at 4:48 pmElbar who?? Heheheh! “El bar-a-day? Heheh!
Yeah – let’s hit a bar a day!! I’m thirsty! Yeah, let’s have a beer! Heheh!!
I’m a war president! Heheh! Bring on the next war! I like war!! Heheh!!
October 28th, 2007 at 4:49 pmBecause Bush doesn’t have the ground troops, he might just well go for the tactical nuclear weapons. He is determined to fulfill his destiny as a great leader.
October 28th, 2007 at 4:53 pmBut, hey, the administration is already engaged in diplomacy, Barbie Perino said so. We are imposing economic sanctions and using threatening words towards them, both forms of diplomacy that have been proven to be effective.
Bush (or Chaney) aren’t going to engage in any diplomacy. They are scared to death that it will work and then where will they be? They won’t be able to threaten Iran.
If this administration really cared about terrorism in this world, they would be setting their sites on Pakistan. That’s the one that scares me. They have refused to sign the non-proliferation treaty and they have been caught selling nuclear technology. If the bad guys get a bomb, it is way more likely they will get it from Pakistan than anywhere else.
October 28th, 2007 at 5:03 pm“There is no money in peace”
Mr. Ixnay to Mr. oNay in The Three Stooges…..You Nazty Spy
http://www.noble-gas.com/sandbox.mp3
October 28th, 2007 at 5:05 pmIt’s not the bomb that worries me, it is the material. There are tons of depleted uranium deposited in the sands of Iraq and soils of Bosnia. Properly powdered and dispersed in the continental United States could drive cancer rates into the stratosphere.
October 28th, 2007 at 5:12 pmIt’s not the bomb that worries me, it is the material. There are tons of depleted uranium deposited in the sands of Iraq and soils of Bosnia. Properly powdered and dispersed in the continental United States could drive cancer rates into the stratosphere.
Comment by WaltTheMan — October 28, 2007 @ 5:12 pm
Everyone should own a gieger counter…test everything…
October 28th, 2007 at 5:14 pmEl Baradei: The voice of diplomacy and reason. Clearly, no one in the Bush Crime Cabal can comprehend the sophisticated art of diplomacy nor have the foggiest concept of “reason” in their neo-nazi-fascist brainwashed craniums.
October 28th, 2007 at 5:19 pmIn the words of Jimmi Hendrix: “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world shall know true peace”. Amen to that!
We need to continue to speak Truth to Power because Truth shall prevail – shedding the fiction, piece by piece.
October 28th, 2007 at 5:21 pmCue the GOP smear machine once again. El Baradei is a coward, stooge, lackey, simpleton, Muslim, radical, mineral, vegetable…….
-GSD
October 28th, 2007 at 5:33 pmCue the GOP smear machine once again. El Baradei is a coward, stooge, lackey, simpleton, Muslim, radical, mineral, vegetable…….
-GSD
Cool. I always thought you were a comedian, but I never knew you actually are a comedian. :-D
October 28th, 2007 at 6:06 pmBush hasn’t listened to the experts in the past, so don’t expect him to start now. Bush&Co have their minds made up to war with Iran (aerial strikes) regardless of the forewarning of unintended consequences.
October 28th, 2007 at 6:14 pmEsquire.com contains a lengthy article of evidence that the die is cast; it is just a matter of opportunity. With Fox news fulfilling their role as propaganda network, the drumbeat continues – eventually, people will come to believe the lies, fabrications and machinations of Bush&Co as factual. It will be a repeat of “Saddam has WMD”, and delay will result in a “mushroom cloud” — unproven circumstantial “evidence” paid informers disguised as intelligence experts and spies will tell the lies of Bush&Co. The casual mention of WWIII by GWB was no accident – for those words to slip out so easily they had to have been spoken of with ease in the Oval Office.
What is particularly distressing is the number of otherwise knowledgeable persons who believe this man when he lies to their face; when he is proven to have done so; as he leads us into another war. From the newsrooms to the man on the street, people are blind to what is in front of them. To a degree, I can excuse the average Joe but I cannot excuse nor explain why educated, intelligent people who should know better don’t – and they (incredibly) believe that Bush is a somehow a good leader.
Everyone should own a gieger counter…test everything…
Comment by dixie blood — October 28, 2007 @ 5:14 pm
Oh crap, which one of the Bush cronies got the contract for geiger counters? All of them? $1,000 each made in China for $1.
October 28th, 2007 at 6:21 pmForget which Sunday show aired a clip of Condi saying we could not permit nuclear weapons in the volatile Middle East!
Excuse me, but Israel is in the Middle East and it has about 300 nuclear weapons. Many could be put on subs off the coast of Iran and Iran could be demolished in minutes. Shouldn’t Iran be able to have a deterent? Look what happened when Iraq did NOT have a deterent.
Normally, whenever a White House official is asked if there already are nuclear weapons in any Middle East country they laugh and say they cannot answer.
October 28th, 2007 at 6:46 pmFor heaven’s sake, Keith. Don’t confuse the issue with facts.
Sheesh…
October 28th, 2007 at 6:49 pmPakistan, India and Israel.
October 28th, 2007 at 6:55 pmThey all have nuclear weapons; none of them have signed any nuclear nonproliferation treaty.
Why isn’t BushCo similarly outraged at them, instead of threatening Iran who does NOT have nuclear capabilities.
A rhetorical question, I know.
Huckabee on CNN’s Late Edition today said not finding Iraq’s WMD does not mean they did not have them! He said we haven’t found Jimmy Hoffa either, but he existed.
Mobile weapons labs, all the drones, five hundred tons, 32,000 liters, and 28,000 liters would be more difficult to bury. And what’s the point of having WMD anyway, if you are just going to bury them when an invasion occurs? But of course, Wolf Blitzer let him slide–as always.
October 28th, 2007 at 6:58 pmPakistan, India and Israel.
They all have nuclear weapons; none of them have signed any nuclear nonproliferation treaty.
Why isn’t BushCo similarly outraged at them, instead of threatening Iran who does NOT have nuclear capabilities.
A rhetorical question, I know.
Comment by Marie — October 28, 2007 @ 6:55 pm
Look at who is #3
Greatest Oil Reserves by Country, 2006
Rank Country Proved reserves (billion barrels)
1. Saudi Arabia 264.3
October 28th, 2007 at 6:58 pm2. Canada 178.8
3. Iran 132.5
4. Iraq 115.0
5. Kuwait 101.5
6. United Arab Emirates 97.8
7. Venezuela 79.7
8. Russia 60.0
9. Libya 39.1
10. Nigeria 35.9
11. United States 21.4
12. China 18.3
13. Qatar 15.2
14. Mexico 12.9
15. Algeria 11.4
16. Brazil 11.2
17. Kazakhstan 9.0
18. Norway 7.7
19. Azerbaijan 7.0
20. India 5.8
Comment by Zooey — October 28, 2007 @ 6:49 pm
Sorry Zooey. We must have a boogeyman, mustn’t we?
October 28th, 2007 at 7:01 pmOhhhh, when do we invade Canada? They’re sitting on OUR OIL!!
October 28th, 2007 at 7:01 pmWe must have a boogeyman, mustn’t we?
Comment by Keith — October 28, 2007 @ 7:01 pm
Yeah. I’m scared of Condi, too. ;)
October 28th, 2007 at 7:01 pmBut he’s an expert. We all know experts are academic liberals which we can’t trust.
Unless they are on Shrub’s leash.
October 28th, 2007 at 7:08 pmComment by Brain From Planet Arous — October 28, 2007 @ 6:58 pm
I have always heard Iraq listed at #2 and Iran at #3. Some have even listed Iraq ahead of Saudi Arabia at #1. Its undiscovered amount is a guesstimate. Canada has a lot in shale that is hard to extract and needs a lot of refining. The other three’s oil is easy to extract and needs little refining.
The White House aided a coup in Venezuela.
October 28th, 2007 at 7:08 pmZooey #48
Watch the documentary movie “Canadian Bacon” which reveals that the Canadians are amassing their population along the US Border (something like 80% within 100 miles). Canadians are spreading propoganda through the media likes of William Shatner and Michael J Fox; etc. etc.
October 28th, 2007 at 7:09 pmlmjp1 sez:
We’re doomed as a species unless we stop concentrating on the short-term.
October 28th, 2007 at 7:14 pmThe following is from D.O.E. I added the part in parentheses:
http://usgovinfo.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://eia.doe.gov/
“Iran is OPEC’s second largest oil producer and holds 10 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves. It also has the world’s second largest natural gas reserves (after Russia).
Iraq is estimated to hold 115 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, and possibly much more undiscovered oil in unexplored areas of the country (some say 100-185 billion barrels). Iraq also is estimated to contain at least 112 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.”
October 28th, 2007 at 7:30 pmWe’re doomed as a species unless we stop concentrating on the short-term.
Comment by TripMaster Monkey — October 28, 2007 @ 7:14 pm
You’re right. But dividends and market value are based on quarterly profits.
October 28th, 2007 at 7:33 pmI wish Cheney (and America in general) would stop speaking for the world. It’s tiresome, dangerous, and at this point, absolutely farcical.
October 28th, 2007 at 8:02 pmI for one welcome our AIPAC masters who rule the USA now…
October 28th, 2007 at 9:11 pmHow about we stop fighting?!?! No more of this crap. We need to go beyond not fighting. All this “country bashing” that is constantly going on is not improving relationships. If we don’t have anything good to say–maybe we shouldn’t insult.
– Karim Baz
October 28th, 2007 at 9:57 pmUntil someone can come up with one example of the neo-conservative fascist pigs being right, they should be considered batshit crazy thugs like they have proven to be. This is all about them stealing tax dollars for the military industrial complex. Everyone of them should face trial for war crimes.
October 28th, 2007 at 11:35 pmA. Even if Iran had a nuclear weapons program , what gives the bush regime the right to attack Iran ?
B. I wish Blitzer would have asked does El Baradei think Bush is seriously trying to negotiate or is seriously using diplomacy , because it’s pretty clear Bush is fabricating another case for war.
October 29th, 2007 at 12:37 amSo instead of playing that old clip of Cheney, we’ve all seen a dozen times , he needed to get to the issue of the lack of serious diplomacy, which most people know is just a rigged dog and pony show , but still need to be challenged .
Blitzer is too cowardly to demand real proof from the bush regime for their reasons for attacking Iran , and they already excepted that it’s an exceptable option with NO challenge from the complicit media .
You know AIPAC Blitzer can lay the truth out on the table by doing an hour on PNAC . Because attacking Iran has been part of the ” crazies ” military plan for several years , as well as Iraq, Syria and even Egypt, which Micheal Ledeen calls the ” grand Prize ” .
Keith @ 45,
Huckabee on CNN’s Late Edition today said not finding Iraq’s WMD does not mean they did not have them! He said we haven’t found Jimmy Hoffa either, but he existed.
Mobile weapons labs, all the drones, five hundred tons, 32,000 liters, and 28,000 liters would be more difficult to bury. And what’s the point of having WMD anyway, if you are just going to bury them when an invasion occurs? But of course, Wolf Blitzer let him slide–as always.
Comment by Keith — October 28, 2007 @ 6:58 pm
I suggest we look for WMD at the bottom of the Chicago River.
Yeah, that’s the ticket!
October 29th, 2007 at 5:18 am“no evidence of ongoing prohibited nuclear or nuclear-related activities in Iraq.†He was subsequently smeared by the administration…
Powell said the same thing in 2001:
As for getting the inspectors back in, they WERE in, prior to the invasion. As we all know, Bush pulled them out before their job was done so that he could begin the attack.
October 29th, 2007 at 9:30 amI have always heard Iraq listed at #2 and Iran at #3. Some have even listed Iraq ahead of Saudi Arabia at #1. Its undiscovered amount is a guesstimate. Canada has a lot in shale that is hard to extract and needs a lot of refining. The other three’s oil is easy to extract and needs little refining.
The White House aided a coup in Venezuela.
Comment by Keith — October 28, 2007 @ 7:08 pm
I have even heard Russia is #1. There is something called 30,000 Nukes and a fully equipped military that would stop an invasion there.
October 29th, 2007 at 10:14 am“Too bad no on listens to the experts who have been there. In Cheney’s case willing to sacrifice our intelligence assets (Valerie Plame) who were in there. They don’t want the truth they want war. That is where their profits come from.” Comment by kdoug
You’re right, we should listen to some guy on the “ClintonNewsNetwork”. Better yet. How about we listen to Europeans, you know, sit on our hands and pretend it’s not our problem. Just wait until we have the problem on our door step. After all that has worked so well for them in the past. ..WWI…WWII..
October 29th, 2007 at 12:16 pmCould ElBaradei be privy to classified information leading him to plead with the U.S. to reconsider their imminent position to attack Iran?
—> http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=827
The information could have been given to him to pass on to the Iranians that the U.S. is ready and seriously going to attack if conditions are not met.
October 29th, 2007 at 4:29 pmkahoneez, as you undoubtedly know, Wolf Blitzer is a strident zionist who even used to work for AIPAC and the Jerusalem Post. One can’t expect much honesty from him.
As to the general question, I hope that Iran does get nuclear weapons. That would create a balance of forces in the region. In any event, Pakistan is a more radical and dangerous islamic country than Iran, but you don’t here Dubya and Dick going on about attacking it.
Iran is surrounded by nuclear powers: Pakistan, India, the U.S., and especially Israel. It needs nuclear weapons.
The historian Emmanuel Todd has made these arguments. Furthermore, it is stupid to think that Iran would attack Israel. Tens of thousands of muslims would die in such an attack, besides the fact that Israel would retaliate. Iran needs the bomb to prevent Israel from attacking it and killing its citizens.
If there is to be disarmament, it must begin with disarming Israel. Otherwise, besides Iran, Turkey and Syria and Egypt should also get the bomb. Fair is fair.
October 30th, 2007 at 9:27 am