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Ear to the Ground

Iran’s Trump Card

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Posted on Apr 4, 2007
Ahmadinejad
news.bbc.co.uk

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Evidence of Iran’s influence over the global economy appeared Wednesday as the oil-rich nation agreed to release 15 British captives and petroleum prices consequently fell. If a relatively minor diplomatic dispute can perturb investors, imagine how invading or bombing Iran would affect global markets.


BBC:

World oil prices have fallen after Iran said it would immediately release 15 seized British navy personnel.

New York light crude fell 43 cents to $64.21 a barrel after the announcement by Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Brent crude slipped three cents to $67.78. However, the falls were offset by a sharp drop in US petrol supplies.

Prices had surged to seven-month peaks above $69 a barrel in London on Monday on fears the stand-off could disrupt crude exports.

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By Todd Millions, April 5, 2007 at 3:33 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Well-At last after some 5 years of my suspicions being confirmed,even the BBC has noticed!The unspoken in this is of course that 911-had to happen,too refloat the survivers of enrons collapse.Which was in the summer of2001-not the spring of 2002 when even the business papers noticed it(because they had too despite the advertizing revenue.)!Up till then the california ‘power shortage’ was blamed on evil greenies slowing up the constrution of the vital and so safe, and economical nukes.Nothing to do with a pyrimid price gouging ponzie scam-the deregulation wouldn’t allow that!

And so-if entergy(clinton/‘green’Gore) and reliant(huston-we have another problem),wern’t going down the bowl with kenny boy-something had too panic treble the price of oil immiedietly-prefferably whilst NOT actually choking supply.

So-empour proctoligist cheney,darth rumsfeld,and condi the vampire queen worked out a ‘we won’t know anything’-that after the fact(when dick gave little georges prostate a squeeze),the pres found too be ‘a great oppurtunity’.
He was right-with a mere 30,000 more dead babies on the big bush/clinton,armatige pile and a slathering of crudely lifted slogans-from that ultimate jesuit-Gobbels,dei ex machina,the price of oil was easily panic trebled.

  If eutetria(say) can be drawn into a war with ethiopia ,even if the cheap chinese anti ship missles don’t hit any red sea tanker traffic-$180/barrel should be easily acheivable.Or perhaps a proxy war with willing idiots(see Britian)against Iran,would be better-or maybe both. Hmm
  The trouble with little george and his handlers and gaulieters-is they ARE CHRISTIANS.They can forgive themselves for ANYTHING-murder,a detail.genoside-the haugue hasn’t issued inditments for war crimes yet so why sweat petty details.Ecoside-is gods will,and if we jog his elbow ,he’ll send juniour down and staighten it out.

Hubris-became an inadequte descriptor when Hypatia was flayed alive by a christian mob of popes and saints(in catholic and orthodox,and copic traditians),some 1700years B.P.Despite some small exceptions this ‘sedate the slaves’cult has maintained its -‘believers are forbidden too think’veiw ever since.We can’t afford this -we have burned too many secound chances.

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By Dale Headley, April 5, 2007 at 1:32 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I wonder why Ahmadinejad didn’t haul his captives away to a secret prison, torture them, and deny them basic human, civil, and legal rights?  After all, no less than the ruler of the United States has legitimized the practice.

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By Dr. Knowitall, PhD, PhD, April 5, 2007 at 9:33 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Investors live “in fear,” Christians and Muslims live “in fear,” consumers live with “little confidence,” the NYSE, corporations and banks live “in fear” of the upcoming Fed. Res. meeting.  Parents fear for the safety of their children.  Holy Hell, is everyone scared s***less?

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By David, April 5, 2007 at 8:44 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Go to Foxnews.com and read O’Reilly’s lunatic blather.  His talking points adhere stictly to the right-wing-war line.  Iranians are terrorists, their president is Hitler, they are fascist, etc.  Is possible that anyone is stupid enough to buy this?  Sadaam was Hitler too if I remember.  I have been hearing the exact same line from other right-wing pundits.  Now first, they have not attacked anyone. Their president was elected. He is not even the ruler of the country.  They legally have the right to peaceful nuclear energy. They are nowhere near able to develop a nuclear weapon. This is pure madness.

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By Michael Siegel, April 5, 2007 at 5:52 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I am impressed with the decision to release the hostages.  My sense of it is that Britain really was in the disputed, Iranian-governed waters.  Regardless, though, this is a good sign for peace.  The last hostage episode helped lead to essentially 25 years of warfare between the United States and Iran. Given Pelosi’s cultivation of Syrian relations, and, if we can get a strong Democratic President in power (I’ll take Gore or Obama), maybe some of this mess can be difused before we have full-on World War III.

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By Jeff Badura, April 4, 2007 at 10:21 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

the Iranians blinked, because there was an implied threat of force !!! we dont always have to use force, and should try not to, but if we dont have the threat, then we have no leverage on the bad guys !!!

Blair gave them 48 hrs or else, he said it over and over, and he wouldn’t elaborate on the “else”

the Iranians made all sorts of demands, but in the end they got nothing!!


well, the Ayatollah is still alive, for now, so i guess they did get sommin ??

illgramaticus knee o’kaun

PS- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not the enemy, he is a puppet for the ruling Jihadists, run by the Ayatollah !!! that’s who we will end up talking out with a smart bomb!!

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By tyler, April 4, 2007 at 9:24 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Thats exactly what the bush administration likes to see, which is why, at some point, they will attack iran.  More war= more profits for the cronies.

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By david, April 4, 2007 at 5:16 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Here is my response to Cornyn’s patronizing response to an original letter of complaint regarding his position on Iran.

Senator,

I don’t know who’s paying you the big bucks to say this shit but I just want you to know that more and more people are seeing right through you and all the rest of the Republican Machine TM.  Someone is making lots and lots of money over this death making enterprise that you people call a ‘War’.  Just look at all the outsourcing in Iraq.  Shit, what am I doing.  Cornyn, you know EXACTLY what you’re doing, why, and for whom and it’s not the fucking American People TM.
Anyway, I just wanted to drop you a note that you will never read and let you know that before long you will be FORCED to listen to me and to the rest of the sane people on this planet.  You will be seen by all for exactly what you are, what all you Republican robots are, cowards, liars, thieves, and charlatans.

Your constituent,

David Newell
—- .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) wrote:

>
>
> Dear Mr. Newell:
>
> Thank you for contacting me about the United
> States’ policy toward Iran.  I
> appreciate having the benefit of your views on this
> matter.
>
> I share your concern that Iran presents a growing
> threat to the United
> States and the international community.  Iran’s
> nuclear ambitions,
> continued support for terrorism, repression of the
> Middle East peace
> process, and dismal human rights record are
> unacceptable.  Furthermore,
> President Ahmadinejad’s comments about the
> destruction of Israel were
> highly irresponsible   Iran will face growing
> sanctions and international
> isolation if it continues on its present course.
>
> Iran’s human rights practices and strict limits on
> free expression—in
> particular it’s harsh repression of ethnic and
> religious minorities—has
> drawn criticism not only from the United States but
> also the United
> Nations.  Regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions,
> under the terms of the United
> Nations Security Council Resolution passed on
> December 23, 2006, Iran was
> required to take action by February 21, 2007, to
> freeze its uranium
> enrichment efforts; stop building a heavy water
> nuclear reactor capable of
> producing plutonium that could be used in a nuclear
> weapon; and fully
> cooperate with International Atomic Energy Agency
> (IAEA) inspectors.
> Unfortunately, Iran did not meet any of these
> requirements and actually
> expanded its uranium enrichment efforts.
>
> During the 109th Congress, I strongly supported the
> Iran Freedom and
> Support Act of 2005 (S. 333).  This legislation
> supports the right of the
> Iranian people to choose their own government.  Many
> provisions in this
> act—including sanctions against Iran and efforts
> to promote democracy
> there—was included in H.R. 6198, the Iran Freedom
> Support Act, which was
> signed into law on September 28, 2006 (P.L.
> 109-293).  The United States
> must continue to send a clear message to Iran that
> we will not stand idly
> by while the regime abuses Iranian families and
> children, and we will not
> tolerate Iran’s support for terrorism or illegal
> weapons programs that
> threaten the cause of peace and security in the
> Middle East and around the
> world.  I fully support President Bush’s efforts
> to find a diplomatic
> solution to the ongoing situation in Iran.
>
>

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By Steve Hammons, April 4, 2007 at 5:02 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Some experts have said that a US attack on Iran would cause serious economic problems in America and internationally due to changes in the oil supply and markets.

But, do the Bush-Cheney administration and their cronies care? Do they have some larger covert agenda that trumps these economic concerns? Do they operate with rational logic? What other effects would a US attack on Iran have?

Food for thought below:

“Will Bush, Cheney attack Iran? When and why?”

http://www.populistamerica.com/will_bush_cheney_attack_iran_when_and_why

-  -  -

“Military Draft Needed for War With Iran and Syria?”

http://www.populistamerica.com/military_draft_needed_for_war_with_iran_and_syria

-  -  -

“‘Mistakes’ or ‘plans’ in Iraq, War on Terror?”

http://www.populistamerica.com/mistakes_or_plans_in_iraq_war_on_terror

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