IRAN: War games are over ... now, let's talk

Just a day after the end of Iranian missile tests meant to scare away any potential Israeli or American attack on its nuclear facilities, a powerful Iranian cleric was all nicey-nice at Friday prayers about the continuing diplomatic negotiations over the country's atomic research and production program.

"Now it is high time for negotiation," Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani, a member of the influential Expediency Council, told worshipers gathered for prayers in downtown Tehran. "Iran is ready for negotiation. Europe is ready for negotiation."

He said the recent missile tests were meant to show Iranian strength, not hostility toward the West.

"The reality is that you, the enemies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, ought to recognize the power of Iran," he told the faithful.

"In the past 30 years we have never been a threat to any country," he said. "On the contrary, you invaded Afghanistan, Iraq under the pretext of fighting terrorism.... We have no intention to wage war. We have no plan for nuclear weapons."

He had pointed words for the U.S. and Israel:

When you say "Iran is a threat," where is the threat? Your brain is mixed up. Your sentences are confused. We clearly have announced that we are brother to the all Islamic world. We have no war with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy. But Israel is different. It is a usurper regime. If Israel attacks, we counterattack.

And he all but cursed the Bush administration:

Thank God all of you are at the end of your careers. You U.S. officials are running a smear campaign. You are liars, spreading lies. You must know that if you dare to transgress us, if you attack us, we will give you a lesson which you will not forget.

— Ramin Mostaghim in Tehran

Photo: Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani. Credit: Al-Shia.com

Comments

[ammar]

no no its not a joke iran can give US a lesson that not forgetten because america is busy with iraq war and afghanstan , isreal is busy with hezbulah sirya and hamas so if the war starts all these will start war hebwlah will start sending bombs and hamas and sirya isreal will dameged . and dont forget iran can damege every petrol ( Gaz ) Ships so the whole world will not have enuogh petrol . the petrol Barrel will rise to 300 dollars if the war starts . i am from jordan between isreal and iran i hope it will not start but thats my openion .
Thanks

[soroush]

im a iranian young boy,iran's regime now has frightended of world.always if the world threat iran the islamic repubic withdraw and say you are our brother.iranian people are tired of this regime(islamic republic).we do not have any freedom even in covering ............ .we do not have just a free media to say reality to the people.we hate islamic republic.we try to convert but we need to the help of U.S

[JOHN THE GUN DEALER]

teach the US a lesson they wont soon forget?.......thats a joke. i personally think we should just tell israel to go ahead on and crack iran on the head, and then the USA just punch the button and launch the several hundred ICBM's we have pointed at iran over there and level that place. they have for years acted like they have the USA and israel b y the short and curlies, and thats dilusional. furthermore, why is it do ya think that our troops are still sitting over there in the sand? its because war is IMMINENT. its not a mater of IF we go to war with iran, but a matter of WHEN we go to war with iran. if they dont have a nuclear weapons program, then whats the problem?...we have already offered them alternatives im sure , and they have refused every single one. then, in the wake of the controversy of there "non-exsistant" nuclear program, the spend a couple of days testing some crappy old rusty harpoons in hopes to show the west and israel there "might"?...you dont think that israel has most everything we have weapons wise?..id bet they do. be careful iran, as id bet the farm that the USA and israel has been planning a smack dab on your arse now for a loooooong time, and were just itchin to slap it on ya

[Josh Rubin]

funny how people really think that Israel cares about your gas prices, if people understood the actual threat this causes for Israel who is fighting a proxy war on 2 fronts with Iran right now, maybe they would stop being so selfish in considering only the *short* effects that will hurt your pockets, many americans have neglected the fact that America is at war with Radical Islam, in a war against terrorism why allow the biggest supporter of terrorism to obtain the most devastating instrument in war,
not only that but what about the security that youll receive at home? let us forget why America was founded by Columbus, because these same individuals blocked the trade route to impose higher taxes, to allow Iran to expand its influence by this your giving them the power to control your gas pumps, when will America see that this addiction to oil is coming to such a cost, that this high standard of living is coming at such a cost, that we are enslaving ourselves for our materialistic possesions, i thought the pointe of this stuff was to make our lives easier, more relaxing, yet were soo caught up in materialistic pleasures that we tend to forget about the stuff that really counts, each other, we live in a society where we step over one another to advance in our careers, and thats the problem, becaue in this day of age we know nothing but our egos, we dont want to make this world a better place as we can see, how can more nuclear weapons benefit anything in this world, but well accept it aslong as the gas prices are fine, how can we justify this in any moral explanation other then that the only ones who we think about are ourselves, i dont understand why were soo caught up in the economy and stuff, i frankly couldnt care how powerful my countries economy when we get figures that 1 in 4 people are depressed, we have replaced our souls with an addiction, but think about this, what message will it send to our enemies, the same people who try and keep us addicted when we tell them we dont care for oil, and we will sacrifice even ourselves to make sure this world is a better place.

[DenisL]

War in Iran initiated by Israel or Iran or the US means $300+ oil.
Any idea what that will do to our "strong and thriving" economy?
I wish someone with brains would realize that we need to be getting OUT of the middle east. I also wish we would make it clear that if Israel or Iran are nuked that we would nuke the country that fired the missle or initiated the bomb.

The US government is the cause of the VERY high price of oil. (Both through our fiscal insanity and international meddling.) It is our fault that we are over there causing trouble. I believe that we need to get out before we have a GREATER DEPRESSION.

We can NOT afford a war right now. Not if we want to maintain our liberties, jobs, and standard of living. We are teetering on the brink of the abyss. We can rebuild but the pain and suffering will be immense.

What the heck are we thinking?

Oh I know. Let's saber rattle and drive up the price of oil so that all the oil producing companies and countries can make even more money by producing even less oil.

Joy joy! I am glad somoene is getting something out of this.