Iran is SCREWED!!!!!!

[D-Mack]

Re: Oh My God...Burma is working on an A Bomb!

Damage was to the starboard side as the tanker is traveling through the strait with a full load.

Starboard side faces toward the friendly side on a ship leaving that area. Port side faces Iran. Could mean nothing.

2186218520.jpg

Freak Wave

[flintlock]

Re: Oh My God...Burma is working on an A Bomb!

Another report I read mentioned a crewman saw a light on the horizon just before the explosion. Shouldn't be too difficult to determine what happened. Missile damage would look different than say, an internal explosion.

[flintlock]

Re: Iran is SCREWED!!!!!!

Priceless perspective Jtabeb.

[D-Mack]

Re: Oh My God...Burma is working on an A Bomb!

The picture looks like a dent to me. Light on the horizon is a pretty far away event.

A documentary on freak waves mentioned ships are built for 15 tonnes per sqm, can sustain maybe double of that with denting. A 100 feet freak wave has probably 100 tones per sqm and probably cuts a ship in half.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TOCyQtKrnE#t=5m0s

[jtabeb]

Re: Iran is SCREWED!!!!!!

JT,
Good to know that your father had conviction in life.
Yes I know the Sunni/Shia divide is over a 1000 years old compared to a Jew/Mslim divide which may be only a 100 years old. I have read the Sunni/Shia fighting during Ashura procession when it is taken through Sunni Quarters in India - hey it happens every year everywhere. It is a not good for a 35 year old male not be married.

But I still don't think the powerless people of UAE/Jordan/Indonesia.....others will support such a strike - you need not apologize but may be you are right, but I know, where I come from people were totally against US policies during last 10 years.

Thank you for the kind words about my father.

You have to be careful with the idea that "but I know, where I come from people were totally against US policies during last 10 years." as it is a false construct because it puts ALL policies in the same group. This can not be done. It would be as if a person were judged by god on only their bad deeds alone, without his considering the good deeds. God does not do this, he judges us by weighing our bad deeds against our good deeds, and is even so generous as to allow us to count our good deeds tens times for each one that is done. We must judge others in this life also as god judges, because that is how the ultimate outcome is decided, on the TOTALITY of a persons life, not on how good or bad they were during say a 10 year period. But WE MUSTT BE EXTRAORDINARILY careful, as God is without error and we as humans can not help but error as we are inferior to god in all things. The 99 names of Allah tell us this is so.




I think this is why we have differing perspectives on this matter. You see the last 10 years only, I see the whole. From my perspective, my interpretation makes sense, as yours does from your perspective, BUT, I would claim that mine is the superior perspective because I am viewing the total as I think god would. I do not pretend to know the mind of God, I just ask him for guidance and try to live my life, as best I understand that he wants me too. Of course, this means that I will have errors, all humans will have errors in their interpretation. But I trust that he will direct me to the righteous path when I have gone astray, by my faith in God. And, that as long as I have faith within me the size of a mustard seed that this will be so.

Does this make sense to you?


(added):

I forgot to add that the REASON there are "powerless people in UAE/Jordan/Indonesia ..others" is back to the cause that I state in my EARLIER posting, a lack of economic mobility! This point remains UNCONTESTED, and I therefore take it that you concede this point. You identify the SYMPTOMS of unrest (powerless people), I identify the CAUSE (lack of economic development and mobility). You can not fix any problem by treating the symptoms, You must address the CAUSE!!! Economic development is the ONLY THING that addresses the ROOT CAUSE of these societal ills.

And it is NOT the United States that is responsible for this lack of development, the US has been losing jobs OVERSEAS for the last 10 years to developing nations! So CLEARLY, the cause for this lack of economic development lies somewhere else. (I'm sure that you did not include this in your statement above) I'll bet people in the developing world are quite happy to have the opportunities provided by a job that has been outsourced from the US. One exception proves the rule, so I think you must cede your point about people where you come from being totally against US policies for the last 10 years. Really? What about higher World Oil Prices, were they against that? There are many other exceptions to your contention, I could fill pages and pages on why this is not correct, but I wont to save time. My whole POINT is that your main idea "people where I'm from have been totally against US policies for the last 10 years" has been proven false! You can't continue to hold on to an demonstrably false idea after it has been proven incorrect. It is called maintaining an irrational thought, and it is not healthy for the person who hold this false belief, nor is it healthy for the people around them that have to live with them.

I would really like for you to understand this. Maintaining a falsehood is not helpful to you nor those around you. It is a false belief. I don't know if you are muslim or not, I am a Muslim. As a Muslim, I must constantly guard myselve from false beliefs and expunge them whenever and whenever I find them. Not to do so puts me in peril of falling under the influence of the Shataan, what I call the devil. No true believer (myself included) wants to find himself under the influence of the devil, astug-fir-ullah.





Allah

• Allah, He who has the Godhood which is the power to create the entities.

Ar-Rahmaan

• The Compassionate, The Beneficient, The One who has plenty of mercy for the believers and the blasphemers in this world and especially for the believers in the hereafter.

Ar-Raheem

• The Merciful, The One who has plenty of mercy for the believers.

Al-Malik

• The King, The Sovereign Lord, The One with the complete Dominion, the One Whose Dominion is clear from imperfection.

Al-Quddoos

• The Holy, The One who is pure from any imperfection and clear from children and adversaries.

As-Salaam

• The Source of Peace, The One who is free from every imperfection.

Al-Mu'min

• Guardian of Faith, The One who witnessed for Himself that no one is God but Him. And He witnessed for His believers that they are truthful in their belief that no one is God but Him.

Al-Muhaimin

• The Protector, The One who witnesses the saying and deeds of His creatures.

Al-^Azeez

• The Mighty, The Strong, The Defeater who is not defeated.

Al-Jabbaar

• The Compeller, The One that nothing happens in His Dominion except that which He willed.

Al-Mutakabbir

• The Majestic, The One who is clear from the attributes of the creatures and from resembling them.

Al-Khaaliq

• The Creator, The One who brings everything from non-existence to existence.

Al-Bari'

• The Evolver, The Maker, The Creator who has the Power to turn the entities.

Al-Musawwir

• The Fashioner, The One who forms His creatures in different pictures.

Al-Ghaffaar

• The Great Forgiver, The Forgiver, The One who forgives the sins of His slaves time and time again.

Al-Qahhaar

• The Subduer, The Dominant, The One who has the perfect Power and is not unable over anything.

Al-Wahhaab

• The Bestower, The One who is Generous in giving plenty without any return. He is everything that benefits whether Halal or Haram.

Al-Razzaaq

• The Sustainer, The Provider.

Al-Fattaah

• The Opener, The Reliever, The Judge, The One who opens for His slaves the closed worldy and religious matters.

Al-^Aleem

• The All-knowing, The Knowledgeable; The One nothing is absent from His knowledge.

Al-Qaabid

• The Constricter, The Retainer, The Withholder, The One who constricts the sustenance by His wisdomand expands and widens it with His Generosity and Mercy.

Al-Baasit

• The Expander, The Englarger, The One who constricts the sustenance by His wisdomand expands and widens it with His Generosity and Mercy.

Al-Khaafid

• The Abaser, The One who lowers whoever He willed by His Destruction and raises whoever He willed by His Endowment.

Ar-Raafi^

• The Exalter, The Elevator, The One who lowers whoever He willed by His Destruction and raises whoever He willed by His Endowment.

Al-Mu^iz

• The Honorer, He gives esteem to whoever He willed, hence there is no one to degrade Him; And He degrades whoever He willed, hence there is no one to give Him esteem.

Al-Muthil

• The Dishonorer, The Humiliator, He gives esteem to whoever He willed, hence there is no one to degrade Him; And He degrades whoever He willed, hence there is no one to give Him esteem.

As-Samee^

• The All-Hearing, The Hearer, The One who Hears all things that are heard by His Eternal Hearing without an ear, instrument or organ.

Al-Baseer

• The All-Seeing, The One who Sees all things that are seen by His Eternal Seeing without a pupil or any other instrument.

Al-Hakam

• The Judge, He is the Ruler and His judgment is His Word.

Al-^Adl

• The Just, The One who is entitled to do what He does.

Al-Lateef

• The Subtle One, The Gracious, The One who is kind to His slaves and endows upon them.

Al-Khabeer

• The Aware, The One who knows the truth of things.

Al-Haleem

• The Forebearing, The Clement, The One who delays the punishment for those who deserve it and then He might forgive them.

Al-^Azeem

• The Great One, The Mighty, The One deserving the attributes of Exaltment, Glory, Extolement,and Purity from all imperfection.

Al-Ghafoor

• The All-Forgiving, The Forgiving, The One who forgives a lot.

Ash-Shakoor

• The Grateful, The Appreciative, The One who gives a lot of reward for a little obedience.

Al-^Aliyy

• The Most High, The Sublime, The One who is clear from the attributes of the creatures.

Al-Kabeer

• The Most Great, The Great, The One who is greater than everything in status.

Al-Hafeez

• The Preserver, The Protector, The One who protects whatever and whoever He willed to protect.

Al-Muqeet

• The Maintainer, The Guardian, The Feeder, The Sustainer, The One who has the Power.

Al-Haseeb

• The Reckoner, The One who gives the satisfaction.

Aj-Jaleel

• The Sublime One, The Beneficent, The One who is attributed with greatness of Power and Glory of status.

Al-Kareem

• The Generous One, The Bountiful, The Gracious, The One who is attributed with greatness of Power and Glory of status.

Ar-Raqeeb

• The Watcher, The Watchful, The One that nothing is absent from Him. Hence it's meaning is related to the attribute of Knowledge.

Al-Mujeeb

• The Responsive, The Hearkener, The One who answers the one in need if he asks Him and rescues the yearner if he calls upon Him.

Al-Wasi^

• The Vast, The All-Embracing, The Knowledgeable.

Al-Hakeem

• The Wise, The Judge of Judges, The One who is correct in His doings.

Al-Wadood

• The Loving, The One who loves His believing slaves and His believing slaves love Him. His love to His slaves is His Will to be merciful to them and praise them:Hence it's meaning is related to the attributes of the Will and Kalam (His attribute with which He orders and forbids and spoke to Muhammad and Musa -peace be upon them- . It is not a sound nor a language nor a letter.).

Al-Majeed

• The Most Glorious One, The Glorious, The One who is with perfect Power, High Status, Compassion, Generosity and Kindness.

Al-Ba^ith

• The Reserrector, The Raiser (from death), The One who resurrects His slaves after death for reward and/or punishment.

Ash-Shaheed

• The Witness, The One who nothing is absent from Him.

Al-Haqq

• The Truth, The True, The One who truly exists.

Al-Wakeel

• The Trustee, The One who gives the satisfaction and is relied upon.

Al-Qawiyy

• The Most Strong, The Strong, The One with the complete Power.

Al-Mateen

• The Firm One, The One with extreme Power which is un-interrupted and He does not get tired.

Al-Waliyy

• The Protecting Friend, The Supporter.

Al-Hameed

• The Praiseworthy, The praised One who deserves to be praised.

Al-Muhsee

• The Counter, The Reckoner, The One who the count of things are known to him.

Al-Mubdi'

• The Originator, The One who started the human being. That is, He created him.

Al-Mu^eed

• The Reproducer, The One who brings back the creatures after death.

Al-Muhyi

• The Restorer, The Giver of Life, The One who took out a living human from semen that does not have a soul. He gives life by giving the souls back to the worn out bodies on the resurrection day and He makes the hearts alive by the light of knowledge.

Al-Mumeet

• The Creator of Death, The Destroyer, The One who renders the living dead.

Al-Hayy

• The Alive, The One attributed with a life that is unlike our life and is not that of a combination of soul, flesh or blood.

Al-Qayyoom

• The Self-Subsisting, The One who remains and does not end.

Al-Waajid

• The Perceiver, The Finder, The Rich who is never poor. Al-Wajd is Richness.

Al-Waahid

• The Unique, The One, The One without a partner.

Al-Ahad

• The One.

As-Samad

• The Eternal, The Independent, The Master who is relied upon in matters and reverted to in ones needs.

Al-Qaadir

• The Able, The Capable, The One attributed with Power.

Al-Muqtadir

• The Powerful, The Dominant, The One with the perfect Power that nothing is withheld from Him.

Al-Muqaddim

• The Expediter, The Promoter, The One who puts things in their right places. He makes ahead what He wills and delays what He wills.

Al-Mu'akh-khir

• The Delayer, the Retarder, The One who puts things in their right places. He makes ahead what He wills and delays what He wills.

Al-'Awwal

• The First, The One whose Existence is without a beginning.

Al-'Akhir

• The Last, The One whose Existence is without an end.

Az-Zaahir

• The Manifest, The One that nothing is above Him and nothing is underneath Him, hence He exists without a place. He, The Exalted, His Existence is obvious by proofs and He is clear from the delusions of attributes of bodies.

Al-Baatin

• The Hidden, The One that nothing is above Him and nothing is underneath Him, hence He exists without a place. He, The Exalted, His Existence is obvious by proofs and He is clear from the delusions of attributes of bodies.

Al-Walee

• The Governor, The One who owns things and manages them.

Al-Muta^ali

• The Most Exalted, The High Exalted, The One who is clear from the attributes of the creation.

Al-Barr

• The Source of All Goodness, The Righteous, The One who is kind to His creatures, who covered them with His sustenance and specified whoever He willed among them by His support, protection, and special mercy.

At-Tawwaab

• The Acceptor of Repentance, The Relenting, The One who grants repentance to whoever He willed among His creatures and accepts his repentance.

Al-Muntaqim

• The Avenger, The One who victoriously prevails over His enemies and punishes them for their sins. It may mean the One who destroys them.

Al-^Afuww

• The Pardoner, The Forgiver, The One with wide forgiveness.

Ar-Ra'uf

• The Compassionate, The One with extreme Mercy. The Mercy of Allah is His will to endow upon whoever He willed among His creatures.

Malik Al-Mulk

• The Eternal Owner of Sovereignty, The One who controls the Dominion and gives dominion to whoever He willed.

Thul-Jalali wal-Ikram

• The Lord of Majesty and Bounty, The One who deserves to be Exalted and not denied.

Al-Muqsit

• The Equitable, The One who is Just in His judgment.

Aj-Jaami^

• The Gatherer, The One who gathers the creatures on a day that there is no doubt about, that is the Day of Judgment.

Al-Ghaniyy

• The Self-Sufficient, The One who does not need the creation.

Al-Mughni

• The Enricher, The One who satisfies the necessities of the creatures.

Al-Maani^

• The Preventer, The Withholder.

Ad-Daarr

• The Distresser, The One who makes harm reach to whoever He willed and benefit to whoever He willed.

An-Nafi^

• The Propitious, The One who makes harm reach to whoever He willed and benefit to whoever He willed.

An-Noor

• The Light, The One who guides.

Al-Haadi

• The Guide, The One whom with His Guidance His belivers were guided, and with His Guidance the living beings have been guided to what is beneficial for them and protected from what is harmful to them.

Al-Badi^

• The Incomparable, The One who created the creation and formed it without any preceding example.

Al-Baaqi

• The Everlasting, The One that the state of non-existence is impossible for Him.

Al-Waarith

• The Supreme Inheritor, The Heir, The One whose Existence remains.

Ar-Rasheed

• The Guide to the Right Path, The One who guides.

As-Saboor

• The Patient, The One who does not quickly punish the sinners."...There is nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the One that hears and sees (all things). Qur'an [42:11]
  (Arabic transliteration: Laysa Kamithlihi Shayun Wa Huwa As-Sami' ul-Basir)

[Jay]

Re: Iran is SCREWED!!!!!!

I'm currently operating under the assumption that we won't get to a point where this seems like a good idea, but events may surprise me. (This is not to say that your ideas about this are not "good" -- I'm just restating my own perception that we'd have to be pretty darn desperate to try it.)

Just to be clear, in my mind the whole thing is a terrible idea, they are just some thoughts about how TPTB might see things going forward. I am really interested in three general things from this economic crisis; stability and growth for my family, figuring out what the hell the underlying processes are, and things being cleaned up in such a way that we end up with good governance and moral fiber in society. I don't have many indelible economic beliefs at the moment except that most people have no clue what they are talking about. My lack of certainty is mostly due to my lack of training in the field but also because the secrets of economics are so poorly understood in general. So I play the skeptic, my most effective role at the moment, and let the pros lead me to bits of knowledge. Hence, most of my posts are intended to be open and not close ended.

Lastly, I don't think war is necessarily the desired scenario by many making the decisions either. I think the desired plan is to continue to manage the present balance between inflation and deflation (both gigantic forces at the moment, like two hippos balanced on either ends of a seesaw), find a new bubble to blow, and restructure the world energy economy (which will likely be that new bubble), while keeping everyone in line, both sovereigns and plebs. That process at some point involves transitioning to a new reserve currency, likely far from the clutches of the unwashed voting masses and controlled centrally. The reason Iran is so important is that they are one of the outliers who can ruin the careful balance we are in, yet due to cultural differences there may not be a meeting ground.

[GRG55]

Re: Iran is SCREWED!!!!!!

It's not the credibility of the source that matters , it is the quality of the analysis and the amount of insight provided that counts. Just look at itulip circa 2004, totally against the grain with the mainstream yet later proven utterly correct!
It's called "getting it right" even when everyone else thinks you are wrong.


It's also known as vindication.

Don't let the lack of credentials turn you off to what is a truly great piece of analysis.

A couple of months ago I would have laughed at the idea of war with Iran
Now I see it looming large and would not rule out the preemptive use of nukes by the us given what is at stake. This dwarfs the Cuban missile crisis by an order of magnitude or two BECAUSE of nuclear primacy on the part of the us and Israel. That element was not present during the Cuban missile crisis, which is what makes this present conflict so much more likely and so much more likely to involve the preemptive use of nukes by either or both the us and Israel.

Wouldn't be the first time a US President [or UK Prime Minister] with low polls started a war to "fix the problem"...

[Jay]

Re: Iran is SCREWED!!!!!!

That was one Perspective our long gone esteemed Guest "Symbols" aka $#* brought to iTulip forum.
Dollar Uber Alles.
We will surely miss him when things turn for the worse.
I am watching Dec 2010 - tick tock tick tock , just an intuition.

I remember he had something called the hammer-drill theory, which I didn't understand well at the time. If this is it, or close to it, then maybe I am learning!

He also nailed the oil spike and called it for what it was. He had some good thoughts.

[Chomsky]

Re: Iran is SCREWED!!!!!!

That was one Perspective our long gone esteemed Guest "Symbols" aka $#* brought to iTulip forum.
Dollar Uber Alles.
We will surely miss him when things turn for the worse.
I am watching Dec 2010 - tick tock tick tock , just an intuition.

He's not long gone -- he just checks in infrequently, every six months or so now. Go ahead and look up his posts.

Here's the Fed's Hammer Drill post:

http://www.itulip.com/forums/showthr...7409#post47409

[iyamwutiam]

Re: Oh My God...Burma is working on an A Bomb!

You are presuming it is a false flag attack with no evidence whatsoever, which is a bit disturbing. You are presuming this because you see no possible motive for Iran while all the "TV" types tend to point a finger at them, yet I don't think you're looking at things through a realistic perspective.

Assuming this was some sort of attack, then you cannot say Iran is without motive. Everyone knows that if the s*** really hit the fan, Iran would not be able to defend itself much at all. It does, however, have one wild card that makes geopolitical implications of the burning Iraqi oil fields from Desert Storm look like a campfire: and that is to disrupt or attempt to shut off the Straight of Hormuz. Iraq couldn't have done that, and neither could the Taliban in Afghanistan. In this regard, Iran does have one defensive maneuver to try to thwart an attack on them. One possible motive, if of questionable likeliness, for Iran to have been behind this (assumed) attack is to "remind" the world of this fact from time to time; just as it does every once in a while, like when their speedboats harassed and dropped boxes into the water in front of the convoy I was on.

P.S. - You really are certain that USS Maine was a false flag attack? Le sigh...

I hate to break it you -but the Maine has been as close to definitively proven as you can get.

I understand you are no longer doing basic fact checking -so I will indulge you this time:

1898 Del Peral and De Salas Inquiry
The Spanish inquiry, conducted by Del Peral and De Salas, collected evidence from officers of naval artillery who had examined the remains of Maine. Del Peral and De Salas identified the spontaneous combustion of the coal bunker that was located adjacent to the munition stores in the Maine as the likely cause of the explosion. Additional observations included that:
had a mine been the cause of the explosion a column of water would have been observed
the wind and the waters were calm on that date and hence a mine could not have been detonated by contact but using electricity, but no cables had been found
no dead fish were found in the harbour as would be expected following an explosion in the water
the munition stores usually do not explode when mines sink ships.
The conclusions of the report were not reported at that time by the American press

Admiral Hyman G. Rickover became intrigued with the disaster and began a private investigation in 1974. Using information from the two official inquiries, newspapers, personal papers and information on the construction and ammunition of Maine it was concluded that the explosion was not caused by a mine. Instead spontaneous combustion of coal in the bunker next to magazine was speculated to be the most likely cause. The Admiral published a book about this investigation, How the Battleship Maine Was Destroyed, in 1976

You can point out the National Gepgraphic 'computer simulation' but quite frankly I throw them into the same propaganda bin as Time/US News/ and the never dying NY Times.

Moving BACK to COMMON SENSE. A nation of 30 million who just witnessed two massive attacks on their neighbor (Iraq) and now atleast 5 years of ccupation replete with horrors of the long term effects of depleted uranium in Fallujah (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert..._b_663545.html) The same country that engaged Iran in an 8 year war WITH documented US support; documented transgress of chemical weapons sent to Iraq; and is the on going victim of international sanctions (G5) four atleast the last decade. A nation that has to cannibalize spare parts still for their previously all american air force. A nation that KNOWS the US has 7 fleets at its disposal and saw an assemblage of carnage rain down from the heavens as no other country has ever been subjected to in the history of the world (http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174887).

So what your telling me is that despite the fact that every nation of the face of the earth has seen the unmitigated devastation that the US has perpetuated on countries from Vietnam/Laos/Cambodia/Iraq/Afghanistan and Japan and Germany -that Iran is 'actually' thinking of 'starting' a war with the US?!? Sometime I wonder - how people of intellect and success can have such tremendously large blind spots. Apparently a mystery that shall remain with us through time.

Iran does not have network of underground pipelines, refineries and other vital infra-structure necessary to not only protect its resources but to deliver them in a time of war. The Hormuz straits are a vital resource for them and it would be with in the realms of rationality for them to find other trading partners China/India/Pakistan/Malaysia -rather than cling to debt ridden/colonialist, de-stabilizing western countries and walk into the utter madness of war with the same coalition that has destroyed Kosovo/Somalia/Haiti/Iraq/Afghanistan/Indochine/etc ad nauseum.

I am astounded that -- something so obvious on its face has to be examined MORE closely. Sort of like the gentleman who was not satisfied that a substance looked and smelled like it was excrement but felt he had to taste it as well. I guess even that would not be enough in this day of technology -we would subject it to chromatography, CT scan etc -and still feel that more tests need to be done to be definitive of the nature of the 'substance'.
Anyway -I digress.

[c1ue]

Re: Iran is SCREWED!!!!!!

JT,

Thank you for the perspective, but I fail to see how Sunni/Shia hate somehow gives the US and/or Israel a free pass into bombing Iran.

If the Arabs are so angry about nukes, why then is this not focused on Israel?

Secondly, how exactly does increased US intervention in the Middle East get seen as a good thing?

I do agree that Iran is a bit of a loner in terms of the mythical Muslim unity - being Persian, but your argument about that overriding the Israel/Jew and US/godless factor seems stretched.

Israel at least has a religion from a book ("People of the book") whereas the US is the worst possible infidel category.

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: Iran is SCREWED!!!!!!

Thank you for the perspective, but I fail to see how Sunni/Shia hate somehow gives the US and/or Israel a free pass into bombing Iran.

Who said anything about a free pass?

[Ghent12]

Re: Oh My God...Burma is working on an A Bomb!

Use your common -SENSE ! The last think a predominantly oil exporting nation wants is the appearance of instability at a vital shipping lane. However -if you were a an Orwellian Machiavellian -you might want to promote the instability with fabrications and false flag ops to de-rail this very important access point to world markets - so that your enemy (Iran) would have difficulty having said supertankers from coming through the zone/ gulf.

This country is getting out of control -the numbers of patently false flag ops from Gulf of Tomkin/ the Maine etc is proliferating like a Malignant melanoma on the face of the earth. However thanks to the miracle of TV -we 'know' that it is Iran -who has EVERYTHING to lose and nothing to win by this gambit. Don't worry -I am sure someone will come up with infallible pretzel logic to show -that it is to Iran's benefit -especially at a time when as usual the cabal of G5 are expressedly shouting it from rooftops. Which as many people know MUST make it true.

You are presuming it is a false flag attack with no evidence whatsoever, which is a bit disturbing. You are presuming this because you see no possible motive for Iran while all the "TV" types tend to point a finger at them, yet I don't think you're looking at things through a realistic perspective.

Assuming this was some sort of attack, then you cannot say Iran is without motive. Everyone knows that if the s*** really hit the fan, Iran would not be able to defend itself much at all. It does, however, have one wild card that makes geopolitical implications of the burning Iraqi oil fields from Desert Storm look like a campfire: and that is to disrupt or attempt to shut off the Straight of Hormuz. Iraq couldn't have done that, and neither could the Taliban in Afghanistan. In this regard, Iran does have one defensive maneuver to try to thwart an attack on them. One possible motive, if of questionable likeliness, for Iran to have been behind this (assumed) attack is to "remind" the world of this fact from time to time; just as it does every once in a while, like when their speedboats harassed and dropped boxes into the water in front of the convoy I was on.

P.S. - You really are certain that USS Maine was a false flag attack? Le sigh...

[c1ue]

Re: Oh My God...Burma is working on an A Bomb!

Who said anything about a free pass?

JT's anecdote about his relatives' view of Iran implies that the rest of the Middle East would prefer the US/Israel bombing Iran as opposed to a nuclear capable Iran because Iranians are heretics (as opposed to infidels).

This would seem a free pass to me.

[Ghent12]

Re: Oh My God...Burma is working on an A Bomb!

I hate to break it you -but the Maine has been as close to definitively proven as you can get.

Proven to be what, exactly? You claimed it was a blatant false flag attack, and now you post (and bold) an investigation that concludes that it was not.

I understand you are no longer doing basic fact checking -so I will indulge you this time:

1898 Del Peral and De Salas Inquiry
The Spanish inquiry, conducted by Del Peral and De Salas, collected evidence from officers of naval artillery who had examined the remains of Maine. Del Peral and De Salas identified the spontaneous combustion of the coal bunker that was located adjacent to the munition stores in the Maine as the likely cause of the explosion. Additional observations included that:
had a mine been the cause of the explosion a column of water would have been observed
the wind and the waters were calm on that date and hence a mine could not have been detonated by contact but using electricity, but no cables had been found
no dead fish were found in the harbour as would be expected following an explosion in the water
the munition stores usually do not explode when mines sink ships.
The conclusions of the report were not reported at that time by the American press

Admiral Hyman G. Rickover became intrigued with the disaster and began a private investigation in 1974. Using information from the two official inquiries, newspapers, personal papers and information on the construction and ammunition of Maine it was concluded that the explosion was not caused by a mine. Instead spontaneous combustion of coal in the bunker next to magazine was speculated to be the most likely cause. The Admiral published a book about this investigation, How the Battleship Maine Was Destroyed, in 1976

The sinking of the USS Maine was not a false flag attack if the coal in the bunker next to the magazine spontaneously combusted.

How about you try using more accurate labels or words instead of trying to insult someone who is trying to bring you back to reality? The most probable scenario is that the sinking of the USS Maine was an accidental tragedy that was usurped for political warmongering purposes. If you don't know what a false flag attack is, then you should be more cautious before you start labeling things as such.

Moving BACK to COMMON SENSE. A nation of 30 million who just witnessed two massive attacks on their neighbor (Iraq) and now atleast 5 years of ccupation replete with horrors of the long term effects of depleted uranium in Fallujah (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert..._b_663545.html) The same country that engaged Iran in an 8 year war WITH documented US support; documented transgress of chemical weapons sent to Iraq; and is the on going victim of international sanctions (G5) four atleast the last decade. A nation that has to cannibalize spare parts still for their previously all american air force. A nation that KNOWS the US has 7 fleets at its disposal and saw an assemblage of carnage rain down from the heavens as no other country has ever been subjected to in the history of the world (http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174887).

You are hard to read because you use terms that are meaningless, such as "the US has 7 fleets at its disposal." Regardless, I think you are completely missing out on the point. Iran has been provoking the US Navy in the Straights of Hormuz for some time. Iran has been fairly consistent in the saber-rattling department, and if you are to assume that the Japanese vessel was attacked (which it is now somewhat apparent it was not), then it is perfectly reasonable to include Iran in the list of suspects. You seem to think that the Straights of Hormuz are so vital to Iran that they would never jeopardize them; perhaps you are right, but that does not preclude the possibility of Iran acting aggressively and rattling their saber to the world, potentially causing war even if they do not wish it.

In case you missed it, Iran was very, very close to provoking armed conflict during one of their more brazen saber rattling sessions.
EDIT: Video removed.