In light of the NAM summit in Tehran, the volatile rhetoric by Iranian and Israeli politicians and the upcoming US elections, I think it’s time we started talking about the increasing tensions in the Middle East.

Why is there so little coverage in the Australian media about this?

Is America’s reluctance to engage in war with Iran economic, political or both, or have they finally learned from the Iraqi WMD fiasco? US General Martin Dempsey has stated categorically that intelligence gathering on Iran’s nuclear activities provides no proof of intentions – is this the underlying reason behind America’s reluctance?

Obama cannot afford, on the eve of the election, to alienate his voters with a military strike, and Netanyahu clearly sides with Romney. Is Israel’s perceived interference in the upcoming elections a bid to influence American Jewish and pro-Israeli voters to install another Republican puppet in the White House, thereby advancing its intent to attack Iran?

Can we believe the Ayatollah when he claims that all nuclear armaments are an abomination and evil and that Iran will never develop or use them? As the supreme religious leader, can he afford to be proved a liar? Further, what are the implications for Israel (the only nuclear power in the Middle East) if the UN takes up the Ayatollah’s request for total nuclear disarmament in the region? Israel has never formally acknowledged having nuclear weapons, but the whole world knows they do. It is unlikely they will obey such an edict, considering their history of ignoring any UN resolutions regarding their country’s policies.

Is the vile rhetoric by Iran calling for Israel to “be wiped off the map” merely a ploy to goad Israel into making the first move, knowing that they risk world condemnation and further alienation? If so, why would Iran risk such a response? If not, how serious are Iranian intentions against Israel?

Iraq is in disarray, and Israel is clearly gunning for Iran – is this just the next step in a perceived policy of ‘divide and conquer’? Is Netanyahu the most dangerous man in the world today?

its the persistant LIES that get me..that iran dude ..*NEVER SAID should be wiped off the map....and as for the INSANITY..it wants to be attacked..[back to the stone age..well thats insane*

how about those holding a dead man
in a coma..till the end of time..till egsactly the right moment,to hit and run...instant bailout etc..hard press by the media beating up the war..long planned by israel

WHO DONT EVER HAVE ANY INVESTIGATION..on their 300 nukes
yet iran has constantly let liars in ..knowing they will lie..

[like we-opens of mass destraction...lest we forget

anyhow
re usa..diebold voting machines indicate a landslide to war
so the second we get the other guy's romminy mitts..on the suitcase..its bye bye iran

then bye bye israel
from then...it wil be up to china/russia/mexico

oh well time to catch up to the latest
diebold has gone silent...

its big payoff comes to your voting booth..anyday now

http://whatreallyhappened.com/
dont say you wernt told

Global Blitzkrieg: West's Terror Battalions Eye Russia Next

By: ActivistPost
Tags: COVER-UP/DECEPTIONS/PROPAGANDA
CURRENT EVENTS
POLITICS/ELECTIONS/CORRUPTION
RUSSIA
WAR/DRAFT/VETERAN AFFAIRS


Reuters lays groundwork
for Western support of Al Qaeda terrorists in Russia's Caucasus region.
http://www.activistpost.com/2012/08/global-blitzkrieg-wests-terror.html


With the US openly supporting, arming, and literally "cheering" for Al Qaeda in Syria, it should be no surprise that their support for Al Qaeda's other operations is now slowly revealing itself.

For decades, brutal terrorist campaigns have been carried out in Russia by Al Qaeda's Caucasus Mountains faction, constituting the backbone of the so-called "Chechen rebels."...

but so much interesting stuff
ron paul making a 3 rd party?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WE1Fyxwylp8

there is much going down in usa
still no diebold mention

http://www.thelonestarwatchdog.com/2012/08/31/the-possible-state-insurrection-vs-northcom-if-obama-is-reelected-and-the-possible-unintended-consequences/

goldman sax lobby
http://dailybail.com/home/goldman-sachs-bribed-senate-to-pass-bailout-bill.html

how bankers stole the world
http://dailybail.com/home/how-the-federal-reserve-bought-the-economics-profession.html

hard to tell the red flag from the black flag
or the black swan from the white..right?

its well known..abusers BLAME their victims
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/08/31/785271/priest-blames-child-victims/

The assumption that Romney as President would play into Israeli intentions is clear but there is no guarantee that Romney will win. At best, polls have him neck and neck with Obama; in others, Obama is tipped to win with a 70% majority. While it is easy to understand why Israel is keen for Romney to win, it is less clear why Iran is escalating tensions and putting pressure on Obama to act before the elections.

Here are two opposing viewpoints from Israeli press – the first can only be described as politically (and religiously) rightwing, the second a more pragmatic opinion.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/12127#.UEFR0472B58

http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/west-of-eden/before-attacking-iran-israel-should-stop-shooting-itself-in-the-foot.premium-1.456327

With such differing opinions in Israel, it is clear that Netanyahu’s government may not only have to deal with external condemnation should they proceed with an attack on Iran.

More telling is this: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=283399

Despite the US stating that the reduction in numbers is due to budgetary constraints, are we out of line to assume that America is refusing to dance to Israel’s tune and, echoing Martin Dempsey’s statement that he does not want to be complicit in an attack on Iran, that the US government clearly feels that their forces may be inadvertently used to Israel’s advantage at such a difficult time?

America is hurting and it is war weary. Is it any wonder that it is reluctant to engage in further military action in the Middle East? As Presidential candidate, Romney has no real idea of the state of US budget - if he wins, any promises he has made to Israel may have to take a back seat.

Right-wing sentiments in the US may do more damage to US recovery than Romney can imagine.

OUG, your a smart fella.
We watch, they play, we pay, in blood and money.

Iran holds much more of the blame than Israel.
Can we forget or ignore it religion leaders bar some from standing for election.
Do we not remember the brief freedoms that showed so much promise in this country's recent past.
A Blindness, intentionally so, fails to see the true intentions of this slave nation.
And it too, feeds on not even beginning to understand the middle east.

Welcome scribbler.I totally agree.The NAM conference in Tehran has shaken the Western war mongering Oligarchs to the core.120 countries went there and Hillary Clinton is beside herself with rage.

We the ordinary citizens of the West are oppesssed by their scamming financial system and this is the major reason why they seek war with Russian and China.http://www.globalresearch.ca/

Thanks,you saved me posting a discussion on the very same topic.

Belly,

While there is little doubt that the Iranian regime is harsh, cruel and dictatorial, I don’t understand how this equates, in terms of the current situation, to your argument that “Iran holds much more of the blame than Israel”.

Do we support Israel rather than Iran because of historical ties, because it is perceived to be a more western and democratic country, because we align ourselves more with Judaism than Islam, because we are committed to remembering the Holocaust, or all of the above?

Emotional, religious and political ties are not sufficient in this case. Have we learned nothing from the Iraq war?

There is little doubt that Iran is enriching uranium – it has admitted to this, and intelligence has confirmed it. What Iran has said, categorically, is that it is not doing so to build a nuclear weapon. The question is, can they be believed?

They are asking for unilateral nuclear disarmament across the Middle East – bad news for Israel. They have issued religious decrees condemning the use of nuclear weapons – for a nation built upon and governed by religious zealots, this is no small thing.

Does Iran hate Israel – yes, clearly it does. Has it threatened Israel? Yes, many times. But Israel is hardly blameless and its continued supplication to the US and, later this month, to the UN to attack Iranian nuclear plants because they MAY lead to nuclear armament, is not proof of intent. The US is reluctant to repeat the Iraqi debacle.

Following is an article, dated yesterday, in which an alternative theory is espoused. In light of Iran’s adamant insistence that it is not seeking nuclear armament, this theory (so far) makes the most sense.

http://www.newsday.com/news/world/ap-analysis-iran-may-be-pushing-to-nuke-threshold-1.3944504

Please note, I am not trying to excuse the actions or rhetoric of Iran – I am simply saying that we have been down this road before with Iraq and we have all paid a very dear price. The west and Israel has to have absolute proof of Iran’s intent before a strike is made, otherwise they nothing more than warmongers.

Arjay,

Happy to oblige.

What I find incredible is the lack of press coverage in this country about the Middle East situation.

Apart from a single article in one of the Herald papers (can’t remember which one) about Australia sending two delegates to the NAM conference (although there was no follow-up) and the obligatory reporting of the latest IAEA findings, there has been remarkably little said about escalating tensions, Israel’s bid to influence the US election by openly supporting Romney, and implications for Australia should America decide on a tactical strike – which will (like Iraq) lead to a long, protracted and painful war.

I cannot believe that Australia is so insular as to not take seriously what is happening in that volatile region.

In light of the deaths of the Australian soldiers in Afghanistan this week and the renewed calls for Australia’s withdrawal, I would have expected more.

There's lack of coverage in this about ANYTHING worth while. Our media is a sad joke. And when people go looking for information you end up with those like Arjay.

I find the whole idea of a conference of "non-aligned" countries quite fascinating.

Are they not, by definition, aligning themselves with each other?

I suspect a more accurate description of their meeting would be "the anti-American conference". Or the "anti-Israel conference". More honest, at least.

The attendance of Ban Ki-moon was interesting. Listening to the anti-UN rhetoric must have been more than a little painful for him. I'd be inclined to tell them that they were no longer welcome in Manhatten, if they did not support his organization. To do otherwise would be hypocritical, he could explain to them.

My own view is that all of these gatherings have more to to with hyperactive PR and spin-doctoring, than anything particularly sinister. Mutually Assured Destruction, which enabled the world to survive the Cold War, is still a fairly effective deterrent.

PR is what it is, Iran now has a technology sharing agreement with North Korea.

It was indeed a PR exercise, and one that didn't go quite as planned. Syrian delegates stormed out after comments by Egypt's Morsi, Ban publicly upbraided the Ayatollah and continued anti-US and anti-Israeli rhetoric set everyone on edge.

The technology agreement between North Korea and Iran is not unexpected, and while the two share a hatred of the interference of the West, they have little else in common. Perhaps NK has provided ballistic missiles to Iran in the past (denied last year by Iran), but how is that any different from the US providing intelligence or technological and military aid to Israel? It seems what is good for the goose is definitely not permitted for the gander.

Mutual destruction may indeed be a deterrent, however the whole point of Israel's bid to attack Iran's nuclear plants and processors is to ensure that this actually never eventuates. Israel wants to be the only country in the region with nuclear arms, without actually admitting to owning them.

I am no more keen than anyone else to see Iran obtain nuclear weapons, but Israel's attitude (whilst understandably self-protective) is highly hypocritical.