Russia: Iran no threat to USA

[SpecOpsGrandChild]

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.89f94643ff57e11b42acfa11b92f8e26.fd1&show_article=1

[Itachi]

hes right
iran isnt really a problem.

[budgie]

They're a nuisance in Iraq and a regional rival but a threat? The only real threat they can pose to the US itself is terror attacks and apart from providing their mates in Iraq with gear, they'd have to be directly provoked to try anything big.

[LaoSexMachine]

I don't see them as a threat. I see Saudi Arabia as the threat.

[Hilbert]

I don't see them as a threat. I see Saudi Arabia as the threat.

I could not agree more

[sinophile]

I could not agree more

:cantbeli:

Right, over 2b barrels of oil are imported into the US per month from the Persian Gulf. Iranian pan-Islamic ideology is of no concern to the United States. Genius.

[Mu-Meson]

:cantbeli:

Right, over 2b barrels of oil are imported into the US per month from the Persian Gulf. Iranian pan-Islamic ideology is of no concern to the United States. Genius.

Yo genius yourself. Saudi petrodollars have financed the export of their Wahabbi ideology to thousands of mosques throughout Europe and the US. Iran is a signifcantly less well funded exporter of a similar but competing version.

I hope the Russians will next tell us that Iran is no threat to the Israelis. That will help us all sleep easily.

[budgie]

:cantbeli:

Right, over 2b barrels of oil are imported into the US per month from the Persian Gulf. Iranian pan-Islamic ideology is of no concern to the United States. Genius.

So Western countries should get their energy elsewhere instead of constantly fighting the movement against global warming. How much leverage do you think the Iranians and the Gulf Arabs would have if nobody needed their product all of a sudden? How would they pay for their weapons programs and sponsor terrorists? Of course it can't happen all of a sudden but a goal like that is worth working towards.

[2Sheds_Jackson]

Germany wasn't a threat to the US in 1941 either.

[wicked_hind]

Yo genius yourself. Saudi petrodollars have financed the export of their Wahabbi ideology to thousands of mosques throughout Europe and the US. Iran is a signifcantly less well funded exporter of a similar but competing version.


Unfortunately, that's the sad truth.

[G-AWZT]

The Iranian gov't, the Muslim Brotherhood, certain elements of the Pakistani High Command including the entire ISI, and the Saudi Royals are THE problem.

[Zalmoxes]

The Iranian gov't, the Muslim Brotherhood, certain elements of the Pakistani High Command including the entire ISI, and the Saudi Royals are THE problem.
And the Strait of Hormuz is also a problem which the Iranians would love to close off. Bingo, therefore it IS a threat to the US as long as our vessels use that waterway.

[G-AWZT]

And the Strait of Hormuz is also a problem which the Iranians would love to close off. Bingo, therefore it IS a threat to the US as long as our vessels use that waterway.



The worlds problem actually. I remember the Gulf shootouts between our ships and Iranian gunboats in '87/'88.
We had to re-flag the tankers to keep the Iranians from bothering them. It didn't do much good, in the end we sank 2/3 of the Iranian navy in 48hrs. We'd been pushed too far for too long.

[kahn267]

Iran is a threat - as they not only help kill Americans in Iraq with supplies of weapons but also threaten Israel's existence who are the US's closest ally in the ME and security.

Put war with Israel and Iran on the list and Iran will make US hurt by cutting off the Gulf which sends out 2/3rd of worlds oil - then again nothing a few US warships couldnt handle


So while not a direct threat to US soil directly - they still are a pain in the ass for the US to have to deal with.

[Dark-Angel25]

Russia Says Iran No Threat To Us As New Sanctions Imposed


by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) April 7, 2009
Iran poses no threat to the United States, Russia said Tuesday, rebuffing a key argument of President Barack Obama on whether to go ahead with a European missile shield bitterly opposed by Moscow.
Former president George W. Bush had infuriated Russia by striking a deal to install 10 missile interceptors in Poland and related radar stations in the Czech Republic, saying they were needed to counter "rogue states" such as Iran.
The Obama administration says it is reviewing the shield project, studying whether it is militarily justified and cost effective.
But Sergei Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, said that the Iran threat was a myth.
"I don't see any threat to the United States coming from Iran anytime soon," Kislyak told a conference of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
He said the shield in the former Soviet bloc nations also failed to cover all of the NATO alliance.
"It didn't accomplish a single stated goal that we were told was the reason to deploy. If that was the case, that means there was something else behind this," Kislyak said.
Western nations widely suspect that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, although Obama has also reached out to try to repair relations with the Islamic republic.
Kislyak said that Russia was encouraged by Obama's approach. Under Bush, Russia engaged in some of the harshest rhetorical attacks on the United States since the Cold War.
"We sense that the American administration is willing at least to engage in serious discussions and we welcome this," he said.
"We are looking forward to these discussions because things which have been developing so far were of great concern to us," he said.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hailed Obama as "my new comrade" after their first face-to-face talks last week, saying the new president "can listen."
Obama also met on his recent European trip with leaders of Poland and the Czech Republic who pressed him to go ahead with the missile shield.
earlier related report
US slaps sanctions on six Iranian firms, Chinese individual
The United States Tuesday slapped sanctions on six Iranian firms and a Chinese individual for allegedly supporting Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
The Treasury also identified eight aliases used by a sanctioned Chinese company, LIMMT Economic and Trade Company, Ltd., that it said were used to circumvent sanctions.
The Treasury Department said it was taking the actions under an executive order "aimed at freezing the assets of weapons of mass destruction proliferators and those who support them."
Five companies were sanctioned for allegedly being tied to Iran's Defense Industries Organization (DIO): Khorasan Metallurgy Industries, Kaveh Cutting Tools Company, the Amin Industrial Complex, Yazd Metallurgy Industries, and Shahid Sayyade Shirazi Industries.
Another Iranian entity, the Niru Battery Manufacturing Company, was targeted for its links to the Iranian Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).
Both DIO and MODAFL had been blacklisted by the State Department for having engaged in "activities that materially contributed to the development of Iran's nuclear and missile programs," the Treasury said.
The Treasury said it had imposed a sanction against a Chinese individual, Li Fangwei, also known as Karl Lee, the commercial manager of LIMMT, a Chinese firm that had been blacklisted in 2006 "for providing material support to Iran's missile program."
To circumvent the 2006 sanction, Lee allegedly created front companies to access the global financial system.
The Treasury added the names of eight such LIMMT front companies as aliases to its list of "specially designated nationals."
The companies were named as Ansi Metallurgy Industry Co. Ltd.; Blue Sky Industry Corporation; Dalian Carbon Co., Ltd.; Dalian Sunny Industry & Trade Co., Ltd.; Liaoning Industry and Trade Co., Ltd; SC (Dalian) Industry & Trade Co., Ltd.; Sino Metallurgy & Minmetals Industry Co., Ltd; and Wealthy Ocean Enterprises Ltd.
The Treasury noted that the United Nations Security Council had designated Khorasan Metallurgy Industries for sanctions in a 2008 resolution and identified Khorasan as involved in the production of centrifuge components.
The same year the Security Council slapped sanctions on Niru Battery Manufacturing Company, saying the firm made power units for the Iranian military, to include missile systems.
"Today we are acting under our Security Council and other international obligations to prevent these entities from abusing the financial system to pursue centrifuge and missile technology for Iran," said the US under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Stuart Levey.
The sanctions mean any assets held by the six Iranian firms or Lee under US jurisdiction are frozen and US citizens are barred from dealing with them.
Washington has steadily upped sanctions against Iranian businesses and financial institutions in recent months in hopes of pressuring Tehran to pull back on its nuclear program -- which the US says is aimed at developing nuclear weapons -- and to halt its alleged support for groups Washington has labeled "terrorist," including Lebanon's Hezbollah and armed Palestinian groups.

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Russia_Says_Iran_No_Threat_To_Us_As_New_Sanctions_Imposed_999.html

[Russian_dude]

I'd say Pakistan is more dangerous then all muslim countries put together to the US. Iran is a bit of a pariah amongst other muslims for being a shia state. There is no reason why Iran and US can't have a very good relationship. After all, one is MUCH more free in Iran then in Saudi Arabia.

[AL-Khalid]

The Iranian gov't, the Muslim Brotherhood, certain elements of the Pakistani High Command including the entire ISI, and the Saudi Royals are THE problem.

Yeah right.

[Moledet]

I'd say Pakistan is more dangerous then all muslim countries put together to the US. Iran is a bit of a pariah amongst other muslims for being a shia state. There is no reason why Iran and US can't have a very good relationship. After all, one is MUCH more free in Iran then in Saudi Arabia.
No reason apart of supporting terror groups like Hamas and Hizballah, buying and funding weapons projects in North Korea and Syria and constantly threatening US forces in the Gulf.

[AL-Khalid]

I thought that russia and pakistan are not enemies anymore but why all russian memebers on this forum are so much anti pakistani.

[Frutzel]

Because the situation in the country is dangerous. And btw I can't understand the Iran is a danger thing.Let's recap the history and how the US dealt with countries who dared to pose a threat to them. Yeah thats right if you wanted you could have bombed the **** out of them ( the production sites for the rockets etc...) to stop them building rockets.But until now there was nothing more than " We need the missile shield!". The US had allways a badass way of dealing with such kind of threats and I don't understand why they are making such an exception with Iran?!

[wilhelm]

:cantbeli:

Right, over 2b barrels of oil are imported into the US per month from the Persian Gulf. Iranian pan-Islamic ideology is of no concern to the United States. Genius.

Hello Genius. Some questions if I may.....

How many 9/11 hijackers were from Iran?
How many were from Saudi Arabia?
What is Wahabbism?
Are there elections in Saudi Arabia? (perfect according to our ideals or not)
Are there elections in Iran? (perfect according to our ideals or not)
Can you worship as an indigeneous Christian or Jew in Iran?
Can you worship as an indigeneous Christian or Jew in Saudi Arabia?
Are you permitted to be in possession of a bible whilst entering Saudi Arabia?

We speak lightly and airily about freedom in Iraq. (Op Iraqi Freedom)
What about Saudi Arabia?

I'm not saying Iran is innocent or squeaky clean, and in no way am I an apologist for barbaric and primitive religeous based justice, whatever the country. And I do believe the majority of Iranian folk would like to see more personal freedom of expression. But.......

It would be instructive to learn about FDR's meeting with King Abdulaziz on Feb 14th 1945 and what that relationship has meant since. Saudi Arabia is called exactly that as it is ruled by the House of Saud. Otherwise, it would just be Arabia.p-)

[Flamming_Python]

I thought that russia and pakistan are not enemies anymore but why all russian memebers on this forum are so much anti pakistani.

Personally I'm not at all anti-Pakistani, I sincerely hope for good relations between the countries and hope that Russia can invest in and help industrialize Pakistan.

The problem here is that no-one expects the current moderate government to survive very long; people are expecting a collapse that will be replaced by an Islamist regime, that would invariably be very hostile to Russia and it's allies in Central Asia.

[MZKT]

Personally I'm not at all anti-Pakistani, I sincerely hope for good relations between the countries and hope that Russia can invest in and help industrialize Pakistan.

The problem here is that no-one expects the current moderate government to survive very long; people are expecting a collapse that will be replaced by an Islamist regime, that would invariably be very hostile to Russia and it's allies in Central Asia.

Nah, if islamists will came to power in Pakistan, the US troops occupying holy muslim soil in Middle East and Afghanistan will be the main target, so Russia don't need to worry. However unlike USA which can always retreat to their hemisphere after stirring up the hornets nest in the region, russia will have to face this islamization at it's borders/bordering former SU-republics.