This op/ed from the Jerusalme Post is worth reading in connection with Roger’s discussion of Iran. The writer, Steven Stalinsky, says that many Iranian government officials, including Khamenei, have publicly alluded to plans for attacks on American soil.: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1093835909853&p=1006953079865
Some examples from the piece:”The paper claimed it had obtained a tape with a speech by Hassan Abbassi, a Revolutionary Guards intelligence theoretician who teaches at Al-Hussein University. In the tape, Abbassi spoke of Teheran’s secret plans, which include “a strategy drawn up for the destruction of Anglo-Saxon civilization.”
In order to accomplish this, he explained, “there are 29 sensitive sites in the US and in the West. We have already spied on these sites, and we know how we are going to attack them.” ………
“In fact, over the past few months Khamenei has been vocal about the impending “destruction of the US.” In May he was quoted in the Iranian paper Jomhouri-Ye Eslami as stating that “the world will witness the annihilation of this arrogant regime.” ……
“The following week Ayatollah Mohammad Emami-Kashani delivered the Friday sermon live on Channel 1 stating that the US would collapse like Genghis Khan’s empire: “I say to you, the American people you will collapse, America will collapse.”
I thought the allusion to Genghis Khan was interesting and creepy in light of the recent replays of Kerry’s 1971 Senate testimony.
If I remember correctly in the months preceding 9/11, there were a number of Iraqi papers suggesting there could be an attack on the US. I don’t know how much of this kind of talk is “usual” or represents a spike. In either case, this shows what a horse’s hinie someone like Jack Straw is. Significant Iranian government officials are opnely calling for the destruction of Western civilization and suggesting that they will orchestrate nuclear attacks on the US, and Britain, France & Germany want to trust Iran with nuclear material? I suppose now that Chris Paton has admitted that Iran is moving backwards in negotiations that we’re all supposed to sleep easier: http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=150
Meanwhile the NY Times wants Putin to play nice with the Chechens: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/04/opinion/04sat1.html In fact the editorial is attempting a preemptive CYA. They are suggesting others will pay price if Putin takes a hard line, so the NY Times is set to blame some future terrorist attack on Putin. (hat tip LGF http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=12461_NYT_Advises_Putin_to_Appease )
