posted March 09, 2007 11:03 AM              

DURHAM -- The United States is going to war with Iran, according to Scott Ritter, former chief weapons inspector for the United Nations.

"He says all options are on the table," said Ritter, "but the president has already made up his mind."

Ritter, who was in charge of searching for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq before the war, spoke on Thursday to an audience of more than 150 people at the University of New Hampshire. Ritter drew parallels to today's situation with Iran and the ways Iraq was handled five years ago.

After carrying out more than 40 inspections in Iraq, Ritter determined Iraq did not possess weapons of mass destruction and resigned from his post because of his findings.

According to Ritter, the only way to truly stop a war with Iran is to stop the funding before it begins.

"Pressure your elected representatives to push for resolutions that prevent a war with Iran before Congress has had a chance to adequately review the issue," said Ritter.

Ritter also challenged the audience to become more informed.

"There is only one thing that defines citizenship and who we are as a people, and that's the Constitution," he said. "How can you say you're a citizen if you don't know what we espouse to be? We claim to support (the troops), but we can't come to grips with why they are fighting."

According to Ritter, President Bush's use of weapons of mass destruction as a reason to invade Iraq is now happening with Iran.

"We're doing it all over again," he said. "The policy in regard to Iran is regime change; a nuclear weapons program is simply an excuse to rally support around the confrontation of Iran."

Ritter again stressed the importance of education at the end of his talk.

"We are collectively grasping for solutions in Iraq when we haven't the foggiest idea what we're doing in Iraq," he said. "Don't believe the BS that you get out of Washington. Be good citizens; a good citizen thinks for his or herself."

posted March 09, 2007 08:43 PM              

Its still sickening either way, it just makes me rage. My opinion, going to war with Iran, or going to another war at all, would be suicide for our nation, we don't need that, we have so many things we need to work on, and all were doing is destroying ourselves, just take a good look at our lives, are they improving, or deteriorating?

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Virgo Rising 8'57, Sagittarius Sun/4thH 3'26, Pisces Moon/6thH 8'22

"Our passions are not too strong, they are too weak. We are far too easily pleased." - C.S. Lewis

posted March 09, 2007 09:23 PM            

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"The policy in regard to Iran is regime change; a nuclear weapons program is simply an excuse to rally support around the confrontation of Iran."

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posted March 10, 2007 05:21 PM            

The MAD policy only works between nations with rational leaders.

posted March 10, 2007 06:35 PM            

He also has enemies in high places including a former President who is thought to be more "moderate"..by whatever scale one is using for "moderate".

But, he is a follower/protege of Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi who is angling to get his followers/clerics on the Council of Experts which will choose the next religious leader.

This Ayatollah is an extreme hard-liner on many issues, and seeks to speed the coming of the 12th Imam, who according to Shiite belief will return to lead the victory of Islam throughout the world. One of their beliefs is that creating instability and crisis may help to bring about the chaos which in turn will speed the coming of the 12th Imam, the Mahdi.

Ayatollah ‘Ali Khamene’i, the present Rahbar, is suffering from cancer.

It's also true many Ahmadinejad supporters lost in the recent elections but that's related to political power, not religious authority.

posted March 10, 2007 10:05 PM              

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Really Neptune?
And what will you be saying when Iran gets a nuclear weapon and sends it via missile to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem?
Whoops? Or, they deserved it?

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jwhop..... i didn't specify any particular nation, and i didn't mean to. I was addressing it globaly, didn't you understand that from the context i spoke in?

oh, your question? um i wouldn't say either, i would only be stressing the value of life, trying to find more ways too.

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Virgo Rising 8'57, Sagittarius Sun/4thH 3'26, Pisces Moon/6thH 8'22

"Our passions are not too strong, they are too weak. We are far too easily pleased." - C.S. Lewis

posted March 10, 2007 11:00 PM            

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MAD will not work with the leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who believes he can and should start WWIII to usher in the return of the Mahdi to establish a worldwide Islamic state.

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posted March 11, 2007 01:58 PM              

jwhop...wish you were only half as wise.

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And what will you be saying when Iran gets a nuclear weapon and sends it via missile to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem?
Whoops? Or, they deserved it?

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I dont know how many times this type of fear mongering, war wishing type of thinking has been countered.

Regardless of whether the Iranian Shias believe in the coming of the 12th imam or not...If they are Muslim and practice Islam then they would minimize killing innocent civilians as much as they could in a war. Thus, they would not nuke and kill hundreds of thousands of people like the United States of America is historically known for doing to the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Secondly, Muslims should know you cant speed up God's plan. So whether or not theres a Mahdi coming it's in God's time, not ours.

Thirdly, Israel already has nuclear weapons. Why should they be the only ones in the middle east to have them? Why should they be the only ones allowed to protect themselves by having them?

Fourth, Iran continues to say time and time again that they are not developing nuclear weapons...they are enriching uranium for energy and research purposes.

Fifth, if Iran ever did happen to acquire any nuclear weapon it wouldn't be for a long while. If they ever get in a war with Israel it's highly, highly unlikely they would even ever nuke Israel because there are Palestinians there, because there are historical religious sites there, because it is soo close to Jordan, Lebannon, Syria, and nuking Israel would have a major effect on neighbouring countries.

Sixth, the United States of America seems to be the one who has started and established quite a few major wars at this time in history. And unfortunately for other countries the United States of America are the ones with the military might in the world. They have by far the most nuclear weapons in the world. So thus they can start and end wars.

posted March 11, 2007 05:12 PM            

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but fear is what consumes our ability to make a change

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If they are Muslim and practice Islam then they would minimize killing innocent civilians as much as they could in a war.

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That is a very big IF one very few people are willing to put their lives on.

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Thus, they would not nuke and kill hundreds of thousands of people like the United States of America is historically known for doing to the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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I would thoroughly beg to differ because politics is politics, trully spiritual people do not attract a big enough crowd to be effective leaders. Effective leaders are those who can control their population. That is done best with mass hysteria and brainwashing. So making someone seem LESS than human is a perfect way to rally your public into their destruction.

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Secondly, Muslims should know you cant speed up God's plan.

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They should but like I said I am not willing to bet my life on the fact that they do.

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Fourth, Iran continues to say time and time again that they are not developing nuclear weapons..

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Yes so does Israel. And do you believe them?

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If they ever get in a war with Israel it's highly, highly unlikely they would even ever nuke Israel because there are Palestinians there,

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So...if Iran believes they are in "danger" why would they ever care for the Palestinians?

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because there are historical religious sites there

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Sixth, the United States of America seems to be the one who has started and established quite a few major wars at this time in history.

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Like what? Given the 20th century...
WWI = Europe started...in fact it was Serbian assasination of the Arch Duke
WW2= Germany started with its expansionist views
Vietnam = Nope U.S. didn't start it. France did. It was French inability to keep its colony that made France as for U.S. help, which was granted out of the fear of communist expansion.
Korea = was occupied by both the U.S. and Soviet Union and a North Korean attack pushed both countries into the war.

So U.S. participation in wars by no means says that they started them. Please list all the wars that the United States started. I am not saying there aren't any. I am just saying it isn't much of the major ones. Then again what would you consider major? In my opinion WW2 would be major, Iraq war would be minor.

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Seventh, the scary and frightening thing is instability, crisis and chaos has already been set in place in the middle east thanks to the US, Bush and the Christian Right who believe in the second coming of Christ.

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Oh please that was the reason for middle east instability since the first comming...

posted March 11, 2007 06:17 PM            

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Thirdly, Israel already has nuclear weapons. Why should they be the only ones in the middle east to have them? Why should they be the only ones allowed to protect themselves by having them?

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Good question.

*edit*
My point of bringing up Ahmadinejad and his real power was that as much as he rants about wanting to blow Israel off the face of the map....he cannot do it, he does not have a say in that.

And even so, Iran has not made those weapons...Israel already has them and is the only one in the Middle East who does. And being backed by the most powerful nation in the World, I think they have fared pretty well.

If they say they are not using the Uranium for weapons....then they're not. As if Iraq wasn't enough, now the U.S. gov't wants to blow Iran back into the Stone Age.

I do indeed think this may have nothing to do with weapons at all and more to do with not liking who's in power. The U.S. has tried to topple this regime before indirectly...why not try again, only directly?

posted March 11, 2007 07:51 PM              

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I do indeed think this may have nothing to do with weapons at all and more to do with not liking who's in power. The U.S. has tried to topple this regime before indirectly...why not try again, only directly?

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posted March 11, 2007 07:52 PM            

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If they say they are not using the Uranium for weapons....then they're not.

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Ermm? And if the U.S. says Iraq War had to do with Weapons of Mass Destruction then it did? This is politics everyone says a lot of things.

posted March 11, 2007 08:00 PM            

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edit* I noticed that no one has answered Jwhop's question as to what the US gains from toppling the Iranian regime therefore i will repost it...

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posted March 11, 2007 08:13 PM            

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what did the U.S. stand to gain from attempting to assasinate Fidel Castro so many times?

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posted March 11, 2007 08:37 PM            

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Hmmm lets see maybe they want to topple the Iranian regime so they can put in a govt thats US-friendly, one which they can control and dictate what the Iranians can and cannot do.

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posted March 11, 2007 09:11 PM            

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The fact that the man had missiles facing our country probably had something to do with it.

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Or...it could've been because he is a communist and the U.S. does not like communist regimes. Once Again Ladies and Gentlemen, lets play God!

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You never know they might they might not. I don't think the Iran issue has anything to do with a U.S. friendly regime.

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Again, since this is not the first time they've tried this.....I beg to differ.