Obama: "I'm ready to negotiate with you, Iran." Iran: "Fuck you."

[TheMercenary]

We could have paid with a laser guided missile. That would have been great.

[Griff]

Ron Paul gets it right.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain...par-over-iran/

[TheMercenary]

Now, I’m a bleeding heart social liberal when it comes to marriage and believe gay people have every bit the right to get married that straight people have. If Newt Gingrich can get married three times and then get to decide who is or who is not destroying the sanctity of marriage, well that says something about letting our political leaders make these decisions for us.

What a great quote....

[classicman]

Iran's navy chief warned Wednesday that his country can easily close the strategic strait at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the passageway through which a sixth of the world's oil flows.

It was the second such warning in two days. On Tuesday, Vice President Mohamed Reza Rahimi threatened to close the strait, cutting off oil exports, if the West imposes sanctions on Iran's oil shipments.

"Closing the Strait of Hormuz is very easy for Iranian naval forces," Adm. Habibollah Sayyari told state-run Press TV. "Iran has comprehensive control over the strategic waterway," the navy chief said.

In response, the Bahrain-based U.S. 5th Fleet's spokeswoman warned that any disruption "will not be tolerated." The spokeswoman, Lt. Rebecca Rebarich, said the U.S. Navy is "always ready to counter malevolent actions to ensure freedom of navigation."

CBSNews

OK - now what?

[piercehawkeye45]

Interesting. Whether Iran is bluffing or not, this proves that sanctions are starting to take it's toll against Iran. Also, by threatening to take the Straight of Hormuz, it implies that Iran would prefer conflict, or threat of conflict, with the West over giving up it's nuclear weapon program. Since neither Israel and the US or Iran is going to back off the nuclear weapon standoff, this could mean there is a higher probability that some larger conflict may erupt in the future.

My guess is that Iran is bluffing. Iran really has no means to hold the straight and the US Navy would quickly retake it by military force. It would cause chaotic oil prices for a bit, pissing everyone off, but I doubt would have any lasting effect. I just don't see the point.

Either sanctions are really hurting Iran or politicians are just beating their chests for the upcoming elections in March.

[tw]

Originally Posted by piercehawkeye45

Either sanctions are really hurting Iran or politicians are just beating their chests for the upcoming elections in March.

Which Iran made that statement? A common mistake by many is to assume same military officer making an off hand comment represents Iranian power brokers.

Newt Gringrich also said he would nuke Iran. Maybe Iran is replying with the same empty threat? Maybe Iran is mocking Newts?

Report is about as important as an article in People Magazine since required and relevant facts were not provided. Hearsay, reported because it was a slow newsday, is better ignored.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by tw

Newt Gringrich also said he would nuke Iran. Maybe Iran is replying with the same empty threat? Maybe Iran is mocking Newts?

Lots of Republican dick waving going on, seems like Paul is the only one with confidence in his manhood.

[piercehawkeye45]

Originally Posted by tw

Which Iran made that statement? A common mistake by many is to assume same military officer making an off hand comment represents Iranian power brokers.

It was Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi.

[Undertoad]

Newt Gringrich also said he would nuke Iran.

Close but no cookie there Otis, he said he would bomb Iran's nukes.

you just got the words in the wrong order or something

easy mistake to make

[tw]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

he said he would bomb Iran's nukes.

And the only weapon available to do that is a nuke. To keep the naive naive, Newt just forgot to mention that action is called a unilateral nuclear surprise attack. Something more despicable than the attack on Pearl Harbor. So why is Newt dic waving while forgetting to mention that important little fact. He wants to Pearl Harbor Iran with nukes?

The Iranian VP does not represent opinions of those who hold the power. Even Ahmadinejad depends on those power brokers to remain in office. The VP is a minor player who does not represent the opinion of Iran's major power brokers.

Griff has accurately summarized the topic.

Lots of Republican dick waving going on,

Inventing bogeymen gains Tea party to support. Honesty is not relevant here. Be more worried about extremists on both sides using fear and military taunting to manipulate the most naive among us.

Most serious threats are not so obvious. That naval threat was long too obvious to be a concern.

[Lamplighter]

Obama and Clinton seem to have a strong hand to play in 2012,
as a result of Obama signing US sanctions on Iran and it's
nuclear program into law on New Years Day.

Reuters
By Robin Pomeroy
TEHRAN | Thu Jan 5, 2012
Screws tighten on Iran as big buyers shun its oil
(Reuters) -

Iran faced the prospect of cutbacks in its oil sales
to China and Japan as new measures to block Tehran's crude exports
over its nuclear program appeared to be driving its economy to the wall.

The developments in Asia on Thursday followed news 24 hours earlier
that EU leaders had agreed to halt European purchases of Iranian crude.

China, Iran's biggest trade partner, had already cut its purchases of Iranian oil
by more than half this month and would extend the cuts to February,
a Beijing-based trader who deals with Iranian oil said.

Japan would consider cutbacks in its Iranian oil purchases to secure a waiver from new U.S. sanctions
Between them, China, the EU and Japan buy about half of Iran's exports of 2.6 million barrels of oil per day.a<snip>

The new U.S. law allows Obama to offer waivers to prevent havoc in oil markets,
but to receive the permits countries are expected to demonstrate that
they are reducing ties with Tehran.
Washington has said it is discussing with allies how to apply the law gradually
to tighten the screws on Tehran without causing an oil supply shock.

Iran's neighbors may appear to be going along with the US sanctions,
but push back may be just behind a curtain.

MIDDLE EAST NEWS
MARC CHAMPION
JANUARY 6, 2012
Turkish Visit Aims to Smooth Ties With Tehran
Caught Between Neighbor and the West, Ankara Seeks to Avoid Sunni-Shia Conflict

ISTANBUL—Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday
reassured Iran that Ankara wouldn't allow Turkish soil to be used for any attack against a neighbor,
during a trip to Tehran focused on averting a Sunni-Shia "cold war" in the region.<snip>

Though not binding on Turkey, the U.S. sanctions would penalize Turkish companies
that buy Iranian oil, unless they can secure a special waiver.
Turkey gets 30% of its oil from Iran and is among Iran's top consumers of crude,
at just over 200,000 barrels a day. Halting those purchases would severely antagonize Tehran,
which says its nuclear program is purely civilian, analysts say.<snip>

As U.S. forces leave Iraq, Turkish diplomats say they have become increasingly concerned
over the risk that sectarian conflicts could partition the country among Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds.
A partitioned Iraq could also inflame Turkey's troubles with its own Kurdish militants
from the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, analysts say.
Iran, Iraq and Syria all border Turkey.

[classicman]

Obama and Clinton seem to have a strong hand to play in 2012,
as a result of Obama signing US sanctions on Iran and it's
nuclear program into law on New Years Day.

Really? How is this any different than all the other times all the other presidents did this type of thing. China is more than willing to buy their oil & France probably, I'm sure.

[tw]

Originally Posted by classicman

Really? How is this any different than all the other times all the other presidents did this type of thing.

This one sanction is painful. Nobody wanted to stop 10% of the world's oil. Especially since so much of it is needed in places such as Japan.

All oil transactions go through Iran's Central Bank. So all previous sanctions averted that bank. Placing a world wide embargo on Iran's central bank, essentially, stops oil trade. Something that was not done previously due to objections by so many close American allies who need that oil.

Not reported is an apparent wide world agreement to do something. What most nations previously did not want to do. For example, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Australia, many Persian Gulf states, obviously Britain and France, and maybe even Switzerland would be in on the planning. For these sanctions to work, then countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAW and Oman had to be planning for what would result months ago. News reports give almost no indication of what must be major negotiations, cooperation, and agreements made covertly.

We don’t know if all that was planned. We only know that Iran is truly concerned about this one painful sanction. Many have discussed it previously. But nobody previously had enough willpower to act.

[classicman]

We only know that Iran is reportedly truly concerned about this one.

FTFY ... we'll see.

[Lamplighter]

We'll see...

Maybe we are already seeing....

Bloomberg
January 06, 2012, 4:46 AM EST

Iran Central Bank Moves to Rescue Rial as Allies Tighten Net

Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Iran’s central bank moved to avert a slide in the value of the rial
as the U.S. and allies prepared for further sanctions that may include an oil embargo.<snip>

Today, foreign-currency traders in Tehran were ignoring instructions issued yesterday
by the central bank for them to sell the dollar at the rate of 14,000 rials, Fars said.
They refused to trade at that rate or were only using the rate of 16,000 rials, Fars said.
Directors of Iran’s banks were asked to meet central bank Governor Mahmoud Bahmani
today to address the rial’s volatility. The bank will host a meeting of economists on Jan. 9
to discuss management of the exchange rate, Fars said.

The currency has plunged because “Iranians are seeking safer havens in internationally traded currencies
and gold as the country faces the prospect of dealing with tougher international sanctions,”
said Jarmo Kotilaine, chief economist at National Commercial Bank in Saudi Arabia.<snip>

Iran’s inflation rate has surged as the government removed subsidies on staple goods.
It may reach 22 percent by the end of the current calendar year in March,
Deputy Economy Minister Mohammad-Reza Farzin said last month.
“Inflation is a big problem as it is, and a devaluation would obviously
fuel imported inflation even further,” Kotilaine said. <snip>

Shipping
Iran has warned it may halt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz,
the passageway for about a third of the world’s seaborne-traded crude,
in response to curbs on its oil sales.

That’s probably “a bluff,” Paul Sullivan, a political scientist specializing in Middle East security
at Georgetown University in Washington, said in an e-mailed response to questions.
“They would strangle their economy and Iraq’s, their ally.
It could also be seen as an act of war.”

The U.K. would be willing to join a military action aimed at keeping the strait open,
Defense Secretary Philip Hammond will say in a speech in Washington today,
according to extracts released by his office.