From wikipedia: John "Juan" Ricardo I. Cole is a professor of Modern Middle East and South Asian History in the History Department at the University of Michigan. Since 2002, he has written a popular weblog, "Informed Comment "(http://www.juancole.com/index.html). As an expert and commentator on Middle Eastern affairs, he has appeared in print and on television, and testified before the U.S. Senate.

As the wool is slowly pulled over the eyes of America once again, Olbermann and Cole try to make some sense of the allegations against Iran. Some perspective on the validity of crying foul in a war zone with regards to weapons trafficking is also presented.

Great post!

I'm afraid that Olbermann has hit the nail on the head - it's guilt by association 'inteligence' - the same lousy type of 'inteligence' that America used to justify its illegal invasion of Iraq. This kind of 'inteligence' is fabricated and politically motivated. In this case it serves a number of purposes. Firstly it aims to direct blame away from the disasterous consequences of American foreign policy. Secondly it makes Iran look hostile and uncompromising - where as in reality they have offered to work with America several times. Thirdly, it serves the cause of the 'Israel lobby'. The majority of American troops have been killed by Sunni insurgents but the Whitehouse is choosing to direct its attention on Iran - Why? The reason that attention is being focused on Iran is because they pose a potential threat to Israel (much like Iraq did). America (and the 'Israel lobby') are trying to further sully the Iran's image so that they can justify future direct military action against them. Iran's crimes? Crime 1: refusing to abandon the development of nuclear power. It seems that America will only let Israel illegally develop nuclear weapons. Crime 2: refusing to stop supporting Palestinian and Lebanese resistence to Israeli aggression. Crime 3: opposition to America's illegal invasion of Iraq.

Just to be clear, I don't support the Iranian regime or its anti-semitic, or anti-Israel views. I just don't want to see Iran being attacked, or its people being killed, because of bullshit 'intelligence' fabricated in order to further a number of political objectives with which I strongly disagree.

Olbermann is really getting on my nerves with his leading q's and "Would anyone with a brain larger than a walnut believe that..." kinda rhetoric. I understand he's passionate and I'm on his side so to speak, but jeebus man, keep within a bus ride of the middle if you can. You're making us look bad.

Thanks gwaan, and agreed: Iran at large is not the bogeyman, though their administration is something to keep an eye on.
I think Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a wingnut and his anti-PR moves of hosting a holocaust denier conference etc are beyond my comprehension. His attitude towards Israel should be something of a concern. Regardless, to make the country suffer a military attack now----at once brutal, punitive and fruitless (the US could never occupy and control)-----would be a massive mistake on a number of levels. At the very least: goodbye Strait of Hormuz, hello world oil crisis.

Additionally, the amount of hate I'm seeing in local newspaper forums directed towards the Iranian people at large is staggering and disheartening ("bomb them back to the stone age", "Iran would make a nice parking lot", etc).

Goebbels would have been proud.

Think if the element of feud and religion could be taken out of the equation, and begin to see the futility in a world able to be led so easily by the skilled....the end of bullshit will come when the leaders not to be trusted or believed, will be ignored...neglect has become the ally of the circus of leaders and led.....and the hog of the afflicted

There can't be forgotten the reality, of a world slipping backward with regard to retention of the old ways....the dark ages or worse.....it has happened before, it will happen again.....tick tock

just...one...more....vote.....

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Saving this video from queue deletion, sending it to the top of the queue for one more try. Originally submitted on Wednesday 14th February 2007 (save called by gold star member James Roe)

Bump. Welcome to the Sift, Bigbikeman.

Did the Soviet Union bitch that we were arming the mujahideen to fight them off in Afghanistan?
Did Iran bitch that we armed Saddam Hussein to fight them?
And does Iran still have some of the weapons Reagan sold them to help the Contras fight the Commies?

The people who support this war believe all is fair in war...unless, of course, it happens to us.

Thanks rembar...and James Roe.....and of course thanks to all who voted! It's good to be here.
cheers.

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