Middle East News
US vows to defend allies following Iranian missile tests (Roundup)
Jul 10, 2008, 18:40 GMT
Israeli \'Merkava\' tanks take part in a military exercise at the northern Jordan valley close to the Israeli village of Mehola, 10 July 2008. Iran\'s Revolutionary Guards test-fired missiles in war-game maneuvers on 09 July 2008 and today, including at least one the government in Tehran described as having the range to reach Israel. EPA/PAVEL WOLBERG
Tehran - Iran conducted missile tests for a second day on Thursday, continuing to escalate tension in the Middle East and prompting assurances from the United States that it was ready to defend allies in the region.
Iran fired more medium-and long-range missile during exercises in the Gulf, a day after similar missions designed to send a signal to what the Islamic state called its 'enemies.' The Shahab-3 missiles have a range of 2,000 kilometres and are capable of hitting Israel.
The tests drew a sharp rebuke from Israel. Speaking in Tel Aviv, Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Israel backs international diplomatic efforts to contain Iran but the Jewish state won't hesitate to act when 'vital security interests' are at stake, according to the Jerusalem Post.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, speaking at a press conference with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in Tbilisi, said Iran should not be confused about the US commitment to protect allies in the Middle East.
'We are also sending a message to Iran that we will defend American interests and defend our the interest of our allies,' Rice said.
'And we take very, very strongly our obligation to help our allies defend themselves,' she added. 'And no one should be confused about that.'
Iran on Wednesday launched nine Shahab-3 missiles and followed up those exercises on Thursday with additional Shahab launches as well as operations with surface to air missile to show its defensive capabilities to countries it views as threatening, General Hossein Salami, commander of the air wing of the Revolutionary Guards, said.
US President George W Bush has not ruled out the use of military force over suspicions that Iran is seeking a capability to build nuclear weapons, but has said he is committed to resolving the dispute diplomatically.
Israel last month held military exercises in the Mediterranean Sea reportedly as a training mission for a possible strike on Iran if it acquires the ability to produce atomic weaponry.
The United States has sought to internationally isolate Iran over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to build nuclear weapons but which Iran says is only for nuclear reactor fuel for producing energy.
The UN Security Council has passed three resolutions applying limited sanctions on Iran over the uranium enrichment.
The United States has used Iran's missile tests to bolster its arguments in favour of deploying a missile defence system to Eastern Europe, plans fiercely opposed by Russia.
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday the Iranian tests show the Russians are wrong in downplaying the threat posed by Iran's ballistic missile technology.
'My view in the first instance is ... as we've talked about missile defense in Europe, that there is a real threat,' he said, adding the testing 'underscores that.'
The United States wants to deploy a missile-defence system in the Czech Republic and Poland to counter Iran's growing ballistic missile capability. But Moscow strongly opposes the plans, arguing the system would undermine its strategic deterrent.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday signed deal with the Czech Republic in Prague, which has agreed to host the radar site, pending parliamentary approval.
US officials are trying to wrap up an agreement with Poland, but those negotiations have hit a snag over Warsaw's demands for increased US military assistance in return for hosting 10 interceptor missiles.
COMMENT
blog comments powered by DisqusLatest Headlines in Middle East
- 1. Jerusalem prelate tells Arab Spring youth to have confidence
- 2. More than 100 killed in Syria ahead of ceasefire deadline
- 3. At least 43 killed in Syria, despite UN criticism
- 4. 19 killed in Syria as ceasefire deadline approaches
- 5. Pilgrims flock to Jerusalem for Easter, Passover
Older Talkback
page: 1
Leave 'em all alone and maybe they'll obliterate each other.
You don't like Jews too much do you Marge?
As news spread across the world of Iranfs provocative missile tests, so did an image of four missiles heading skyward in unison. Unfortunately, it appeared to contain one too many missiles, a point that had not emerged before the photo was used on the front pages of The Los Angeles Times, The Financial Times, The Chicago Tribune and several other newspapers as well as on BBC News, MSNBC, Yahoo! News, NYTimes.com and many other major news Web sites.
h**p://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/in-an-iranian-image-a-missi le-too-many/index.html?hp
Agence France-Presse said that it obtained the image from the Web site of Sepah News, the media arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, on Wednesday. But there was no sign of it there later in the day. Today, The Associated Press distributed what appeared to be a nearly identical photo from the same source, but without the fourth missile.
As the above illustration shows, the second missile from the right appears to be the sum of two other missiles in the image. The contours of the billowing smoke match perfectly near the ground, as well in the immediate wake of the missile. Only a small black dot in the reddish area of exhaust seems to differ from the missile to its left, though there are also some slight variations in the color of the smoke and the sky.
Does Iranfs state media use Photoshop? The charge has been leveled before. So far, though, it canft be said with any certainty whether there is any official Iranian involvement in this instance. Sepah apparently published the three-missile version of the image today without further explanation.
For its part, Agence France-Presse retracted its four-missile version this morning, saying that the image was gapparently digitally alteredh by Iranian state media. The fourth missile ghas apparently been added in digital retouch to cover a grounded missile that may have failed during the test,h the agency said. Later, it published an article quoting several experts backing that argument.
Along with major doubts about the image, American intelligence officials had larger questions on exactly how many missiles were fired. One defense official said that gat least 7, and possibly up to 10 had taken flight in all, though the intelligence data was still being sorted out. Only one of them was said to be a Shahab 3.
Throughout the day, several news sites have taken steps to disown the photograph that they ran on Wednesday, including LATimes.com and MSNBC.com.
In a sentiment no doubt echoed by news organizations everywhere, an MSNBC editor acknowledged that the four-missile picture was initially welcomed with open arms. gAs the media editor working the msnbc.com home page yesterday, I was frustrated with the quality of a fuzzy video image we published of the Iranian missile launch,h said Rich Shulman, the networkfs associate multimedia editor. gSo I was thrilled when the top image crossed the news wires.h
Israel must be made to give up its nuclear weapons.
It must also seize to exists because ALL the land is Palestinian land.
Simply because the Palestinians are brainless doesn't mean the jews can take what they want.
Also, America MUST return all the land to its original NATIVES and the whites should ALL be deported back to europe.
THANK YOU all
Iranian missile tests Pics(answer to Israeel and Us)this is a bit of their defensive power
farsnews .com/
pic.php?ph=Media-8704-ImageNews-870419-46_870419_L600.jpg&dsc=%E3%E6%D4 %DF%20%CF%E6%D1%C8%D1%CF%20%E6%20%E3%ED%C7%E4%20%C8%D1%CF%20%D3%C7%CE%CA%20 %CF%C7%CE%E1%A1%E4%D3%E1%20%CC%CF%ED%CF%20%E3%E6%D4%DF%20%C8%C7%E1%D3%CA%ED %DF%20%D4%E5%C7%C8%203
farsnews .com/
pic.php?ph=Media-8704-ImageNews-870419-45_870419_L600.jpg&dsc=%E3%E6%D4 %DF%20%CF%E6%D1%C8%D1%CF%20%E6%20%E3%ED%C7%E4%20%C8%D1%CF%20%D3%C7%CE%CA%20 %CF%C7%CE%E1%A1%E4%D3%E1%20%CC%CF%ED%CF%20%E3%E6%D4%DF%20%C8%C7%E1%D3%CA%ED %DF%20%D4%E5%C7%C8%203
farsnews .com/
pic.php?ph=Media-8704-ImageNews-870419-44_870419_L600.jpg&dsc=%E3%E6%D4 %DF%20%CF%E6%D1%C8%D1%CF%20%E6%20%E3%ED%C7%E4%20%C8%D1%CF%20%D3%C7%CE%CA%20 %CF%C7%CE%E1%A1%E4%D3%E1%20%CC%CF%ED%CF%20%E3%E6%D4%DF%20%C8%C7%E1%D3%CA%ED %DF%20%D4%E5%C7%C8%203
delete the space before .com and delete the space after .com
(Links not allowed for spam blocking)
'Also, America MUST return all the land to its original NATIVES and the whites should ALL be deported back to europe.'
America has become what it was destined to become, a land where all nationalities are natives.
Go find a good melting pot where freedom reigns.
www.youtube
(((attach below string with top string)))
.com/watch?v=3EW_IoeQd_M
Hypocricy, lies, cheating, multistandard, multi tongued, colonising, zionist and super evil satanic, man worshipping west is so confused and bugged, the damned leaders do not know what to say and how to respond
...did not the vaunted iuntel agencies say the Iranians would not have this long range capability for 10 to 20 years?
Are these the same folks who say now that they are not developing nuclear weapons?
concidering missile and rocket technology is over 60 years old...and allso concidering nuclear tech is over 60 years old. it goes that a modern economy should be able to design and build such devices. So saying this wont happen get built or that wont get built is jut putting your head in the sand. If Iran wants to play with their war toys let em, if they use their war toys via proxies or themselves then they bare the brunt of the consequences.
March to Nationalize US Oil Industry held on 9/11/08 in Los Angeles, CA
The march is scheduled for September 11, 2008 at the Federal Building 11000 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, Usa.
Congress WILL nationalize the oil industry!
CHANGE for America, for Americans.
THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC
A Sovereign Republic
Those who lied then, are lying now. I have described them before. Iran never said that they are not manufacturing/trying to develop rockets and missiles.
SO WHOEVER LIED BEFORE IS LYING.
READ again in case you missed
Hypocricy, lies, cheating, multistandard, multi tongued, colonising, zionist and super evil satanic, man worshipping west is so confused and bugged, the damned leaders do not know what to say and how to respond.
page: 1
The IAEA, UN, and US HYPOCRISY...margeJul 10th, 2008 - 19:08:19
Funny that Iran is being condemned by all for staging its missile test but there was no condemnation or outcry of Israel for doing the same thing. Last month Israel staged a large military exercise that involved more than a 100 warplanes over distances they said they would need to cover to strike Iran. Both US and Israel reported Israel's action as a warning to Iran. Now, that Iran has responded to that warning in the most appropriate way, it is being condemning by all. If that's not hypocrisy and double standards, I don't know what is.
I say again. The IAEA, US, and UN are harassing and threatening Iran with sanctions over its legal right to enrich uranium out of fear that Iran is building nuclear bombs. So what if this is true? The US and many members of the UN have nuclear bombs and remain silence on credible information that Israel also has nuclear bombs. Iran needs nuclear bombs to protect its people and sovereignty from enemies like Israel, which has a history of land stealing, terrorism, killing palestinians for land, violating the border boundaries of Gaza, Syria, and Iraq and bombing their properties, and starting numerous wars with its arab neighbors. Israel is now threatening to bomb Iran's nuclear plants to ensure it remains the only country in the Middle East with nuclear bombs. By contrast, Iran has committed no aggression or crimes against its neighbors to justify the sanctions and harassment imposed upon it by the IAEA, UN, and US.
Iran should pull out of NPT and stop cooperating with the IAEA, UN, and US entirely. Iran should never give up its right to nuclear energy or nuclear weapons regardless of the consequences, unless other countries give up their rights to nuclear bombs. The hypocrisy and double standards of the IAEA, US, and UN is ridiculous and should not be tolerated by any country!!!!
Report this comment