Isreal, Arabs, Iraq, and Iran
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The events in the past week or so clearly put into perspective why we went into Iraq and now all the rhetoric with Iran. Bush goes to Israel and the Arab states (I know Iraq is Arab, but Sadaam was clearly not part of the good ol boy network) and now we have this:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BUSH_MIDEAST?SITE=TXDAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Bush says US, allies must confront Iran
By ANNE GEARAN
AP Diplomatic Writer
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- President Bush said Sunday that Iran is threatening the security of the world, and that the United States and Arab allies must join together to confront the danger "before it's too late."
Bush said Iran funds terrorist extremists, undermines stability in Lebanon, sends arms to the hardline Taliban regime, intimidates its neighbors with alarming rhetoric and defies the United Nations by refusing to be open about its nuclear program.
"Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terror," Bush said in a speech about democracy that he delivered about midway through his eight-day Mideast trip, which began with a renewed push for an Israeli-Palestinian peace pact - an accord he said whose "time has come."
Chiding U.S. allies who have withheld civil liberties, Bush said governments will never build trust by harassing or imprisoning candidates and protesters. But his rebuke was general, and he did not single out any U.S. partner in the region for oppressive practices.
"You cannot expect people to believe in the promise of a better future when they are jailed for peacefully petitioning their government," Bush said. "And you cannot stand up a modern, confident nation when you do not allow people to voice their legitimate criticisms."
Bush's speech, reprising the call for democracy in the Middle East that he made in his second inaugural address, was delivered in one of the few countries in the region - the Emirates - where democracy has not been a vital issue. In other countries in the region, especially Egypt, the fight between democracy activists and autocratic governments has been much more pointed and controversial.
The president lauded some democratic reforms among Arab nations. He urged the Arab leaders to show support for the fragile Iraqi government, open their societies and provide backing, and possible funding, to help make an Israeli-Palestinian agreement stick.
"Leaders on both sides still have many tough decisions ahead, and they will need to back these decisions with real commitments," Bush said, "but the time has come for a holy land where Palestinians and Israelis live together in peace."
He called on the Palestinians to reject extremists, although he did not specifically mention the Islamic radical group Hamas, which has gained control of the Gaza Strip.
"The dignity and sovereignty that is your right is within your reach," Bush said in a direct appeal to the Palestinians.
On Iran, Bush is privately trying to allay the concerns of Persian Gulf allies nervous about Iran's military might and spreading influence. Gulf allies are jittery after the Jan. 6 confrontation between U.S. and Iranian naval vessels off their shores, but seek assurance that Bush doesn't want war. Any attack on Iran could bring retaliation against military bases on Arab soil or choke the lucrative oil trade through the Strait of Hormuz.
"Iran's actions threaten the security of nations everywhere," Bush said, calling on the Iranian government to make itself more accountable to its citizens. "So the United States is strengthening our long-standing security commitments with our friends in the Gulf, and rallying friends around the world to confront this danger before it is too late."
Earlier Sunday in Bahrain, U.S. Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, commander of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which patrols the Gulf, told Bush that he took it "deadly seriously" when an Iranian fleet of high-speed boats charged at and threatened to blow up a three-ship U.S. Navy convoy passing near Iranian waters. The Iranian naval forces vanished as the American ship commanders were preparing to open fire.
Bush spoke with Cosgriff after he had a breakfast of pancakes and bacon with troops of the U.S. 5th Fleet based in Bahrain.
"The media may be free to second-guess the military decision, but his (Bush's) captains are not and they take it very seriously," White House press secretary Perino told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to the United Arab Emirates. "They have deliberate and measured ways to engage other traffic there in the Strait of Hormuz, which they did. But all the military people remember what happened in the past, such as the USS. Cole ... The vice admiral said they take it deadly seriously."
Seventeen sailors were killed in a terrorist attack on the USS Cole in Yemen in October 2000.
Bush spoke at the Emirates Palace, at an opulent, gold-trimmed hotel where a suite goes for $2,450 a night. Built at a cost of $3 billion, the hotel is a kilometer long from end to end and has a 1.3 kilometer white sand beach - every grain of it imported from Algeria, according to Steven Pike, a spokesman at the U.S. Embassy here.
Half the audience was dressed in western attire and the other half in Arabic clothes - white robes and headdresses for men and black abayas, many with jeweled edges, for women.
In renewing his "Freedom Agenda" - Bush's grand ambition to seed democracy around the globe - the president declared: "We know from experience that democracy is the only system of government that yields lasting peace and stability."
Yet he was speaking about democracy in a deeply undemocratic country, the Emirates, where an elite of royal rulers makes virtually all the decisions. Large numbers of foreign resident workers have few legal or human rights, including no right to citizenship and no right to protest working conditions.
Some human rights groups have accused the Emirates of tolerating virtual indentured servitude, where workers from poor countries like Sri Lanka are forced to work to pay off debts to employers, and have their passports seized so they can't leave.
Shortly after landing during a steady rain on the southeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, Bush met at a ceremonial palace with Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who was appointed president of the United Arab Emirates in 2004 following the death of his father, Sheik Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan. The UAE president presented Bush with a ceremonial sash that looked like a thick golden necklace about two feet long. A portrait of the late president hung on the wall behind them.
After the speech, Bush ventured to a sprawling horse farm for a traditional desert dinner, outside of a tent set up in the sand. Large carpets with colorful red and white pillows were set up for the meal. Before eating, Bush was shown several prized falcons, and even took a turn holding one. When the bird moved suddenly, Bush jumped back a bit, but quickly recovered. "You're making him nervous," Bush told the assembled media. "He never had a press conference before."
© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BUSH_MIDEAST?SITE=TXDAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Bush says US, allies must confront Iran
By ANNE GEARAN
AP Diplomatic Writer
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- President Bush said Sunday that Iran is threatening the security of the world, and that the United States and Arab allies must join together to confront the danger "before it's too late."
Bush said Iran funds terrorist extremists, undermines stability in Lebanon, sends arms to the hardline Taliban regime, intimidates its neighbors with alarming rhetoric and defies the United Nations by refusing to be open about its nuclear program.
"Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terror," Bush said in a speech about democracy that he delivered about midway through his eight-day Mideast trip, which began with a renewed push for an Israeli-Palestinian peace pact - an accord he said whose "time has come."
Chiding U.S. allies who have withheld civil liberties, Bush said governments will never build trust by harassing or imprisoning candidates and protesters. But his rebuke was general, and he did not single out any U.S. partner in the region for oppressive practices.
"You cannot expect people to believe in the promise of a better future when they are jailed for peacefully petitioning their government," Bush said. "And you cannot stand up a modern, confident nation when you do not allow people to voice their legitimate criticisms."
Bush's speech, reprising the call for democracy in the Middle East that he made in his second inaugural address, was delivered in one of the few countries in the region - the Emirates - where democracy has not been a vital issue. In other countries in the region, especially Egypt, the fight between democracy activists and autocratic governments has been much more pointed and controversial.
The president lauded some democratic reforms among Arab nations. He urged the Arab leaders to show support for the fragile Iraqi government, open their societies and provide backing, and possible funding, to help make an Israeli-Palestinian agreement stick.
"Leaders on both sides still have many tough decisions ahead, and they will need to back these decisions with real commitments," Bush said, "but the time has come for a holy land where Palestinians and Israelis live together in peace."
He called on the Palestinians to reject extremists, although he did not specifically mention the Islamic radical group Hamas, which has gained control of the Gaza Strip.
"The dignity and sovereignty that is your right is within your reach," Bush said in a direct appeal to the Palestinians.
On Iran, Bush is privately trying to allay the concerns of Persian Gulf allies nervous about Iran's military might and spreading influence. Gulf allies are jittery after the Jan. 6 confrontation between U.S. and Iranian naval vessels off their shores, but seek assurance that Bush doesn't want war. Any attack on Iran could bring retaliation against military bases on Arab soil or choke the lucrative oil trade through the Strait of Hormuz.
"Iran's actions threaten the security of nations everywhere," Bush said, calling on the Iranian government to make itself more accountable to its citizens. "So the United States is strengthening our long-standing security commitments with our friends in the Gulf, and rallying friends around the world to confront this danger before it is too late."
Earlier Sunday in Bahrain, U.S. Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, commander of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which patrols the Gulf, told Bush that he took it "deadly seriously" when an Iranian fleet of high-speed boats charged at and threatened to blow up a three-ship U.S. Navy convoy passing near Iranian waters. The Iranian naval forces vanished as the American ship commanders were preparing to open fire.
Bush spoke with Cosgriff after he had a breakfast of pancakes and bacon with troops of the U.S. 5th Fleet based in Bahrain.
"The media may be free to second-guess the military decision, but his (Bush's) captains are not and they take it very seriously," White House press secretary Perino told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to the United Arab Emirates. "They have deliberate and measured ways to engage other traffic there in the Strait of Hormuz, which they did. But all the military people remember what happened in the past, such as the USS. Cole ... The vice admiral said they take it deadly seriously."
Seventeen sailors were killed in a terrorist attack on the USS Cole in Yemen in October 2000.
Bush spoke at the Emirates Palace, at an opulent, gold-trimmed hotel where a suite goes for $2,450 a night. Built at a cost of $3 billion, the hotel is a kilometer long from end to end and has a 1.3 kilometer white sand beach - every grain of it imported from Algeria, according to Steven Pike, a spokesman at the U.S. Embassy here.
Half the audience was dressed in western attire and the other half in Arabic clothes - white robes and headdresses for men and black abayas, many with jeweled edges, for women.
In renewing his "Freedom Agenda" - Bush's grand ambition to seed democracy around the globe - the president declared: "We know from experience that democracy is the only system of government that yields lasting peace and stability."
Yet he was speaking about democracy in a deeply undemocratic country, the Emirates, where an elite of royal rulers makes virtually all the decisions. Large numbers of foreign resident workers have few legal or human rights, including no right to citizenship and no right to protest working conditions.
Some human rights groups have accused the Emirates of tolerating virtual indentured servitude, where workers from poor countries like Sri Lanka are forced to work to pay off debts to employers, and have their passports seized so they can't leave.
Shortly after landing during a steady rain on the southeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, Bush met at a ceremonial palace with Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who was appointed president of the United Arab Emirates in 2004 following the death of his father, Sheik Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan. The UAE president presented Bush with a ceremonial sash that looked like a thick golden necklace about two feet long. A portrait of the late president hung on the wall behind them.
After the speech, Bush ventured to a sprawling horse farm for a traditional desert dinner, outside of a tent set up in the sand. Large carpets with colorful red and white pillows were set up for the meal. Before eating, Bush was shown several prized falcons, and even took a turn holding one. When the bird moved suddenly, Bush jumped back a bit, but quickly recovered. "You're making him nervous," Bush told the assembled media. "He never had a press conference before."
© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy.
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Comments
is this true or false?
However, going to war with Iran would NOT be a good idea. It would become a clusterfuck.
agreed
Stop by:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=14678777351&ref=mf
beachdweller - I thought that was a given.
why is it ok for israel to not be open about their nuclear weapon program and existing arsenal?
because they are "the good guys". the double standard absolutely disgusts me.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Its not ok.
I dont think bush is calling for war either. he is calling for them to be confronted about it. sure its tough talk but he was calling for an invasion, he would say so.
Exactly...
cuz they wouldnt point them at me. not that Iran would but they are more likely to if they could.
because the western world still has a guilt complex over the holocaust.
—Dorothy Parker
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/6902/conspiracytheoriesxt6qt8.jpg
well, israel has attacked americans before.. uss liberty, lavon affair.. so who knows.
regardless, they should be held to the same standards as everyone else.
or the Israel Lobby.
of course these things some people dont like to talk about and others dont even know about.
cuz America is the biggest terrorist state in the world right? just checkin
we're not?
we've been invading countries and killing people almost nonstop since the 50's.
so then you feel an attack on America would be justified?
well, if some middle eastern country had been bombing us for 17 years, wouldn't you want to retaliate?
was that a yes?
it's not justified, but would it be a shock?
what about my question?
no, el queda has sworn to attack us again. I believe them
did you see charlie wilson's war? its a good flick. shows how we helped most of the same people who are against us now. world is a crazy place.
don't pull holocaust bullshit
we already know what they have, we fucking gave it to them.
Yeah, only this Cheney/Bush administration should be able to get away with that!!!
Who do they think they are, Bush, Cheney......America? What nerve they have!!!!
Bush goes to Israel to talk about peace, the stupid boating incident happens, and now he's talking about war with Iran.
They're not even trying to hide it anymore.
Iran is coming one way or another...bombs will drop there soon. In 2008 for sure.
and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
over specific principles, goals, and policies.
http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg
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( o.O)
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just like we supported saddam when he gassed his own people, and then used that event, among other things, to scare the public into supporting the takeover of iraq.
we use countries to get what we want, and then when they cease to be useful, we obliterate them.
crazy world indeed.
and hillary, obama, edwards, mccain, guiliani, huckabee and thompson are all for it.
we obliterate them? what benefit did we get from arming the mujhadeen against the soviets? 2 things. stop afgah suffering and help defeat our cold war enemy indirectly. who did we "obliterate" after the soviets left?
its young people like you who know nothing about history prior to 2003 that make it difficult to have discussions.