Frontline: Showdown to Iran
By Nicole Belle Wednesday Oct 24, 2007 11:50am(guest blogged by Bill W.)
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Tuesday night PBS Frontline aired " Showdown with Iran," which completely laid bare the failures of the Bush administration's foreign policy. Despite the U.S.' long history with Iran that resulted in the blowback in the form of the '79 Iranian Revolution that brought the current Islamic Republic to power largely based on its hatred of America, Iran had reached out to the U.S. after 9/11, denouncing terrorism and became an important ally of the coalition against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Iran's leaders had even tendered "a secret proposal for a grand bargain resolving all outstanding issues between the U.S. and Iran, including Iran's support for terrorism and its nuclear program" which Bushco simply ignored ( forgot?), opting instead to include them in his "Axis of Evil" on his 2002 State of the Union Address, which once again angered the nation, completely discrediting their moderate reformist leadership and ultimately helped bring the hard-line party of Ahmadinejad to power.
Much of the evidence presented in the documentary was first revealed in a heavily redacted NYT Op-Ed by Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann, both of whom are prominently featured in this PBS special. Despite the White House's attempt to muzzle them from even mentioning information, all of which had already been reported in a variety of media sources, that exposed the Bush Administration's incredulous undiplomatic push to keep Iran from ever getting off its enemy list, PBS was able to gain unprecedented access to video footage and interviews with Iranian officials that leaves little no doubt that this administration simply refuses to accept any path that would deviate from its decade-old neo-con Middle East war plans .
Perhaps the most damning evidence of Bushco's hell-bent-for-war-with-Iran
Watch the entire episode on PBS' website here .
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Oil that is. Black Gold. Texas Tea
Amazing the United States used to be the biggest pumper out of the grounder of cheap oil once isn't it?
Have we killed any Kurds yet?
They'll get it next, so we can get the Turks to help W with the Iranians. W would never stand up to the Turks. But there's a family tradition for stabbing Kurds in the back.
You can watch fronline online. I suggest watching this one, only with a puke bucket near to hand. I really didnt think I could get MORE pissed at the current administration. Not the first time Ive been wrong.
Don't worry ! The Democrats will protect us ! Get it???? nyuk, nyuk, nyuk. . .
ralph @ 5:
LOL! Good one. Protect us from what? Smoke and mirrors?
What has happened to this country in a few short years? I simply don't recognize it. Anyway, does anyone actually believe that the US won't be attacking Iran within a year? Anyone? Of course not. The war wheels are in motion. And the US population is too stupid, lazy or numb to do anything about it.
Forget California. This ENTIRE country is a disaster area.
George W. Bush... stupid little man.
Seriously, what percentage of US
consumers...errr citizens actually know the difference between Iraq and Iran?Seriously, these idiots mess up EVERYTHING they meddle in. You guys need to put whoever is willing to do the opposite of this current misadministration into the Oval office. How could you go wrong with that?
Christ! When will this shit just STOP?!
Please tell me this is not for real. What kind of magical la-la land does this f*cking idiot live in?
The Truth Hurts @ 7:
I think Bush Co knows we are losing this war and they are shifting their (our) assets, agents, and firepower out of the Country.
Dubai anyone?
"If you harbor terrorists, you are a terrorist". Well, we are.
This is what you get under tyranny. Our preznit is a treasonous traitor serving his oil over-lords. Don't we all get that?
Frontline and any and all actual journalists and bloggers can point out the specifics. They do it all the time. But the point is always the same. Our president and his administration do not serve Americans. They do not represent America. The all belong in jail awaiting death sentences for treason.
Hey, they still have 13 months left to F*ck up what they haven't already. I'd say their batting 1000 so far on antagonizing the rest of the world, but remember, there are over 6 billion people on this planet. Offending EVERYbody takes time. Bush is really good at this, so don't worry he WILL eventually piss off the whole world and turn them all against us.
Bit NOLA @ 15:
They serve Corporations. It's called Fascism.
"When Fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag"
Bob in N. Thailand @ 16:
Eventually? What is this 'eventually' you speak of?
. . . Paging the American von Stauffenberg . . . Paging
'earl @ # 9'
10% to 15 %
The Saudis bailed him out when he ran an Oil Company into the ground (that takes some serious talent), who is going to bail George out of this Iraq-mire? ...
"Look over thar...! Iss a ... Eye-ranian turrist!"
Would that he where stupid Misguided arrogant greedy all traits of a alcoholic addict he is but his plan to attack Iran has been there all along Stupid the American people for allowing this evil person to place us on the edge of WWIII and be more concerned that there is a picture of Britney Spears twat on the internet
>‘earl @ # 9′
10% to 15 %
All I can say is "wow" ... :(
How long will it take before the reich-wing starts claiming Iran was responsible for 9/11? Set an egg timer.
earl @ 9:
About the same percentage as those who thought the Twerp was the Old Man (41) in 2000.
>About the same percentage as those who thought the Twerp was the Old Man (41) in 2000.
They did? Seriously? I must have blocked that out.
Years ago, when I became a Citizen and took the oath of Allegiance, I was so proud to belong to the best Country in the World. Now I'm ashamed that we have allowed this Administration to put us in the position of being the most reviled. As an Independent I voted Democrat in the last election hoping that they would bring some sanity back to Government. Instead they have shown themselves to be craven cowards. How do we tell them, as a body, that unless they step up to the plate and do what they were elected to do my vote, at least, will not go to a sitting Democrat next time around. Writing to an individual Senator results only in a polite letter, thanking me for my interest and leaves me frustrated and p****d. How do we get our message across to them?
Dick, In His Last Throes
Salivating For More War
Wants To Bomb Iran
Unsustainable
State Of Indefinite War
We're The Aggressors
One Percent Doctrine
Of The Cheney / Bush Admin
Pure Insanity
It wasn't mentioned in the documentary, but Bush hasn't just been using the terrorist group the Mujahedeen-e Khalq (MEK) for cross-border intel-gathering, they have been carrying out attacks.
Eight killed in Iran bomb attacks
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4642170.stm
Bomb blasts hit Iran oil cities
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4754446.stm
Bomb blasts rock Iran
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1141214.cms
Explosion kills 18 elite Rev. Guards of Iran
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/14/ap/world/mainD8N9D3600.shtml
Police, Insurgents Clash After Iran Bomb
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/17/ap/world/mainD8NB523G0.shtml
and on and on. We aren't just harboring terrorists, we are the terrorists-by-proxy.
earl @ 9:
That's not such a bad thing when you think about it. Most of them already want us out of Iraq.
"If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy." -- James Madison
Well James, It has come about.
Le Roi Est Mort @ 11:
Well whenever Christ or the 12th Imam, depending on whether you're Christian or Islamic, returns to fix things. We have Bush who is a 'born-again" Christian(yeah....right) and Ahmadinejad who is a Twelver Shi'a. Both of whom are trying to hurry things along to Armageddon. Personally I don't put much weight into prophecies.
Bush should talk about unelected people making decisions for a country. What a two faced double standard dick.... It is time to charge him and his Hench-men and women with the war crimes committed against the people he has murdered in vein. War for oil is not protecting America. He is not for your wellbeing........
Impeach the cheerleader, save the world.
L.A. Confidential @ 6:
Pelosi is protecting us from the Constitution.
arjay @ 34:
HAHAHAHA! Now THAT was good!
Dr. Matt @ 24:
Terrorists = caused 9/11 = Whom ever chimp calls terrorists are, so that's covered.
Le Roi Est Mort @ 11:
When americans actually do something, opposed to believing the tripe.
earl @ 9:
I'd say 10-15 is rather high, and probably an even lower number has any idea of what the CIA did with coup there.
Bob in N. Thailand @ 16:
Unfortunately, this was my take away from the Frontline program as well...the world will band together against the US (us) and heaven help us.
Every Morning I wake up and hope that it has been a bad dream that Bush and Cheney have been
running this country.These have been a very tough 7 years being an American under these
War profiteers.I hope our national nightmare will be over soon .Hillary would seem like disney land compared to this
Unless of course we get Guilianni-Then all bets are off
Peace, Jason
The plan all along was to bring a hardliner to power in Iran. See, Cons need enemies and boogeymen. Without them, the Cons are powerless. They tag them as evil then use it as excuse to launch some epic struggle for the very soul of the world.
Of course, it's just a lucky coincidence that the Cons (and their corporate masters) usually make gobs and gobs of cash once the struggle begins.
Ruthless People @ 35:
She's protecting herself.
Brawlin_Dem @ 40:
Epic struggle for their bank accounts.
As long as oil prices are rising, Bush and Putin are happy.
arjay @ 34:
I love you.
The bible prophesies the anti-Christ will come in God's name to destroy the world. Bush is the anti-Christ in the scripture. The ChristOfascist 24 percenters are too stupid to know they are supporting the devil.
Allow me to condense the article: If Clinton had taken one of the many opportunities to get bin Laden, 9/11 wouldn't have happened and we wouldn't be in this mess.
bornking @ 43:
The little self employed guy pumping 10 barrels a day in Texas is happy too.
"Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. A third time is a conspiracy." I forget which person said this, but in this case it couldn't be more appropriate. The Bush Cabal isn't the stumbling, bumbling American version of Inspector Clouseau, missing every opportunity to do something right. This has all been deliberate from the start. You simply cannot have as many 'misadventures' as it has without doing something right, purely by accident if nothing else, once in a while. To paraphrase Frederick the Great, their modus operandi appears to be "Malice! malice! Always malice!"
The U.S. and Iran haven't had a diplomatic relations for the last 30 years. How the hell are they supposed to talk? All that's left is speeches and bluster.
Watch Israel and Syria. That's the key.
Syria and Iran have a mutual defense agreement. Israel will try bombing Syria again with America's blessings in order to pull the whole region into wider conflict.
If you don't have any actual enemies create your own! Then you can do whatever you want in the name of "safety" and "peace" when the fact is that all you really want are profits and war. Pretty much standard procedure for the current administration.
Start a fight, when you're caught, blame the other guy and use the fight you started as the reason you now have to "defend" yourself by striking first.
If you look closely enough you can actually see the little dollar signs in the eyes of the neocon scumbags as they spew their war rhetoric on tv.
reyvn @ 44:
Seconded. :)
Joementum @ 30:
Actually, here in red-state-land, most know they are different, but all they think they know is that Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb. The first thing out of everyone's mouth is we invaded the wrong country. Missed it by one letter (they even say that line occasionally on the local news). Even while there is not a lot of support for Iraq here, there is widespread support for bombing Iran. Mention Iran anywhere around here (and I do often) and you'll hear 'we ought to turn Iran into a glass parking lot' and all that ignorant crap.
"Frankly, we consider al Qaeda an American creation. So, did 9/11 take place to justify Mr. Bush's next moves? We believe it paved the way for the Neocons to take the actions they did: invade Afghanistan, invade Iraq, and invading Iran was in the works as well" (unidentified Iranian spokesperson in clip).
Yes, sir. Precisely. So how did you get that by the C&L censors?
L.A. Confidential @ 41:
You got that right.
When Pelosi is faces with a GOP induced constitutional crisis she either stares like a deer caught in the headlights or blinks herself into a seizure. Hopefully Cindy Sheehan...or anybody who will stand up to the GOP...will challenge her because Pelosi sure as hell ain't up to the task. We need a Murtha or a Webb as Speaker. Pelosi is in over her head.
phayce @ 53:
That unidentified person is an Iranian newspaper editor. You should watch the entire thing online at the PBS site.
That entire video is from the first half of the show. I also made a mash-up of the second half that is even more damning for Bushco.
Bush's Push For a "Showdown With Iran" highlights (2 of 2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXHKxuW7RnU
And welcome to the majority view of the country and the attitude that is felt around the world from the US.
The irony being that for a country that is called the United States, the only they they have united is the rest of the world against them (past tense it's happened and a few years ago, it's just some are waking up to it now, most wont).
A lot of them even have the same flag, it's just the same as the stars and strips, just on fire ........
Ya don't have to be a weatherman to see which way the wind is blowing!
>Joementum @ 30:
earl @ 9:
Seriously, what percentage of US consumers …errr citizens actually know the difference between Iraq and Iran?
That’s not such a bad thing when you think about it. Most of them already want us out of Iraq.
>Actually, here in red-state-land, most know they are different, but all they think they know is that Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb. The first thing out of everyone’s mouth is we invaded the wrong country. Missed it by one letter (they even say that line occasionally on the local news). Even while there is not a lot of support for Iraq here, there is widespread support for bombing Iran. Mention Iran anywhere around here (and I do often) and you’ll hear ‘we ought to turn Iran into a glass parking lot’ and all that ignorant crap.
Just plain scary.
Do they know that one country over there that starts with "I" already has TONS of nukes ...?
knowing Cheney and Bush, they'll probably bomb the crap out
of Iran, with all their personal assets already overseas in Dubai,
they'll go live happily ever after while America gets nuked by
Russia and China. Then, they'll have their N.A.U.
Well, wait just a minute here. If al Qaeda can start those forest fires in CA, well, then anything the burning bush says could be true!
They are right. We are drunk with power. If you listen to the actual text of speeches that come out of the Middle East, 90 percent of their rhetoric is...well, pretty much on the mark. Does that make me a "T" lover? No. It just means that America is NOT the sole purveyor of truth. Nor are we the greatest country in the world, nor the most democratic, nor the most compassionate.
We are, as the past 8 years or so has so clearly illuminated, a highly flawed society.
Jerry @ 56:
You should at least link to Robert Newman instead of just plagiarizing him. ;)
Robert Newman's 'The History of Oil'
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5267640865741878159
Carrot and Schtick @ 10:
==============
I'm voting for Kucinich in the primaries, but if Stephen Colbert gets the Democratic nomination, then so be it!
I would vote for Colbert for president if my choices were Colbert-Independent, Clinton-Democrat and Giulliani-Republican.
Think about it...
I can't conceive we are now going to war against Iran. It makes me sick.
Gee I never heard from the msm that Iran helped us destroy the Taliban. This is how we thank them? As soon as they helped us and denounced terrorists we call them part of the "axis of evil" and threaten them daily. No wonder they hate us. The 24%ers should have to watch this over and over again until they get it. bush screwed Iran over big time and destroyed any hope for diplomacy. That the WH claims that they are trying diplomacy first is now without a doubt a proven LIE. Why would they trust us again? For the first time in forever they had stopped their "death to America" to help us and this is their reward.
Jerry @ 56:
For the record....that isn't me. There seems to be another Jerry.
Bit NOLA @ 15:
Damn right they do!
justabill @ 62:
You should at least link to Robert Newman instead of just plagiarizing him. ;)
Robert Newman's 'The History of Oil'
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5267640865741878159
True though I was being lazy ........... I'm now going to brand you a terrorist and invade all your posts for oil because of my warped religious views and C&L forum domination plans .......... any posts either side of you better watch out as they are likely supporting your cause ........ with err ........ bold tags and words, and err ....... other such terrorist things 9/11, 9/11, 9/11, 9/11 TERROR TERROR TERROR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR
Every one do as I say, bwhahahhahahahah for I am the one true chimp !!
scruzman, you're such a 'tard! Bush let bin Laden go at Tora Bora to justify invading Iraq. He then proceeds to ignore him, letting him conspire from his hideout in Pakistan, all the while using the threat of al Queda as a rallying cry for whatever madness Bush wants to invoke on the world. Bin laden is still there and yet Bush does nothing!!
Bush does not take bin Laden seriously! He uses him as an excuse to expand his unilateral executive authority, destroying the constitution for which he pretends to defend. Freedom is the buzzword for why we fight, and yet it is precisely these freedoms that Bush is slowly stripping away from America. If we allow the threat of terrorism to be the excuse to turn us into a fascist dictatorship, then what the hell are we fighting for anyway!
JerryO @ 65:
For the record....that isn't me. There seems to be another Jerry.
I'll post as JerryM if it helps.
Jerry @ 67:
Are you a Bush speechwriter? Or are you just plagiarizing them now? :lol:
Mad as Hell @ 68:
According to Faux News, so take it for what it's worth, Bush just did that same thing again.
scruzman @ 46:
Oh, back off! If Clinton had tried to unilaterily take out OBL the right would have >continued< to have conniption fits. Wake up!! Bushco had this plan in works with or without OBL.
This is total freakin' INSANITY!!!! Can we do a citizens arrest? Seriously.....is there such a thing? Or a citizens impeachment? We can no longer afford to wait for congress to do anything. It's getting too critical.
Wasting words I write..bush and the rest of the wankers should be kicked to the curb for gross incompetence at the least and jailed for their many crimes, impeachment would be just the beginning of the karma they have created. The tender of a diplomatic solution offered in good faith and respect by Iran was treated like a piecer of toilet paper by a bunch of fools who would rather have virtual reality orgasms when the bombs started falling than admit to impotence. They have shown to us all their complete lack of competence, integrity, or moral compass.
They chose the deaths of tens of thousands in Iraq, where unbeknown to most they were offered a solution that didn't entail invasion by Saddam himself prior to the start of the war that would have averted the tragedy we see unfold daily.
Now it is found that they have essentially done the same in Iran and nothing, nothing is done by those in government to stop this madness.
It is really time to get a little more serious about the way we protest, a lot more serious. I read somewhere lately that it takes only eleven percent of the populace to affect change but I don't see how..any ideas out there.
This is like watching the biggest, slowest trainwreck in history ...
justabill @ 70:
You must give up your keyboards and monitors only then will I be able to save you, there are millions of deadly virus' on the other side of your modem ....... ummm, and they want to eat your face, just like ........ err, the evil goat, yes that's it, best give me the logon to all your email accounts, it's what true patriots do ......
Other wise your an America hater and a terrorist.
(Then again hating/being dissapointed at what America has/is become ...... well, that kinda makes sense now)
scruzman @ 46:
That my friend is total bullshit. read my post those are the facts jack, none of this had to happen but not because of Clinton's failure to capture Osama
SITE MONITOR The vids no workee??
[They work for me]
justabill @ 71:
Aarrrrrgh!! Again Bush let him go! Unbelievable! If I hear somebody else blame Clinton for the mess we are in I am gonna shoot something. Many times.
JW @ 4:
I watched this program Tuesday night. I agree 100% with JW's assessment. I also never thought I would say the following: the religious fanatics in Iran are more rational than the ones in Washington.
I guarantee you this, the same people (neo-cons) that supported the war with Iraq, are going to be STUPID enough to support attacking Iran.
And by people, I mean the average person, not people in power. These are the hardcore Christian nut jobs who believe Bush is always right. Stupid political/religious nut jobs.
L.A. Confidential @ 17:
what planet are you on? fasicism is here now. you are one of the blind........
Ruthless People @ 45:
Not to mention the Caligula of the 21st century.
Stan @ 63:
I agree -- hell, I'm sure we all do: the question is, can Bush/Cheney conceive of going to war against Iran?
It almost seems like they said, "wait a minute, the Iranians are being nice, we can't have that, we need fear, do something quick to piss them off!"
centralilgirl @ 73:
Yes there is...it's called revolution...I know I'm not the only one who feels it comin either...