Iran-O-Maniac

"Our answer to those who are angry about Iran obtaining the full nuclear cycle is one phrase — we say: Be angry and die of this anger," Mr. Ahmadinejad said late on Wednesday, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Great diplomatic response from the Iranomaniac: eat chit and die, infidel! He sounds like Karnac's sidekick on an old Carson re-run. And we have to negotiate with this guy? Oh, geez ...

"Today, our situation has changed and we are a nuclear country and we are talking to others from that position," he said, adding that Iran would not retreat "one iota" from its intention to enrich uranium.

Pardon me for pointing this out, but the above is really not very good. While the notion of respect in that part of the world is notorious, Iranomaniac is putting it out there as blatantly as I've ever seen. Usually it's simply implied. Realizing we credit the Wizards of Mul-Oz with pulling this mutt's strings, these are statements leaving absolutely no room for walk back. That means for Iran's nuke program to go, Iranomaniac must go too, either from forces outside the country, or within. If you've noticed, from right off the bat, this Iran go round has had none of the subtlety of confronting Hussein's Iraq.

Upon his arrival, Dr. ElBaradei told reporters that he hoped he could "convince Iran to take confidence-building measures including suspension of uranium enrichment activities until outstanding issues are clarified."

Ah, the old elementary school guidance counselor approach. That oughta work!

Dr. ElBaradei held talks today with Ali Larijani, the chief nuclear negotiator. An I.A.E.A, spokeswoman, Melissa Fleming, told CNN in an interview broadcast from Tehran that no commitments to suspend enrichment were made by Iran "at this point."

Mr. Larijani said Iran would announce its position in two weeks, IRNA quoted him as saying. "Any measure by the nuclear agency or the Security Council should be within a logical framework so that it can offer a solution," he said without elaborating.

Logically, we'll blow your ass up if you go on, but already they are stalling for time on one hand while acknowledging more forward movement on another.

The deputy head of Iran's atomic energy organization, Muhammad Saeedi, said Wednesday that Iran would defy international pressure and rapidly expand its ability to enrich uranium for fuel by said pushing to put 54,000 centrifuges on line — a vast increase from the 164 the Iranians said Tuesday that they had used to enrich uranium to 3.5 percent.

And we know how much we can trust the Russians. Hopefully we learned that lesson through Iraq.

Today, the head of Russia's nuclear agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, flatly declared that Mr. Saeedi's plans for a quick increase in production was not realistic.

"Industrial uranium enrichment is out of the question," given the state of Iran's program, he told Russia's state news agency.

Enter the Chinese.

China announced today that it would send a high-level envoy to Tehran and Moscow for talks on the issue, according to Xinhua, the state news agency. "China is concerned about the statement by the Iranian side and is worried about the way in which things are developing," said Liu Jianchao, a Foreign Ministry spokesman.

...

Mr. Ahmadinejad, during his speech on Wednesday, also pointed to differences inside the country over Iran's nuclear program and vowed not to allow those concerns influence his decision-making.

"There are some coward elements who are trying to create differences among people," he said, ISNA quoted him as saying.

"They get together, talk and create propaganda and psychological war," Mr. Ahmadinejad said. "But we laugh at them. They call us and say that crisis is on the way, but we believe that the enemy has a crisis and we have no crisis in our country. Our people are brave."

Last I checked, brave people bleed and die, too. Sadly, I suspect many will before this is over.

Comments

[Laertes]

Good lord. Have you wingnuts cooked up ANOTHER war? Can't you clean up the other ones first?

[Cindy]

Interesting bit in Newsmax that Clinton and CIA gave nuclear plans(with purposeful flaws)to Russian scientist to leak to Iran. Seems he saw the flaws and fixed them for the Iranians. Will the MSM report this or call for an investigation?

[BILL G.]

CINDY YOU ARE AN IDIOT AN HAVE LISTENING TO THE "PILL PUSHER" FOR TOO LONG!!!!

[annie]

Come, come, Laertes

Now what would Jason say!!

[tester]

You know its bad if China gets involved.

[tester]

...go back to bed, sleepy giant.