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Iran warns Israel on pre-emptive strikes
By Anton La Guardia, Diplomatic Editor
(Filed: 19/08/2004)

Iran warned America and Israel last night that it was ready to launch pre-emptive strikes to stop them attacking its nuclear facilities.

Ali Shamkhani, the Iranian defence minister, said the presence of American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan was not a threat to Teheran. On the contrary, American soldiers were now "hostages" to Iran.
    
The Bushehr reactor in Iran
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2004/08/19/wiran19a.jpg)

His comments came as America and Britain decided to increase diplomatic pressure on Iran to curb its nuclear programme. However, they agreed to delay any move to impose sanctions until after November's presidential election in America.

Iran says it has an "indisputable right" to nuclear technology for civilian purposes, but America is convinced that this is a cover for producing atomic weapons.

The crisis has intensified since June when Iran partly reneged on an agreement with European countries to suspend its uranium enrichment programme. Last week, Teheran made a show of testing its 800-mile range Shahab-3 missiles, saying it had improved their accuracy.

On Monday, it threatened to attack Israel's nuclear reactor at Dimona if Israel tried to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities as it did Saddam Hussein's Osiraq nuclear reactor in 1981 - often held up as the model for effective pre-emptive action.

In the latest outburst, Mr Shamkhani told the al-Jazeera satellite television network: "We will not sit (with our arms folded) to wait for what others will do to us.

"Some military commanders in Iran are convinced that preventive operations which the Americans talk about are not their monopoly.

"America is not the only one present in the region. We are also present, from Khost to Kandahar in Afghanistan; we are present in the Gulf and we can be present in Iraq."

The governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency will meet in Vienna next month to discuss a catalogue of Iranian breaches of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Hardline members of the Bush administration demand that Iran be reported to the United Nations for possible sanctions.

But, meeting privately at a barbecue in Washington last weekend, Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, and Colin Powell, the secretary of state, decided to avoid an immediate confrontation with Teheran.

Several sources said they opted instead for a step-by-step strategy that would result in a referral to the UN Security Council only at the atomic agency's board meeting in November or even March next year.

After more than a year of inspections to uncover the scale of Iran's nuclear programme, Teheran raised the stakes this summer by resuming production, assembly and testing of uranium enrichment centrifuges - key equipment that can make fissile material for nuclear power reactors or nuclear weapons.

Closer, and closer we come to God. Looks like the day will be coming soon.
Go in peace with God.
DW

I saw this too.  You will need a subscription, but it is free :

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/20/international/middleeast/20iran.html

I hope this is just saber rattling.

Pray for peace !

Alnilam

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps last week demonstrated the integration of a system that turns the Shihab-3 intermediate-range ballistic missile from a flying metal tube into a deadly weapon against Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United States, reports Geostrategy-Direct, the global intelligence news service.

The Shihab-3's problem has not been its range, but its accuracy. With a range of 1,400 kilometers, it can reach anywhere in Iraq, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

But the missile, based on the North Korean No Dong, was not accurate.

The Iranians appeared to have changed all that. Tehran has procured and integrated a Chinese missile navigation system into the Shihab-3 apparently based on the Global Positioning System, or GPS.

In one test, the Iranians skipped a generation in technology and posed a threat to U.S. interests throughout the Middle East.

As WorldNetDaily reported, in 1995, the Clinton administration approved the sale of GPS technology directly to a company owned by the Chinese Air Force.

"The Iranians wanted to overcome the lack of accuracy in their missiles so they didn't have to target cities," a U.S. intelligence source said.

"Although the Iranians talked tough, targeting cities posed a political problem for them. Now the Iranians can strike Israeli military and U.S. military targets in Iraq if Teheran's nuclear weapons program is struck. Naturally, the Iranians are ecstatic."

The Shihab-3 could incorporate a nuclear weapon and Teheran has been working hard to develop its first indigenous atomic bomb. Iran has been getting plenty of assistance from China, North Korea, Pakistan and Russia.

North Korea has been the greatest of help, and many in the U.S. intelligence community have concluded that Iran and North Korea have informally linked both their long-range missile as well as nuclear weapons programs.

The next step will probably be a launch of the new Shihab-3 missile. This could occur in a few weeks if the Iranian leadership feels it would help deter Israel and the United States. Stay tuned.

Iran could have nukes in the near future :

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6023212

I found a similar article in the N.Y.Times, but this one doesn't need a subscription.  So, do we invade Iran next, we're next door right now ?

Pray for peace

Alnilam

Nah! We leave it up to Israel.  ;D

And that is what will probably kick off the big shindig!!

Scenario:

About a month before Iran can finish production of their first nuke warhead, Israel will go pre-emptive. Instead of just taking out their nuke plant, though, they'll dump all over the military bases and Tehran itself.

Syria will then immediately launch a bunch of scuds with bios and chemicals that it got from Saddam just before his ignominious end.

Saudi Arabia and Jordan will join ranks with Syria, but Egypt will stay out of it. Sudan will send Janjaweed to swell the ranks, and Israel will suddenly find itself completely surrounded.

Meantime, Pakistan will be attempting to smuggle warheads to Syria and Jordan, and into Lebanon.

Where's the U.S.?  Got it's hands full with China using the diversion to invade Taiwan, and N. Korea moving on Seoul again....except this time with their own nukes.

"Keep your eyes on the skies"

That sounds about right to me.

See what happens with Democrats. :'(

Though somethings have happened with Republicans, as well. Just not as bad as the Democrats.

I have been watching this for a while now and thinking almost the exact same scenario Evangelist.   The dominos are certainly stacked in that general arrangment.   I'm expecting major fireworks in the next few years if the Lord tarries.

Grace and Peace!