They’re preparing themselves. I would have said preparing themselves for another republican president, but Obama has proved to be the same. Let’s all stop this facade of democracy it’s bull.

Yeah! How dare Iran test it’s defence capabilities in it’s own territory in the face of constant threat of attack from the US.

The nerve of some nations, I tell ya

The West!? The wool is so far over your eyes that you speak the language of sheep! :)) Baaaahhhh

Yeh, naval drills in their own territory, where would you get it?

Well, no. It’s up to you to come up with more examples of Iranian leaders talking about wiping people off the face of the Earth. All you’ve got is one very poor example of what you perceive to be the final goal of an entire nation. As a man of logic and reason, I know for a fact that Iran has no intention of committing suicide. That goes against human nature itself. Yes, Iran has a somewhat religious leadership, but that does not mean they are stupid enough to attempt to nuke Israel. Ridiculous.

You are in dire need of some rigourous de-brainwashing. Your big hero in the West needs this war to save herself and her economy, for another while at least. And without willing sheep like yourself to legitimise it, she wouldn’t have lasted this long.

I’m not coming out as a staunch, anti-Israel, pro-Iran sort of chap… I would just like to see some f*cking stability in this world

Mistranslation. He spoke of wiping the ‘Zionist regime’ off the face of Earth.

What he said was, “The Zionist regime must be removed”. And then there are many more examples of him talking about Palestinians deserving equal rights to Jews in that part of the world under a government shared by both groups. If anyone ever actually listened to him, he speaks a lot of sense.

As for holocaust denial, he speaks about having the right to ask questions about it and he questions why laws are necessary to protect the truth (holocaust denial laws) and that the truth needs no protection.

Yes Iran could go a long way in terms of equality and political freedom at home, but if that’s an excuse for attacking them, then let’s start with Saudi Arabia

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/27/israel.iran

Perfect example, read all the way down to the link where the Guardian corrects itself and then goes on to give the real translation.

@Imran Ali I too find the current anti-holocaust denial laws reprehensible, not on the basis of their existence, but for the political misuse of the law to prevent further study of the period and its horrors. However it is not for this Iranian madman to present himself as an upholder of free speech. He is a staunch Islamist fanatic, a person who does not uphold free speech but in reality suppresses it violently through murder and torture. He is not an upholder of equality (and what is free speech if it is reserved for a particular class). If I were to express my free speech by drawing a cartoon of Mohammad, this man would gladly have me killed. Your phrase that the Iranian gov is “somewhat religious” is a disturbing falsehood. Staunch Islam is not the friend of any nation, including liberal Muslim countries such as Bangladesh, it is the enemy of them and their evolution and prosperity.

You have a right to express your views but you should take a long hard look into your own conscience before supporting a person such as this who is nothing more than a tyrant and a killer. I do not trust the US, UK or particularly Israeli media/gov etc but more so I do not trust a person who I truly believe threatens the very survival of of millions of innocent non-Muslims and Muslims alike.

Imran Ali, I can laugh off your personal attacks on me, but seeing you describe yourself,with typical humility, as “a man of logic and reason” in the midst of the rubbish you have served up here is almost too much to bear. Nevertheless, I do hope you find the stability you crave.

@Jurisprudence… Ahmadinejad is no hero of mine, but I’m not buying the bogeyman rubbish

@Charles Mark…. So, no more wiping off the map comment examples then?

As I said in the first place, when has Ahmadinejad ever taken an opportunity to clarify his remarks? Or does he leave that sort of work to the Galloways of this world?

@Charles……Correct me if I’m wrong Charles, but you have just insinuated that the Guardian newspaper doesn’t mind acting as a propagandist mouthpiece for the Islamic Republic of Iran and is edited by George Galloway. Yes, he writes the odd article, but I don’t think he’s ever been editor.

Can I ask you one question…

Do you believe Iran is building a nuclear weapon, and that the sole purpose of this endeavour is to immediately fire it Israel’s way?

Imran Ali, You really are being disingenuous.Ahmadinejad has made many belligerent statements against Israel and is not the only Iranian leader to have done so.That much is clear even from the link you have provided and there is ample evidence elsewhere.Insofar as there is controversy about the precise translation of ONE of his statements,it is interesting that an official Iranian agency seems to have been the original source of the “misunderstanding” if there was one at all.As for the idea that a nuclear-armed Iran would promote stability? Mind-boggling!

The Iranian leadership has on numerous occasions stated it has no desire for conflict with any country. If Ahmadinejad came out in the morning and clarified his comment personally, you still wouldn’t believe him anyway. If you look at the words of his statement you see the word “rezhim” which translates into ‘regime’.. Case closed IMO…. It’s a bit of a stretch to say he wants to nuke Israel, don’t you think? And the mistranslated quote in question is the one being bandied about by the more hawkish republican candidates in the US to win votes, nothing more than fear-mongering bs.

Don’t you find it a bit odd that a country would come out and state it’s future intention to wipe a country off the map, when the most logical course of action would be to shut up and attempt to use the element of surprise? I mean, the Japanese never stated their intention to wipe the US pacific fleet off the map, nor did the US state they were going to wipe Hiroshima/Nagasaki off the map.

And do not but words in my mouth( that seems to be the problem in the first place), I never once said I want to see Iran armed with nukes. If they were, of course the deterrent effect would probably create stability, but it would be best if nobody had them. Anyway, I don’t even believe they’re building them.

Anyway, as far as I can see, China & Russia seem to be very much opposed to any further sanctions against Iran…. And some elements within have stated they will act in the event of an attack on Iran. Probably just talk, but it’s good that they state their opposition. Looks like the US needs to come up with something better than a Persian used car salesman/pisshead recruited by the republican guard to kill that Saudi diplomat that time, lol.

Imran Ali, You talk about words being put in mouths! Show me where I said Iran or Ahmadinejad want to “nuke” Israel or its regime? Where did I suggest that wiping people off the face of the Earth was the final goal of the entire Iranian nation? I am well aware that there are very many brave and decent people in Iran who don’t support their leadership, whatever its aims might be. My point is that bearing in mind his belligerent statements against Israel, (or the “Zionist Entity” if you prefer) the development of nuclear and missile technology is a grave matter. I stand over that entirely. I wonder did you take Ahmadinejad at his word when he spoke about Gays in Iran- you can read all about it in the Guardian:

:http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/07/iran-executes-men-homosexuality-charges

I don’t know whether you’re for Iran or against America or both? I don’t accept you’re the “man of logic and reason ” who just wants stability in this world. I’ve read enough of your contributions on this Website ( including some that were subsequently deleted ) to know that your’s is not an objective voice in these matters. ( Neither is mine but I try to keep it civil). Nor do I know how you became such an expert on geopolitics and military strategy?

You said: “When the President of a country talks of wiping another country off the map then the development of missile and nuclear technology by the former is a grave matter”…. Explain that comment if I took it up wrong. To me it sounds as though you you’re worried Iran are going to nuke Israel. ….Anyway, in my last post I meant it was a stretch for those who believe it to say that Iran wants to nuke Israel.

You have not proven to me (or yourself) that he said that, nor is it a rock-hard fact that Iran is actively building a nuclear weapon. Therefore, you have clearly become a victim of the information war going on to garner support for an attack on Iran. Not only are you a victim, you’re now also part of the problem as you perpetuate this rubbish.

As for gays in Iran, of course it is terrible that most Islamic countries have similar attitudes, none more extreme than Saudi Arabia it would be fair to say. Yes he said that about gays, and I believe him. But I also believe him when he’s says he does not want to attack any country. Just because he wants to kills gays, doesn’t mean he wants to wipe out Israel.

It’s the “Zionist regime”, which many people of all faiths and none would argue is a racist, fascist regime of an ideology based on myth, which supports an apartheid system and is no better than the Nazis they themselves claim to despise. Belligerent statements (none ever explicitly saying Iran intend an attack the regime militarily) are understandable coming from the Islamic world, that’s unfortunately simply the way it is there, and is nothing new.

As for you wanting to know my position, I would be glad to explain to you. I stand with the people in conflicts. I pity the Iranians as much as I pity Americans. Both peoples are victims of their respective governments either bleeding them dry or oppressing them to benefit but a few. I pity the Israelis who have been so brainwashed into their belief that they are ‘home’….and the Palestinians who have lost theirs. Religion has no place in the modern world, and particularly no place in the running of a country. These Islamic theocracies in the ME disgust me, you already know my stance on the “Zionist Entity” and also what is disgusting is that recently, every US President and candidate make their faith a pillar of their campaign for office. Thank ‘God’ Ireland and much of Europe packed in that crap long ago.

Yes, I stand by my claim of being a man of logic. You haven’t addressed any of the reasonable points I have put
forth to you. All you have done really is back-tracked somewhat and brought up gays and previous, deleted comments. Please, inform me of their content and I would be glad to explain and defend my position. I stand by everything I ever said on this site.

Now, I have already stated that Ahmadinejad is no hero of mine. I’m getting the impression you think otherwise – which is not surprising given the fact that you like to jump to your own conclusions without further investigation. The whole point of my commenting here is that I am sick to death of people lapping up the rubbish on western media without question. Things are not black or white, there is always something between. I do not want to see America destroyed, or Western civilisation. But as we continue on down the path of attacking countries on the basis of what they MIGHT be up to, then the US and her allies are only accelerating their inevitable demise.

And you don’t need to be an expert on military strategy to know that committing suicide in order to achieve your goals is probably not the wisest course of action

Certain Islamic fundamentalists have used suicide to advance their goals, probably most often against other Muslims, or have been willing to sacrifice innocent Muslims for political reasons (9/11 for example). That does not mean Iran is likely to “commit suicide” by “nuking Israel” but it’s not irrelevant either.
I don’t know with “rock-hard” certainty or anything like it what the Iranian leadership is up to or is planning but I have eyes, ears and a brain and I have seen, heard and read enough to know that the World should be on it’s guard. And I know one thing for sure: if they don’t have them they can’t use them.
I find it hard to comprehend that you believe what Ahmadinejad says about Gays in Iran.
I never said Galloway was editor of the Guardian. I used him as an example of someone willing to disseminate propaganda for the Islamic Republic of Iran, through Press TV in his case.
You seem conflicted about the place of religion in the World. You say “Islamic theocracies in the ME disgust me” but you grudgingly acknowledge that “Iran has a somewhat religious leadership”!!! You refer to the “Islamic world” thereby defining part of the planet by its predominant adherence to one particular religion, a religion that happens to be rather less tolerant of diversity than, to take a random example, modern Christianity.
Comparing Israel to Nazi Germany is odious, wildly disproportionate and typically offensive.Israel is not perfect, far from it, but to put it on a par with a group that attepted the industrialised extermination of the Jewish people and others is conyemptible.
I’m not going to tell you about your deleted posts. You know all about them already. Suffice it to sat that I don’t believe I have ever referred to any person or group on this Website as animals (porcine or otherwise).
I have no wish to see an attack on Iran. I would dearly love to see a more moderate regime there;I suspect a secular one is too much to hope for.
Have you any point, reasonable or otherwise, that you consider I havn’t addressed?

A few typos towards the end of my last comment for which I humbly apologise to anyone still following this.

Ah come on, the job of committing individual suicide in warfare is always left to the lowest ranks. I said “strategy”, not “tactic”. You’ve raised a completely irrelevant issue here now.….. Iran’s leadership is not going to sacrifice itself, you acknowledge that.….Which is basically the whole point I’m making. I don’t see why you brought up suicide bombers into the conversation, you more than likely said to yourself “ah, I might as well throw that in there as well”

And what do you find hard to comprehend? I said I believe Ahmadinejad and Khomeini when they say they gays will be killed. I believe they are capable of that, I didn’t say I agree with it. I thought I made that clear, I have now anyway. They also said gays don’t exist in Iran… Is that what you thought I said I believed?

I referred to Iran’s leadership as “Somewhat religious” because, as I have already touched upon…. The only reason religion is used in politics and government is as a tool to control the masses. I don’t think all of Iran’s leadership is driven by some divine responsibility to kill Jews or whatever. Iran’s leadership, like any other, has internal power-struggles, conflicting points of view and is as fractious as any other.

I certainly do believe the Islamic world is centuries behind the rest of us in terms of human development, evolution of mind and contribution to the progression of humanity. I put a large part of this down to religion, but external interference also has to be taken into consideration. No-one came rolling into Ireland with tanks and guns in order to liberate the masses from the paedophilic grip of the church and those women terrorised and shunned by her peers, and sent to a workhouse for the crime of having been raped and getting pregnant out of wedlock or something. I know Islam is a different ball-game, but the point I’m making is that change must always come from within. These constant threats towards Iran do nothing but galvanise most of society, including the moderates, against the external threat.

Ah, you refer to my calling Avigdor Liebermann a sub-human swine. I acknowledge and stand firmly behind that. Also, there was an article where I thought my comments were deleted and asked why in a post, but in fact in was something to do with the app. All of my comments were present on the internet site: http://www.thejournal.ie/palestinian-militants-fire-rockets-into-israel-after-airstrike-on-gaza-301359-Dec2011/
On the topic of Israel being compared to Nazi Germany;

Israel is a country where you are afforded more rights depending on your race/creed

Palestinians are being systematically removed from their homes

Arabs who do assimilate into Israel are treating as 2nd class

Very similar ideologies, “Master Race” .. “God’s Chosen” ring a bell?…..”Goyim are swine”….”Jews are swine”….blah blah blah

There are more, but on the topic of gassing of Jews, the only thing stopping Israel from rolling in and killing another 1000 or so innocent victims is world opinion and the bad publicity. The number killed may be proportionally less than whatever the number of Jews killed in WWII, but that really is irrelevant. Like the Nazis, the Zionists would kill as many as they feel necessary to further the Zionist cause. Just listen to the tripe coming out of the mouths of the most hard-line of Rabbis in Israel, and they are getting more support politically…..mainly from settlers who are making it their business to procreate their way to domination. There is little difference between them and the Muslim extremist nutjobs.

Anyway, I think this has run it’s course. I’m still not sure if you believe the ‘wipy off the mappy’ comment or not, but anyway, I’ve done my best. You have said you don’t think Iran would use a nuclear weapon on Israel, but you don’t want to see Iran have the bomb (I’d prefer nobody did, but that’s just me) so in hindsight, perhaps a better initial comment out of you would have been along the lines of “Even though I don’t think Iran would use the bomb………………..and the rest(with less affirmative statements)………..”

Actually Iran would be a formidable foe in the event of armed conflict. A very different prospect than Iraq was. Of course it’s not good for the world that this bickering is going on between them.

It’s better for the like of Iran to be threatened with WMDs than us so? All or none should have that capability!