Ship en route to Iran tests WMD proliferation deal

NNN0LHI

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Apr-28-05 10:52 AM
Original message

Ship en route to Iran tests WMD proliferation deal

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5732030&cKey=1114701634000

BERLIN (Reuters) - A German crane on a ship to Iran is testing a U.S.-led global agreement to combat the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

Three weeks after the ship left Hamburg and a day before it was due in Iran, it appeared unlikely that Germany or the U.S. navy could stop the crane being delivered to what Berlin has belatedly identified as a blacklisted Iranian company suspected of making ballistic missiles.

A Western diplomat said Washington was closely following the case as a test for its Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI).

That accord was unveiled by President George W. Bush in 2003 as a collective global effort to stop "shipments of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials worldwide."

more

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

leveymg

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Apr-28-05 10:59 AM
Response to Original message

1. My,isn't this just redolent of Cuba, October 1961?

Edited on Thu Apr-28-05 11:02 AM by leveymg

Only a German crane isn't a Russian ballistic missile. Won't stop them from trying to evoke the imagery, however. Will we see Bolton in his initial role before the UN with a pointer and charts playing Adlai Stevenson?

The thought is almost Dr. Strangelove funny, if we weren't really headed for a major war in the Middle East.

:bounce: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :dunce: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :grr:

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

bemildred

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Apr-28-05 11:09 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. Yeah, that popped up in my mind too. nt

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

leveymg

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Apr-28-05 11:36 AM
Response to Reply #2

3. It's just a trial balloon for the Russian nuclear rods that are scheduled

to arrive in Iran at the end of June.

The options narrow for Sharon, if he's serious that the Bushehr(say that word aloud) reactor will never go critical.

My guess (hope) is that the Russians will blink, and some new technical or contract difficulty arises to further delay delivery. Of course, that leaves all those underground centrifuges still spinning separating out the weapons grade uranium. Those are the real targets of all those new bunker busters we've been shipping to the Israeli Air Force.

One way or the other, this is going critical.

:bounce:

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

bemildred

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Apr-28-05 11:40 AM
Response to Reply #3

4. I doubt it actually, I think this is bluster.

But you never know with these loons.
I'd like to hear what Pooty-Poot had to say to Sharon
on the subject of Iran in private, but I don't expect to
be so lucky.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

leveymg

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Apr-28-05 11:55 AM
Response to Reply #4

5. I think Sharon is fully capable of pulling the pin.

He has a lot of blood on his hands, Israeli as well as Palestinian. Tbe Iranians lost a million or more in the war with Iraq - they're blooded as well. I think the central players aren't bluffing.

I hope like hell I'm wrong about this. I'd be really happy, in fact, if this goes away, and Bush and Putin come off as shrewd peacemakers, a la Kennedy and Krushchev.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

bemildred

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Apr-28-05 01:18 PM
Response to Reply #5

6. Oh, I'm not saying he wouldn't, Osirak makes that clear enough. nt

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

DU AdBot (1000+ posts)

Thu May 02nd 2024, 07:52 AM
Response to Original message

Advertisements [?]

Top

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators

Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.