There is no dearth of information and commentary on the Internet regarding a recently declassified Defense Department report acknowledging Iranian missiles could reach well into our borders by 2015. I randomly chose Reuters for a link.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUST...edName=topNews

Iran has worked with North Korea since the 1980's on missile delivery systems. They have also worked with China and Russia to enhance their missile arsenal and capabilities. At a 2005 Tehran conference entitled "World without Zionism", Ahmadinejad asked, "Is it possible for us to witness a world without America and Zionism?" The boogie man than added, "But you had best know that this slogan and this goal are attainable, and, surely can be achieved." In a chilling summary, Ahmadinejad concluded that Iran had a strategic, "war preparation plan" for what it called the "destruction of Anglo-Saxon civilization". Hmmm....and just who does he mean by Anglo-Saxons? What exactly is there about those comments and Iran's obvious push for nuclear weapons and delivery systems that the Obama administration does not understand.

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnal...aspx?id=530803

If my interpretation of recent current events is correct, Obama has been insulting our allies, most recently scolding President Karzai of Afghanistan, and Israel, our front line of defense in the Middle East. while bowing and flirting coyly with his best new friends and our avowed enemies.

The Really Scary Part - Further, incredibly and/or depending on your perspective...insidiously, the Obama administration quietly cancelled the Airborne Laser aircraft program. As knowledgeable, astute TOTV posters, you might ask, "What was that all about" and you would learn that the Airborne Laser program involved modified 747-F aircraft that fly off the Iranian coast and would have the capability of "vaporizing" and missile launch from Iran early in the launching phase. Google Airborne Laser for any additional reference you may need including its recent cancellation by the Obama administration.

What great Obama strategy in the interest of national security, is at work here? How does reducing and eliminating our Mideast missile defenses in the face of aggressive Iranian pursuit of nuclear weapons and delivery systems capable of reaching our shores make me sleep better at night. How does this "strategy" comfort my concerns for my children and grandchildren?

If I was a doomsayer, I would probably say that this regime's strategy runs parallel with it's financial calamities. After all, we are not exceptional and maybe he wants to level all playing fields both financially and militarily to prove his ridiculous statements.

Excellent articles cabo35. Scary stuff. Mahmoud Ahmadinjad doesn't speak in a secret code, or mince his words when he speaks about his Shiite religious beliefs. It is a code they live by. Their lives are centered around the coming of the Islamic Messiah known as the “Twelfth Imam” or the “Mahdi."

Ahmadinjad ends his speeches by praying for Allah to hasten the coming of “the Promised One,” the Islamic Messiah also known as the “Twelfth Imam” or the “Mahdi.”

It is not a secret that this leader of a country who may even now hold nuclear powers believes the end of the world is quickly approaching and the way to hasten the coming of the Messiah is to launch a global jihad to annihilate Israel and the United States.

Ahmadinjad says he has contact with the Mahdi through prayers and he believes the Mahdi is giving him special instruction to prepare Islam for his arrival and the apocalyptic war to annihilate Judeo-Christian civilization.

Of course, Obama's background is based on the Kenyan Muslim sect Sunnis which is comprised of about 90 percent of the world's Muslims. Ironically, the same religion of Osama Bin Ladin.

To put it as simple as I can, with my limited reading and understanding of the subject, the Iranian Shiite Muslims believe the Mahdi was here on earth and disappeared. They are waiting on his second coming. The Sunnis Muslims(Obama's father's religion and the religion of his mother, are also waiting on the coming of the Mahdi, but it will be the first coming of this savior of Islam.

Not trying to be controversial or throw out conspiracy theories. Just the facts. I guess Obama could explain it better than I.

Please give this video 1 minute and 39 seconds...

...then you will see the kind of straight talk, and leadership that we desperately need in Washington.

The first few "non-answers" are sadly pathetic examples of what we have been getting lately.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkGQmCZjJ0k&feature=related[/ame]

That is exactly right. Thanks Allen. I admire when someone is able to get right to the meat of a subject without giving it a facelift so to speak.

Originally Posted by Allen

Please give this video 1 minute and 39 seconds...

...then you will see the kind of straight talk, and leadership that we desperately need in Washington.

The first few "non-answers" are sadly pathetic examples of what we have been getting lately.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkGQm...eature=related

Thanks for a great link Allen.

And thanks to CABO for starting what I think may be the most meaninful thread in quite some time !

This is one scary thing that is going on now. I have said on here and other spots that while I could not be more critical of this President on domestic affairs, I would try to cut him a break on foreign affairs.

HOWEVER, this is scary...we seem hell bent on changing the USA attitude toward the middle east. We seem to want to talk nice and never threaten or condemn those who threaten the region with nuclear war....who publicly say that is what they want..but talk tough to Israel. This is scary to me..we have a get tough policy on Israel, but no policy on Iran.

This subject matter is so scary I would ask our liberal friends and those who support this President in addition to those who do not and are on the right to treat this subject with some respect if that even makes sense.

This subject should not be politicized because a mistake could mean things that none of us what to think about.

I welcome those who support what this President is doing in foreign affairs to please give a beacon of hope to those of us who are truely afraid. The direction we are headed is not a good one !

I just want to say that I never felt nervous with George Bush as president. I always felt that he always had the best interests of the country in his heart.
I'm sorry but this regime makes my stomach feel queasy. I really hope these bimbo's don't step on doo doo.

The left will, for the most part deny that our president is a coward, but I fully avow that is true. He would rather defend any muslim nation, give any accolade, stand behind anyone but those nations who have proven themselves over the years to be our best allies. In my opinion, his cowardice comes from his upbringing, having had no real father. The man has some deep psychological problems that have never been addressed, and was elected to office by those who blindly thought "change was a coming," well they were right about that part. Let us hope that the change does not include the balance of nuclear warheads in our enemies favor, for once a missile is launched, or a bomb dropped it is impossible to bring it back. Our very own United States stands at the precipice of an implosion politically and economically and this administration is fumbling the ball on every opportunity. Our very lives may be at stake and they have no idea that "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me," is a volatile lie preached by those that really do want to do us harm as well as every other freedom loving country on the globe.

It's hard to figure out what's real in Iran.

After all, a senior cleric there says earthquakes have been caused by slutty women.

Ahmedinejad also said 3 days ago that Iran's military was so powerful that no country would dare attack it. He went on to extoll the primacy of their forces. This from the military that couldn't do better than a stalemate against Iraq which fell in days to U.S. forces.

How much is real? How much is bluster? We may never know.

Originally Posted by djplong

It's hard to figure out what's real in Iran.

After all, a senior cleric there says earthquakes have been caused by slutty women.

Ahmedinejad also said 3 days ago that Iran's military was so powerful that no country would dare attack it. He went on to extoll the primacy of their forces. This from the military that couldn't do better than a stalemate against Iraq which fell in days to U.S. forces.

How much is real? How much is bluster? We may never know.

WE just need to be careful how we handle Iran AND Israel.

You may diminish Iran's capabilities, but it only requires ONE..JUST ONE nuclear device to kill an awful lot of folks

No kidding. It's not like we have a crystal ball. Of all the nations in the Middle East, who would you have thought to be the only one since the 1960s to actually attack our military forces?

Sure, everyone remembers the Exocet missile that hit the Stark. Iraq said it was an accident and that they supposedly punidhed/executed the pilot. ...though that story changed a bit years later when the U.S. came out against Saddam.

But not too many people remember the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty at the opening of the Six Day War. This wasn't just one lone pilot. This was a combined air and sea assault. Later Israel would officially claim they didn't identify the Libery as an American ship but there are many skeptics. The theory goes that the Israelis didn't want the American ship spying and gather intelligence about Israeli military movements - thinking the U.S. might share some of that information with Arab nations in an attempt to diffuse the conflict.

That region of the world has been a catbox practically since time began.

Originally Posted by djplong

No kidding. It's not like we have a crystal ball. Of all the nations in the Middle East, who would you have thought to be the only one since the 1960s to actually attack our military forces?

Sure, everyone remembers the Exocet missile that hit the Stark. Iraq said it was an accident and that they supposedly punidhed/executed the pilot. ...though that story changed a bit years later when the U.S. came out against Saddam.

But not too many people remember the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty at the opening of the Six Day War. This wasn't just one lone pilot. This was a combined air and sea assault. Later Israel would officially claim they didn't identify the Libery as an American ship but there are many skeptics. The theory goes that the Israelis didn't want the American ship spying and gather intelligence about Israeli military movements - thinking the U.S. might share some of that information with Arab nations in an attempt to diffuse the conflict.

That region of the world has been a catbox practically since time began.

I am not sure what the relavence of bringing up the USS Liberty in this discussion at all...makes me wonder about motivation. But, if you are going to bring it up...

Israili jets responded to shelling from the sea....and they attacked the Liberty, then the Liberty was attacked by torpedo boats AFTER being fired upon by the Liberty.

When the Liberty was identified everyone stopped firing and came to thier assistance.

Since that time there have been SIX United States investigations into the attack since then, the last being in 1992. All SIX investigations confirmed it was a case of mistaken identity.

Tragic, but just wanted to get some FACTS on here rather than conspiracy theories and implications for whatever reason you may have !

I was going to post until I saw yours.

Almadinanutjob holds the US at bay. Washington representatives (again a loosely used term) squander months trying to determine how to not upset anybody in the mid east. Just think what Almadinanutjob could accomplish if he had a nuke that could reach the USA.....

I have no confidence Obama or the rest of Washington will do anything appropriate if the US or it's assets elsewhere were ever attacked. NONE!!!

We are the paper tiger....not respected as we once were. And that is totally an Obama accomplishment....100%.

btk

I re-read my post and you're right - it sounds like I might have had an anti-Israel agenda with it.

Let me state that my point was to demonstrate how difficult it is to predict much of anything in that corner of the world.

We thought Saddam had WMDs (heck, we had the paper trail from selling him the goods) and it looks like all he had was bluster.

Ahmedinejad is boasting the same way Saddam did. Is it bluster to scare people into submission or is it The Real Thing?

We treat the Saudis as our allies but they we where almost all the 9/11 attackers came from.

We condemn the Israelis for building some apartment buildings when they're the only ones that have proven they will give up land for peace (Sinai to Egypt).

It's like the ads for mutual funds say on TV: "Past performance is no guarantee of future results"