Iran "Ready For Anything" In U.S. Standoff

Ahmadinejad Defiant In Face Of U.S. Military Escalation In Gulf, Internal Opposition

(AP)  President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday that Iran was prepared for any possibility in the standoff with the West over its controversial nuclear activities — a tough reaction to a U.S. military buildup in the Gulf meant as a warning to Iran.

"Today, with the grace of God, we have gone through the arduous passes and we are ready for anything in this path," state-run television quoted Ahmadinejad as saying Thursday.

The comments were an apparent reaction to the U.S. decision to deploy a second aircraft carrier, the USS Stennis, to the Gulf. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the increased U.S. presence was to impress on Iran that the four-year war in Iraq has not made America vulnerable.

Administration officials have said diplomacy was the focus of their policy on Iran but have never ruled out attacks on Iran.

Ahmadinejad denounced critics of his nuclear diplomacy at home, saying their calls for compromise echo "the words of the enemy" and will not affect his government's handling of the nuclear dossier with the West.

Conservatives and reformists alike have in recent weeks openly challenged Ahmadinejad's hard-line nuclear diplomacy tactics, with many saying his fiery anti-Western remarks are doing more harm than good.

Reformists have called for a return to suspension of nuclear activities to avoid further punishment at the U.N. Security Council.

"Unfortunately, some inside the country try to fabricate news and portray a bad image of the great achievement of the Iranian nation," Ahmadinejad said in reference to Iran's uranium enrichment program.

They "prescribe compromise, repeat the words of the enemy. Of course, this will have no effect," he added, speaking during a visit to the offices of the state-run newspaper Iran on Thursday, according to the television.

The U.S. and its allies accuse Iran of secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons, an allegation Tehran denies.

Iran has rejected as "invalid" and "illegal" a U.N. Security Council resolution that imposed sanctions on Iran last month for refusing to halt uranium enrichment. Enrichment is a key nuclear process that can produce either fuel for a reactor or the material needed for a warhead.

Ahmadinejad said Iran will not be deterred by threats and sanctions.

"Their aim is to frighten Iran and weaken the resistance of the Iranian nation, but they will not succeed," he was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, in Paris on Thursday, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, said he was concerned that U.N. sanctions on Iran could escalate the standoff with Western powers over its nuclear program.

ElBaradei called for a resumption of negotiations with Tehran and said he would support any efforts to "engage Iran," including the possibility of a French negotiator.

"My worry right now is that each side is sticking to its guns," said ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. "We need someone to reach out."

[bluestardad]

Leave Iran alone!

[drinuk]

Bush and his Loonies think Iran is their main problem. Sure Iran are enjoying the mess Bush finds himself in but they aint the main problem. George...YOU are the problem, You and your Loonies, get a F------ grip of yourself.

[notblue]

Typical blather from leftwing central, the radical freak from Iran is better than the president of the U.S., what a bunch of America hating loosers!

[kphx]

Time to whip up the Patriotism mantra. Attack Iran and ask people to stand behind the Commander-in-chief. The herd which can't think on its own, will blindly follow their leader.

The cheer-leading media will do its part as it did in the case of Iraq occupation. We bullies are not to be taken lightly. That needs to be taught to everybody in the middle east.

[olebd]

Time to get out my Mickey Mouse t-shirt from the 70's...

Hey Iran! (Mickey giving the one finger salute)

[inventagod]

Sure, Get behind your president - the view ain't pretty, and stinks....

When will the US throw off the Bu$hBlinders and realize what damage he is doing in the world? Dubya has a way of pissing off the little angry dictators on this planet, then attacking them for the riches they control.

Is this the way we want our nation perceived? Sooner or later, one of these bullies will go waaaayyyyyy to far, and the innocent will pay dearly.

[hungry1968]

Typical blather from leftwing central, the radical freak from Iran is better than the president of the U.S., what a bunch of America hating loosers!
Posted by notblue at 11:46 AM : Jan 18, 2007

So you're watching President Bush drive this country into bankruptcy, leading us into a war we can't win, and ignoring all of the domestic problems at home, and you agree with him? You like his decisions?

[notblue]

hungry1968, who would you rather have in charge, Bush or the Iranian freak? In less than two years the people will speak and choose a new president. When that happens the hated Bush will be gone and you guys will have to move onto someone else to blame. I for one figure there are more bad guys in this world than the hated Bush, they just never get mentioned here at liberals are us.

[hungry1968]

hungry1968, who would you rather have in charge, Bush or the Iranian freak?

If it wasn't for his opinions regarding Israel or the Jews as a people, I would probably want the Iranian freak. Bush is just too *** dangerous. If WWIII breaks out, you can pretty much bet that Bush and the neo-cons will have had something to do with it.

[notblue]

hating one man as in our president with such passion is ok but to ignore the fact that half the politicians in congress are on the left side of the isle is blind indifference. All the politicians in Washington have failed us these last few years.

[zendigity]

Bully tactic:
Find someone weaker and keep pushing their buttons until they strike back; then beat the h3ll out of them.
Hasn't anyone paid ANY attention to how we do things around here?

[wolf563]

perhaps the U.S.NAVY should get some target practice in and accidently shoot his plane down .

[breceivemail]

I am pleasant that God has created our enemies idiot.
An Iranian.

[valendug]

bye, bye Israel! Save the US plenty of foreign aid money, anyway. It's about time.

[agnim]

"Find someone weaker and keep pushing their buttons until they strike back; then beat the h3ll out of them.

Posted by zendigity at 02:57 PM : Jan 18, 2007"

So we haven't learned well the lessons of 911: Even little mosquitoes can sow the seeds of death in a 'big creature'.

Bullies sometimes get the comeuppance they ignorantly and arrogantly and unwittingly seek.

notblue & FARTKNOCKER2

Here you two go again gobbling up all the mainstream propaganda. If this were pre-invasion of Iraq, you'd be telling us about Saddam (who was put in power by the CIA in 1959), the WMD, all the lies.
In hindsight which is 20/20 you'd be completely wrong, why is it you still choose to listen to the news sources that are corporate owned propaganda, used to spread lies.

I am asking you to watch this interview with Scott Ritter. Ex-marine, and head weapons inspector in Iraq, until he quit to speak out about what was going on, in the lead up to invading Iraq.
now he is speaking about Iran, and what is going on. He states the plan is Regime change, and nothing else.

He was correct on Iraq, and will be correct again on Iran. Yet you are willing to support the mainstream propaganda again. Why.

here is the Scott Ritter interview, we can't seem to put links in this forum. So copy and paste the address, and have a look.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/16/144204&mode=thread&tid=25


I would be interested to hear why you think Scott Ritter is lying this time, and mainstream media not lying.

peace

if interested in other reliable opinions
have a look

Agence Global - Patrick Seale on Iran
http://www.agenceglobal.com/article.asp?Id=1141

Colonel Sam Gardiner on Iran at Global Research
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php

[j4401]

I think we need to remember what sole country has purposely used nuclear weapons against thousands of civilians. Think about all those women and chidren. I am concerned about our nuclear weapons ambitions.