TEHRAN, Iran, Feb. 8, 2007
Iran Vows To Hit Back If U.S. Attacks
Khamenei Says If Iran Is Attacked It Will Strike U.S. Interests Around The World
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Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iran "would not let an invasion go without a response." (AP)
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The comments by Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came the same day that another top official, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Javad Zarif, warned in a column in The New York Times that efforts to isolate Iran would backfire on the United States, increasing sectarian tensions in the volatile Middle East, including Iraq.
The United States and Iran have been in an increasingly tense standoff over Iran's nuclear program. The tensions have worsened recently because of U.S. allegations of Iranian influence in Iraq.
The United States has denied it has any plans to strike Iran militarily but has sent an additional aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf in what U.S. officials call an effort to show strength in the face of rising Iranian regional influence.
Speaking to a gathering of Iranian air force commanders, Khamenei said: "The enemy knows well that any invasion would be followed by a comprehensive reaction to the invaders and their interests all over the world."
But one Iran expert believes Khamenei's remarks may be motivated primarily by domestic politics.
Bernie Kaussler, an associate fellow at the University of St. Andrews' Institute for Iranian Studies, tells CBSNews.com that Iran's supreme leader may be more interested in satisfying his core supporters than going to war with America.
Khamenei has been frequently at odds with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — whose fiery anti-U.S. rhetoric and aggressive politics with the West has represented a sharp divergence from Iranian policy of recent years.
Khamenei's own stance may more accurately reflect the will of the majority of Iranians; a desire to maintain the "political status quo, and not export the Islamic revolution," according to Kaussler.
But both men have to keep a very influential, and large, conservative religious constituency happy, and taking a tough stance on the U.S. is an effective means of achieving this goal.
In another sign of the tensions with the U.S., Iran's intelligence minister said Thursday the government had detected a network of U.S. and Israeli spies and had detained a second group of people who planned to go abroad for espionage training, state television reported. It gave few details.
The allegation comes just a few days after an Iranian diplomat was detained in Baghdad in an incident that Iran blamed on U.S. forces. The Americans have denied involvement in the diplomat's detention.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Like someone already correctly pointed out, how can Iran threaten to do something its already doing? Iran already has American blood on its hands in Iraq, providing sophisticated bomb technology to insurgents. Iran may be supporting the Iraqi government, but its hatred for America has it being 2 faced and killing Iraqis too when it serves their agenda! The United States is forced to respond with knowledge and proof that Iran is killing Americans. Iran has backed the US into a corner forcing a response, no one can kill Americans with impunity! Iranian weapons with Iranian serial numbers have been found in Iraq, Iranian involvement in killing Americans is no longer speculation! Iran drew 1st blood and has only itself to blame if America strikes back!
You want to deal with the attacks on Americans - go after the Saudis who are funding the Sunni militants.
Yeah, they're threatening to get back at the US ONLY IF THE US ATTACKS. Not if the US DOESN'T attack.
Simply question: What would the US do if we were attacked by another country? We'd retaliate. In a heartbeat. We'd cross ANY border, because we'd have to.
This is what nations do. The only difference is that the rest of the world KNOWS that we would respond with overpowering firepower, so there's no need for us to announce it from every street corner. Smaller countries feel like they HAVE TO announce it since they don't have much else going for them (ie., no real deterrence to speak of).
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23384657-details/We%20do%20use%20books%20that%20call%20Jews%20'apes'%20admits%20head%20of%20Islamic%20school/article.do?expand=true#StartComments
http://www.terrorismawareness.org/
http://www.terrorismawareness.org/islamic-mein-kampf
buy yourself a sense of humor you fascist nazi Islamic muslims%u2026
http://www.henryk-broder.de/tagebuch/karikaturisten.html
Re: "but we don't go to war with a country that WE KNOW has WMDs including nukes, a nutjob for a leader"
Are you talking about Israel or Pakistan?
- by reel-crazy February 8, 2007 6:37 PM EST
- Let me see if I have this psycho's comments straight...
- Reply to this comment
See all 12 CommentsIf you hit me, I hit you all over.
It's ok for me to hit you in Iraq.
It's not ok for you to hit me when in Iraq.
Someone please call Lewis Black and have him sort this madness out for us.