US declares Iranian Guards 'terrorists'.

[Aldebaran]

Aldebaran: To be clear, there is no standard form of transliteration, for any language, especially an alphabet not based on Latin characters into an alphabet that utilises Latin charcters

There are a few slightly different methods but considering Arabic the kasra is always translitterated as i, as it "is" the vowel i, no matter how pronounciation can deviate from the sound of a "real" i. Depends of the used dialect and also on the word and syntax. (The same counts for what you write as "o", which doesn't exist.)

I didn't comment on your use of phonetic expression of your pronounciation. I commented on your statement that it is the correct spelling (and remarks about "saudi dialect" etc...)
I can't say if the organisation itself deviates from the norm when it comes to official translitteration, which should use international agreed standards. I would think not if the translator is aware/informed of it.

salaam.

 

[rachamim18]

To wit, I have never seen Hez use a certified anything (hmmm...better rething the certified bit) with regards to PR. Even its website is a hodge podge of nonsense. However, in all of its English PR releases, it uses the refereced transliteration. As an Arabic speaker, but not a translator of anything in the official sense, I will bow out of this one.

 

[newharper]

It's changing the subject a lttle, but talking of terrorists this seemed a good a place as any to get this little beauty from the 'Cheney Administration' from Juan Cole out.

The Attack on Iran is gathering pace, (no shit sherlock)

" My friend had spoken to someone in one of the leading neo-conservative institutions. He summarized what he was told this way:

They [the source's institution] have "instructions" (yes, that was the word used) from the Office of the Vice-President to roll out a campaign for war with Iran in the week after Labor Day; it will be coordinated with the American Enterprise Institute, the Wall Street Journal, the Weekly Standard, Commentary, Fox, and the usual suspects. It will be heavy sustained assault on the airwaves, designed to knock public sentiment into a position from which a war can be maintained. Evidently they don't think they'll ever get majority support for this--they want something like 35-40 percent support, which in their book is "plenty."

http://www.juancole.com/

 

[TAE]

Actually I think that deserved its own thread.

 

[jonH]

When's labour day

 

[newharper]

When's labour day

First monday in September, also seen in the states as the end of summer and the silly season, it's when 'business' returns to normal.

TAE, well i thought about it, but it's not really new is it, sadly.

The Colonel is sniffy about air attacks.

One of our readers asked me to look at this paper. Having done so my opinion is that the authors need to develop a healthy sense of skepticism when confronted with bureaucratic statements of intent with regard to desired capability.

The premise of the paper is that the US possesses the ability to attack 10,000 Iranian targets from a great distance on a nearly simultaneous basis. The authors believe this because the US Strategic Command (old SAC) has as its goal to achieve such a capability and a clutch of think tanks are holding meetings about it.

Just after the first Gulf War a senior civilian colleague approached me to express outrage that the "smart" weapons in use had Pk (probability of kill) rates lower in fact than those promised by the manufacturers. She was surprised when I told her that highly complex equipment (gadgets) never performed as advertised and that they usually broke down just when needed.

The point is that these two academic authors actually believe the "air power" baloney. They think that a renewed attempt to apply the principle of "shock and awe" will result in complete devastation of Iran, Iranian inability to respond and a very short war.

Douhet, Trenchard and Mitchell would be pleased with their gullibility.

http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/

 

[Aldebaran]

So by US standards Iran should be pre-emptively attack the USA since it poses a "present and immediate danger" and not only to their "way of life".

Let's have a vote in the UN about that.

salaam.

 

[invisibleplanet]

As I understand it, the IAEA is working closely Iran, and Iraq currently has good relations with Iran. Saudi isn't happy about the Shia PM of Iraq, and it's sectarian differences mean that it views any Shia, regardless of nationality or ethnicity as being 'in league/surrogates of Iran. It treats it's own Shia population as third-class citizens (below women who are second-class citizens in Saudi).

My considered opinion is this:

Bush's administration have a vested interest in stepping up the rhetoric at this particular time. First there is the anniversary of the Katrina catastrophe in New Orleans, so looking outwards at this time is useful for deflecting public from troubles at home, and the Attorney General story is about to explode, the public are focused on yet another Republican sex scandal, and so the Bush Admin are trying to whip up the anti-Iran rhetoric as much as they can while the corporate media focuses on the Attorney General story (http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/082807R.shtml)

There's no support in Europe for US Admin's "bomb Iran" line - and outside of the American-right and the Bush Administration, there's no real public support for bombing Iran back into the stone age in USA either. As far as I'm aware, the Israeli public are not behind the neocon/Likud support for another war, and certainly not with Iran. Israelis are still visiting their family there, and there are more pressing issues on the home front, such as Hebron, the failure to deliver Kadima's election pledges, and sex-and-business scandals amongst it's own political elite.

A US-rightwing -spun s/urge for Israel to bomb Iran is about as popular as a suicide bomber in Israel at the moment. One imagines that the average citizen there believes that bombing Iran would be suicide, precipitating the permanent war that the Rapturists/War Machine are looking for. In the aftermath of Lebanon 2006, US Neocons (via Meyrav Wurmser) expressed their disappointment that Israel had not bombed Syria (which is part of the Bush Admin/Neocon plans for 'regime change in the Middle East. The general reception by the Israeli media to this, after Bush Admin had 'forbidden' Israel to negotiate with Syria recommending an all-out military confrontation between Israel and Syria was way off the mark - Israeli diplomats had been in covert talks with Syria for some time, something the Bush Admin/Neocons didn't approve of. That revelation and lack of concern from the US for Israel's long-term relationships with it's neighbours was a revelation, and a telling example of how US strategy is dangerous to all the peoples of that region.

The popularity of the 'Israel vs. Iran' scenario with the antisemitic CUFI is precisely due to it's ideology which is anti-Jewish in nature, and believes that Jews must ingather in Israel then perish in the Tribulation, and only a small number of those who've converted to it's brand of faux-Christianity will survive to see 'the Messiah' (a complete manipulation of prophecies, not unlike attempts made by Hitler's Nazi ideologists). The Jewish liberal/left in USA are well aware of what's going down on this front, and they are, shall we say, 'on the case'. They've been very active in bringing it to public attention, but rarely makes it into the corporate media. Max Blumenthal did a 'Louis Theroux' and went into CUFI with a video camera, and shot this alarming footage: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/rapture-ready-the-unauth_b_57826.html (watch it!)

Two important articles here, from Dilip Hiro, give a glimpse of what's behind the Bush Admin's machinations:
29/8: http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/dilip_hiro/2007/08/wrong-footed_at_every_turn.html
30/7: http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/dilip_hiro/2007/07/desperate_bush.html

 

[TAE]

TAE, well i thought about it, but it's not really new is it, sadly.

The blog entry I link to in the new thread is only a day old.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the next weeks.

 

[rachamim18]

Invisible: When saying "popular" with regard to Israel bombing Iran, do you mean within Israel? Cannot judge the American pulse as I am so far removed from it at this point...But do know we , well no longer me but the IDF has been on alert for 4 months now and more than ready.

Less than 4 weeks ago Ahmadinejad went to Damascus with a 1 billion US (literally) check and signe d a sunited iedological front with Assad, Mesha'al, and Nasrallah so that HAMAS, Hez, Syria, and yes Iran are primed.

However,it is not trigger finger yet because Ahmadinejad is desparate for an out with his economy crumbling, the hardliners feeling evermore boxed in by Reformists, and the growing insurecctions in the south. Ahmadinejad and co. need to deflect attention and the debate at home now is whether or not he will go so far as to iniate what could sadly turn out to be the war that ended all wars (yes, that serious).


The public is rather ready for it although not nearly as united as we were for last year's exercise. Most reluctantly realise that it is becoming sink or swim with regards to Iran.

Likud however are not making a claim one way or the other. Even Kadimah is playing it close, as all should ebcause to go to war in these circumstances will be very grave indeed.

"Bush forbade?" Hardly. In fact, it was us doing the pushing away from Syria when Polosi stuck her nose in our buisness. Bush has other fish to fry and really was rather receptive when we pralezed in DC with the Syrian intemediary (private Syrian buisnessman who has Intel contacts on both sides).

Israelis always visit family everywhere and my own clan was in Syria just prior to 73 so it is not a denominator. Jews are used to harsh conditions , putting it lightly.

I love your posting but I have to also disagree though on Hebron. That is an everlasting issue that is very, very minor. the big news is the moron who almost got lynched,etc., but those kind of things never take alot of public interest.
People in the military are VERY tense but then they usually are. Life goes on at home.


(Edited for spelling)

 

[DexterTCN]

...However,it is not trigger finger yet because Ahmadinejad is desparate for an out with his economy crumbling, ...

Seen the price of oil lately?

 

[rachamim18]

Dexter: that is not important. You must be unaware that Iran must import the bulk of its petrol. Exports are for hard currency but actual stocks are little of what is needed so Iran relies on long range credit to stock its coffers. It has no economic foundation.