Iran: 'US is within our firing range'

[Logan13]

'US is within our firing range'
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/N...067017,00.html
02/09/07

Tehran - A top Iranian cleric said on Friday the United States was within Iran's "firing range", a day after supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to hit back at US interests worldwide if attacked.

"Americans have surrounded us but it works to our advantage. They are within our firing range in the east, west and elsewhere," Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said in his Friday prayer sermon carried live on state radio.

He was referring to the US military presence in neighbouring Iraq and Afghanistan as well as in the Gulf waters off southern Iran.

"Would you dare to violate Iranian borders? See what harm will be done to you then," said Jananti, who heads the hardline electoral watchdog the Guardians Council.

Khamenei on Thursday warned that Iran would hit back at American interests worldwide if the United States attacked the Islamic republic to thwart its nuclear programme.

No plans to invade Iran

In response to Khamenei's comments the White House said it has no plans to invade Iran, and downplayed the significance of reinforcing the US military presence in the Gulf region.

A commander of Iran's elite revolutionary guards said on Friday: "The entire Persian Gulf is within the guards' missile range and if foreign forces are to carry out any operations they are the ones to be most hurt".

"In the worst situations we are able to turn the region into burning hell and take the possibility of using the Persian Gulf away from them forever," Rear Admiral Mohammad Ebrahim Dehghani said, quoted by semi-official Mehr news agency.

His comments came after the Guards held a new round of war games in the strategic Gulf, where they test-fired land-to-sea missile with a range of 350km and a new Russian-made air defence missile.

Iran, which is under UN sanctions for its repeated defiance of the West over its nuclear programme, has repeatedly vowed it will not cave in to the key demand that it freeze uranium enrichment.

Washington believes Tehran wants the bomb, an allegation firmly denied by the Islamic republic.

[singern]

Grandstanding to rally the Iranian people, the leadership knows the current policies of Ahmenajad and the Religious council are widely unpopular both internationally and domestically. So they need to light some fires.

[mcpeepants]

I don't see anything untrue in his statements. US troops and ships in the gulf are within range of Iran's missiles

[juicedOUTbrain]

[B]
Tehran - A top Iranian cleric said on Friday the United States was within Iran's "firing range", a day after supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to hit back at US interests worldwide if attacked.

"Would you dare to violate Iranian borders? See what harm will be done to you then," said Jananti, who heads the hardline electoral watchdog the Guardians Council.

Khamenei on Thursday warned that Iran would hit back at American interests worldwide if the United States attacked the Islamic republic to thwart its nuclear programme.

Washington believes Tehran wants the bomb, an allegation firmly denied by the Islamic republic.

So a country isn't allowed to defend itself? They say that IF ATTACKED they will respond...Do you really think Iran would ever pre-emptively attack the US or Israel...I think they know what the result of that would be...

Again, If a country states its right and capability to defend themselves i dont consider that a "threat"...

I know this view is hard for you to understand because we feel so different about these things...but at least try to entertain the idea of looking at this through the eyes of a human, instead of just an american...

[singern]

but at least try to entertain the idea of looking at this through the eyes of a human, instead of just an american...

You could just as well try to see through the eye of a politician and not a human, there are many different views, and considerations here, such as Iranian misdirection of attention away from the Nuke program, Posturing by the US with forces in the Gulf, And among others the obvious desire of Ahmenajad to control the entire middle east has instilled fear in 20 different Arab nations who are not complaining one bit about the American presents in the Gulf.......

Its not as black and white as it seems.

[Logan13]

So a country isn't allowed to defend itself? They say that IF ATTACKED they will respond...Do you really think Iran would ever pre-emptively attack the US or Israel...I think they know what the result of that would be...

Again, If a country states its right and capability to defend themselves i dont consider that a "threat"...

I know this view is hard for you to understand because we feel so different about these things...but at least try to entertain the idea of looking at this through the eyes of a human, instead of just an american...

This is just another example of Iran's over-the-top press statements. They are not helping the situation anymore than the US is, but you seem to give Iran the benefit of the doubt, but not the US. I assure you that Almenajad does not see you as "human" - This is just touchy-feely shit that deserves to only be in romance novels..........When you achieve the point in your life where you have more to loose, you thought processes will change.
"During his presidency, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speeches and statements have contributed to increased tensions between Iran and Israel, and between Iran and a few Western nations.
In a June 11, 2006 analysis of the translation controversy, New York Times deputy foreign editor Ethan Bronner concluded that Ahmadinejad had in fact said that Israel was to be wiped off the map. After noting the objections of critics such as Cole and Steele, Bronner said: "But translators in Tehran who work for the president's office and the foreign ministry disagree with them. All official translations of Mr. Ahmadinejad's statement, including a description of it on his Web site (www.president.ir/eng/), refer to wiping Israel away." Bronner stated: "So did Iran's president call for Israel to be wiped off the map? It certainly seems so. Did that amount to a call for war? That remains an open question. The speech was interpreted by some as a call for genocide. For example, Canada's then Prime Minister Paul Martin said, "this threat to Israel's existence, this call for genocide coupled with Iran's obvious nuclear ambitions is a matter that the world cannot ignore."
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad_and_Israel

[DTBusta]

Yeah so its true, they sent my brother over there. A matter of a fact my brother said there are 4 american air craft carriers sitting a thousand feet away from Iranian ones. They only sent them there in the past month and a half and what do they expect. Why would you react in a defensive way to this article when we are the ones on the offense?

[spywizard]

So a country isn't allowed to defend itself? They say that IF ATTACKED they will respond...Do you really think Iran would ever pre-emptively attack the US or Israel...I think they know what the result of that would be...

Again, If a country states its right and capability to defend themselves i dont consider that a "threat"...

I know this view is hard for you to understand because we feel so different about these things...but at least try to entertain the idea of looking at this through the eyes of a human, instead of just an american...

Iraq kept saying they had weapons of mass destruction, even proved it when they gassed 500,000 people...

if someone says they are going to nuke you, and you do nothing to protect yourself you deserve what you have coming..

they are making threats.. period... you don't allow a bully in the school yard to keep making threats and forcing people to do their will, you take action..

they have it coming, and Hilary will be forced to take action.. or allow Israel to be obliterated..

[juicedOUTbrain]

Why would you react in a defensive way to this article when we are the ones on the offense?

This sums up my thoughts...Again, they dont posses the technology to deliver a weapon to the US mainland, and they threatened to hit US targets IF ATTACKED...

Without being attacked, I dont see Iran being ruthless enough to attack Israel or the US at all, let alone with a nuke...

[eliteforce]

Iraq gassed 5000 people, not 500,000..500,000 was the appox total number of Iraqis killed during the iran-iraq war.

point-the US killed several thousand civilians in Falluja during the first seige of Falluja when it was under insurgent control, mostly as a result of bombing and shelling.

Israel killed 9982 civilians when it put west beirut undersiege in 1982 (bombing and shelling). another 10000 were killed in other parts of the south of the country during that invasion, refugee camps, etc.

Syria also killed 10-20000 civilians during a shiite uprising, also in 1982, again mostly from bombing and shelling.

in other words there was nothing special about saddoms use of serin gas during that conflict as other types of munitions kill just as many when droped into a populated area.

[Kärnfysikern]

The US and Israel threaten Iran and Iran threatens back. Seems like same old mudslinging as usual.

Cant realy expect Iran to be silent when they are threatened with everything from sanctions to beeing attack by nuclear weapons.

All a bunch of stupid peacocks. No one willing to let go of a little pride in order to work to a resolution.

[DTBusta]

We shouldn't even consider another war, we cant barely finish this Iraq war.We def don't need another diversion.