US imposes new sanctions on Iran

[Psycho4Bud]

Washington has announced unilateral sanctions against Iran, targeting the Revolutionary Guard and its elite Quds Force, which US officials accuse of operating inside Iraq.

A senior US official said on Thursday that in total, Washington has placed sanctions on more than 20 Iranian companies, banks and individuals as well as the defence ministry.

The measure is a bid to pressure Tehran to halt its nuclear programme and curb its "terrorist" activities, the official said.

The State and Treasury departments designated the Revolutionary Guard Corps a "proliferator of weapons of mass destruction" and the Quds Force a "supporter of terrorism".

"These designations are designed to highlight the fact that on both proliferation grounds and terrorism grounds, the Iranian government is not in compliance with its international obligations," one official said.

Condoleeza Rice, secretary of state, and Henry Paulson, the treasury secretary, announced the measure in full later on Thursday.

Speaking to a congressional committee a day before, Rice said: "The policies of Iran constitute perhaps the single greatest challenge for American security interest in the Middle East and possibly around the world because the combination of Iranian terrorism, Iranian repression at home and the pursuit of nuclear weapons technology, technologies that could lead to a nuclear weapons, is a very dangerous mix."

The United States has long labeled Iran a "state supporter of terrorism", and has been working for years to gain support for tougher sanctions from the international community.

The new sanctions come without international backing and are believed to be the first of their type taken by the United States specifically against the armed forces of another government.

The Washington Post cited senior administration officials as saying the sanctions would be the broadest set of punitive measures against Iran since 1979 and would empower the US to financially isolate a large part of Iran's military and anyone inside or outside Iran who does business with it.

Such steps could impact any number of foreign companies by pressuring them to stop doing business with the Revolutionary Guards or risk US sanctions.

The Revolutionary Guards, formed to safeguard Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, has pushed well beyond its military roots, and now owns car factories and construction firms and operates newspaper groups and oil fields.
Al Jazeera English - News - Us Imposes New Sanctions On Iran (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D8E6FD11-3CFB-4FF7-9287-EA77801CAA18.htm)

Another step in the right direction...:thumbsup:

Have a good one!:s4:

[Markass]

This is where it starts....'Iran is non-compliant, we invade because of weapons of mass destruction..' gee, sounds so familiar..

*packs suitcase and gets ready for canada*

[Psycho4Bud]

No probs....I'm sure this is just a Mosque.

Have a good one!:s4:

[epxroot]

Why is it that US, and Israel are so worried about this? If Iran is such a big threat then why are not all the rest of the countries concerned about this?

[Psycho4Bud]

It's not just the U.S. and Israel.....Germany, France to name just a few are also concerned. Not to mention the Arab nations.....they don't come right out and state it for obvious reasons but they sure don't want a Persian nation with nukes.

Have a good one!:s4:

[epxroot]

How do we know this if they haven't came out and said anything. There will be huge problems if we go to war with Iran, more problems and more terrorist activity, but I suppose that is ok as long as Iran does not have any kind of Nuclear Program. I can't understand the mentality of a lot of Americans who believe if Iran has Nukes, then all of a sudden they are going to start firing them at everyone, that would be just stupid and would make no sense whatsoever I ran would be blasted from all parts of the world if they ever did that.

[Psycho4Bud]

Germany, Britain, France and the United States have persuaded a reluctant Russia and China to back two rounds of sanctions against Iran at the U.N. Security Council.
Javno - World (http://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=92833)

President Sarkozy called Iranâ??s nuclear ambition the worldâ??s most dangerous problem yesterday and raised the possibility that the country could be bombed if it persisted in building an atomic weapon.
Sarkozy talks of bombing if Iran gets nuclear arms - Times Online (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2337190.ece)

In her weekly podcast Saturday, Merkel underlined that one topic of the meeting would be ``how to deal with Iran and the necessity of new sanctions'' _ a source of potential friction with Russia, which is skeptical about efforts in the U.N. Security Council to impose a third, tougher set of sanctions against Tehran for its refusal to halt its uranium enrichment programme.
The Hindu News Update Service (http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200710150310.htm)

As you can see they have been very vocal. Europe has more to worry about than us.......they can be reached.

Have a good one!:s4

[yokinazu]

somethin about iran thas been buggin me.well the first i heard about hostilitys with iran was with the ied thing in iraq and them training terrorists, now this has changed to nuclear threat. whats buggin me is that if we want to stop this and "nip it in the bud" why aint we threatoning the russians, the ones who are supplying the iranians? we see the iranians as just a much of a terrorist threat by supplying and helping the factions in iraq opossing us then wouldnt it be conclusive that russia be lumped into that catagory also?

just a thought

[epxroot]

Germany, Britain, France and the United States have persuaded a reluctant Russia and China to back two rounds of sanctions against Iran at the U.N. Security Council.
Javno - World (http://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=92833)

President Sarkozy called Iranâ??s nuclear ambition the worldâ??s most dangerous problem yesterday and raised the possibility that the country could be bombed if it persisted in building an atomic weapon.
Sarkozy talks of bombing if Iran gets nuclear arms - Times Online (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2337190.ece)

In her weekly podcast Saturday, Merkel underlined that one topic of the meeting would be ``how to deal with Iran and the necessity of new sanctions'' _ a source of potential friction with Russia, which is skeptical about efforts in the U.N. Security Council to impose a third, tougher set of sanctions against Tehran for its refusal to halt its uranium enrichment programme.
The Hindu News Update Service (http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200710150310.htm)

As you can see they have been very vocal. Europe has more to worry about than us.......they can be reached.

Have a good one!:s4

Again I ask do you really think Iran would start launching nukes at everyone knowing that they would be totally wiped off the face of the earth? I really can not see Iran making that big of a mistake. And please don't use the line that he wants to wipe Israel off the face off the map. That statement was totally spun out of context.

[Psycho4Bud]

Again I ask do you really think Iran would start launching nukes at everyone knowing that they would be totally wiped off the face of the earth? I really can not see Iran making that big of a mistake. And please don't use the line that he wants to wipe Israel off the face off the map. That statement was totally spun out of context.

Read the preamble to their constitution and then combine that with the basic philosophy of the Mullahs in charge.....Yes, I think that they'd launch first at Israel and then threaten a strike on Europe if there were any retaliation.

Have a good one!:s4:

[Psycho4Bud]

whats buggin me is that if we want to stop this and "nip it in the bud" why aint we threatoning the russians, the ones who are supplying the iranians? we see the iranians as just a much of a terrorist threat by supplying and helping the factions in iraq opossing us then wouldnt it be conclusive that russia be lumped into that catagory also?

just a thought

They should be but since their already a nuclear power everyone has to walk on egg shells with the Russians. Since Iran backs Chechen rebels against Russia I can't see why their a supplier in the first place.

By the way...like the signature! Who you jivin' with that cosmic debris.

Have a good one!:s4:

[killerweed420]

I would think Iran's only nuclear threat would be a small mobile nuclear device.This still needs to go through the UN. As fucked up as that would be. Put world sanctions on them to allow scientists in to prove whether they really are producing nuclear material.If they are then zero tolerance. Its destroyed imediately or we will take care of it.
But I'm not for just blowing them up because we think there's a weapon being built. We need FACTS.

[PharmaCan]

About a month ago Russia refused to sell to Iran the fuel Iran needs for the new nuclear power plant the Russians just sold them. Apparently the two countries couldn't agree on how to control the spent fuel (which can be used to make bombs). So, at this point, Iran has a useless nuclear reactor that they paid Russia a few billion dollars to build for them.

Ultimately, something is going to have to be done about Iran's nuclear ambitions. It is a historic fact that sanctions worked against Iraq; not only by making Saddam comply with the WMD restrictions (lest we forget that, gee whiz, he was in compliance after all) but by reducing Iraq to economic ruin as well. However, unless the Iraqi oil fields are somehow miraculously brought into production, sanctions against Iran could have the potential for $150/barrel oil.

...gosh - I wonder why Saudi Arabia and all our other good buddies in the Gulf won't do anything about the problem. Could it be they are all salivating over the thought of even higher oil prices?

America is being played the fool in the Middle East, with Bush the lead jester.

PC :smokin:

[sam44]

another step in the right direction??

god i am sick of americans

[thcbongman]

I would think Iran's only nuclear threat would be a small mobile nuclear device.This still needs to go through the UN. As fucked up as that would be. Put world sanctions on them to allow scientists in to prove whether they really are producing nuclear material.If they are then zero tolerance. Its destroyed imediately or we will take care of it.
But I'm not for just blowing them up because we think there's a weapon being built. We need FACTS.

They're not even that far.

Their weapons program is still in it's infancy. That'll change in 5-10 years.

But I view these sanctions as meaningless. America has to cooperate with the rest of the world in such a matter. The values of due process has been flushed down the toilet in recent years.

We need to show evidence to show a compelling argument, and if it's justified we place sanctions, or go to war, we have evidence backing us up.

We live in a society where it's guilty until proven innocent. Everyday, the media spectulates on someones guilt without the assumption innocent until proven guilty. The whole process is fucked up in many ways.

We should not presume before we take such actions. It would've been smarter to present this case to the UN, so a strong message can be sent to Iran.

Instead we have US unilaterally doing this, and do you think it'd it'd give Iran pause?

Not a chance in hell.

[DemoCommando]

Like sanctions will do any financial damage severe enough to pressure Iran into complying. Where there is a will, there is a way, and these guys are Persians for gods sake. Iran has lots of oil, which is a form of currency, and will trade with other nations anyway.

This tactic is just furthering the White House's plan to invade Iran.
But I do agree with this one though, I am a Jew and support Israel. I would rather have Israel or the United States send a few bunker buster HE missiles into the complex.
Though invasion and occupation of Iran and Iraq will give the united states lots of oil and bases in the Middle East to further acquire oil.

Listen, the US Economy was built on cheap oil. The economy still runs on it today! Though however unjust the wars may be, this collection middle east oil may be beneficial to a few people, namely corrupt politicians and others in the "lying for fortune" industry.

Dave

[killerweed420]

If we(the US) decide to do something I hope we have somebody smart enough working for us that they can just sneak into the complex and have a little "accident" happen there.
If we bomb the place we are just going to be more hated than what we are right now.

[Psycho4Bud]

...gosh - I wonder why Saudi Arabia and all our other good buddies in the Gulf won't do anything about the problem. Could it be they are all salivating over the thought of even higher oil prices?

America is being played the fool in the Middle East, with Bush the lead jester.

PC :smokin:

Not to mention that Saudi Arabia is just about as bad....they just use different tactics.

Have a good one!:s4:

[Markass]

.....they don't come right out and state it for obvious reasons

Have a good one!:s4:

because they don't want the terrorists to hate them anymore than they already do, and apparently they care how the rest of the world sees them...

they see how much america's hated, they damn sure don't want that :thumbsup:

[PharmaCan]

Colin Powell once said, "Throughout the years Americans have fought for the liberty of oppressed peoples throughout the world, and the only ground we have ever kept was enough to bury our dead."

Before people start trashing the United States, they should look at our history, and the history of the world over the last 300 years, and ask themselves if the world is better or worse for the existence of America.

It is not America that is evil, it is the people that we have allowed to rule us who are evil.

...and make no mistake. We are no longer governed, we are ruled.

PC :smokin:

[Psycho4Bud]

It is not America that is evil, it is the people that we have allowed to rule us who are evil.

For the last 300 years WE are the evil ones? What about WW2 Germany/Japan....seems that the U.S. wasn't the "evil" one there.

I really don't understand the hate for America thing that seems to be the fad in here. Any natural disaster in the world, we're one of the first ones there with aid not to mention other assistance across the world. We get attacked and WE are the assholes for finally slapping back.....oh well.

Have a good one!:s4:

[epxroot]

For the last 300 years WE are the evil ones? What about WW2 Germany/Japan....seems that the U.S. wasn't the "evil" one there.

I really don't understand the hate for America thing that seems to be the fad in here. Any natural disaster in the world, we're one of the first ones there with aid not to mention other assistance across the world. We get attacked and WE are the assholes for finally slapping back.....oh well.

Have a good one!:s4:

I don't hate America, I hate the greedy, slimy bastards who treat it like a damn corporation. America is a great Nation and if it would be governed the way it is meant to be we could be a country who would be a lot stronger.

[Torog]

Howdy Psycho4Bud,

You ponder:

" For the last 300 years WE are the evil ones? What about WW2 Germany/Japan....seems that the U.S. wasn't the "evil" one there.

I really don't understand the hate for America thing that seems to be the fad in here. Any natural disaster in the world, we're one of the first ones there with aid not to mention other assistance across the world. We get attacked and WE are the assholes for finally slapping back.....oh well."

I hear ya brother ! :thumbsup:

Who is doing the hating ? Amoral relativists,islamofascists,commies and socialists..why would we want to put aside our values of freedom,in order to appease their hurt feelings and be friends with them ?

I say..Let them hate-so long as they fear...

Have a good one ! :jointsmile: