Threats From Both Sides Over Iran Nuke Issue

The threats are flying fast and furious between Iran and the United States over the stated intentions of the Islamic Republic to proceed with a nuclear program that could have military applications.

Iran and the United States on Sunday heralded a crucial week of decision-making at the International Atomic Energy Agency by exchanging thinly veiled threats about the consequences of a vote to send the issue of Iran's nuclear program to the U.N. Security Council.

Iran's chief negotiator renewed a threat to interrupt petroleum exports if the IAEA board of governors followed through on its vote last month to report Iran to the Security Council...

"If we are referred to the Security Council, problems might occur for others as well as us," Ali Larijani said at a news conference. "We would not like to use our oil as a weapon. We would not like to make other countries suffer."...

"If Iran is referred to the Security Council, Iran will start enrichment, so there's no need to have another country do enrichment for us," he said...

He repeatedly warned, however, that Iran would not tolerate the issue of its program being sent to the Security Council, given the humiliations neighboring Iraq endured during forced inspections through the 1990s.

"But we're not willing to be like Iraq, to let them come into the country whenever they want and look in any corner they want," he said.

Our distinguished ambassador to the U.N., never a shrinking violet when it comes to the Iranians, got in a few sharp jabs of his own:

"The Iran regime must be made aware that if it continues down the path of international isolation, there will be tangible and painful consequences," (ambassador John) Bolton said at the convention of a pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the Reuters news agency reported. He said the United States was prepared to "use all the tools at our disposal to stop the threat." President Bush has repeatedly said the possibility of military strikes remains "on the table" even as Washington endorsed an intense international diplomatic effort.

A speech to AIPAC. Nice.

Speaking of AIPAC, the goopers are reaching out to an historically unlikely crowd--American Jews, who the GOP designates with a nauseating moniker--"September 12 Republicans".

More work needs to be done.

Nearly five years ago, immediately after the Sept.11, 2001, attacks, Republican strategists identified what they hoped would be a powerful new engine of support. "September 12 Republicans" were Jewish Democrats and independents who would switch their allegiance because of their concern over national security and their appreciation of President Bush's stalwart support of Israel.

It is such people that Vice President Cheney will be courting tomorrow, when he speaks to the closing plenary session of the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee's policy conference. But the much-trumpeted effort by the Bush White House to make deep inroads on the Democrats' historic claims on Jewish voters -- and, even more important politically, the campaign contributions of Jewish donors -- has not materialized in any convincing fashion, according to poll data, fundraisers and campaign finance reports.

In 2004, Bush improved his 2000 performance among Jewish voters, jumping from 19 percent to 25 percent, according to exit polls. But this gain was disappointing to many Bush supporters -- and was substantially below the 35 percent level Republican presidential candidates averaged through the five elections of the 1970s and 1980s...

Bush's level of support -- 25 percent -- among Jewish voters in November 2004 was far less than that received by Richard M. Nixon and Ronald Reagan, and by George H.W. Bush in the 1988 election...

The 1992 election marked a low point for Jewish support of a Republican presidential candidate, when George H.W. Bush won just 11 percent of that vote.

The senior Bush lost ground when, upset about Israeli settlement policies, he tried to delay $10 billion in loan guarantees to Israel. He then complained about the strength of Jewish lobbyists, charging that they had "a thousand lobbyists on the Hill. . . . We've got one lonely little guy down here doing it."

The goopers' embrace of the Jews fits well with the apocalyptic "Late, Great, Planet Earth" goal for the Middle-East that is so in fashion among the Christian fundamentalists these days.

The fundies view the coming military conflict with Iran as just another essential piece of the prophesized scenario that must be put into place before the good people (Jews suddenly unwelcome again) can be delivered from this vale of tears.