US will go for other states after Iran and Iraq, says Margolis

[Neo]

Monday, April 24, 2006javascript:; http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/print.asp?page=2006\04\24\story_24-4-2006_pg7_36

* Well-known journalist calls Bush’s statements on Iran’s N-programme ‘ridiculous and nonsense’

Daily Times Monitor

LAHORE: Renowned American journalist Eric Margolis has said that the US will “go for” Pakistan and Saudi Arabia after Iraq and Iran.

“We have leaks from reliable sources that after Iraq and Iran, the US plans to go for Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,” Margolis said in an interview with IWT NEWS on Saturday. Margolis supported Iran’s nuclear weapons programme, saying that it poses no threat to the world community. US President George W Bush’s statements on Iran’s nuclear programme were “ridiculous and nonsense”, he said. “Iran has no nuclear bombs and no capability to bomb a country with these weapons,” Margolis said.

He said that Iran’s longest-range missile, Shahab-III, had a maximum range of 1,200-1,500 kilometres, which meant that Iran could not attack North America or Western Europe. “No substantial evidence has yet been found that Iran has nuclear weapons, and anyone saying that Iran is a threat to the world is lying and deceiving the world,” Margolis said. He said that Bush’s statement about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction had “proved baseless”. The US and Israel were planning to attack Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and major military installations, he said.

Margolis said that Iran had been trying to acquire nuclear weapons since 1970, when it signed an agreement with Israel to provide it with nuclear warheads and medium range missiles. He said that Pakistani intelligence sources had told him that decades ago, Iran had offered to pay for Pakistan’s entire defence budget for 10 years in exchange for nuclear technology. “Why shouldn’t Iran have nuclear weapons? It is surrounded by nuclear powers like Pakistan, Russia, Israel and India,” Margolis said. He said that the US was providing India with nuclear secrets and the latest nuclear technology in spite of the fact that the latter had not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty. He said that India is developing submarine-launched missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, and Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles with a range of 7,000 miles. “With these weapons, India can strike even the US, but the Bush administration is still providing India with modern nuclear technology,” he said. He said that the US had supplied Israel with bomber airplanes, which could travel to Iran and even Pakistan. It had also given Israel around 500 “penetrating bombs, which are very lethal”.

He said that a US or Israeli attack on Iran could be “very dangerous”, as Iran had the ability to “punish American forces in Iraq”. He said that the present Iraqi government was a Shia government which is very close to Iran. “So an attack on Iran can outrage the Shia community of Iraq,” he said. Margolis said that Iran had the ability to launch “commando attacks” on US forces in the gulf. “Iran can attack US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. Iran can hamper oil exports from the area, which will create a major panic in the world and in the US,” he said.

“Iranians are prepared to take huge casualties (to defend themselves) because they are a dedicated and nationalistic nation, whereas the US lacks this advantage,” Margolis said, adding that Iran can even send troops to Iraq.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\04\24\story_24-4-2006_pg7_36

 

[Neo]

Whats wrong with Bush, is he completely out of his mind??? :idiot:

 

[A.Rahman]

Whats wrong with Bush, is he completely out of his mind??? :idiot:

Its known as securing the needs for raw material.

 

[Munir]

I doubt that he will. Afghanistan is still a problem. Irac will be that for long. He cannot create more " terrorists" and we hope that there would be more focus on peace and not pre-attacking others.

 

[SMC]

It may be true. Iran says that their nuclear program is for peaceful purposes a thousand times by now, but the US just doesn't want them to have nuclear for no apprant reason. I do know that Iran's leader said that Israel should be wiped off the map, but has also has said probably a thousand times by now that their nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

Their reason for attacking Iraq was that Iraq had WMD, not because of democracy and brutal dictatorship. Saddam possibly said a thousand times that he had no WMD, even UN checked it out, and none were found, but did Bush the idiot believed him? No

 

[Bull]

Iran is a threat to the region.Including israel and pakistan.

Ahmedinjad is nut case who knows little abt what he is speaking.There has been repeated utternaces from him regarding the right of existance of Israel,not once as tyou say Ahsan.even yesterday he said that ( or day before that).

Just bcoz Iran is a islamic state dont have some syphathy tot hem ,bcoz they dont deserve it.

How many countries in the world have fought for 8 years inspite of having all the riches?

India-pakistan, ISrael-Arab ,North Korea - South Korea...are all regional conflicts,but they never had a war prolonging 8 years,why is that so???

The Iranian and Iraqi adminstraion doesnt believe in social upliftment but in jingoist military ambitions.

 

[Bull]

taking on Saudi Arabi,who is the biggest investor in US???they wont take them on as the ruling family is very cosy with the bush family.So thats just the authors imaginations,and so is the same abt pakistan.

US wont get involved in Pakistan as long as they are some sort of stabilty in pakistan,the only possibilty i see is IF the nukes are in danger of falling into wrong hands.

 

[Neo]

Prash,

Its widely believed that US has some kind of plan to secure Pak nukes in case it falls to islamists or to some rogue general.
Still its hard to take on a country twice the size of Iraq with little very few allies.
Pakistan is not as weak as Iraq or Iran, PA is very well equipped and considered to be one of the strongest in the world.
Can US finish if they start and more importantly, can they paralise Pakistan??

Incase US attacks Pakistan, there won't be a single muslim country to allow US forces to use their military infrastructure, on the contrary, UAE and Saudia Arab would support Pakistan!!
India remains the only threat but Incase US and India join forces against Pakistan, China will get involved aswell....four nuclear powers at war, its unprecedented.

US would never get any enough support from its allies, nor the approval from UNSC to attack Pakistan and jeoperdise stability in the region.

 

[Munir]

Pakistan inukes in military hands are safer then Indian nukes in the hands of Indian politician. Although all Indians cannot stop maknig remarks towards Pakistan about Mr Khan's network they probably forget that India was one the customers of that same network. And BJP or congress communism or Indian history showed that is is indeed "democratic corrupt" as possible.

 

[Thunder]

USA attack pakistan? . Ah, um ko azama. If they attack us then china will help us in secert for sure. But we don't need their help. Our population alone is enough to take care of the army america sends. We are not iraq. We have faught 3 wars and are ready to die for our country/religon anytime. Almost every body in pakistan has a weapon/s to defend them selves. Our army is highly morden and experinced. Our air force or navy might not be as advanced as the americans but they'll fight. As for invading saudia!! Well this by far is the stupidest thing i've ever heard. First off KSA is one of the biggest investor in USA like said above. But you know there is much more then that. Saudia is our holy place, where islam was started, meeca and medina are their. Each and every muslim will stand and fight for their religon. Something we call jihad.

 

[Munir]

US will not attack a nation with nukes. China needs Pakistan to get more oil. And India is damn weak to become anything like a superpower. As long as Pakistan helps America with stopping " terrorists" there is not much to expect. They have a heavey depth, problem with oil price and failed internal and external policy (Irac/Afghanistan). They will not risk another cracy person acting on their attack. US is strange but is does learn from its mistakes. And we all hear about the two camps about mistakes of mr Bush. He might look strange but he does know what he is doing.

 

[Thunder]

America is'nt dumb enough to invade pakistan. They will never invade a nuclear power, espically since china does'nt want the americans right beside them. They'll also help us.

 

[parihaka]

The US works up threat assessments on everyone, and contingency plans (what if) on everyone. The likelyhood of a US attack on Pakistan in the real world is next to nil. They will however have a plan to take out Pakistani nukes in the advent of a regime with which they disagree is perfectly possible, and there's not much anyone can do against a hardened ICBM with conventional warheads.

Now Iran on the other hand.....

 

[Bull]

There are no reasons available to say why US should attack pakistan.I personally dont see that happening anywhere in the near future.

And to Neo,the plan for securing the Nukes might not mean capturing Pakistan,which for sure they dont want to even try.Getting hold of the nukes or destroying it might be in the plans if in case something unplanned for happened.but then they will be having plan for every country with a nuke including india.

And thunder,
You are speaking of China not happy with US in pakistan bcoz they are going to be close to them,look at Japan,South Korea,taiwan and the china sea they are all over there.China wont support pkaistan bcoz of this reason,but they might support Pakistan for some other reason.

But China is too busy dilldallying with US on the trade deficit issue and valuation of Yuan.They wont get involved in a conflict right now.After 10-20 years things will be much different,but US will do what it wants to before that.

 

[A.Rahman]

There are no reasons available to say why US should attack pakistan.I personally dont see that happening anywhere in the near future.
.

same was being said about Iraq when they installed Saddam. Also dont you remeber how American loved the Shah, hell they even gave them F-14 Tomcats.

it dosnt takes long for Americans to change their mind. Isreal has strong lobby in Washington. If they ever feel threatned by our nuclear missiles then you will see waht they do to Pakistan.

The main thing is that dont depend on the western world.

And to Neo,the plan for securing the Nukes might not mean capturing Pakistan,which for sure they dont want to even try.Getting hold of the nukes or destroying it might be in the plans if in case something unplanned for happened.but then they will be having plan for every country with a nuke including india.

If they can invade Paskitan and secure nukes, or if they
Succeed in sabotaging the nukes. Then Pakistan is history. The only thing that is preventing from anyone attacking Pakistan is the nuclear bomb. I am pretty sure that if we didn’t have nukes then the conclusion of this “war on terrorism” would have been pretty different.

Pakistan would have been definitely include in “the axis of evil”, with news saying that osama is in Pakistan, and you know how many crimes they have committed in the name of freedom and osama

And thunder,
You are speaking of China not happy with US in pakistan bcoz they are going to be close to them,look at Japan,South Korea,taiwan and the china sea they are all over there.China wont support pkaistan bcoz of this reason,but they might support Pakistan for some other reason.

I agree, If they suspect that US can threaten China’s oil supply then they will support us