“The Khorramshar News Agency, which is published by the ethnic Arab underground of Iran’s oil-rich Khuzestan, reported early Oct. 1 that the entire staff of Russian nuclear engineers and experts employed in building the nuclear reactor at Bushehr had abruptly packed their bags Friday, Sept. 28, and flew back to Russia. The agency’s one-liner offers no source or explanation. DEBKAfile have obtained no corroboration of its report from any other source.
The story appears to have originated with the ethnic Arabs who live near the reactor or who come in contact with its Russian staff. If true, DEBKAfile can offer three hypothetical scenarios to account for the Russians’ precipitate departure:
1. Another crisis has cropped up in the patchy Russian-Iranian dealings over the Bushehr reactor. This is unlikely because Russian president Vladimar Putin is due for a high-profile visit to Tehran on Oct. 16, when he plans to sign a series of nuclear accords with the Islamic Republic. Furthermore, Moscow, like Beijing, stands foursquare behind Iran’s efforts to delay harsher sanctions for its continued uranium enrichment. Only this week, the two powers gained Iran two to three months’ grace by forcing a delay in the UN Security Council session that was to have approved a third round of sanctions.
2. Moscow or Tehran has been tipped off that a US or Israeli attack is imminent on the Bushehr plant and Iran’s other nuclear installations and acted to whip Russian personnel out of harm’s way.
3. Moscow has learned that an Iranian pre-emptive attack is imminent against American targets in Iraq and the Persian Gulf and/or Israel.
Aside from these hypothetical scenarios, DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources report that the Khorramshar News Agency keeps its ear to the ground on happenings in Bushehr, because it is claimed by Khuzistan separatists as Arab land which they will fight to liberate from Iranian “occupation.””
Someone please fax this to Wolfie, he may not realize his Venn overlap.
Approximately 72 percent of Israelis support the use of nuclear weapons in certain circumstances, according to a Canadian survey released recently.
The survey – conducted jointly at the end of July by the Simons Foundation and Angus Reid Strategies – was answered by adults in six countries and showed that 37% of Israelis believed the use of nuclear weapons to prevent a war would be justified, while 35% believed the weapons could be justifiably used during a war.
In addition, the survey found that Israel had the lowest public support for destroying nuclear weapons out of all the countries questioned.
Israel also had the highest percentage in favor of the country using its “power and influence in a way that serves its own interests” – approximately 55% – as opposed to “coordinat[ing] with other countries to do what’s best for the world as a whole.”
Nearly 72% also agreed that “nuclear weapons place Israel in a unique position, so it is not in our interest to participate in treaties that would reduce or eliminate our purported nuclear arsenal.”
About three-quarters of Israelis also said they would feel safer if they knew for certain that Israel had nuclear weapons. Israel has thus far maintained its policy of nuclear ambiguity.
The organizers of the study suggested that Israel accorded greater importance to the nuclear form of defense due to the Iranian threat, Army Radio reported.
The study spanned a sample of 1,000 adults in Britain, France, Italy, Germany and the US along with Israel.
The Kudlow communtity keeps talking about the US being a nation of shareholders – But the overwhelming majorit of people who have stocks or funds have less than a couple of grand in total value – Meaningless in Wall St. terms.
The Post always posts stories about Conrad so long as they serve to make him look bad – It is true that Steyn inadvertantly serves to condemn Conrad – He helps to illuminate what Conrad did wrong when he tries to explain what Conrad did. Once again – he has a show biz view of capitalism and he thinks that is worthy – He dumble ignores the fact that the non competes were against the law and tries to defend them on theoretical grounds – as if the law cares.
A good novelist would have the Steyn character keep the reader guessing as to motive.
We would counsel Olberman to end his “oddball” segment soon – It has long outlived its novelty. All those little videos blur into a banal nothing – He should also drop his daily swipes against whatever women happens to have a celebrity problem – It’s hard to imagine that this stuff adds to his audience. He should have on that woman from MTV on more (allison?) and some other attractive women – But ones that will appeal to his best audience demo.
Werthier’s comments are actually old news — this is the long time Movement’s efforts to copy Maggie Thatcher and get Americans invested in the stock market and other gimmicks controlled by the financial plutocratic elites.
It’s really amazing how much that was old and obvious is now not even 20 years later revealed as fresh insight. ‘American civilization’ has the memory of one Olbermann Oddball smug segment.
We saw this in the Post — periodically, we peer into it over a coffee or lunch to see the natives au natural. And there is no denying the wit lurking there in places. My favorite Post headline was “Terror Chief Gets Brezh Job” when Andropov took over.
Thanks for linking, it was on our list of things to do. As Warhol said and we quote him here saying “Art is what you can get away with.”
Warhol and Conrad likely had a mutal understanding that the flciker of fad was the thing, not anything intrinsic. That said, forcing Conrad to pay for the ‘art’ a blow, although the market value for a Conrad Black piece (even a Warhol) somewhat volatile. If a Canadian appraiser is involved, he’s screwed — MacLeans and Steyn have inadvertantly undercut their hero through puffery. While an American or even European might shrug, give him ‘a deal’ and low ball it. Laughably, it could end up in court again, giving Conrad yet another cudgel against the American Betrayal (ala Chalabi).
Conrad, however, being shrewd, likely would swallow the blow and scrounge the dough and save the piece for later auction at Sotheby’s when he, like Led Zepplin, announces his future come back tour.
Werther is on point in Takimag when he says this about Gee Dubs approach:
“Now, it is complete bosh to think a new homeowner ensnared in a “no doc” loan, or an interest-only loan, or a no down payment loan, has a stake in anything. But for creating the illusion of ownership (as well as the illusion of a booming economy as reflected by housing sales), the artifice would suffice. President Bush – or at least his economic Svengalis – were counting on the psychology of the Wealth Effect to push a large segment of the voting public into the conservative column. These voters would, as the old saying about land-owners goes, “have a stake in the country.”
In the annals of declinism – the Bush admin will figure important. In many ways – too many to state. Not the least of reasons is that so many who follow Gee Dubs believe themselves to be fighting declinism. They will tell you a why and give you a number of reasons, mostly infantile in nature.
Dr Leo Strauss says
re Tweety and CNBC
Flowers are without hope. Because hope is tomorrow and flowers have no tomorrow. ~Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943
Anon says
Tweety would love to ref this in the ring:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/07272007/gossip/pagesix/pagesix.htm
Anon says
Doc – That tiny link to the article does not work for us – can you give another link?
Aldershot says
“The Khorramshar News Agency, which is published by the ethnic Arab underground of Iran’s oil-rich Khuzestan, reported early Oct. 1 that the entire staff of Russian nuclear engineers and experts employed in building the nuclear reactor at Bushehr had abruptly packed their bags Friday, Sept. 28, and flew back to Russia. The agency’s one-liner offers no source or explanation. DEBKAfile have obtained no corroboration of its report from any other source.
The story appears to have originated with the ethnic Arabs who live near the reactor or who come in contact with its Russian staff. If true, DEBKAfile can offer three hypothetical scenarios to account for the Russians’ precipitate departure:
1. Another crisis has cropped up in the patchy Russian-Iranian dealings over the Bushehr reactor. This is unlikely because Russian president Vladimar Putin is due for a high-profile visit to Tehran on Oct. 16, when he plans to sign a series of nuclear accords with the Islamic Republic. Furthermore, Moscow, like Beijing, stands foursquare behind Iran’s efforts to delay harsher sanctions for its continued uranium enrichment. Only this week, the two powers gained Iran two to three months’ grace by forcing a delay in the UN Security Council session that was to have approved a third round of sanctions.
2. Moscow or Tehran has been tipped off that a US or Israeli attack is imminent on the Bushehr plant and Iran’s other nuclear installations and acted to whip Russian personnel out of harm’s way.
3. Moscow has learned that an Iranian pre-emptive attack is imminent against American targets in Iraq and the Persian Gulf and/or Israel.
Aside from these hypothetical scenarios, DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources report that the Khorramshar News Agency keeps its ear to the ground on happenings in Bushehr, because it is claimed by Khuzistan separatists as Arab land which they will fight to liberate from Iranian “occupation.””
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=4636
DrLeoStrauss says
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1189411522274&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Someone please fax this to Wolfie, he may not realize his Venn overlap.
Approximately 72 percent of Israelis support the use of nuclear weapons in certain circumstances, according to a Canadian survey released recently.
The survey – conducted jointly at the end of July by the Simons Foundation and Angus Reid Strategies – was answered by adults in six countries and showed that 37% of Israelis believed the use of nuclear weapons to prevent a war would be justified, while 35% believed the weapons could be justifiably used during a war.
In addition, the survey found that Israel had the lowest public support for destroying nuclear weapons out of all the countries questioned.
Israel also had the highest percentage in favor of the country using its “power and influence in a way that serves its own interests” – approximately 55% – as opposed to “coordinat[ing] with other countries to do what’s best for the world as a whole.”
Nearly 72% also agreed that “nuclear weapons place Israel in a unique position, so it is not in our interest to participate in treaties that would reduce or eliminate our purported nuclear arsenal.”
About three-quarters of Israelis also said they would feel safer if they knew for certain that Israel had nuclear weapons. Israel has thus far maintained its policy of nuclear ambiguity.
The organizers of the study suggested that Israel accorded greater importance to the nuclear form of defense due to the Iranian threat, Army Radio reported.
The study spanned a sample of 1,000 adults in Britain, France, Italy, Germany and the US along with Israel.
DrLeoStrauss says
Here’s a neat story about how Silicon Valley really formed, not the Jobs/Gates-era propaganda.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/09/30/MNDTSEMSJ.DTL
Anon says
All the best people – too bad they could not bother to block takis yacht instead.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02162007/gossip/liz/bash_makes_history_liz_liz_smith.htm?page=2
Comment says
The Kudlow communtity keeps talking about the US being a nation of shareholders – But the overwhelming majorit of people who have stocks or funds have less than a couple of grand in total value – Meaningless in Wall St. terms.
Comment says
The Post always posts stories about Conrad so long as they serve to make him look bad – It is true that Steyn inadvertantly serves to condemn Conrad – He helps to illuminate what Conrad did wrong when he tries to explain what Conrad did. Once again – he has a show biz view of capitalism and he thinks that is worthy – He dumble ignores the fact that the non competes were against the law and tries to defend them on theoretical grounds – as if the law cares.
A good novelist would have the Steyn character keep the reader guessing as to motive.
Anon says
We would counsel Olberman to end his “oddball” segment soon – It has long outlived its novelty. All those little videos blur into a banal nothing – He should also drop his daily swipes against whatever women happens to have a celebrity problem – It’s hard to imagine that this stuff adds to his audience. He should have on that woman from MTV on more (allison?) and some other attractive women – But ones that will appeal to his best audience demo.
Dr Leo Strauss says
Interesting read on Italian Futurism, Fascism and German Politics (long but worth it):
http://tinyurl.com/2bj2t2
DrLeoStrauss says
Werthier’s comments are actually old news — this is the long time Movement’s efforts to copy Maggie Thatcher and get Americans invested in the stock market and other gimmicks controlled by the financial plutocratic elites.
It’s really amazing how much that was old and obvious is now not even 20 years later revealed as fresh insight. ‘American civilization’ has the memory of one Olbermann Oddball smug segment.
DrLeoStrauss says
re Andy Warhol —
We saw this in the Post — periodically, we peer into it over a coffee or lunch to see the natives au natural. And there is no denying the wit lurking there in places. My favorite Post headline was “Terror Chief Gets Brezh Job” when Andropov took over.
Thanks for linking, it was on our list of things to do. As Warhol said and we quote him here saying “Art is what you can get away with.”
Warhol and Conrad likely had a mutal understanding that the flciker of fad was the thing, not anything intrinsic. That said, forcing Conrad to pay for the ‘art’ a blow, although the market value for a Conrad Black piece (even a Warhol) somewhat volatile. If a Canadian appraiser is involved, he’s screwed — MacLeans and Steyn have inadvertantly undercut their hero through puffery. While an American or even European might shrug, give him ‘a deal’ and low ball it. Laughably, it could end up in court again, giving Conrad yet another cudgel against the American Betrayal (ala Chalabi).
Conrad, however, being shrewd, likely would swallow the blow and scrounge the dough and save the piece for later auction at Sotheby’s when he, like Led Zepplin, announces his future come back tour.
DrLeoStrauss says
Perhaps we can ask the Pakis or the Chinese to help build our nukes.
http://tinyurl.com/2km3e4
Anon says
Doc – Can anyone decode the multiple symbolism of this part of the story?
http://www.nypost.com/seven/09292007/business/black_must_buy_warhol.htm
C says
Werther is on point in Takimag when he says this about Gee Dubs approach:
“Now, it is complete bosh to think a new homeowner ensnared in a “no doc” loan, or an interest-only loan, or a no down payment loan, has a stake in anything. But for creating the illusion of ownership (as well as the illusion of a booming economy as reflected by housing sales), the artifice would suffice. President Bush – or at least his economic Svengalis – were counting on the psychology of the Wealth Effect to push a large segment of the voting public into the conservative column. These voters would, as the old saying about land-owners goes, “have a stake in the country.”
C says
In the annals of declinism – the Bush admin will figure important. In many ways – too many to state. Not the least of reasons is that so many who follow Gee Dubs believe themselves to be fighting declinism. They will tell you a why and give you a number of reasons, mostly infantile in nature.
C says
There was no single moment.
Dr Leo Strauss says
And no, we don’t mean the introduction of the Ford Pinto or “Whip Inflation Now” buttons . . .