Are we all being distracted by the middle east crisis.

[milmor_1]

Over recent weeks all the world attention has been on the middle east. The G8 summit was supposed to discuss the Iranian Nuclear program but was DISTRACTED by the cris in the middle east,

All the threats coming from Iran are being ignored or relegated to the inner pages of newspapers.

The following article shows that perhaps we should have one eye on the ball and the other on the players.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsAr...1-MostViewed-2

Iran working with N.Korea on missiles: Institute
Thu Aug 3, 2006 12:33am ET

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has been working closely with Iran to develop its long-range ballistic missiles, possibly using Chinese technology, and is building large bases to prepare for their deployment, a South Korean state-run think tank said.

Communist North Korea is also building new sites near the Demilitarized Zone border for short-range missiles and is deploying missiles with improved precision that can strike most of Japan, the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS) said in a report.

"The development of Taepodong-2 is conducted jointly with Iran, and it is possible China's technology is used in the development of the Taepodong-2 engine," said the IFANS report, which Reuters obtained on Thursday.

The collaboration is part of an international network, including Pakistan, that made it possible for the impoverished North to develop and deploy missiles despite scarce resources and limited testing, the study said.



North Korea fired seven missiles on July 5, including the long-range Taepodong-2, which U.S. officials said failed seconds into its flight and fell into waters between Japan and the Korean peninsula.

Christopher Hill, the top U.S. envoy to talks on the North's nuclear program, said last month one or more Iranians watched the North's missile launch, deepening concerns about the ties between two countries with troubling nuclear capabilities.

The Taepodong-2 is the product of joint efforts with Tehran, coinciding with Iran's development of the Shehab-5 and 6, and "it is highly possible that design and technology from China, which has an arms trade with Iran, were used", the report said.

The North is building a missile command base 50 km (30 miles) north of the Demilitarized Zone for as many as 30 mobile launch pads for the short-range Scud-type Hwasong missiles that can hit military and industrial targets deep in the South, IFANS said.

"With the deployment of Rodong and SSN-6 missiles and the pursuit to deploy the Taepodong-2, the North is pushing ahead with the construction of new sites and silos" on the east coast and on the border with China, the IFANS report said.



© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

[RFC Rudel]

yes and the world has worst problems that we think are normal.

car accidents (how many US people die each year?)
I have a long list of things that are terrible wrong and the worst is that we are not distracted, it is normal or stadistic.....

sory for posting out of the main issue, but iran and korea are only the point of the iceberg.

[Snowden]

Somebody said - or I read - that Iran wouldn't have the ability to tell Hezbollah to act and distract from what they were doing in regard to the nuclear advances they are after.

Frankly, I disagree. Iran is one of the major financiers of Hezbollah, is it not?

Of course they can tell Hezbollah to open up on Israel - it's every Islamic fanatic's dream to do that anyway.

[Snowden]

Well, let's not post out of the main issue, Rudel - it is, I believe, one of the things we all agreed about in order to post here.

If Iran develops the capacity for nuclear bombs and starts to nuke Israel, and if Israel has the MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) policy also known as the Samson Option, the entire Mid East could become a wasteland. I think this is not only what could happen, but if something isn't done, it will be.

Israel has sworn never again to "go quietly." They seldom make idle threats.

Iran has called for the destruction of Israel - I think the scenerio could get quite nasty!

[Woodmonkey]

The topic is that we are being distracted from other problems by all the concentration on the Middle East.

Korea was specifically mentioned and I agree with the article. Korea has been a threat to us for a very long time now and yet we don't seem to be paying attention there.

Another threat to the US is South of our borders. Hugo Chavez is someone who should get more attention.

[milmor_1]

Quite right on the topic katie, I believe that the present middle east crisis is what in military speak is known as a smoke screen.

North Korea and Iran were top of the news prior to this crisis, now they are low key issues.

In recent days Iran has spoken about UN sanctions on them causing Oil prices to rise to 200 dollars a barrel and then up pops the Venezualan President agreeing with them. And then he pulls his Ambassador out of Israel.

Is anyone aware that the UN has given Iran a deadline of 31 August to comply with UN resolutions.

This is what I mean about being distracted by the current crisis.

[Snowden]

Originally Posted by milmor_1

Quite right on the topic katie, I believe that the present middle east crisis is what in military speak is known as a smoke screen.

North Korea and Iran were top of the news prior to this crisis, now they are low key issues.

In recent days Iran has spoken about UN sanctions on them causing Oil prices to rise to 200 dollars a barrel and then up pops the Venezualan President agreeing with them. And then he pulls his Ambassador out of Israel.

Is anyone aware that the UN has given Iran a deadline of 31 August to comply with UN resolutions.

This is what I mean about being distracted by the current crisis.

Well, I was not aware of it, Milmor. So, while this doesn't prove they could be successfully plotting this, I would guess they are. Korea and Iran seem to be strong allies, and Iran has apparently given the order to Hezbollah to start the ball rolling, keeping the eyes of the world, and especially the US and Britain, on Israel and Lebanon.

It's all one piece.