Posted tagged ‘Munich’

« WarSclerotic home page

Iranian refugee kills 9 in Munich mall. ‘No motive”

July 23, 2016

Iranian refugee kills 9 in Munich mall. ‘No motive”

DEBKAfile Special Report July 23, 2016, 7:24 AM (IDT)

Source: Iranian refugee kills 9 in Munich mall. ‘No motive”

For seven hours the authorities of the leading European power were paralyzed over how to handle the massacre of nine Germans at he Olympia shopping mall of Munich by an 18-year old Iranian German Friday night, July 22 without uttering the words “Islamic” or “jihadist” – or even “terror.” The gunman, who killed himself far from the crime scene, gained German citizenship after arriving from Iran two years ago. He too has not been named. At stake was Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open-arms policy for Middle East refugees. And so a city of 1,5 million was sent into panic by muddled, stammering statements, which for hours refrained from defining the mall attack, locked the entries against the media and refused to specify the number of casualties.. French President Francois Hollande bluntly said it for them. It was a terrorist attack, he said Saturday morning, July 23.
Young people and “adolescents” are among the 9 dead, and children are among the 16 injured. Hundreds of police Saturday searched an apartment believed to have been the shooter’s home.

This was how the episode unfolded, according to debkafile’s initial report Friday night:
With still no official figure on casualties in the shooting spree Friday night, July 22, in the Olympia mall, Munich’s largest shopping center. However medical staff are being rushed to the city from across the state of Bavaria, indicating a casualty emergency of major proportions and multiple deaths.
Munich police now believe that three gunmen were involved and are on the run, but refrain from defining them as jihadist terrorists.
Large numbers of people fled the shopping center at the heart of Germany’s third city, while shopkeepers hid in barricaded stores and eateries.
Following the Olympia mall shooting, sirens were activated in a number of Munich districts warning people that their city was under terror attack which has all the hallmarks of a jihadist atrocity against a soft target.
The public was urged to stay off the streets and away from crowd centers. All Munich transport systems were closed down amid reports of a second shooting at the nearby Marienplatz Metro station at the heart of the capital of Bavaria. The central railway station was evacuated and closed down.
debkafile’s counterterrorism sources report that the gunmen were armed with pistols as well as automatic rifleswhixh were planned to maximize casualties.
It’s the second attack in Germany in less than a week. On Monday, a 17-year-old Afghan wounded five people in an ax-and-knife attack on a regional train in Bavaria. The attacker claimed by ISIS as its “fighter” was shot and killed by police.
The mall is next door to the Munich Olympic stadium, where the Palestinian terrorist group Black September took 11 Israeli athletes hostage and eventually killed them during the 1972 Olympic Games.

Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: , , ,

Comments: Be the first to comment

Shots Fired At German Shopping Mall — ‘Multiple Deaths’ + Updates !

July 22, 2016

Shots Fired At German Shopping Mall — ‘Multiple Deaths’

by Breitbart London

22 Jul 2016

Source: Shots Fired At German Shopping Mall — ‘Multiple Deaths’

UPDATE 2141 BST — Munich Police: Potential 9th Person Dead, May Be Attacker or Accomplice

In a tweet, Munich police say they are investigating whether a ninth person killed is one of the gunmen; police previously stated they believed up to three attackers were on the loose.

UPDATE 2138 BST — White House Condemns ‘Apparent Terrorist Attack’

White House Press Secretary Joshua Earnest has released a statement, asserting that Washington “condemns in the strongest terms” the “apparent” terrorist attack in Munich.

 

UPDATE 2134 BST — Witness Says Gunmen Appeared to Target Children, 8 Dead

Those still in the shopping center currently under siege have reportedly been told to leave the center with their hands up.

Police have now confirmed eight deaths.

UPDATE 2130 BST — CNN Reports Witnesses Heard ‘Allahu Akbar’ Shouts

An eyewitness identifying herself as a Muslim tells CNN she heard shouts of “Allahu Akbar” as shots rang out, confirmed that she heard correctly because “I am a Muslim.” 

UPDATE 2124 BST — US Consulate in Munich warns citizens to stay away

The Consulate also advises individuals to avoid plazas and public squares until police life the state of emergency in the city.

UPDATE 2100 BST — Müncheners urged to ‘check in’ after terror attack 
Police have called for people in Munich to go on Facebook and check in to the emergency system Facebook created to help locate people in terror attacks and natural disasters.

UPDATE 2035 BST — Latest from Munich Police — 6 Dead
Munich police have officially declared six dead in the shootings so far. A police spokesman speaking to media earlier said:

“What I can tell you is there was an incident at the OEZ [Olympia], we have sent police and all emergency services there. What happened, at the moment there are three attackers… we have at the moment 100 people on site and we are trying to evacuate around 100 people”. The spokesman said he could not answer questions about the identities of the attackers, that the injured were in “double figures” and warned Müncheners to stay indoors.
st
UPDATE 2030 BST — ISIS-linked communications channel praises attack A journalist with the pan-Arabic Al Aan Satelite TV network has tweeted screenshots of what she claims is an “ISIS propaganda channel” which has not claimed responsibility. The messages, which appear to come from a Whatsapp group read: “Munich so far not claimed by Islamic State. But everything hurting infidels make us happy”.

UPDATE 2020 BST — ‘At Least 6 Dead’ says European agency The European news agency AFP has reported there are at least six dead in the ongoing Munich ‘terror’ attack with three shooters still at large. No confirmation yet on motives for attack.

UPDATE 2000 BST — Video of emergency services tending to wounded
A video showing stretchers being prepared to take wounded and an injured man lying supine with a sheet over his body has been uploaded to Twitter.

UPDATE 1940 BST — Well-meaning Müncheners opening their doors to strangers in wake of terror attack
Munich residents have been using the hashtag #offenetür (open door) to offer their hospitality to people unable to get home amid the chaos in the city.

However, others have pointed out the inherent danger in opening doors to strangers at a time when gunmen are on the loose, warning people to take precautions before they open the door.

309724459

Aftermath of the May Munich stabbing / Getty

UPDATE 1935 BST — Second Terror Attack in Munich in 2016 
German police are reportedly now treating the shooting as a terror attack. Breitbart London reported in May about another terror attack in the German city of Munich, where one died and three were injured.

The attacker reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” as he stabbed his fellow passengers on a train. Read more.

UPDATE 1925 BST — Updates from Munich Police 

Munich police have posted a series of tweets which appear to suggest that gun fire is being heard elsewhere in the city, including mentions of a “shootout” at approximately 18:50pm. They are repeating advice to avoid public areas warning “the suspects are still on the run,” but are underscoring that the situation remains “confusing”.

A Police statement stated:

“At 17.50 o’ clock witnesses came forward at the police station and reported a shooting in the area of Hanau Street. Witnesses report three different people with guns.

“Type and number of victims is unknown. The police are using all available forces with the support of special forces, the federal police and neighbouring [forces].

“At the moment no perpetrators have been arrested… Due to the unclear situation we ask all people in the metropolitan area to stay at home or In nearby buildings to seek shelter. The operation of the public transport is currently suspended.

“As soon as more information becomes available, it will be reported”.

UPDATE 1915 BST — Three confirmed dead 
The German Interior Ministry has confirmed three dead, the Telegraph has reported.

However, German sources including the Muencher Abendzeitung are reporting that the death toll is much higher, with perhaps as many as 15 casualties. It is not known how many have been injured. An employee within the centre told Reuters “many shots were fired.”

UPDATE 1900 BST — WARNING GRAPHIC 
Munich police have asked witnesses not to share pictures of the situation as it unfolds as they track the shooter/s, however a number of images have been posted. While some actually show other attacks including the 2013 Kenyan mall attack, others are more clearly genuine with visible landmarks and signs that show they were likely taken in Germany.

This graphic image shows a first responder standing outside the Olympia McDonalds attending to a victim — the Saturn electrical store next door can be seen in the background.

MUNICH SATURN

Twitter

AP Photo

German police arrive / AP

GERMANY-SHOOTING-MALL

Armed police cover the entrance to the Olympia U-Bahn station / Getty

Deaths Reported In Shooting at Munich Shopping Centre

Getty

Deaths Reported In Shooting at Munich Shopping Centre

Getty

Deaths Reported In Shooting at Munich Shopping Centre

Getty

 

UPDATE 1855 BST — Reports that Munich Police are dealing with multiple shootings — Mall and Metro station
Marienplatz Metro station in the centre of Munich is reported to be the location of a second shooting according to reports, although there are presently no confirmed reports of injuries.

Reports of a third shooting location in the city have not yet been confirmed.

UPDATE 1845 BST — Staff at mall are in hiding
Reuters are reporting that staff are still hiding out in the building, according to a member of staff who contacted the news agency by phone.
If so, events could evolve into a hostage situation, although there are currently no suggestions that that is the case.

UPDATE 1835 BST — Video claiming to show shooter posted to social media
A Twitter video showing a man with what appears to be a pistol shooting at bystanders also clearly shows a distinctively laid out branch of the McDonalds fast-food chain. Local images and Google Street View strongly suggests the video is in fact from Munich as claimed.

 

mcdonalds-1 Munich

The Hanauer Strasse McDonalds, directly opposite the Olympia Shopping Centre / Mux.de

UPDATE 1820 BST — Images of armed police on roof
Tweet pictures taken from neighbouring buildings to the Munich shopping mall at the centre of this evening’s apparent attack clearly show Germnan police officers in ordinary patrol dress — rather than armed response order — crouched and taking cover with weapons drawn on the car-park roof. The images may fuel speculation that there may still be an active shooter in the area.

A Munich police source is being reported on Britain’s Sky News as saying there was more than one shooter and there have not yet been any arrests.

UPDATE 1810 BST — Video emerges of situation outside the Munich Olympic Mall

UPDATE 1805 BST — Germans told to expect more terrorism
The attacks have come only 48 hours after a warning by German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere who claimed that Germans should prepare themselves for more terror attacks in the wake of the axe attack in Wuerzburg. “In Germany we must also expect attacks by small groups of radicalised ‘lone-wolf’ attackers,” he said. Read more at Breitbart London

MUNICH 1

UPDATE 1800 BST — Confused reports coming out of Munich
There may be an active shooter in the Munich shopping mall, with reports of between one and 15 casualties presently being reported in European media.

The story so far:

The gunshots were heard at the Olympiapark shopping centre in Munich and police have announced on twitter that anyone in the area should leave immediately.

A major police operation is currently underway as many witnesses are reporting a very large police presence in the area.

Unconfirmed reports are stating that there may be several casualties as at least one alleged witness has posted a picture of what appears to be injured victims, though there is still no word from Munich police.

The shopping mall is located in the old Olympic park which was built for the 1972 Olympics. The Munich Olympics is well known for being the site of the massacre of Israeli athletes by Palestinian gunmen.

  • 0
    0
  • 1
    1
  • 2
    2
  • 3
    3
  • 4
    4
  • 5
    5
  • 6
    6
  • 7
    7
  • 8
    8
  • 9
    9
  • 0
    0
  • 1
    1
  • 2
    2
  • 3
    3
  • 4
    4
  • 5
    5
  • 6
    6
  • 7
    7
  • 8
    8
  • 9
    9
  • 0
    0
  • 1
    1
  • 2
    2
  • 3
    3
  • 4
    4
  • 5
    5
  • 6
    6
  • 7
    7
  • 8
    8
  • 9
    9
  • 0
    0
  • 1
    1
  • 2
    2
  • 3
    3
  • 4
    4
  • 5
    5
  • 6
    6
  • 7
    7
  • 8
    8
  • 9
    9
  • 0
    0
  • 1
    1
  • 2
    2
  • 3
    3
  • 4
    4
  • 5
    5
  • 0
    0
  • 1
    1
  • 2
    2
  • 3
    3
  • 4
    4
  • 5
    5
  • 6
    6
  • 7
    7
  • 8
    8
  • 9
    9
  • 0
    0
  • 1
    1
  • 2
    2
  • 3
    3
  • 4
    4
  • 5
    5
  • 0
    0
  • 1
    1
  • 2
    2
  • 3
    3
  • 4
    4
  • 5
    5
  • 6
    6
  • 7
    7
  • 8
    8
  • 9
    9

You will be sent a link and password to a private URL to watch the movie. Showtimes: 8pm on Saturday, 2pm on Sunday and 8pm Sunday (all times Eastern).

BREITBART CONNECT

UPDATE 2100 BST — Müncheners urged to ‘check in’ after terror attack 
Police have called for people in Munich to go on Facebook and check in to the emergency system Facebook created to help locate people in terror attacks and natural disasters.

UPDATE 2020 BST — ‘At Least 6 Dead’ says European agency The European news agency AFP has reported there are at least six dead in the ongoing Munich ‘terror’ attack with three shooters still at large. No confirmation yet on motives for attack.

 

UPDATE 2000 BST — Video of emergency services tending to wounded
A video showing stretchers being prepared to take wounded and an injured man lying supine with a sheet over his body has been uploaded to Twitter.

 

UPDATE 1940 BST — Well-meaning Müncheners opening their doors to strangers in wake of terror attack
Munich residents have been using the hashtag #offenetür (open door) to offer their hospitality to people unable to get home amid the chaos in the city.

However, others have pointed out the inherent danger in opening doors to strangers at a time when gunmen are on the loose, warning people to take precautions before they open the door.

 

UPDATE 1935 BST — Second Terror Attack in Munich in 2016 
German police are reportedly now treating the shooting as a terror attack. Breitbart London reported in May about another terror attack in the German city of Munich, where one died and three were injured.

The attacker reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” as he stabbed his fellow passengers on a train. Read more.

 

UPDATE 1925 BST — Updates from Munich Police 

Munich police have posted a series of tweets which appear to suggest that gun fire is being heard elsewhere in the city, including mentions of a “shootout” at approximately 18:50pm. They are repeating advice to avoid public areas warning “the suspects are still on the run,” but are underscoring that the situation remains “confusing”.

A Police statement stated:

“At 17.50 o’ clock witnesses came forward at the police station and reported a shooting in the area of Hanau Street. Witnesses report three different people with guns.

“Type and number of victims is unknown. The police are using all available forces with the support of special forces, the federal police and neighbouring [forces].

“At the moment no perpetrators have been arrested… Due to the unclear situation we ask all people in the metropolitan area to stay at home or In nearby buildings to seek shelter. The operation of the public transport is currently suspended.

“As soon as more information becomes available, it will be reported”.

UPDATE 1915 BST — Three confirmed dead 
The German Interior Ministry has confirmed three dead, the Telegraph has reported.

However, German sources including the Muencher Abendzeitung are reporting that the death toll is much higher, with perhaps as many as 15 casualties. It is not known how many have been injured. An employee within the centre told Reuters “many shots were fired.”

UPDATE 1900 BST — WARNING GRAPHIC 
Munich police have asked witnesses not to share pictures of the situation as it unfolds as they track the shooter/s, however a number of images have been posted. While some actually show other attacks including the 2013 Kenyan mall attack, others are more clearly genuine with visible landmarks and signs that show they were likely taken in Germany.

This graphic image shows a first responder standing outside the Olympia McDonalds attending to a victim — the Saturn electrical store next door can be seen in the background.

 

 

Twitter

Getty

Twitter / @TimmKraeft

Several gunshots are reported to have been fired at a shopping centre in Munich, with media claiming there have been multiple fatalities.

UPDATE 1800 BST — Confused reports coming out of Munich

There may be an active shooter in the Munich shopping mall, with reports of between one and 15 casualties presently being reported in European media.

The story so far:

The gunshots were heard at the Olympiapark shopping centre in Munich and police have announced on twitter that anyone in the area should leave immediately.

 

 

A major police operation is currently underway as many witnesses are reporting a very large police presence in the area.

Unconfirmed reports are stating that there may be several casualties as at least one alleged witness has posted a picture of what appears to be injured victims, though there is still no word from Munich police.

 

 

The shopping mall is located in the old Olympic park which was built for the 1972 Olympics. The Munich Olympics is well known for being the site of the massacre of Israeli athletes by Palestinian gunmen.

Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: , , ,

Comments: 8 Comments

Israel will Never be a Second Czechoslovakia

August 29, 2015

Israel will Never be a Second Czechoslovakia, American Thinker, Shoula Romano Horing, August 29, 2015

(Obama loves Israel to death. Or tries.

Obama first Jewish president

— DM)

Israel is not like the Czechoslovakia of 1938 and never will be. Israel is an independent military and nuclear power that intends to use its right of self-defense against Iran and its terrorist proxies whether “Emperor” Obama  likes it or not, or tries to stop it.

Obama and his army of Democratic followers in the Congress, progressive groups, and the media repeatedly state their main argument in favor of the agreement, which is that Israel is the only country in the world opposing the Iran nuclear deal. First,  It seems that President  Obama  and his supporters have not paid attention to a recent CNN poll taken on  August 20  that  found that 60 percent of Americans  disapprove of how Obama is handling the Iran deal, and  56 percent  believe that Congress should reject it.

Secondly, like any other self-respecting sovereign country, Israel is against any deal that threatens her own survival by an evil Jihadist Islamic state clearly intent on its annihilation, which is being imposed on her by world powers as a fait accompli.

It seems that Obama and his supporters are delusional, expecting that Israel will allow itself to become a second Czechoslovakia. They are outraged and shocked that Israel has not only refused to quietly accept this very bad deal but dares to fight the deal publicly, loudly, and proudly.

Like Czechoslovakia in 1938, Israel is a small democracy surrounded by hostile nations, and like Czechoslovakia, it was excluded from negotiations that led to a diplomatic deal that shapes its fate and threatens its survival. In 1938, the enlightened democracies in Europe decided to sacrifice Czechoslovakia for a comfortable, temporary solution. The Munich agreement was signed, when Britain and France believed that handing Czechoslovakia to Hitler was the only way to save the world from another war. It is regarded as the shameful culmination of the Allies refusal to confront Nazi aggression and gave Hitler what he wanted in exchange for his verbal promise of “peace in our time” as Neville Chamberlain called it.

In his biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Champion of Freedom, Conrad Black recalls the scene when the poor Czechoslovakian delegates were brought into the room to be informed of their nation’s fate as set out in the Munich Agreement. “No Czech answer was requested. They were handed a fait accompli. The Czechs wept, and Hubert Masarik (Czech diplomat attending the Munich conference) said, prophetically and justly: ‘They don’t know what they are doing to us or to themselves.… These poor, good men were the final players in a macabre and shameful Gothic tragedy.”

The Jewish state has for 67 years been mourning its beloved soldiers who have courageously died defending it from the evil regimes that surround her. However, it will never weep over a deal imposed on it by a morally bankrupt world. Those days of passivity were over when the enormity of the Holocaust was revealed. The Jewish state has been fighting for itself on its own since its independence.

Obama’s threats of a military attack on Iran when violations of the deal occur are not taken seriously by anyone and are a source of laughter for the Iranian regime. Israel does not need  the U.S. or any another party to save her but it does need for Obama and the world powers to move away from Israel’s path and let it do everything in its means to minimize the nuclear threat, and the more menacing conventional  threat resulting from the hundreds of  billions of dollars Iran and its terrorist proxies will get  from the deal.

For the last two years, Obama has been trying to tie Israeli hands and prevent it from practicing its right to self-defense against Iran. Dan Raviv from CBS News reported in March 2014, that the Obama’s administration has asked Israel to stop killing key scientists in the Iranian nuclear program while Obama has been negotiating. In an August interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon implicitly warned that the assassinations could be renewed by saying;” I am not responsible for the lives of Iranian scientists.’

But much worse, in Article 10 of the deal, Obama and world powers have agreed that they will assist Iran in thwarting attempts to undermine its nuclear program. The agreement stipulates that they, with the Iranians, will foster “cooperation through training  and workshops to strengthen Iran’s ability to protect against and respond to, nuclear security threats, including sabotage, as well as to enable effective  and sustainable nuclear security  and physical protection systems.”

Recent years have seen various mishaps befall the Iranian nuclear program, from powerful computer viruses to the death of the nuclear scientists, which world media outlets have often attributed to the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad. According to an audio recording with former Defense Minister Ehud Barak leaked to an Israeli television channel on August 22, Israeli leaders planned to attack military targets in Iran in 2010, 2011, and 2012 but were held back due to the opinions of other government and military leaders.

It is quite disturbing that the U.S. as well as the U.K., Russia, China, France, and Germany will actively try to prevent covert actions against the Iranian nuclear program, as well as any potential military operation against Iran, making such options far more complicated and dangerous for a country like Israel. Congress should ask Obama whether he will order U.S. jets to shoot down Israeli jets intent on destroying an Iranian nuclear weapon facility.

The Congressional Democrats must not repeat the mistakes of the past and sacrifice the future for the present; The Democrats must not ignore Iranian aggression in the hopes of gaining an illusory peace. A vote for the deal is a vote for the beginning of the next war between Israel and Iran and its proxies. The Jewish people can never again remain passive in the face of genocidal enemies.

 

Categories: Czechoslovakia, Death to Israel, Denial, Diplomacy, Dishonor, Foreign policy, Hitler, Iran / Israel War, Iran scam, Iranian proxies, Israel, Jews, Munich, Nazis, Obama, Obama and Israel, Obama's affinity for Iran, Obama's America, Obama's legacy, P5+1, U.S. Congress, U.S. politics
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments: 1 Comment

Munich for our time

July 14, 2015

Munich for our time, Power Line, Scott Johnson, July 14, 2015

(It’s worse than Munich. At least Chamberlain was working in a context of military weakness; Obama has been operating in a context of military strength, which he has declined to use. — DM)  

The big news of the day is the announcement of the deal with Iran by President Obama and Secretary Kerry. The Washington Post provides the text and video of Obama’s announcement here.

Listening to President Obama this morning, without access to the text of the agreement, I found key concessions made against his previously announced minimum criteria concealed in pleasing formulations presented as great accomplishments. ‘Twas a famous victory.

The deal must be the worst ever entered into by the United States. It is certainly “an historic mistake.” Based in part on Obama’s statement itself and in part on previous news accounts, I think the following summary provided by Omri Ceren provides a useful guide.

(1) The Iranian nuclear program will be placed under international sponsorship for R&D – A few weeks ago the AP leaked parts of an annex confirming that a major power would be working with the Iranians to develop next-generation centrifuge technology at the Fordow underground military enrichment bunker. Technically the work won’t be on nuclear material, but the AP noted that “isotope production uses the same technology as enrichment and can be quickly re-engineered to enriching uranium.” The administration had once promised Congress that Iran would be forced to dismantle its centrifuge program. The Iranians refused, so the administration conceded that the Iranians would be allowed to keep their existing centrifuges. Now the international community will be actively sponsoring the development of Iranian nuclear technology. And since the work will be overseen by a great power, it will be off-limits to the kind of sabotage that has kept the Iranian nuclear program in check until now.

(2) The sanctions regime will be shredded – the AP revealed at the beginning of June that the vast majority of the domestic U.S. sanctions regime will be dismantled. The Lausanne factsheet – which played a key role in dampening Congressional criticism to American concessions – had explicitly stated “U.S. sanctions on Iran for terrorism, human rights abuses, and ballistic missiles will remain in place under the deal.” That turns out to have been false. Instead the administration will redefine non-nuclear sanctions as nuclear, so that it can lift them. The Iranians are boasting that sanctions against Iran’s Central Bank, NIT Co., the National Iranian Oil Company, and 800 individuals and entities will be lifted. That’s probably exaggerated and a bit confused – CBI sanctions are statutory, and will probably not be getting “lifted” – but the sense is clear enough.

(3) The U.S. collapsed on the arms embargo – Just a week ago General Dempsey told the Senate Armed Services Committee that “under no circumstances should we relieve pressure on Iran relative to ballistic missile capabilities and arms trafficking.” Now multiple outlets have confirmed that the embargo on conventional weapons will be lifted no later than five years from now, and that the embargo on ballistic missiles will expire in 8 years. No one in the region is going to wait for those embargoes to expire: they’ll rush to build up their stockpiles in anticipation of the sunset.

(4) The U.S. collapsed on anytime-anywhere inspections – The IAEA will get to request access to sensitive sites, the Iranians will get to say no, and then there will be an arbitration board that includes Iran as a member. This concession is particularly damaging politically and substantively because the administration long ago went all-in on verification. The original goal of the talks was to make the Iranians take physical actions that would prevent them from going nuclear if they wanted to: dismantling centrifuges, shuttering facilities, etc. The Iranians said no to those demands, and the Americans backed off. The fallback position relied 100% on verification: yes the Iranians would be physically able to cheat, the argument went, but the cheating would be detected because of an anytime-anywhere inspection regime. That is not what the Americans are bringing home.

(5) The U.S. collapsed on PMDs – This morning the Iranians and the IAEA signed a roadmap for a process that would see Tehran eventually providing access for the IAEA to clear up its concerns. This roadmap differs in no significant way from previous commitments the Iranians have made to the agency, except now Tehran will have received sanctions relief and stabilized its economy. Administration officials will have to look at lawmakers and nonetheless promise that this time the Iranians will give the IAEA what it needs.

UPDATE: The Islamic Republic of Iran has posted the English text of the deal here. What a relief! “Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.”

Categories: Diplomacy, Dishonor, Foreign policy, IAEA, Iran nuke inspections, Iran UN arms embargo, Iranian missiles, Iranian nukes, Munich, Obama, Obama's America, P5+1, Sanctions
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments: Be the first to comment

The Iran scam worsens — Part III, Human rights and support for terrorism

June 22, 2015

The Iran scam worsens — Part  III, Human rights and support for terrorism, Dan Miller’s Blog, June 22, 2015

(The views expressed in this post are mine and do not necessarily reflect those of Warsclerotic or its other editors. — DM)

It is likely that the P5+1 nuke “deal” with Iran will be approved soon. Military and other nuke sites which Iran has not “disclosed” will not be inspected. Nor will Iran’s nuke ties with North Korea — which P5+1 member China seems to be helping, Iran’s massive support for terrorism and abysmal human rights record be considered because they are also deemed unnecessary for “deal” approval. Sanctions against Iran are moribund and will not be revived regardless of whether there is a “deal.” However, a bronze bust of Obama may soon be displayed prominently in Supreme Leader Khamenei’s office and one of Khamenei may soon be displayed proudly in Dear Leader Obama’s office.

Iran fenced in

Iranian support for terrorism

According to the U.S. State Department, The Islamic Republic of Iran continued its sponsorship of terrorism during 2014. The linked article observes,

Iran has increased its efforts to finance and carry out terrorist activities across the world and remains a top nuclear proliferation threat, according to a new State Department assessment. [Emphasis added.]

Iran is funding and arming leading terrorist groups in the Middle East and elsewhere, according to the State Department’s 2014 Country Reports on Terrorism, which thoroughly documents how Tehran continues to act as a leading sponsor terror groups that pose a direct threat to the United States.

The report comes as Western powers work to finalize a nuclear deal with Iran ahead of a self-imposed June 30 deadline, though it is unclear whether the new findings will come up in negotiations.

It seems clear that the new findings will not be considered.

Among many other terrorist organizations, Iran supports the Taliban.

Afghan and Western officials say Tehran has quietly increased its supply of weapons, ammunition and funding to the Taliban, and is now recruiting and training their fighters, posing a new threat to Afghanistan’s fragile security.

Iran’s strategy in backing the Taliban is twofold, these officials say: countering U.S. influence in the region and providing a counterweight to Islamic State’s move into the Taliban’s territory in Afghanistan. [Emphasis added.]

According to James Clapper, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, the intelligence community considers Iran to be the “foremost state sponsor of terrorism.”

The assessment came after criticism from the Senate that the information was omitted in a global threat assessment submitted to Congress [in February of this year.] Initially, Iran and Hezbollah were not included as terror threats in the intelligence community’s report to the Senate in February. [Emphasis added.]

Might the Obama administration have been trying to ignore Iran’s continuing support for terrorist activities because of its fixation on getting a “deal” with Iran in the ongoing P5+1 “negotiations?” Probably, but that was then. Now, it is apparently not a problem to report on Iran’s terrorist activities because they are deemed unworthy of consideration by the P5+1 negotiators. It’s terrible, but so what?

Iran is the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism. Its tentacles have a hold on Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and the Gaza Strip. Its terrorist operations know no border and its proxies partake in mass killings and war crimes. But as it has been demonstrated time and time again, the West appears unperturbed by all that. It views Iran as a potentially constructive state actor, which, as long as it gets its way, could serve to stabilize the region. [Emphasis added.]

Iran could, of course, “stabilize” the region with its own military and its terror proxies in much the same way that Hitler tried to “stabilize” Europe — by gaining military control and forcing his ideology on subjugated residents. At first, there was some resistance but that was shown to be useless as Britain under Chamberlain gave Hitler Czechoslovakia. Eventually, Britain and later her ally, the United States, became sufficiently upset to intervene militarily.

As noted in an article at Asia Times on Line, the “free world” is unwilling to confront Iranian hegemony:

For differing reasons, the powers of the world have elected to legitimize Iran’s dominant position, hoping to delay but not deter its eventual acquisition of nuclear weapons. Except for Israel and the Sunni Arab states, the world has no desire to confront Iran. Short of an American military strike, which is unthinkable for this administration, there may be little that Washington can do to influence the course of events. Its influence has fallen catastrophically in consequence of a chain of policy.

. . . .

President Obama is not British prime minister Neville Chamberlain selling out to Hitler at Munich in 1938: rather, he is Lord Halifax, that is, Halifax if he had been prime minister in 1938. Unlike the unfortunate Chamberlain, who hoped to buy time for Britain to build warplanes, Halifax liked Hitler, as Obama and his camarilla admire Iran. [Emphasis added.]

The bountiful windfall soon to be given to Iran if the P5+1 “deal” is approved, via a “signing bonus” and other Sanctions relief, will help Iran’s terror sponsorship.

[S]hould the “treaty” with Iran be consummated, this sponsor of global terrorism will receive at least $100 billion in sanctions relief. Not only will this money be used for Assad, but it will bankroll Hezbollah and Hamas with a new generation of rockets and weapons.

For Tehran, money buys weapons, and weapons buy power and influence. President Obama is counting on an accommodative Iran that receives foreign assistance. But is there any reason to embrace this hypothesis? And even if someone does, at what point can the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), or any other relevant body, determine the turnabout in Iran’s nuclear program? How do we know when a genuine peace has arrived? [Emphasis added.]

Iranian leaders have made it clear that dreams of a Persian kingdom dance like sugar plums in their imagination. For that to happen, the money pump cannot run dry. There is a need to support their Houthi surrogates in Yemen; resupply Hamas rockets that were destroyed in the last war with Israel; continue to add to the Hezbollah war machine that is poised to attack Israel; and keep Assad afloat, the mechanism by which control of Lebanon is retained. [Emphasis added.]

Iran’s abysmal human rights record is getting worse

Executions in Iran

According to Iranian Human Rights,

[T]he Iranian regime has executed a prisoner every two hours this month.

“So far in 2015, more than 560 have been executed, and we are just in the first half of the year… What we are witnessing today is not so much different from what ISIS is doing. The difference is that the Iranian authorities do it in a more controlled manner, and represent a country which is a full member of the international community with good diplomatic relations with the West.” — Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, spokesman for Iran Human Rights. [Emphasis added.]

Now the West, with the possibility of a nuclear deal, stands to increase Iran’s diplomatic standing.

According to officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran,

Iran has “the best human rights record” in the Muslim world;[11] that it is not obliged to follow “the West’s interpretation” of human rights;[12] and that the Islamic Republic is a victim of “biased propaganda of enemies” which is “part of a greater plan against the world of Islam“.[13] According to Iranian officials, those who human rights activists say are peaceful political activists being denied due process rights are actually guilty of offenses against the national security of the country,[14] and those protesters claiming Ahmadinejad stole the 2009 election are actually part of a foreign-backed plot to topple Iran’s leaders.[15] [Emphasis added.]

Conclusions

Iran’s abysmal and already worsening records of human rights violations and support for terrorism will likely get even worse as it gets (or gets to keep) the bomb, along with a reward of massive further sanctions relief. None of that is deemed worthy of consideration by the P5+1 “negotiators,” lest Iran decline to sign a deal or lest its feelings be hurt — as they would be were IAEA inspections of “undisclosed” sites be demanded or if any Iranian demands were not met.

Iran and North Korea share not only nuclear weaponization technology; they also share a common contempt for human rights. Yet the North Korea – Iran nuclear nexus (denied by Iran) appears to be of no concern to the P5+1 “negotiators.”

Obama long ago “opened his heart” to the Muslim world.

“To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward based on mutual interest and mutual respect,” Obama declared in his first inaugural address. The underlying assumption was that America’s previous relations with Muslims were characterized by dissention and contempt. More significant, though, was the president’s use of the term “Muslim world,” a rough translation of the Arabic ummah. A concept developed by classical Islam, ummah refers to a community of believers that transcends borders, cultures, and nationalities. Obama not only believed that such a community existed but that he could address and accommodate it.

The novelty of this approach was surpassed only by Obama’s claim that he, personally, represented the bridge between this Muslim world and the West.

ALL of My policies are the best ever

ALL of My policies are the best ever

Obama does deserve some credit: His foreign policies are the most foreign in U.S. history to the security of the United States and of what’s left of the free world. Much the same is true of His domestic policies.

Categories: Appeasement, Caliphate, Chamberlain, Diplomacy, Dishonor, Executions, Foreign policy, Funding terrorism, Germany, Hamas, Hezbollah, Human rights, IAEA, Ideology, Iran military, Iran nuke inspections, Iran scam, Iranian military sites, Iranian missiles, Iranian nukes, Iranian proxies, Islam, Islamic State, Islamic supremacy, Islamic terrorism, Islamism, Israel, Michael Oren, Middle East, Munich, Muslims, North Korea, North Korean missiles, North Korean nukes, Obama, Obama's America, P5+1, Regime change, Sanctions, State Department, Support for terrorism, Terrorism
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments: 1 Comment

Iran Short Film Series – 3. Believe Them!

June 2, 2015

Iran Short Film Series – 3. Believe Them! Clarion Project, via You Tube, June 1, 2015

(But to believe what Iranian leaders say, repeatedly, would be Islamophobic. Or something. — DM)

 

Categories: Foreign policy, Iran, Iran nuke inspections, Iran scam, Iranian military sites, Iranian missiles, Iranian nukes, Iranian proxies, Khamenei, Munich, Nukes, Obama, P5+1, Red Lines
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments: Be the first to comment

A powerful totalitarian theocracy can bring peace. Of sorts.

May 2, 2015

A powerful totalitarian theocracy can bring peace. Of sorts. Dan Miller’s Blog, May 2, 2015

(The views expressed in this article are mine, and do not necessarily reflect those of Warsclerotic or its other editors. — DM)

a1 Obama and Kahameni -building a toaster

Iran, an already powerful theocratic totalitarian state with extensive hegemonic ambitions, is about to become (if it is not already) a nuclear power. So equipped, it can extend its rule over the Middle East and beyond, bringing the “peace” of submission to Islam. Obama may favor this outcome and in any event appears to be at best indifferent.

Iran is ruled by Ayatollah Khamenei, its supreme political and religious power. He has the ultimate authority to approve or reject any P5+1 agreement, should there be one — which seems increasingly likely due to Obama’s ludicrous efforts to concede every possible matter of substance. Obama wants a foreign policy legacy and needs a “deal;” Iran does not need a “deal.” It has already benefited greatly from sanctions relief. Other nations have also benefited economically to the point that even were the U.S. to try to reimpose sanction such trade would continue and expand. Moreover, it is highly likely that Iran has done all of the necessary technical research on nukes and on delivery devices to the extent that, regardless of whether there is a “deal,” Iran can have deliverable nukes within a few months if not sooner. As I pointed out here, the insanity of the 2013 framework, adhered to except when arguably in America’s favor, led inexorably to this result.

The North Korea – Iran linkage makes the problem worse. Chinese nuclear experts recently revised their estimation of North Korea’s current possession of nukes:.

China’s top nuclear experts have increased their estimates of North Korea’s nuclear weapons production well beyond most previous U.S. figures, suggesting Pyongyang can make enough warheads to threaten regional security for the U.S. and its allies.

The latest Chinese estimates, relayed in a closed-door meeting with U.S. nuclear specialists, showed that North Korea may already have 20 warheads, as well as the capability of producing enough weapons-grade uranium to double its arsenal by next year, according to people briefed on the matter. [Emphasis added.]

Iran and North Korea have a long history of nuclear cooperation. Delivering North Korean technology, materials and nukes to Iran would not be very difficult. I addressed the problem here, here, here and elsewhere.

Consequences of a nuclear Iranian theocracy

The Iranian Shiite theocracy is totalitarian in every sense of the word; it has not moderated under “moderate” President Rouhani. To the contrary, it seems to have worsened. To the extent that credible figures are available, sexually transmitted disease has risen and the birth rate in Iran has fallen, considerably in recent years. Despite sanctions relief, poverty has increased. Where has the money gone? Iran pursues its hegemonic ambitions, most recently to help the Houthi in Yemen, while continuing to provide economic, logistical and weapons support to its other proxy terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood and others. Iran is very likely motivated by its own desire eventually to control the Middle East and beyond.

The recent Iranian hijacking of a cargo ship under “U.S. protection” may well have been an Iranian warning to Saudi Arabia, an American ally and leading opponent of the Iranian proxy war by Houthi in Yemen, that it can and might close the Strait of Hormuz to Saudi oil exports.

Strait-of-Hormuz

Although obligated under treaty to come to the defense of the Marshall Islands-registered cargo ship, the Obama Nation did not. Instead, it simply watched as the Iranian Navy fired shots across her bow and took her to an Iranian port to the North at Bandar Abbas. The ship and her crew remain there. Caroline Glick, in an article titled The Marshall Islands’ cautionary tale pointed out that

The Maersk Tigris is flagged to the Marshall Islands. The South Pacific archipelago gained its independence from the US in 1986 after signing a treaty conceding its right to self-defense in exchange for US protection. According to the treaty, the US has “full authority and responsibility for security and defense of the Marshall Islands.” [Emphasis added.]

Given the US’s formal, binding obligation to the Marshall Islands, the Iranian seizure of the ship was in effect an act of war against America.

. . . .

If the US allows Iran to get away with unlawfully seizing a Marshall Islands flagged ship it is treaty bound to protect, it will reinforce the growing assessment of its Middle Eastern allies that its security guarantees are worthless.

As the Israel Project’s Omri Ceren put it in an email briefing to journalists, “the US would be using security assurances not to shield allies from Iran but to shield Iran from allies.” [Emphasis added.]

What can other nations, with which America has treaties calling upon us to come to their defense, expect from the Obama administration if attacked by Iran? Precious little.

Under credible threat from nuclear attack by Iran and lacking actual (as distinguished from verbal) support from the Obama administration, Middle East Arab nations cannot be expected to resist very effectively, even as they seek to obtain their own nuclear arsenals.

Israel, the “Little Satan?” She would fight fiercely to the end, but might be overcome. Perhaps she will take the initiative and destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities before they become too extensive and better protected, perhaps by missiles provided by Russia. I suggested here that she can and should do so. Here is a link to a far more detailed analyses of what she can and should do, soon.

America, the “Great Satan,” is not immune to an Iranian nuclear attack. As I suggested here, a nuclear armed Iran could launch an EMP attack to drive the U.S. back to the stone age. Such an attack would increase Iran’s hegemonic potentials, and hence ambitions, by foreclosing the possibility of American help to nations with which we have protection treaties. However, even without an EMP attack, Obama would not provide much help. Therefore, I wonder whether — despite all of the continuing Iranian “death to America” bluster — Iran would be foolish enough to do it before Obama leaves office. He does His best to help Iran get nukes and pursue its hegemonic ambitions. Why try to kill a staunch friend like Obama’s America?

The Obama administration — and many voters — view global warming, climate change, climate disruption and whatever new phrases as may be developed as the most severe threat to humanity. An interesting article titled Progressives at the Poker Table compares “Progressive” attitudes toward “the threat of climate warming and that of a nuclear-armed Iran.” Predictably, the Obama Administration and most of the “legitimate news media” are far more concerned about the former than the latter, even though there is little if anything that we can do, even at great expense, about climate change (mostly natural in origin). If so disposed, there is quite a lot that we could do about the far greater, and in any event more immediate, threat from a nuclear Iran. Perhaps it’s simply easier to stage pious shows about costly but ineffective ways to “save the Earth” than to make useful efforts to save humanity from Islamic ravages.

Church of climatology

Conclusions

Andrew Klavan ridicules Obama’s P5+1 “deal” here:

The Congress probably won’t do anything to stop it, so Iran will very likely have nukes and the missiles with which to deliver them soon — if it does not already have them.

Hitler made a “deal” with Prime Minister Chamberlain years ago and returned from Munich to display a piece of paper signed by Hitler. Crowds cheered. Hitler laughed and continued his hegemonic pursuits throughout Europe. Hitler could have been stopped with relative ease long before World War II erupted but wasn’t. The “Peace in our time” meme was too powerful. Then we fought WWII.

Is that how the current mess with Iran will turn out?

code pink on Iran

Categories: Andrew Klavan, Arab nations, Climate change, EMP attack, Foreign policy, Freedom, Freedom of the seas, Iran, Iran nuke inspections, Iran scam, Iranian EMPs, Iranian missiles, Iranian nukes, Iranian proxies, Islam, Islamism, Israel, Kerry, Khamenei, Marshall Islands, Middle East, Munich, North Korea, North Korean missiles, North Korean nukes, Obama, P5+1, Sanctions, Supreme Leader, Terrorism, Theocracy, U.S. Congress
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments: Be the first to comment

Take Them At Their Word: Iran Might Destroy Us | Bill Whittle

April 9, 2015

Take Them At Their Word: Iran Might Destroy Us | Bill Whittle via You Tube, April 9, 2015

 

Categories: Arabs, Bill Whittle, Chamberlain, Churchill, Diplomacy, Foreign policy, Gulf states, History, Iran, Iran military, Iran scam, Iranian missiles, Iranian nukes, Islamism, Israel, Khamenei, Mad Mullahs, Middle East, Munich, Netanyahu, Nukes, Obama, P5+1, Peace in our time, Shiite, Sunni
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments: 1 Comment

The Shadow of Munich Haunts the Iran Negotiations

April 2, 2015

The Shadow of Munich Haunts the Iran Negotiations, National Review Online, Victor Davis Hanson, April 2, 2015

(Hitler did tell the truth occasionally, in Mein Kampf for example. It was generally ignored until too late. “Death to America and Israel” are spouted by the Iranian Supreme Leader at every opportunity. Obama, et al, ignore it. Will Israel be Obama’s Czechoslovakia? And then what?– DM)

Neville Chamberlain

Our dishonor in Lausanne, as with Munich, may avoid a confrontation in the present, but our shame will guarantee a war in the near future.

*********************

Once again our leaders are needlessly appeasing a hostile state that shows them nothing but contempt.

The Western capitulation to Adolf Hitler in the 1938 Munich Agreement is cited as classic appeasement that destroyed Czechoslovakia, backfired on France and Britain, and led to World War II. All of that is true.

But there was much more that caused the Munich debacle than simple Western naiveté. The full tragedy of that ill-fated agreement should warn us on the eve of the Obama’s administration’s gullible agreement with Iran on nuclear proliferation. Fable one is the idea that most people saw right through the Munich folly. True, Europeans knew that Hitler had never once told the truth and was already murdering German citizens who were Jews, Communists, or homosexuals. But Europeans did not care all that much.

Instead, the Western world was ecstatic over the agreement. After the carnage of World War I, Europeans would do anything to avoid even a small confrontation — even if such appeasement all but ensured a far greater bloodbath than the one that began in 1914.

Another myth was that Hitler’s Wehrmacht was strong and the democracies were weak. In fact, the combined French and British militaries were far larger than Hitler’s. French Char tanks and British Spitfire fighters were as good as, or superior to, their German counterparts.

Czechoslovakia had formidable defenses and an impressive arms industry. Poland and perhaps even the Soviet Union were ready to join a coalition to stop Hitler from dissolving the Czech state.

It is also untrue that the Third Reich was united. Many of Hitler’s top generals did not want war. Yet each time Hitler successfully called the Allies’ bluff — in the Rhineland or with the annexation of Austria — the credibility of his doubters sank while his own reckless risk-taking became even more popular.

Munich was hardly a compassionate agreement. In callous fashion it immediately doomed millions of Czechs and put Poland on the target list of the Third Reich.

Munich was directly tied to the vanity of Neville Chamberlain. In the first few weeks after Munich, Chamberlain basked in adulation, posing as the humane savior of Western civilization. In contrast, loud skeptic Winston Churchill was dismissed by the media and public as an old warmonger.

Hitler failed to appreciate the magnanimity and concessions of the French and British. He later called his Munich diplomatic partners “worms.” Hitler said of the obsequious Chamberlain, “I’ll kick him downstairs and jump on his stomach in front of the photographers.”

The current negotiations with the Iranians in Lausanne, Switzerland, have all the hallmarks of the Munich negotiations.

Most Westerners accept that the Iranian government funds terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. It has all but taken over Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. Yet the idea of stronger sanctions, blockades, or even force to stop Iranian efforts to get a bomb are considered scarier than Iran getting a bomb that it just possibly might not threaten to use.

The U.S. and its NATO partners are far stronger than Iran in every imaginable measure of military and economic strength. The Iranian economy is struggling, its government is corrupt, and its conventional military is obsolete. Iran’s only chance of gaining strength is to show both its own population and the world at large that stronger Western powers backed down in fear of its threats and recklessness.

Iran is not united. It is a mishmash nation in which over a third of the population is not Persian. Millions of protestors hit the streets in 2009. An Iranian journalist covering the talks defected in Switzerland — and said that U.S. officials at the talks are there mainly to speak on behalf of Iran.

By reaching an agreement with Iran, John Kerry and Barack Obama hope to salvage some sort of legacy — in the vain fashion of Chamberlain — out of a heretofore failed foreign policy.

There are more Munich parallels. The Iranian agreement will force rich Sunni nations to get their own bombs to ensure a nuclear Middle East standoff. A deal with Iran shows callous disagreed for our close ally Israel, which is serially threatened by Iran’s mullahs. The United States is distant from Iran. But our allies in the Middle East and Europe are within its missile range.

Supporters of the Obama administration deride skeptics such as Democratic senator Robert Menendez and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as if they were doubting old Churchills.

Finally, the Iranians, like Hitler, have only contempt for the administration that has treated them so fawningly. During the negotiations in Switzerland, the Iranians blew up a mock U.S. aircraft carrier. Their supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, did his usual “death to America” shtick before adoring crowds. Our dishonor in Lausanne, as with Munich, may avoid a confrontation in the present, but our shame will guarantee a war in the near future.

Categories: Appeasement, Chamberlain, Diplomacy, Foreign policy, Germany, Gulf states, Iran, Iran military, Iran scam, Iranian nukes, Islamism, Israel, Kerry, Khamenei, Munich, Nazis, Nukes, Obama, Peace process, Shiite, Shiite crescent, Sunni, Theocracy
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments: 2 Comments