Friday Iran Talking Points

from LobeLog: News and Views Relevant to U.S.-Iran relations for October 1st, 2010:

Weekly Standard: On the Standard’s blog, Jamie Fly, the foreign policy programs director of the neoconservative Foreign Policy Initiative, warns that Russia’s decision to deny Iran S-300 anti-aircraft missiles could change at any time. Fly picks up on a post from Foreign Policy’s The Cable blog and another from Max Boot at Commentary, and writes: “The problem is, this “bold” decision is not a final decision. Nothing in Medvedev’s announcement cancels the 2007 contract and, as [FP blogger Josh] Rogin notes, the ban could be lifted at any time.” Fly adds that if the deal goes through, Israel might be tempted to bomb Iranian nuclear sites before the hardware is in place, “given that nuclear facilities protected by the S-300 system would be much more difficult to attack.”

Reuters: Olli Heinonen, former chief inspector at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and current Harvard senior fellow, says in an interview that Iranian nuclear progress is “slow but steady.” While ”the clock is ticking…there is still time for a negotiated solution.” He believes only the Iranians themselves know why they are developing this capacity, but attribute it to “complex” Iranian desires for ”prestige,” “security” and to be a “regional player.” As for the Stuxnet virus attacking computers in Iran, he’s not convinced it was directly targeted to sabotage that country’s nuclear program.

Politico: Laura Rozen blogs about the Symantec computer security firm’s report (.pdf) on the Stuxnet worm and two markers that may, or may not, point the virus’s code to Israeli origins. One refers to an Old Testament story (see yesterday’s Daily Talking Points); the other comes from the Symantec report: a “‘do not infect’ marker” in the code that reads “19790509.” The report suggests that the date of May, 9, 1979 might be significant since it was just after Iran’s Islamic Revolution and the date of the execution of a prominent Iranian Jewish figure. While Israeli intelligence expert Yossi Melman thinks Israel, the U.S., or both are behind the attack, he believes “Israeli intelligence would not leave such clumsy clues.” Rozen herself wonders if the code is a “false flag” to mislead about the source of the attack or “a meaningful tea leaf as to the possible origin of the worm.”

Author: Ali Gharib

Visit Lobelog.com for the latest news analysis and commentary from Ali Gharib and Inter Press News Service's Washington bureau chief Jim Lobe.

10 thoughts on “Friday Iran Talking Points”

  1. Ollie Heinonen is trying to figure out why the Iranians should want to develop a nuclear weapons capability. He is figuring that maybe the Iranians are developing that capability because they desire “prestige”, “security” and want to be a “regional player”.
    DUH? I should think so. Especially that “security” part as in not wishing to be f–ked over by the Anglo-American Zionist war machine as was done to their next door neighbors, Afghanistan and Iraq..

  2. Dang, you boyz see the 60 Minutes interview with General Odiuserno???

    He was spinning the BS so fast it looked like his eyes were gonna roll outta his head!

  3. If Yossi Melman thinks the Israeli Intelligence would not leave clumsy clues about their computer virus infection of Iranian computers, he should remember the Israeli Agents who were jailed in New Zealand for Passport fraud. They were real clumsy.

    1. That's right. The "By way of deception, thou shalt do war" boys f–ked up big time there, didn't they?!

      In all probability, Israel's behind this attack on the Iranian computers.

  4. I hope Russia honors its agreement, and sells the S-300s to Iran. If and when the Zionists make their criminal attack on Iran, the latter can give 'em a warm reception.

  5. Yea that would be a good idea , Iran would look good in "sand and glass " . And just think , If Ruussia keeps messing with its "restive muslims " in Chechnya and other places , those S-300's may actually come back to bite them in the arse .
    Let's "hope " the Russians are smarter than you Orville .

  6. And Orville , if you truly take an Antiwar position , then a cyber attack on Irans weapons program should be welcomed , rather than a military preemption ..right ?

    Hey but dont let your anti-semitic views get in the way huh ?

Comments are closed.