IRAN: 'MISSILE BLAST NEAR NUKE PLANT'

[Dexter]

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1171222,00.html

Could this be the beginning of the sh1t hitting the fan??

Will try to keep the thread updated.....

[Santoro]

Hey, if this is the beginning of it hitting the fan, you beat Drudge to posting it!

[DrewKaree]

How EVER so surprising...this story got the scoop on THIS little nugget

Oil prices rose sharply after news of the explosion

I'm just surprised they decided to leave this little tidbit in there

Later reports suggested a fuel tank may have fallen off an Iranian plane

So the entire story is about a bomb being dropped, yet they saw fit to throw in that line.  Kinda JUMPS out at ya as the "cover your backside" line, but surely Dexter was about ready to point this out to us, I just happened to beat him to it  

Please Dexter, keep us informed.  I'm all aflutter to hear YOUR take on it....I'm POSITIVE you don't have an axe to grind

[ChadTower]

Can't we just assume that oil prices are going to rise?  Oil prices rise when someone crashes their car on the highway.  I'm so damn sick of oil prices.

[DrewKaree]

Yeah, and the emmer effers in my state make the tax a law that it's raised yearly, and have the gall to tell me I should be paying EVEN MORE because we're one of those 3 areas in the nation that requires reformulation a million times a year!  We're on a level with California on the gas tax...thank goodness we're not going to drill because moose might hang around the pipeline to keep warm and stay alive.....but we're killing them off with it 

I'm DrewKaree, and I'm pro-smokestack! 

[Dexter]

Latest reports are conflicting as to the cause of the blast. Hopefully it was not a hostile attack......

[mr.Curmudgeon]

I'm POSITIVE you don't have an axe to grind

Drew,

Are you insinuating that a missile did NOT explode near a nuclear power plant then? Or do you always look for one word or sentence that allows you to completely ignore the issue at hand?

Sure that sentence stands out, I agree w/ you that it may not pertain to the story. However, more importantly, A MISSILE (POSSIBLY) WAS FIRED, *IN IRAN*, NEAR A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT!!!

Might we just try and focus on that?

mrC

[ChadTower]

Maybe you should focus on the fact that at the moment, reports are conflicting, and the source of the explosion is corroborated by no one.

[Dexter]

So the entire story is about a bomb being dropped, yet they saw fit to throw in that line.

[ChadTower]

Thats right Drew, in fact I set the whole incident up to stir up anti-american hatred around the world. Quick, I think I see a terrorist on your lawn wanting to take away your freedom 

That's not a terrorist, that's a terrier.  Get some glasses and a decent dictionary.  The only thing that dog is terrorizing is his Bushes.

Get it?  Bushes?  See, the B is capitalized.

[DrewKaree]

Hopefully it was not a hostile attack......

r-i-i-i-i-i-i-ght. 

I don't think there's a person here who believes you're being honest when you say that.  Next you'll be telling us you have a report about a tiger changing its stripes.

How nice that you'd extrapolate that I said "you set this up", rather than that I believe you have an agenda to promote any story that might be able to be linked, however tenuously, to "America bad".

As for your suggestion, MrC, perhaps you might want to focus on the more likely probability of the story and that one line being the actual case.

I'm not insinuating any such thing, I'm SAYING that line is more likely to be the case, not ignoring the fact that it is odd that they have all these "witnesses" and yet found it necessary to add that line in.  I don't believe it doesn't pertain to the story, I believe it IS the story.

That there's a willingness to jump on a possibility like this is what I'm focusing on.  Roswell abounds with possibilities....rednex in trailer parks have "reported" on possibilities.

[ChadTower]

Here's a somewhat less jumpy report from MSNBC.com, saying that IRANIAN TV is reporting that it was likely accidental and caused by an Iranian plane.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6979561/

There are no reasons to assume that the US has anything to do with this yet.  The Iranian military won't even corroborate the incidence of an explosion, nevermind a cause.

[DrewKaree]

Get it?  Bushes?  See, the B is capitalized.

You're the WORST speller!  Capitolized!

I'd like to "terrorize" them twins!  A little butter, flimsy swimstuits...me...WOOHOO!

[DrewKaree]

There are no reasons to assume that the US has anything to do with this yet.  The Iranian military won't even corroborate the incidence of an explosion, nevermind a cause.

Well then what reasons would Dexter assume that we DO have anything to do with it?  I mean, wasn't this said in the scoop that crack reporter gave us?

Yeah, and you guys can't figure out why I'm not focusing on "the sky is falling, the sky is falling...BWAK, BWAK!".  Mebbe it's because I don't have a vested interest in pinning everything bad that happens in the world on the U.S.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Maybe you should focus on the fact that at the moment, reports are conflicting, and the source of the explosion is corroborated by no one.

Ever the enigmatic, phlegmatic CT. Can I borrow your Prozac for a bit?

P.S. I used the word "possibly", as in not corroborated yet, and I only used the word "missile" as that is what has been reported. To me, a story of this potential caliber is reason to be jumpy...since I want to make sure I'm the first one to the local fallout shelter. That way, I'll live to repopulate the earth in my own image...

mrC

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Mebbe it's because I don't have a vested interest in pinning everything bad that happens in the world on the U.S.

It's not that. It's rather some of us are not so short-sighted as to understand that any sort of explosion in Iran has the enormous potential to effect U.S. interests abroad. That's why the story alarms me, not that I *assume* the U.S. has anything to do with the explosion itself, if it happened.

I haven't run out of the house naked yet screaming "We're ALL DOOMED!!!", and as you can see, we're just discussing the story in a cautioned manner. (*takes one more step toward fallout shelter*)

Maybe you need to stop accusing everyone of biases you so actively display yourself? Why I assume you'll listen to me, I'll never know. But it's a good point all the same. *pats self on back*

mrC

[DrewKaree]

Oh please 

Careful, you're going to tear a tendon or ligament reaching around to pat yourself on the back so much.

I used the word "possibly", as in not corroborated yet, and I only used the word "missile" as that is what has been reported.

It's been reported (as in "latest reports", go ahead check it out, even Dexter's story says it) as a fuel tank explosion.  Since you're defining "possibly" as "not corroborated", why focus on ANY of it, or why dwell on the initial speculation, rather than "latest reports"? 

Any OTHER time, you're telling us about "latest reports" and relaying "the latest information"...why not this time?  Ignoring the sparks flying from the grinding wheel do nothing for you, and your sanctimonious stance on this only adds color to the picture I sketch in black and white.

[Dexter]

Hopefully it was not a hostile attack......

r-i-i-i-i-i-i-ght.

[DrewKaree]

By the way, nice of you to  speak for everybody on the board as usual 

And nice of you to generalize that I "usually" do this.  It'd be interesting to see you point to the "usual" you refer to...that the stats will disagree with you probably won't be an issue.

I'll edit it, because you're right, I was speaking for everybody.  I don't think there's a person here who disagrees with your general viewpoints on the war that thinks you're being honest.

You are well aware of the point I'm making, and attempting to paint this as "drew thinks I'm for killing more and more people" is foolishly thinking people haven't read your past viewpoints and are somehow incapable of drawing the same conclusion.

You relish telling Americans how bad our country is, no matter the reason or how woefully underinformed on the subject you might be.

[RetroJames]

If this was a US or Israeli attack, the headline would be "Blast at Iran Nuke Plant, The Crater is...."

[Samstag]

We interrupt this flame war to bring you this important news flash:

Iran explosion linked to dam construction work

We will continue to keep you informed each time we hear new idle speculation or wild ideas pulled out of our @$$es and will not let any lack of facts get in the way of good hard journalism!

[ChadTower]

I know what caused it.

Fat <<CENSORED BY SAINT AGAIN WHO IS GETTING TIRED OF HAVING TO DO SO>>> Kennedy is over there digging for ideas for new ways to slander people on the Senate floor.  The Grim Reaper finally catches him and his Fat <Censored> Head explodes.  It was mistaken for a missle because it flew past several news buildings making a "CHAPPAQUIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" sound, though once identified it clearly exonerated the US since Fat <Censored> Head Kennedy hasn't been American in 20 years.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

ChadTower and Teddy Kennedy...sittin' in a tree....K.I.S.S..I...N..G.   

[ChadTower]

I have yet to see a tree in MA that could support the weight of Fat Effin Head's fat effin head.

[DrewKaree]

[ChadTower]

See what I mean?  That's a size 25 hat.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

You know, something about this story still smells fishy, to me...

"We deny it," a spokesman said when asked about a report of an air attack on the southern port of Dailam. They declined to give any further details."

Why such an evasive denial?

...

"A powerful explosion was heard this morning on the outskirts of Dailam in the Bushehr province. Witnesses said that the missile was fired from an unknown plane 20 km from the city," the Arabic language Al-Alam said.

Iran's Russian-built 1,000-megawatt nuclear reactor, its only nuclear power plant, is due to start operating in Bushehr province in late 2005.

Iran and Syria, both locked in rows with the United States, said earlier today they will form a common front to face challenges and threats.

"We are ready to help Syria on all grounds to confront threats," Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref said in Tehran after meeting Syrian Prime Minister Naji al-Otari."

So, let me get this straight...on the very day that Iran and Syria unite their ideological (possibly military) fronts, we have an explosion near Iran's ONLY nuclear reactor, with witnesses who claim to have seen an aircraft fire a missile??

Could this explosion been a warning? By not admitting to it being an attack, Iran is still holding the cards. Reminds me of the U.S. during the Cuban missile crisis. For them to admit to being attacked, is to immediately draw them into war. Maybe they'll wait until the ink dries on the Syrian "deal" before admitting to being attacked? Or maybe it *was* just an accident...

mrC

[ChadTower]

So, let me get this straight...on the very day that Iran and Syria unite their ideological (possibly military) fronts, we have an explosion near Iran's ONLY nuclear reactor, with witnesses who claim to have seen an aircraft fire a missile??

Use some common sense.  You can't see a plane 20km away, nor can you see a missle that could be fired from a plan 20km away.  You sure as hell can't see an unmanned spy drone from 20km away, which is what the reports claimed was there.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Use some common sense.

Common sense? Are you suggesting that their is never a situation where you can see a plane fire a missile?

I'm just playing with possible scenarios, we have no idea what happened, and their state controlled media will make the world believe whatever they want it too.

mrC

[ChadTower]

Common sense? Are you suggesting that their is never a situation where you can see a plane fire a missile?

I'm just playing with possible scenarios, we have no idea what happened, and their state controlled media will make the world believe whatever they want it too.

I am suggesting that with the air quality around a nuclear power plant, the fact that they say it was a spy drone, and the fact that they say it was fired from 20km away, that it is not a plausible scenario from which eyewitnesses can derive credible testimony.

[Dexter]

You relish telling Americans how bad our country is, no matter the reason or how woefully underinformed on the subject you might be.

Ooooh, first you speak for the board, now you speak for me. All thats left now is for you to speak for the Iranians and we'll have a full house LOL!

I'll just PM my posts to you in future. That way you can change them to what I 'really' mean and post them for me. Should clear things up nicely

[DrewKaree]

Your cooperation in that fashion is greatly appreciated by vast numbers of us.

Of course I'll be your filter, Dex.  All you had to do was ask 

I'll try to throw in a few "Bush is bad" talking points in there to "keep it real, yo".

Now that that's settled, we can commence our skipping.

[tmasman]

I am suggesting that with the air quality around a nuclear power plant, the fact that they say it was a spy drone, and the fact that they say it was fired from 20km away, that it is not a plausible scenario from which eyewitnesses can derive credible testimony.

Unless the witness was 20km away from the sight...
Did ya think of that one?

a plane flying in that direction... Then turning around after what appeared to be a missle being fired...
Just more speculation for thought.

[ChadTower]

Unless the witness was 20km away from the sight...
Did ya think of that one?

a plane flying in that direction... Then turning around after what appeared to be a missle being fired...
Just more speculation for thought.

Yes, I did think of that one.  An eyewitness 20km away from the site would have no view of the impact or the explosion.  That makes them, in fact, not a witness of the event by the description of every report I've read.

Has anyone looked into whether or not US Spy Drones (as if we're going to find a nice online description) even carry missles?

[fredster]

Here's common sense.  Don't believe any news reports from Iran.

That report came from the state run news agency.  It was the source. They reported 5 different things, including no explosion.  We don't even know if there was an explosion at all.

Yet Another Non Story.

I can't believe you guys sometimes. "Nanoo Nanoo" Boys. 

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Here's common sense.  Don't believe any news reports from Iran.

...Or FOX News, or CBS, or CNN, or ......

Seriously, after Armstrong Williams' tax-payer funded diatribes; tax-evader, Gay-crusader, Jeff (The Cannon) "Gannon" and his shill-a-thon for Bush, Brit Hume's twisting of FDR's words re: social security privitization, what makes our media any better than Iran's state sponsored one?

mrC

[ChadTower]

Seriously, after Armstrong Williams' tax-payer funded diatribes; tax-evader, Gay-crusader, Jeff (The Cannon) "Gannon" and his shill-a-thon for Bush, Brit Hume's twisting of FDR's words re: social security privitization, what makes our media any better than Iran's state sponsored one?

Don't forget Dan Rather and CBS, or the NY Times made up stories.  Don't just point out Conservative media abuses.  Point them out on both sides.

Hell, the CBS misdeed is worse then everything else combined given their stature in the News industry and how blatantly dishonest that was and continues to be.

[fredster]

At least Gannon had the decentcy to resign after this media flack reflected badly on his employer. 

Looks like the lefties just brought in lawyers.

[DrewKaree]

Don't forget Dan Rather and CBS, or the NY Times made up stories.  Don't just point out Conservative media abuses.  Point them out on both sides.

Hell, the CBS misdeed is worse then everything else combined given their stature in the News industry and how blatantly dishonest that was and continues to be.

RED STRAW HERRING MAN HE MEANT WELL AD HOMINEM IT'S GOING TO END TOMORROW IT'S FALLING, THE SKY!

I'm looking forward to hearing how those examples aren't as bad as the current examples given, and somehow, I just KNOW they are worse....I can feel it....or is that the love?

Hey, those of you from other countries...do they report on these problems in your countries ad nauseum as well, or are we the only country willing to air our dirty laundry 24/7 (or, more likely, are we just more interesting to watch?  The Jerry Springer Show of world politics?)  Spare us the "it doesn't happen in our country", you can fool yourself all you want, we know that ain't true

[fredster]

Here's the best summary I've seen, from Fox.

Iran (search) may control the media in that country but that does not mean it can get its stories straight. When it first got word of an explosion in the southern city of Deylam, Wednesday, Iranian state TV said, "A missile was fired from an unknown plane 20 kilometers from the city." A short time later, state TV said the blast was more likely caused by a fuel tank that fell out of, or off an airplane.

Soon after that officials on state TV said the explosion was, in fact, deliberate, part of "dam building operations." And then later they denied there was ever an explosion to begin with, insisting, "We have found no signs of an explosion." But soon enough, they said there was an explosion and it was to build a road. They've since gone back to the dam building explanation.

So Mr.C, there is still controversy. Notice the lack of a followup story on what happened today anywhere in the media??

[ChadTower]

Iran doesn't control their Media. I control their media.

Iran is the DEVIL!

[mr.Curmudgeon]

At least Gannon had the decentcy to resign after this media flack reflected badly on his employer.

fredster, Dan Rather resigned...and furthermore, if you think "Gannon" has any decency, I have to ask if you've seen the photos he advertised of him urinating from his 8+ inch cannon? You just defended a man-whore...hehe.

Hell, the CBS misdeed is worse then everything else combined given their stature in the News industry and how blatantly dishonest that was and continues to be.

No way is Dan Rather's ineptness as bad as the White House's manufacture and subsequent cover up of an absolutely fake/staged/propaganda reporter. Dan Rather's name is Dan Rather, we know who he is. He didn't create the memo, he failed to check it thouroughly and he was held responsible. If you think there is some sort of moral equivalence, then we'll just have to agree to disagree.


mrC

[ChadTower]

No way is Dan Rather's ineptness as bad as the White House's manufacture and subsequent cover up of an absolutely fake/staged/propaganda reporter. Dan Rather's name is Dan Rather, we know who he is. He didn't create the memo, he failed to check it thouroughly and he was held responsible. If you think there is some sort of moral equivalence, then we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Dan Rather was a media ICON with 30+ years of hard journalism experience.  He did not 'fail to check thoroughly'.  Dan Rather and the producers of that show were complicit in the deception all along.  There is no other plausible explanation.  An entire group of people at the top of  their profession do not suddenly forget the basic tenets of their profession right in the middle of what may be the biggest story of their collective career.

[fredster]

MrC,
Dan Rather "retired" / not resigned.  The official line is he retired.

No way is Dan Rather's ineptness as bad as the White House's manufacture and subsequent cover up of an absolutely fake/staged/propaganda reporter.

  You don't have undisputed fact to back that up? What would be the advantage?

This just proves that you think the administration is so stupid as to set up a "fake"reporter for one session.  I mean dude, you are seriously underestimating the Bush team badly. This is a mistake you have made over and over and over.  Think about that dude. Think about what you are saying.

Dan Rather's name is Dan Rather, we know who he is. He didn't create the memo, he failed to check it thouroughly and he was held responsible.

He wanted to hit Bush so badly he couldn't see straight.  He put out a 1/2 baked story just to tilt a close election for his side using his power in the media days before the national election.

Gannon said that the left was "detached from reality" as he framed a question.

Huh, which one is worse?  A man asking a question, or a man making up a story?

You tell me chuckles.

[SeaMonkey]

I do not doubt this was an accadent.

I also do not doubt that a missle will be fired eventually.

We left the gold reserve, when Europe started cashing in gold markers. Then we make a deal with the saudis that oil can only be purchased with dollars.

So now the U.S. dollar is backed by oil. (For example, for Japan to buy oil, they need U.S. dollars, so they have to trade with us, so by default we have positioned the dollar to be backed by oil.)

Democrats and Republicans both know the truth in this, and they are both acting like Iran has only one reason to build nuclear reacotors.

Iran has an agreement to provide energy for Russia, which is hungry for nuclear power. Russia, however, doesn't want that power produced on their own realestate. They aren't good at it. It kills people. Their people.

Having said that, the reactors they have, would be very helpful in a nuclear weapons program.

Once the middle-east has nukes, they can decide to sell oil for "basketed currency" meaning the Euro AND the dollar.

This will flip the cart on our oil backed money. This war was never about oil, but about gold. LOL

Both sides of the fence, as far as the uneducated American masses go, are short sighted as to what is going on.

[DrewKaree]

fredster, Dan Rather resigned...

MrC, you spelled "retired" wrong.

No way is Dan Rather's ineptness as bad as the White House's manufacture and subsequent cover up of an absolutely fake/staged/propaganda reporter. Dan Rather's name is Dan Rather, we know who he is. He didn't create the memo, he failed to check it thouroughly and he was held responsible. If you think there is some sort of moral equivalence, then we'll just have to agree to disagree.

That story was clearly being used to affect the outcome of an election, and by a man who claims to be "just reporting the facts".  His willingness to defend the report even AFTER he KNEW them to be made up showed the lengths he was willing to stoop to to  use HIS credibility to make a lie stick to Bush.

He wasn't held responsible, he rode off into the sunset and on to 60 Minutes II, which has absolutely no problems hiring a man who obviously attempted to use his stature as one of the major news anchors in the U.S. to affect the election.

That you DON'T see a moral equivalence is pathetic.  Rather's story was what EVERYONE was talking about, this joker had LITTLE TO NO INFLUENCE on what the American public read, heard, or saw on a daily basis.  There was an ENTIRE press pool that reported their stories, and CLEARLY weren't hippo-tized by this guy.

I also notice you haven't started your thread about Ward Churchill yet, telling us all about how he skipped the tenure process and taught young skulls full of mush for years on end, taught them things that make this story look like Goldilocks.

Where's your indignation there?