More lies out of Iran. Now they say that the general who swore that Iran would attack Israel if the U.S. attacks Iran — had no authority to say it.
(AP) The Iranian military on Wednesday rejected a statement from a top Revolutionary Guards commander that Israel would be Iran’s first target in response to any U.S. attack, an Iranian news agency reported.
Brig. Gen. Alireza Afshar, deputy to the chief of Iran’s military staff, said the statement by Mohammad Ebrahim Dehghani “is his personal view and has no validity as far as the Iranian military officials are concerned,” according to the Entekhab News Agency.
[…] The Entekhab News Agency said Afshar was asked about Dehghani’s comment at a book exhibition in Tehran.
“Mr. Dehghani was the spokesman of a military maneuver which ended on April 8, and his statement is his personal view and has no validity as far as the Iranian military officials are concerned,” Afshar was quoted as saying.
Yes, and we believe this, because Iran has always been so consistent in all of its statements.
No, wait, the only consistency in Iranian statements is the fact that they want Israel to be destroyed.
I don’t think we can blame Israel for taking the Iranians at their word. We’re not all as blind as Juan Cole.
Although it is entirely possible that Israeli responses may actually be penetrating the Mad Mullahs’ hiding places.
Israeli elder statesman Shimon Peres reacted to Dehghani’s warning with a call for Iran to scrap its nuclear program and a warning of his own: “Remember that Israel is exceptionally strong and knows how to defend itself.”
I think if you read between the lines there, you might find the words “third-strongest army” and “kick your Iranian asses out of the Persian Gulf.”
I think the Israeli war of words is finally going to start heating up, now that Olmert feels more secure.
Ya think the interviewer might have asked if the frickin’ president of Iran has the authority to attack Israel?
As for Juan Cole, he’s a turd. You know a guy is a turd when even Israel-hating Chris Hitchens comes down on the guy:
http://www.slate.com/id/2140947/
That’s the link that didn’t make it in my previous comment..Meryl is it just me or do other people have trouble posting comments?
I recently installed an upgraded version of Spam Karma, so you may be experiencing problems.
I read a little more into Peres’ words.
He’s from Israeli Labour, and left of the political aisle. If even he is taking the statements and actions of the mullahs DEADLY SERIOUSLY, then his words are saying that ALL ISRAELIS, of whatever political stripe, are united on this issue, and are resolved to take whatever action necessary to remove the threat.
“We’re not all as blind as Juan Cole”
… and definitely not as antisemitic as him, either.
Dan: re Peres, you are right on the money.
Looking at what Peres, Beilin, and their ilk have done in the past, I wouldn’t trust him to do more than blather. Lets see what people actually do.