'Made in Iran' isn't proof of complicity

[Jeanette in FL]

'Made in Iran' isn't proof of complicity
SUSAN TAYLOR MARTIN

Published February 15, 2007
________________________________________

AMMAN, Jordan - Should a country that manufactures a weapon be responsible for its use in wartime?

Yes, President Bush seemed to say Wednesday, accusing forces controlled by Iran's government of supplying roadside bombs to insurgents in Iraq. While acknowledging he doesn't know if the weapons were sent with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's approval, he said he was certain they came from Iran.

"They're there whether President Ahmadinejad knows about it or not," Bush told reporters at his first news conference of the year. "I intend to do something about it, and we're going to protect our troops."

But just as Bush is demanding that Iran stop providing weapons to Iraq, human rights groups are demanding that the United States cut off sales of cluster bombs to Israel. The reason: Since Israel's war with Hezbollah last summer, more than 30 Lebanese have been killed by previously unexploded "bomblets" that were dropped by Israel but manufactured in the United States.

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/02/15/Worldandnation/_Made_in_Iran__isn_t_.shtml more at the link

Excellent article. Suppose a country decided that we, Americans, are responsible for the carnage that takes place in their country because of our weapons that fall into the hands of some rogue groups or rogue governments in the world. After all "Money trumps Peace".

[grytpype]

1. Like Jim Webb said...

Like Jim Webb said, every weapon that was shot at him in Vietnam was made in China or the USSR. We did not therefore invade China and the USSR.

[tk2kewl]

5. Hell, the Iranian airforce is made up of American jets.

Maybe we should attack D.C. :crazy:

[treestar]

7. That was my first thought

No way are the American people going to fall for this one.

[Nihil]

8. "Hello ... I have a Mr. History on the line ... he seems to disagree" (n/t)

:hi:

[treestar]

16. I justify your cynicism, Mr. History

I probably did put that too strongly. My faith has been renewed by the 2006 elections and that Iraq is relatively recent!

:hi:

[Demeter]

11. Although the RW Wanted to, and Badly!

Those were the days when the sane outnumbered and outpolled the nutcases....

[goddess40]

2. Is there "proof" that they are from Iran

or are they just making it up again? I vote for making it up

[ohio2007]

22. yes, there is a PDF file

that shows the mfg dates and some symbols.But the stuff may have been stolen,smuggled or went through a 3rd party weapons dealer.

[Spazito]

3. Excellent article!

"The United States and Western Europe account for 80 percent of the global arms trade, indirectly fueling dozens of conflicts since World War II. During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1970s, the CIA covertly supplied Stinger missiles to Islamic fighters. The Pentagon later acknowledged that many missiles might have fallen into the hands of al-Qaida and other terrorist groups."

It is ludicrous for bush or anyone to be pointing fingers when their country is responsible for death and destruction in many countries due to their covert or overt sales of arms.

[CoffeeCat]

4. Didn't we give Saddam weapons...

...during the Iraq/Iran war?

Why aren't we declaring war on ourselves?

Didn't we give weapons to Mujahideen insurgents who were
fighting a Soviet invasion of Afghanistan? According to
Junior's logic, whatever the Mujahadeen is currently doing
with those weapons--is our responsibility and we should
be severely punished for it.

When will Junior be declaring war on St. Louis and
Los Angeles?

[LynnTheDem]

10. We also armed the IRANIANS.

But hey, "that was then, this is now".

Hypocrisy; it's the American Way.

[Amonester]

18. Smirky's already declared War on New Orleans, and ...

we've all seen hoW that one turned out...

Down the M$M $heep memory hole. :nuke:

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. Munitions don't kill people -

terrorists with munitions kill people.

If we have to go after Iran for supplying weapons used by terrorists, logically we should go after US firearms manufacturers every time some criminal thug guns down someone on the street.

NRA won't stand for it. Does that mean we have the gun lobby on our side against the administration?

[LynnTheDem]

9. Gee...who is the #1 exporter of arms in the entire world???

Gee, bush, are ya SURE you wanna go down the raod of blaming the manufacturer/exporter or weapons???

[Norquist Nemesis]

12. Regardless, Bush is still "gonna do somethin' about it!"

It doesn't matter if they were made in the USA and gift wrapped. He's going to act like a trapped rabbit and strike. It seems like the pundits and analysts are prone to "reason" that he can't due to our troop readiness situation; Bush/Cheney are not reasonable people.

[Pachamama]

13. If country of origin on a weapon determines "responsibility", then the USA has got a lot of blood on

its hands for weapons being used with "Made in the USA" all over the world.....

[Fire Walk With Me]

14. I can name that tune in two words.

"Iran/Contra"

[Ilsa]

15. I think Sam Seder just mentioned Timothy McVeigh and whether

the US govt or manufacturer of any of his devices or fertilizer ingredients should have been at fault in the bombing of the Murrah Fed Building in 1995.

[Miss Chybil]

17. If George Bush would look in the mirror everytime he opens his mouth

the world would be a much safer place. Surely, he'd so confuse himself with all his lying and spinning he'd be too dizzy to mess with the rest of the planet.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

19. so did Bush check the label personally

probably made in China?

[Jeanette in FL]

20. Not all reporters are stenographers for the Whitehouse

Kicking it up for the night crew

:kick:

[ohio2007]

21. Should a country that manufactures a weapon be responsible for its use in wartime?

dunno, didn't Saddam purchase dual use fertilizer chemicals from the west ?

that answers the question

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. That is a great article Jeanette!

Good find!

[Jeanette in FL]

25. Thank you Luv

When you think it can't get any crazier, Bush takes us up a notch.

[Contrite]

24. The Iranians are buying our stuff on e-Bay

heard that tonight on Thom Hartmann's show

[Jeanette in FL]

26. Imagine that

On ebay. I love American capitalism. Pick your self up by the bootstraps :sarcasm:

[Contrite]

27. Well, since the DOD has "outlawed" it, what are they to do?

http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/defence/Stop_Arming_Iran_Act30010197.php

Anyway, here's a link to an article in the WaPo about this!

http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2007/01/22/military-surplus-parts-illegally-find-their-way-to-iran/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fwp-dyn%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F2007%2F01%2F21%2FAR2007012100760.html&frame=true

Military Surplus Parts Illegally Find Their Way to Iran, U.S. Officials Say

By Sharon Theimer
Associated Press
Monday, January 22, 2007; Page A17

Fighter-jet parts and other sensitive U.S. military gear seized from front companies for Iran and brokers for China have been traced in criminal cases to a surprising source: the Pentagon.

In one case, federal investigators said, contraband purchased in Defense Department surplus auctions was delivered to Iran, a country President Bush has branded part of an "axis of evil."

A top priority for Iran are parts for the F-14 fighter jet, which the United States allowed Tehran to buy in the 1970s.
A top priority for Iran are parts for the F-14 fighter jet, which the United States allowed Tehran to buy in the 1970s. (U.s. Navy Via Associated Press)

In that instance, a Pakistani arms broker convicted of exporting U.S. missile parts to Iran resumed business after his release from prison. He purchased Chinook helicopter engine parts for Iran from a U.S. company that had bought them in a Pentagon surplus sale. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents say those parts reached Iran.

Sensitive military surplus items are supposed to be demilitarized or "de-milled" -- rendered useless for military purposes -- or, if auctioned, sold only to buyers who promise to obey U.S. arms embargoes, export controls and other laws.

Yet the surplus sales can operate like a supermarket for arms dealers.

(ETC. at link)

[Solo_in_MD]

28. Actually it can be

Freshly manufacutered munitions and arms in the hands of an insurgents (or in the case Hezbollah illegal militia) is fairly solid proof of direct support. 10 year old rifles or small arms ammo is not.

Munitions sold directly to a national government is not the same as giving them to insurgents.

For those who are unaware of it, Israel makes its own cluster munitions as well as buying them from the US.