Cheney trip not aimed at preparing Iran strike

[sabra]

Source: AFP

KABUL - US Vice President Dick Cheney’s nine-day trip to the Middle East and Turkey does not aim to set the stage for a US military strike on Iran, a senior aide said on Thursday.

“That’s not what these discussions are about,” the aide told reporters on condition of anonymity, after Cheney held extensive talks in Oman with Sultan Qaboos before heading to Afghanistan.

The aide said the talks focussed extensively on Iran, which has defied international criticism of its nuclear programme.

“The vice president talked about the concerns we have about the full range of their activities,” said the official, underlining what the United States sees as “an increase in the Iranian relationship with Hamas.”

Read more: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2008/March/subcontinent_March674.xml§ion=subcontinent

[Fovea]

1. So Stop Saying That!~

Sorry, the headline needed that.

[Magleetis]

2. Lying POS

Yeah right and the surge is working.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. Remember Jackpine's Rule for translating Neocon into English.

Just cancel the negatives.

US Vice President Dick Cheney’s nine-day trip to the Middle East and Turkey does not aim to set the stage for a US military strike on Iran, a senior aide said on Thursday.

“That’s not what these discussions are about,” the aide told reporters on condition of anonymity, after Cheney held extensive talks in Oman with Sultan Qaboos before heading to Afghanistan.

[TomInTib]

8. I always keep that in mind.

Hasn't failed yet.

[bif]

4. Once again, it's Opposites Day for this administration

So they ARE preparing for an Iran strike!

[bushmeister0]

5. So, in other words, every time you turn around there's a new threat

from Iran, but he's not talking about attacking then or anything. Silly press corps. Sure, the threat of Iran is growing exponentially, every time Cheney takes another nitroglycerin pill there's another existential threat to Israel -- er, I mean, the United States -- but who ever said anything about attacking Iran?

WSWS: May 12 2007

"Underscoring the essential objective of his Middle East tour, US Vice President Dick Cheney used the deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis in the Persian Gulf Friday to deliver a bellicose threat against Iran.

'With two carrier strike groups in the Gulf, we’re sending clear messages to friends and adversaries alike, we’ll keep the sea lanes open,' Cheney said in a speech delivered to ranks of sailors assembled on the deck in the over-100-degree heat. With the carrier sailing barely 150 miles off of the Iranian coast, the US vice president declared, 'We’ll stand with others to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons and dominating the region.'

Further spelling out his attack on Iran, Cheney declared, 'We’ll stand with our friends in opposing extremism and strategic threats. We’ll disrupt attacks on our own forces.'"

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/may2007/iran-m12.shtml

[acmavm]

6. I wouldn't take Cheney's word or the word of anyone associated with him

for being anywhere near the truth.

[Nickster]

7. Uh oh! So he WAS preparing an Iran strike......Yikes!

[Arctic Dave]

9. Riiiight and the Iraq occupation isn't about oil either. n/t

[Kaleko]

10. Jeez, folks, the CIA is losing its grip on your minds and hearts.

What next??

[Harry Monroe]

12. And the pope doesn't shit in the woods

Or a bear isn't Catholic. Or something like that.

[Lasher]

11. I say we take them at their word.

After all they've never lied to us.

[Harry Monroe]

13. Did you forget the sarcasm "thingie"??

[Lasher]

14. Well that's about as heavy as it drips so I figured most people would pick right up on it. n/t