Iranians volunteer for "martyrdom missions"

[Tab]

Great. Frickin' great. Bush, if you think this is going to be easier than Iraq, you've really got your head up your ass.


TEHRAN (Reuters) - Some 200 Iranians have volunteered in the past few days to carry out "martyrdom missions" against U.S. and British interests if Iran is attacked over its nuclear program, a hardline group said on Sunday.

The United States and other Western nations accuse Iran of seeking to master enrichment technology to build atomic weapons, a charge Iran denies. Washington says it wants a diplomatic solution, but has not ruled out a military option.

Mohammad Ali Samadi, spokesman for the Committee for the Commemoration of Martyrs of the Global Islamic Campaign, said fresh fears over a possible U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear sites helped attract volunteers during its latest recruitment drive.

"Because of the recent threats, we have started to register more volunteers since Friday," Samadi told Reuters by telephone.

More: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060416/wl_nm/iran_bombers_dc

[DELUSIONAL]

1. To be expected -- and I really doubt that the idiot in the white house

cares or believes. His voices are telling him that he will be a hero and his name will live on in history.

During that long nasty war between Iraq and Iran -- young men went ahead of the troops into the mine fields -- sort of sacrifice suicide bombers. The loss of life on the Iranian side was fantastically huge -- because of the religious zealots willing to sacrifice their lives.

So bushie wants to give the religious crazies a really huge target??? Namely the U.S.A.??

No amount of spying and harassment of the citizens of the US is going to rescue us from the religious crazies -- one of the co-equal nuts lives in the white house. HE is making OUR lives more dangerous.

[mhr]

2. This Plays To Bush's Base - If It Were Not True It Would Be

Equally good propaganda.

[MrSlayer]

3. Yes, the Iranians are that kind of crazy.

During the Iran/Iraq war the Iranians would sacrifice themselves by the thousands just to get a few Iraqis. Wave after wave of them would charge pell-mell directly into the machine gun fire. A war against these guys would be horrendously bloody and costly both in treasure and personnel. We as a nation must not allow this to happen, though it's hard to see what we can do about it. This administration is hell bent on going to war and we know full well they don't give a damn about what the people want. Just when you think things couldn't get worse, they suddenly do.

[cantstandbush]

4. If they are crazy for wanting to defend themselves, what does that make

Americans and the Bushbots? I say they are double crazy for even threaening to attack Iran unprovoked.

[MrSlayer]

8. Well yeah, that's my point.

What I'm saying is that they just don't give a fuck if they get killed, they want to get killed. You yourself would have to be insane to pick an unprovoked fight with these nutjobs. Even the most gung-ho marine doesn't have that kind of morale, they think survival is an option, the other guys have no intention of living through it. If it takes a hundred of them to get one of you, it's a victory to them. You can't beat that kind of fanaticism. Something serious has to happen if we are to avoid this un-winnable conflict.

[PATRICK]

11. Nutjobs?

An attack like that on us- if we were helpless or maybe not so helpless- to do anything else would call for at least the same response.

Terrorism is always linked with attacks on one's territory for which no conventional defense is possible.
Many Americans, without the trappings of religion, would do exactly the same or worse. Religion actually organizes such emotions. How Americans would "respond" is anyone's guess, but it wouldn't be pretty and nobility is in the eye of the compatriot.

Right now Americans are responding as if cancer roasting millions of women and children is a coffee table discussion with the decision left to overlords we pretend to have elected. In the eyes of many this puts us on a rung below crazies and thugs.

The problem has just ONE focus at present- the murderous nuts usurping the WH.

Them and only them.

[brentspeak]

14. The what? The who?

"Terrorism is always linked with attacks on one's territory for which no conventional defense is possible."

Do you realize how stupid that sounds? What "attack on one's territory" was al Queda "defending" against on 9/11?

"Many Americans, without the trappings of religion, would do exactly the same or worse."

What are you talking about?

"The problem has just ONE focus at present- the murderous nuts usurping the WH."

As much of a joke as Bush is, what does that have to do with Iran's leader being a maniac?

[stillcool]

20. Stupid?.......

If you flip over the rock of American foreign
policy of the past century, this is what crawls out ...
invasions ... bombings ... overthrowing governments ... suppressing movements for social change ... assassinating political leaders ... perverting elections ... manipulating labor unions ...
manufacturing "news" ... death squads ... torture ... biological warfare ... depleted uranium ... drug trafficking ... mercenaries ...
It's not a pretty picture.
It is enough to give imperialism a bad name.

http://members.aol.com/bblum6/parenti.htm

February 14, 2002: US Military Bases Line Afghan Pipeline Route
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=complete_911_timeline&before_9/11=pipelinePolitics
The Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv notes: “If one looks at the map of the big American bases created , one is struck by the fact that they are completely identical to the route of the projected oil pipeline to the Indian Ocean.” Ma’ariv also states, “Osama bin Laden did not comprehend that his actions serve American interests... If I were a believer in conspiracy theory, I would think that bin Laden is an American agent. Not being one I can only wonder at the coincidence.”

Following its bombing of Iraq in 1991, the United States wound up with military bases in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
Following its bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, the United States wound up with military bases in Kosovo, Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Hungary, Bosnia and Croatia.
Following its bombing of Afghanistan in 2001-2, the United States wound up with military bases in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Yemen and Djibouti.
Following its bombing and invasion of Iraq in 2003, the United States wound up with Iraq.
This is not very subtle foreign policy. Certainly not covert. The men who run the American Empire are not easily embarrassed.
And that's the way the empire grows -- a base in every region, ready to be mobilized to put down any threat to imperial rule, real or imagined. Sixty years after World War II ended, the United States still has major bases in Germany and Japan; fifty-two years after the end of the Korean War, tens of thousands of American armed forces continue to be stationed in South Korea.

http://www.killinghope.org/

[thecrow]

22. Looks like we've got Iran surrounded, to me.

[PATRICK]

23. Terrorism 101

he hijackers were mostly Saudis. Bin laden, more calculating than sincere, also a Saudi linked the placement of US troops on sacred Saudi soil after Gulf War I as the great provocation. As with the Soviets in Afghanistan, Bin Laden intended to bring down the US and hence Israel while raising radicals to prominence against the current Saudi regime. And a lot of other stuff.

What Bush has to do with maniacs is strengthening, provoking and using them to endanger and destabilize and give him openings to invade. Once the invasion happens the US becomes the perceived maniac and Occupier and next in line to get thrashed by frustrated locals.

I know it is hard to imagine being occupied much less without the little conveniences of total military supremacy plus the most and deadliest nukes. With much less provocation however, such as the "menace" of Latinos storming our borders to gather up our lawn trimmings and pick our crops, you do have people inciting to murder.

Terrorism has often portrayed as the ideological extension of fear against fear, but the actual case is most often simply people striking back when their territory is occupied and they have no conventional recourse. We haves loads of such recourse in any imaginable scenario but I doubt if we were to switch places there would be any lack of suicidal dedication and ferocity. It will always be minority but those who choose this extreme form of patriotism might otherwise be fairly ordinary under other circumstances, not activist ideologues or psychopathic fanatics waiting for an excuse.

There was a study down of this by someone specifically interviewing Palestinian bombers who also looked at many other instances of suicide terrorism and found this not to be just true of the majority of cases but true in all cases. The writer has been in the news and discussed here. If you didn't here it before it does sound incredible and it certainly surprised his expectations.

Those who manipulate situations that create all these evils are far worse than the showy blowhards and temporary tyrants. I consider Bush a maniac. The other guy is less politically secure which shows he may just be a bit more sane. And since when does kookiness and incompetence condemn millions of people automatically to be targets? The same perception and targeting can easily be redirected back toward Bush and the US by the Islamic world. Right or wrong and moral relativity has little to do with the compilation of gravestones on all sides.

Bush won't negotiate. Bush has diplomatically stiffed and threatened those we are now supposed to fear.
All true roads to conflict resolution start with removing Bush as the supreme roadblock to peace.

[AngryAmish]

12. Yes you can beat that sort of fanaticism

Mongols v. Assassin order for example. Or US v. Japan in WWII.

[K-W]

18. If they werent so easy for us to defeat, they wouldnt be doing this.

If they could stand up to us conventionally, or strike back conventionally they wouldnt bother threatning us with martyrs.

[K-W]

17. If the US were under threat of massive attack by a superior power

who we could not fight in conventional war, plenty of US citizens would volunteer to martyr themselves.

Iranians are human beings too, contary to popular belief.

[ShortnFiery]

30. Oh stop with implications "They ain't human" - they ARE all too Human ...

What about the Japanese Kamikazes? In the Catholic Church you are granted martyrdom if you die holding on to the faith of the church against all odd.

It's not just the Muslim faith that glorifies Martyrs.

:wtf: over!

[K-W]

16. So its crazy to sacrifice your life to defend your country?

Perhaps, but I dont think this is unique to Iranians.

[Phx_Dem]

25. weird logic dude

they are volunteering to ensure that Iran has the "right" to develop and posses nukes.

[Bridget Burke]

28. Try saying that at the Alamo!

Actually--why don't we let the guy who first mentioned the "crazy" Iranians do it?

[kineneb]

24. demographics and economy of Iran

1.Demographics: around 25% of Iranian population is under 25 year old
2.Economy: a large percentage of that young population is unemployed, due to crummy economic planning by religious leaders (who ever said that churches/religions could manage an economy should be thrown over a cliff)
3. #1+#2= large population of "martyrs" available who can see no immediate improvement in their economic condition
4. Nationalism: beyond tribal/religious distinctions, Iranians see themselves as citizens of a proud and ancient country. If attacked, they will defend themselves. Some of them will be my relatives who still live there.

[Bridget Burke]

27. This group does NOT represent the Iranian government....

And please prove your statement about those crazy Iranians...

[ShortnFiery]

31. This is all too familiar way the North Vietnamese were degraded

during the Vietnam War.

You see: If your enemy is "less than human" or CRAZY or EVIL, then it's A OK to kill them without remorse.

Bull Shit! They are as human as you or I given the culture and times that they live in. Don't delude yourself that they are *less than* us ---> They are human JUST LIKE us. :grr:

[Tab]

5. I don't necessarily blame them

If it were reversed, and they were a true threat and we really thought they wanted to bomb us, I, and many many many other Americans would have no problem volunteering in the fight against them. I don't blame any citizen of any country for wanting to defend their country.

Bush seems to think they'll greet us with open arms for XXXmaking them freeXXX... er, rescuing them from the hardliners.

Incidentally, a lot of their posturing is by hardliners who are only 15% in favor. I know a number of Iranians over here who are very nice.

But I wouldn't blame them one bit if they defended their country.

[lovuian]

6. I don't have any respect for a government that uses

suicide bombers... fight but this tactic is using poor people who have nothing to live for...

We have gotten to a terrible precipice in the world...:nuke:

[mhr]

7. The World Went To Hell When Rich People

Justified their wealth by claiming divine providence as the source.

"God made me wealthy, he likes me better than he likes you"

[Phx_Dem]

26. nice strawman nt

[Tab]

10. Or...

not much to fight with

[K-W]

19. As opposed to the US whos military is made up mostly of poor people

who join because it is the only thing they can do, or at least thats what the recruiters tell them.

At least these people are pledging to attack a nation if it attacks them. The US sends its mostly poor army to die in wars of aggression.

[lovuian]

21. You very seldom see a rich kid going on a suicide mission

unless they are whacko... but the poor kids they don't have anything to look forward too except poverty and abuse ...so why not go out a martyr... killing others... ignorance and poverty is what spreads this...

[ShortnFiery]

33. If you don't have "an army" it is one of the only ways you can

counter those more powerful.

They do it because it's the only way they can fight back given that they are overwhelmed in wealth and military might.

On edit: Many of the so called 911 hijackers were "well off" Saudis, so I don't buy into "only the poor" are martyrs argument either.

[Bridget Burke]

29. The Iranian government is not the sponsor...

Check out the article at the link.

[ShortnFiery]

32. Then I guess you don't like the history of the CATHOLIC church ...

The lists of Saints are chock full of MARTYRs of earthly existance.

Guess you don't like anything historically European. Hum?

[ConcernedCanuk]

9. Iranians have been watching the carnage in Iraq & Afghanistan for 3 years

.
.
.

As well as the build-up of the USA's war-machine in both countries and the gulf

Bush better not kid himself that missiles are not already aimed at known USA "interests" in both countries, and any vessels in the Gulf

Iran is not emasculated by a no-fly zone, constant bombings and sanctions like Iraq was for 10 years before Bush 2's invasion - and they STILL haven't "beaten" Iraq!

The ONLY way I can see the USA even hoping to muzzle Iran is nuclear, and that would get Russia and China involved -

ya think they are gonna put up with the USA sending radioactive dust across their countries?

They remember Chernobyl from decades ago - they know the damage any nuclear disturbance will do

USA go home

take care of your poor and homeless

Then MAYBE worry about the other side of the globe?

just a thought

[fedsron2us]

13. Lets pump up the volume

so that everyone is worked into a state of hysteria before the big game kicks off.

[Southsideirish]

15. Bush, I mean Ming, the Merciless, rides into history on a torrent

of hatred and death. Long live his name!