Travesty of Saudi Dirty Tricks Against Iran by Finian Cunningham

by Finian Cunningham
Writer, Dandelion Salad
East Africa
Crossposted from PressTV
March 21, 2013

Image by AslanMedia via Flickr

Saudi claims of “busting a spy ring” involving Iranian and Lebanese nationals this week smell of yet more dirty tricks by the creaky House of Saud.

But the repeated formula for attempting to smear Iran used by the Saudis and their Western and Israeli partners is in danger of becoming a parody.

Saudi authorities detained 18 individuals across the kingdom this week, who, it is claimed, were working for a “foreign state” in a plot to target vital installations.

Barack Obama’s Notice: Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Iran + Wilkerson: US Objective Is Regime Change

Dandelion Salad

Propaganda Alert!

The White House

Image by SS&SS via Flickr

Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
March 12, 2013

On March 15, 1995, the President issued Executive Order 12957, which declared a national emergency with respect to Iran and, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706), took related steps to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of the Government of Iran.

Washington Speaks With Forked Tongue To Iran by Finian Cunningham

by Finian Cunningham
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
East Africa
Crossposted from PressTV
February 7, 2013

Image by AslanMedia via Flickr

Only days after American Vice President Joe Biden made a very public and tantalizing offer of bilateral talks between the US and Iran, there then follows another round of punitive trade sanctions imposed by Washington on Iran’s vital oil industry.

What to make of this seemingly contradictory US position? Some commentators say that the above anomalous attitude reflects a carrot-and-stick policy in Washington, by which incentives dangled in front of Iran are quickly followed by a blow of hardship, with the objective of forcing an end result.

Iranian Bomb Graph Appears Adapted from One on Internet by Gareth Porter

Image by Shreyans Bhansali via Flickr

by Gareth Porter
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
crossposted at ISP
Dec. 13, 2012

WASHINGTON, Dec 13 2012 (IPS) – The suspect graph of a nuclear explosion reportedly provided to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as evidence of Iranian computer modeling of nuclear weapons yields appears to have been adapted from a very similar graph in a scholarly journal article published in January 2009 and available on the internet.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: You Can’t Rule With War

Image via Wikipedia

Dandelion Salad

Dec 3, 2012 by AlJazeeraEnglish

The financial sanctions on Iran are now having a real impact. Earlier this week, people in Tehran openly complained that the Iranian currency is drastically losing value against the dollar, pushing up prices. Meanwhile, Iran’s leadership is already dealing with a threat from Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli leader, who delivered a strong speech at the United Nations against the Iranian nuclear programme. There is also the situation in Syria, where Iran’s relationship with the Assad regime is forcing the Iranian leadership to take sides. And then there is Egypt: A new leader, President Morsi, is changing the geopolitical landscape. Is this an opening for Iran? We sat down with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s president, in New York, to discuss where things stand and where we are headed.

IAEA Data on Sensitive Iranian Stockpile Mislead News Media by Gareth Porter

Image by AslanMedia via Flickr

Updated: Nov. 25, 2012, added a video report

by Gareth Porter
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
crossposted at ISP
Nov. 20, 2012

WASHINGTON, Nov 20 2012 (IPS) – News stories on the latest International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report suggested new reasons to fear that Iran is closer to a “breakout” capability than ever before, citing a nearly 50-percent increase in its stockpile of 20-percent enriched uranium and the installation of hundreds of additional centrifuges at the Fordow enrichment installation.

Gareth Porter: Will the US Negotiate State to State with Iran? + Divisions Over Iran Strike in Israeli Leadership Revealed

Image by World Can’t Wait via Flickr

Updated: added another video report and article Nov. 12, 2012

with Gareth Porter
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
Nov. 11, 2012

Nov 11, 2012 by TheRealNews

Gareth Porter: The US has rebuffed several attempts by Iran to negotiate a resolution to the standoff, Obama appears committed to harsh sanctions.

Obama Aides Launch Preemptive Attack on New Iran Plan by Gareth Porter

by Gareth Porter
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
crossposted at ISP
Oct. 16, 2012

Image by David M. Grossman, World Can’t Wait via Flickr

WASHINGTON, Oct 16 2012 (IPS) – Although the place and time of the next round of talks on Iran’s nuclear programme have not yet been announced, the manoeuvring by Iran and the United States to influence the outcome has already begun.

Iran sought support for a revised proposal to the talks during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last month, according to a New York Times report Oct. 4. Then, only a few days later, the Barack Obama administration launched a preemptive attack on the proposal through New York Times reporter David Sanger.

Barack Obama’s Executive Order: Authorizing the Implementation of Certain Sanctions Set Forth in the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 and Additional Sanctions with respect to Iran

Image by SS&SS via Flickr

Dandelion Salad

Propaganda Alert!

The White House
For Immediate Release
October 9, 2012

Executive Order from the President regarding Authorizing the Implementation of Certain Sanctions Set Forth in the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 and Additional Sanctions with respect to Iran

U.S., Allies Wage Economic War On Iran by Finian Cunningham

by Finian Cunningham
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
East Africa
Crossposted from www.presstv.com
October 3, 2012

Image by Truthout.org via Flickr

The havoc hitting Iran’s national finances should leave no-one under any illusions. The country is facing economic warfare from the US and its European allies. In financial terms, it is equivalent to attacking the country with a weapon of mass destruction.

The disruption and hardship being inflicted on Iranian citizens is criminal and unspeakably callous. But let’s make no mistake: the suffering of Iranian people is the direct result of conscious decisions being made in Washington, London and Brussels.

Iranian Diplomat Says Iran Offered Deal to Halt 20-Percent Enrichment by Gareth Porter

by Gareth Porter
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
crossposted at ISP
Sept. 24, 2012

Image by David M. Grossman, World Can’t Wait via Flickr

WASHINGTON, Sep 24 2012 (IPS) – Iran has again offered to halt its enrichment of uranium to 20 percent, which the United States has identified as its highest priority in the nuclear talks, in return for easing sanctions against Iran, according to Iran’s permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Ali Asghar Soltanieh, who has conducted Iran’s negotiations with the IAEA in Tehran and Vienna, revealed in an interview with IPS that Iran had made the offer at the meeting between EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton and Iran’s leading nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in Istanbul Sep. 19.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Interview on CNN Sept. 24, 2012

Image via Wikipedia

Dandelion Salad

Transcript: CNN

Sep 24, 2012 by MOXNEWSd0tC0M

September 24, 2012 CNN
http://MOXNews.com

Pink Shrouds Aimed to Draw Attention to Iran Military Site, Analysts Say by Gareth Porter

Image by FJJ, World Can’t Wait via Flickr

by Gareth Porter
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
crossposted at ISP
Sept. 7, 2012

Diplomats from an unidentified country and a Washington research organisation considered close to the International Atomic Energy Agency have alleged in recent weeks that Iran has covered two buildings at a military site to hide a clean-up of evidence of nuclear weapons related testing.

IAEA Report Shows Iran Reduced Its Breakout Capacity by Gareth Porter

Image by Alex Garland, World Can’t Wait via Flickr

by Gareth Porter
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
crossposted at ISP
Sept. 1, 2012

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report made public Thursday reveals that Iran has actually reduced the amount of 20-percent enriched uranium available for any possible “breakout” to weapons grade enrichment over the last three months rather than increasing it.

Contrary to the impression conveyed by most news media coverage, the report provides new evidence that Iran’s enrichment strategy is aimed at enhancing its bargaining position in negotiations with the United States rather than amassing such a breakout capability.

Gareth Porter: Israel drops Iran-attack hints to U.S.

Image by Alex Garland, World Can’t Wait via Flickr

with Gareth Porter
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
Aug. 25, 2012

Aug 25, 2012 by RussiaToday

Iran and the UN atomic watchdog have failed to find a way out of the stalemate over Tehran’s nuclear programe at fresh talks. The meeting took place amid reports that Iran’s installed more ‘uranium enrichment machines’ at one of its facilities. For more RT talks to Gareth Porter, an investigative journalist and analyst on US foreign and military policy.