Bush wins election endorsement

[Rex Kickass]

From the Associated Press.

 

TEHRAN, Iran — The head of Iran's security council said today the re-election of President George W. Bush would be in Tehran's best interests, despite the administration's axis of evil label, accusations Iran harbours Al Qaeda terrorists and threats of sanctions over the country's nuclear ambitions.

 

Historically, Democrats have harmed Iran more than Republicans, said Hasan Rowhani, head of the Supreme National Security Council, Iran's top security decision-making body.

 

"We haven't seen anything good from Democrats," Rowhani told state-run television in remarks that, for the first time in recent decades, saw Iran openly supporting one U.S. presidential candidate over another.

 

Though Iran generally does not publicly wade into U.S. presidential politics, it has a history of preferring Republicans over Democrats, who tend to press human rights issues.

 

"We do not desire to see Democrats take over," Rowhani said when asked if Iran is supporting Democratic Senator John Kerry against Bush.

 

The Bush campaign said "No thanks."

 

"It's not an endorsement we'll be accepting anytime soon," Bush campaign spokesman Scott Stanzel said.

 

"Iran should stop its pursuit of nuclear weapons and if they continue in the direction they are going, then we will have to look at what additional action may need to be taken including looking to the UN Security Council."

 

Kerry, who said halting nuclear proliferation will be a priority if he becomes president, believes Bush should have done more diplomatically to curb Iran's alleged nuclear weapons ambitions. He said Iran should be offered nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes but spent fuel should be taken back so it cannot be used to develop nuclear weapons.

 

"It is telling that this president has received the endorsement of member of the axis of evil," Kerry campaign spokeswoman Allison Dobson said.

 

"But Americans deserve a president who will have a comprehensive strategy to address the potential threat of Iran's growing nuclear program."

 

The United States severed diplomatic relations with Iran after militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. Iranian clerics were crucial in determining the fate of the 1980 U.S. election when Republican Ronald Reagan won in part because Democratic incumbent Jimmy Carter was unable to secure the hostages' release.

 

The hostages were freed as Reagan was inaugurated.

 

The United States supported Iraq in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war but by the late 1990s, U.S.-Iranian relations were somewhat better. They plummeted again after Bush accused Iran of being part of the "axis of evil" with North Korea and pre-war Iraq.

 

The Bush administration also accuses Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons and sheltering operatives of Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda terror network. Still, Iran was happy to see Bush destroy two big regional enemies — the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

 

Iranian political analyst Mohsen Mofidi said ousting the Taliban and Saddam was the "biggest service any administration could have done for Iran."

 

And Bush, he said, has learned from his mistakes.

 

"The experience of two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the responsibility Bush had will make it a very remote possibility for him to risk attacking a much bigger and more powerful country like Iran," he said.

 

Mofidi added: "Democrats usually insist on human rights and they will have more excuses to pressure Iran."

 

Republican and Democratic presidents have issued executive orders against Iran, with Reagan in 1987 barring Iranian crude oil and other imports, and Bill Clinton in 1995 banning U.S. trade and investment in Iran.

 

"We should not forget that most sanctions and economic pressures were imposed on Iran during the time of Clinton," Rowhani said.

 

"And we should not forget that during Bush's era — despite his hard-line and baseless rhetoric against Iran — he didn't take, in practical terms, any dangerous action against Iran."

 

Bush has been reluctant to offer Iran any incentives for better U.S.-Iranian relations but in recent days, there have been signs Washington will back European economic incentives if Iran stops uranium enrichment activities.

 

Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was quoted by state-run television Tuesday saying Iran is interested in buying nuclear fuel from the West but will not concede its right to the technology.

 

The nuclear issue has been most sensitive and the Bush administration is threatening to press for sanctions against Iran over it. Tehran said its nuclear ambitions are peaceful, for energy purposes.

 

Kavoos Emami, another Iranian political analyst, praised Kerry for mentioning the need for dialogue with Iran and said the Democrat would be better for Iran.

 

"Bush has insulted Iran more than any other U.S. administration. If Kerry is elected, a U.S. military attack against Iran will never happen or will be a very remote possibility," he said.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Funny how you should mention that when terrorists and Cuba's Fidel Castro also endorse Kerry.

 

 

One thing that was truly surprising is that Vladimir Putin endorsed Bush recently.

[jasonxctf]

hey nuke cleveland... thank god for France delivering those additional flu shots right?

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

hey nuke cleveland... thank god for France delivering those additional flu shots right?

Maybe they paid for them with some of those oil for food kickback profits they made the last few years before the invasion?

[Heads22]

Do people honestly think that Kerry would let the world walk over us? Right now I'm more liberal than him, most likely, but I wouldn't hesitate to take force against terrorists, etc.

 

The war in Afghanistan was needed and most certainly justified.

 

[/ramble]

[southsider2k5]

Maybe they paid for them with some of those oil for food kickback profits they made the last few years before the invasion?

[Heads22]

*SNAP*

[Rex Kickass]

Funny how you should mention that when terrorists and Cuba's Fidel Castro also endorse Kerry. 

 

 

One thing that was truly surprising is that Vladimir Putin endorsed Bush recently.

Yes that freedom loving KGB agent Vlad Putin who took the independent out of independent TV during his watch by having the state run Natural Gas company purchase the network. Great endorsement.

 

Oh by the way, didn't the Russians profit from Oil for Food too?

[southsider2k5]

Yes that freedom loving KGB agent Vlad Putin who took the independent out of independent TV during his watch by having the state run Natural Gas company purchase the network. Great endorsement.

 

Oh by the way, didn't the Russians profit from Oil for Food too?

Absolutely he did. Or at least one of his top advisors, but the dots are easily connected. France, Russia, and many UN members were on that list. There was over 200 people being bribed by Saddam. I guess you could call them the coalition of the bribed...

[kapkomet]

"Bush has insulted Iran more than any other U.S. administration. If Kerry is elected, a U.S. military attack against Iran will never happen or will be a very remote possibility," he said.

 

Before he;s in office and really knows what the hell is going on, the Kerry team is saying that.

 

Please don't say s*** like this until you know what the hell you are dealing with. That's my problem with Kerry. The guy doesn't KNOW yet, but promises the world that inaction from the US is the best policy. CRIPES. That is so dangerous.

 

Let's take off the table a nuclear weapon that we might ACTUALLY USE? Holy s***, why else do you build them?

[Rex Kickass]

Kap, you just attributed the thoughts of an Iranian scholar to John Kerry.

 

Here's the quote in full context.

 

Kavoos Emami, another Iranian political analyst, praised Kerry for mentioning the need for dialogue with Iran and said the Democrat would be better for Iran.

 

"Bush has insulted Iran more than any other U.S. administration. If Kerry is elected, a U.S. military attack against Iran will never happen or will be a very remote possibility," he said.

 

Here's what the Kerry camp said about Iran in the article.

 

Kerry, who said halting nuclear proliferation will be a priority if he becomes president, believes Bush should have done more diplomatically to curb Iran's alleged nuclear weapons ambitions. He said Iran should be offered nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes but spent fuel should be taken back so it cannot be used to develop nuclear weapons.

 

"It is telling that this president has received the endorsement of member of the axis of evil," Kerry campaign spokeswoman Allison Dobson said.

 

"But Americans deserve a president who will have a comprehensive strategy to address the potential threat of Iran's growing nuclear program."

 

There's a bit of a difference there between what he said and what you thought he said.

[kapkomet]

Yes, you're right.

 

But the last part of my post remains. I'm troubled by a Commander in Chief who thinks that the rest of the world needs to be our example. In this age, it really troubles me.

 

But then again, so does Bush. I hate this election.