Iran Sends Kids Collection of Pets Into Space, Hillary Won't Swap

Seymour M Hersh
Jesse Jackson & Lennox Yearwood

"Bush gave Obama this big ball of fire, and it is burning, domestically and internationally. Obama, he does not know how to catch it." - Bashar Assad

"When President Obama visits Indonesia next month, he'd do well to do some soul-searching on Bali if he is to avoid being permanently engulfed by hungry ghosts." - Pepe Escobar

"The iron will and fierceness that the Taliban show in battle should be used in our favor: give them their country back, work out a deal with them so they keep the region stable ... and have the Taliban do the dirty work for the United States intelligence branches. It is time to start thinking like Cardinal Richelieu rather than Paris Hilton." - Ysais A Martinez

irant, you rant...
Beginning in Iran, who has been so busy this week, and who took a cue from the Israeli - Hamas negotiations to exchange prisoners, that ultimately bogged down and failed. Iran wanted to use the three American hikers as political pawns and use them in exchange for Iranians being held in US prisons. Yesterday Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that negotiations are underway.

This morning Hillary Clinton said no: "There are no negotiations taking place between the United States and Iran. We believe they should unilaterally release our detained citizens," The hikers have been captive since July and are being accused of spying. A member of the State Department said that innocent hikers were not the same as convicted arms traffickers: "There is not really an equivalence, if you will, between, say an Iranian citizen who has been indicted and/or convicted of arms trafficking in violation of international law and three hikers who wandered across an unmarked border," So the hikers will remain guests of Iran until a better swap can be arranged or the political situation thaws...


I'm sure this was intended as a stunt garnering lots of public relations for the prowess of Iranian science and technology, but yesterday Mr Ahmadinejad embarrassed himself and his nation: "In what seemed intended as a display of technological advance, Iran said on Wednesday that it had fired a rocket into space carrying living organisms — a rat, two turtles and worms, according to the state-run Press TV." Yes, that's right, someone sent a child's pet collection into space, and called that an achievement. Now they are only 50 years behind the technology curve...


The sinister side to this is that previously Iran had tested a long range missile back in December. The current satellite test not only can launch pets into space, but can carry a nuclear warhead or other explosive devices: "The test involved a rocket described as the Kavoshgar-3, which is capable of carrying satellites. Iran’s missile program has prompted worries among Western analysts that it is working on a weapons delivery system with broad regional consequences. In December, Iran said it test-fired an improved version of its most advanced missile, the Sejil-2, capable of reaching Israel and parts of Europe." This, along with perhaps finally agreeing to have its nuclear fuel sent out and enriched in Russia, is in response to the defensive ring of missiles the US is setting up around Iran, including seismographs to detect underground nuclear testing. We are also selling a lot of new weapons technologies to the Gulf states, and the UAE will be buying a nuclear reactor from South Korea.


The ugly, ugly part is Iran's Judicial Department announcing that it would execute another 9-11 people that took place in the Ashura demonstrations. This is to counter the call for demonstrations in a few days during the celebration of the Islamic Revolution, and is meant to intimidate. If the opposition leaders back down, then these people won't be hanged, or at least that's what they are secretly being told. The right wing crazies in the government will kill them anyway, more blood on  their souls. One kid was throwing rocks during the protest, and has been sentenced for warring with God. Evidently that argument can be used for anything, I guess I'm guilty for warring with God the last time I was drunk and had to pee in an alleyway...

The Islamic Revolution is that imams and ayatollahs can take part directly in ruling a country instead of being on the sidelines and advising. They certainly have made a mess of their country, giving it away to the Revolutionary Guard to become the dictatorship it is today. Which is so sad because Iran has such a wealth of culture and some of the best musicians in all of the Middle East. OK, they are probably all living in Los Angeles now, which is often called Little Tehran...

Sarah Palin may be the only conservative who can stand up to Rush Limbaugh. She had blasted Rahm Emmanuel for his cursing in public and called for his resignation, even though it's no secret and Rahm is infamous for it. From the Plumline: "In the wake of Palin’s demand that Rahm Emanuel be fired for saying the liberal activist strategy on health care was “f–king retarded,” a bunch of people have been asking how she’d react to Limbaugh’s tirade on the air yesterday.


“Our political correct society is acting like some giant insult’s taken place by calling a bunch of people who are retards, retards,” Rush said, adding that Rahm’s meeting yesterday with advocates for the mentally handicapped was a “retard summit at the White House.”


I asked Palin spokesperson Meghan Stapleton for comment on Rush’s rant, and she emailed me this:


“Governor Palin believes crude and demeaning name calling at the expense of others is disrespectful.” 

It's rather polite, hoping not to piss him off, but its a start... I wonder if he'll retaliate and call her a Feminazi...?

John Stewart on the Bill O'Reilly Show:

"Fox has taken "reasonable concerns about this president and this economy, and turned it into a full-fledged panic attack about the next coming of Chairman Mao."