tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708970.post3514390811073988498..comments2024-01-25T12:33:03.851+10:30Comments on Telling the History of the Twenty-First Century as it Really Is: ‘FINAL CONFRONTATION’ NEWS.Damian Lataanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06886295381135372084noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708970.post-80521625519816890192007-10-10T00:12:00.000+09:302007-10-10T00:12:00.000+09:30The second and more specific argument being used b...The second and more specific argument being used by the "Iran IED" meme marketing machine centres on claims about manufacturing marks. <BR/><BR/>Some of the bombs and fragments the US Army put on display at their Baghdad briefing back in February were said to have Iranian factory markings. That's remained in focus for the "Iran IED" meme relay teams. The fact that the senior US defence analyst presenting the "evidence" also said that there was no "smoking gun" linking Tehran and Iraqi militants has (it would seem most appropriate to say) just about vanished from the page of time. Those marketing the "Iran IED" meme never mention it, that's for sure.<BR/><BR/>I said (on Webdiary) at the time that I wondered whether the fragments marked "Made in Iran" would turn up in a UNSC briefing similar to the one Colin Powell had to make for his masters, intent on proving the existence of non-existant WMD in Iraq to provide the <I>casus belli</I> they must've felt they needed that time. So far we haven't seen the "evidence" mounted on a board with red circles around the "unmistakable" markings revealing the true identity of the bomb-makers. The photos obviously were not "clear" enough or something, so US officials couldn't just leave in the hands of journalists who'd publish them for the whole world to be able to scrutinize (these things need 'expert explanation', you see ... can't leave it to mere citizens of free nations to make up their own minds about things, you know.)<BR/><BR/>Now all this talk of bomb manufacturers markings reminds me of the story of those women and children killed southern Lebanon in 1996 by a Lockheed-made Hellfire 1 missile that an IDF pilot used to target and take out what he must of thought was a "heavy armour military vehicle" rather than the Red-Crescent marked ambulance it really was ... but that's a story to share again another time -- perhaps best for when the hypocrisy of the pro-war lot needs highlighting again.<BR/><BR/>There have been other mentions these mysterious "Made in Iran" markings by US officials, but noticably not by the officials of any other nations ... well that was true until Dr. Nelson took it upon itself to make everything he's read of Mark Steyn's seem that much more true (at least to those who seem capable of glossing over Steyn's stomach for genocide of all Muslims in Europe)!<BR/><BR/>What's the bet that our new "top-tier military ally status" means Howard, Downer, Nelson and other insiders don't get to see the material with the "Made in Iran" markings, but do get to read all about them and be briefed by people who'll mouth to them dumbly drawing attention to what they've read in the reports and nothing more.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7708970.post-24308161586659755622007-10-09T23:20:00.000+09:302007-10-09T23:20:00.000+09:30Hello Damian,It seems the preferred local (Austral...Hello Damian,<BR/><BR/>It seems the preferred local (Australian) variant of the demonisation meme for this week is the "Iran IED" strain from the "Tehran Terrorist HQ" family. <BR/><BR/>It fits well within the "War on Terror as code for Clash of Civilisations" memeplex.<BR/><BR/>There are two ways in which the US has attempted to link Iran to weapons in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. <BR/><BR/>The first is a general argument, which centres on a a type of IED dubbed the ‘explosively formed projectile’ (EFP). It's basically a tube of explosives with a concave lid of metal capping one end. EFPs fire and the force re-shapes the lid into a high-speed, super-hot projectile. That's what pierces heavy armour. <BR/><BR/>The <I>New York Times</I> published an article by Michael E. Gordon back in February this year that include this claim: <BR/><BR/>"The manufacture of the key metal components required sophisticated machinery, raw material and expertise that American intelligence agencies do not believe can be found in Iraq."<BR/><BR/>So, it's on the weak and circumstantial basis that Iran's seen to be more able to manufacture with "sophisticated machinery" than Iraq that some part of the so-called evidence promoted by pro-war propagandists must rest. Nothing reliable; just speculation that because Iran is a "rogue" (but not yet a "ruined" nation it must be the bad guy making all the bombs killing our boys. I reckon most punters wouldn't realise that's how weak the "evidence" is.<BR/><BR/>It was back in June 2006 that the UK's <I>Daily Telegraph</I> first revealed the use of EFPs in Iraq. That report included the "news" that: <BR/><BR/>"This newspaper understands that Government scientists have established that the mines are precision-made weapons which have been turned on a lathe by craftsmen trained in the manufacture of munitions." <BR/><BR/>Then down the track we're to believe that Iran is obviously the only nation anywhere near the region with lathes, and craftsmen capable of turning out munitions! <BR/><BR/>What about the other key ingredients of what's looking like cooked up "Intel" on Iran? Is Iran the only place where one can find the "raw material"? No-where else in the mideast or the broader region does anyone make metal tubes? No-one else has any stock of explosive compounds?<BR/><BR/>Well according to the NYT article by Michael E. Gordon you can't find those things in Iraq. No lathes; no craftsmen; no munitions manufacturing capabilities; no metal tubes, no explosives (except the IEDs; including EFPs, which must all be made elsewhere). <BR/><BR/>Australians this week will be served up this same bullshit by our local pollies using the MSM. And sadly it'll be swallowed by so many.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com