Iran’s space programme
February 4th, 2009 at 10:03 am by David FarrarThe Herald reports on Iran’s space programme.
Hmmn, so Iran is developing a space programme and a nuclear programme. No, nothing to worry about here – just move on.
45 Responses to “Iran’s space programme”
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February 4th, 2009 at 10:12 am
The US will invade Iran at some stage. The Iranian govt policy is to destroy another country so how can they be allowed to develop weapons technology?
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 10:17 am
A Space programme…no doubt to be launched from underground silos as well!
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Fantastic! They sound like real progress oriented go-getters. NZ could take a leaf from their book. Now, Iran… Iran… hmmm… that’s the state wedged between Oregon and Montana isn’t it?
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Islam in Space!
Shia style.
Just fantastic.
Best thing to happen since Pigs in Space!
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 10:23 am
“The US will invade Iran at some stage.”
Not with a Hamas supporter in the White House.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 10:24 am
They are practically daring Obama to respond. I think he will – the consequences of signalling weakness early in his presidency are serious. Giving Iran and North Korea license to play up is dangerous.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 10:29 am
“the consequences of signalling weakness early in his presidency are serious.”
He’s already done plenty of such signalling, including not objecting to Russia’s warships into Cuba. Obama, with his entrenched leftist mindset, is the most dangerous of them all. He’s already cut the defence budget by 10% and diverted military spending into ineffective areas. The blundering bat eared fool is about to make Jimmy Carter look brilliant.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 10:31 am
I wonder if a space program is the kind of ‘unclenched fist’ that BHO was looking for?
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 10:31 am
The US will invade Iran at some stage
Easy to say wreck1080 but where will the US mass their forces.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 10:36 am
The start of the Gee, we’re no longer scared of America now Bush has gone era.
Can the planet last four years?
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Biden said pre -election that Obama would be tested by their enemies sooner rather than later.
Looks like he was right.
Prophetic or pre-arranged?
Regardless, this can’t be ignored. Iran, or rather, the Iranian Government,have a stated objective to see Israel removed from the face of the earth, along with the great satan (USA).
Can either country really sit back and take the risk that Iran just wants to launch it’s own communication satellites to go along with it’s own nuclear energy programme? Sadly, I don’t think so.
I’m all for self determination and Iran SHOULD be allowed to go about it’s business but sadly they have spoiled that possibility for themselves by their leaders declarations.
This news will strengthen the will of Israeli people and increase the chance of Netanyahu being elected. That would give the region a hard liner incharge in Israel and a nutjob (technical term) incharge in Iran.
2009 is going to be an interesting year.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Can someone remind me just how many countries has Iran invaded again?
[DPF: I'm more interested in how many terrorists they have funded and supported]
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Insider, you could try Lebanon, Iraq and the USA for a start. When they took the US hostages in their embassy, Iran invaded the USA.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Play in your own sandbox.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 10:59 am
“Can someone remind me just how many countries has Iran invaded again?”
Dozens. The Persian empire used to be enormous. They had their time in history as conquerors. Who is to say they won’t again? It looks like they are trying.
NOT counting the world wars of the 20th century, I would say Persia/Iran invaded many more countries than the USA has in it’s short history, but maybe not as many as the UK.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Well said, CraigM. If you want to object to “Imperialism”, you could take a hard look at Islamic imperialism; that is one religion that spread through conquest and coercion, not through evangelism; and it still does exist through coercion. Just try handing out copies of the Bible, or the Rig Veda, or Voltaire, on the street corner anywhere from Morocco to Indonesia, and see just how much “tolerance” gets extended to you.
THAT is the main reason why these people should NOT under any circumstances, get nukes or ballistic missiles.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Why can’t they have a space program? Space doesn’t belong to the US.
Quite a different issue to the nuclear weapons one.
As for the “how many countries invaded?” quesiton what a lot of specious nonsense. Iran the country as it currently exists hasn’t invaded anyone; they fought of Iraq when that country attacked it; they support terrorist organisations in the Middle East but neither of these is invasions.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Adolf
Lebanon? Perhaps you could provide evidence. By your definitions, the US invaded Jordan/Egypt/syria, and it invaded Iran when it shot down an airliner in Iranian airspace. My history books say Iraq invaded Iran.
Craig
Persia is not Iran. I’d be more scared of the Greeks and Italians using your ‘logic’.
DPF
The west’s hands are not exactly clean when it comes to funding terrorist groups so lets not use that as a justification.
Phil
The crusades ring a bell?
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 11:11 am
insider (503) Vote: 2 3 Says:
February 4th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Can someone remind me just how many countries has Iran invaded again?
[DPF: I'm more interested in how many terrorists they have funded and supported]
I’m far more intersted in how many terrorists have been, and still are being, funded and supported by Saudi Arabia. Where did the 9/11 crew come from again?
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 11:13 am
I would say Persia/Iran invaded many more countries than the USA has in it’s short history
Here’s a wee list for you CraigM.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Since when did the no of countries invaded = how good a country is anyway?
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 11:14 am
the US will just give permission and Israel will wipe out their nuke facilities.. there will be the usual leftist backlash in the US.. Obama will distance himself publicly.. job done.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 11:14 am
The latest column from “Spengler” at Asia Times Online, is called “Who Are The Extraordinary Muslims”?
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/KB03Ak03.html
“”My job is to communicate to the American people that the Muslim world is filled with extraordinary people who simply want to live their lives and see their children live better lives,” United States President Barack Obama told an Arabic television channel on January 26. Really? What are their names? Word has come to the West of no extraordinary Muslim thinker since the 12th century…..
“……it is the extraordinary citizens of a nation who set a mark for the aspirations of ordinary people. Cultures that can’t produce extraordinary individuals can’t survive. That bears on the other half of the president’s assertion. It is true that most Muslims simply want a better life, and the two or three million American Muslims mostly are well-educated economic immigrants who value prosperity over tradition…..
“……an “extraordinary person” is what an ambitious mother will tell her feckless children, “Work hard and you might grow up to be like him (or her).” Successful cultures produce people whose contributions resonate through the world – scientists, poets, musicians, entrepreneurs, or philosophers. Just one great individual can transform a nation, by setting an example for ambitious youth. Thanks to the composer Jan Sibelius, Finland with just 5 million people became a force in the world of classical music. But woe unto cultures whence comes no contribution to the rest of humanity. Where are the Muslim scientists, novelists, entrepreneurs, athletes and musicians?
Apart from political leaders, a reasonably diligent reader of a quality newspaper in the West will not be able to name a single Muslim distinguished in any field of human endeavor. Excluding the politically awarded Peace Prize, Muslims have won only three Nobel prizes since their inception more than a century ago, or one for every 450 million Muslims alive today. By contrast, there have been 169 Jewish Nobel Laureates (excluding the Peace Prize), or about one for every 89,000 Jews alive today. During the past century, a Jew was 5,000 times more likely to win the Nobel than a Muslim….
“……The trouble with a religion that permits no doubt – unlike Christianity, of which Pope Benedict XVI said that “doubt is the handmaiden of faith” – is that it becomes an all-or-nothing proposition. Either Islam regulates the totality of life and thought, such that questioning may intrude within its magic circle, or it becomes nothing. Islam is inseparable from the traditional life of subject peoples; it cannot find roots in the thin soil of modernity……”
DO READ THE WHOLE THING……..
Spengler sums up the reason why I doubt that a nation like Iran can produce its own nukes or space rockets without assistance from other “rogue” states……..it should be all the more possible to stop it happening on account of that.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Cha – the “list” you link was utter bullshit. The US has invaded and attacked many countries but that list was crap.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 11:32 am
“WHere are the Muslim scientists, novelists, entrepreneurs, athletes and musicians?”
Modern Islam has undeniably many issues balancing religion and modernity. I don’t know the answer. But because you are ignorant of Islamic music, art, history and sport, and it doesn’t fit into your world view, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
But these ‘which one is worth more’ comparisons are ultimately very dangerous – we don’t have to look too far back in history to see where such comparisons can lead. What if it were done to Maori? To New Zealanders in general? I’m not sure we would be that confident of surviving that ‘test’.
We should not forget our culture stands on the shoulders of those who went before, and only a fleeting glance at history would quickly reveal that one of those shoulders is muscled by the significant cultural and scientific contribution of Islamic scholars to western thought.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 11:32 am
“Persia is not Iran. I’d be more scared of the Greeks and Italians using your ‘logic’.
I was merely pointing out that time is a great leveler and karma is a bitch. Ask Mongolians. And if you are scared of Greece and Italy as military forces, I think I can put your mind at ease.
Besides I can’t see Italy or Greece nuking anyone anytime soon, can you? Can you say the same about Iran given the leadership? Thought not.
As for Iran not being Persia…..ask an Iranian, better still try refering to one as an Arab instead of a Persian. Good luck with that.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 11:37 am
I reckon Dime is on the money but like all good pissing matches the Israelis better be careful because if the wrong wind blows they could well get their own shoes wet.
KiwiGreg (90), of course it’s propaganda!, but it’s only a list, FFS.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 11:42 am
NZ needs to get off it’s anti-nuclear high stool and recognise who our friends are.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Craig
Your comment was that they’d done it once so they could do it again, despite no sign of such intent. My comparison just showed how absurd and ultimately hollow your comments were.
Both Italy and Greece have far more capability of producing and projecting a nuclear weapon than Iran. That they don’t feel the need is a good thing. If I were scared of an islamic country, I would have far more fear of Pakistan, which actually has a bomb, has missiles, is a source of significant levels of terrorism, and is a corrupt basket case of a country with wars and threats internally and externally. Yet that country seems strangely immune from the invasion wet dreams of many.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 11:58 am
I’ve congratulated Iran on my blog. I think it’s great. It would be disgusting if the USA invaded Iran, given they have already once toppled democracy in favour of dictatorship in that country in 1953. The way forward is engagement. The persians are an ancient and civilised people, and most of all they are a democracy. They represent exactly what George Bush was trying to establish in Iraq.
And sure they have funded terrorists. That’s bad. Gee, the US has never funded violence and oppression, has it ???
Take the blinkers off your eyes – engage with Iran, don’t threaten them. You can see my reasoning at vibenna.wordpress.com, if you want to.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
no thanks
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
dime would much prefer to remain blinkered.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Reminds me of ‘Mouse on the Moon’ – sequal to ‘Mouse that Roared.’
They wanted a new drainage system and thought the best way to finance it was to ask the Yanks for $0.5M. The Yanks gave them 1M suspecting it was in fact for a drainage system (‘Half a million would not even buy a second hand space suit’). The Russians gave them a used rocket and the local boffin did get to the Moon in it, beating the Yanks and Russians.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Insider: “Your comment was that they’d done it once so they could do it again, despite no sign of such intent”
I’m not sure I can take you seriously after that comment. No intent? I disagree totally.
“Both Italy and Greece have far more capability of producing and projecting a nuclear weapon than Iran. That they don’t feel the need is a good thing.’
So what you are saying is that someone who can but won’t is more dangerous than someone who can’t yet, but wants to? I disagree again.
“..would have far more fear of Pakistan”
On that we agree. Purely based on the grounds that the government is incredibly unstable and the nukes could fall into anyones hands. If the trigger is ever pulled by a Pakistani govt. I suggest it would be aimed at India tho.
The Iranian govt knows that MAD will occur should it ever obtain and use a nuke. Same as India and Pakistan, North Korea & anyone else. The issue is that the Iranian Govt have STATED for the record that they want Israel gone, even if it means the end of Iran. You don’t find that scary?
Vibenna: I think Iran is a great country also. I love it there. I have many friends there and always enjoyed my visits. The People are wonderful, friendly souls in the main. I don’t trust the Government and especially the loon in charge. Neither does anyone I have ever met and spoken to in Iran.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Shit a brick, so the towel heads are joining the space race. I would pay good money to see the bottle they put the stick into.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
If the United States were to invade Iran at some point (which it won’t) I am sure it will be as smoothly executed as the Iraq war was.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Craig
You’re entitled to disagree re intent. I’m yet to see any proof of it. Can you provide the information you find convincing. Constant demonisation and encirclement breeds a cycle of response. Someone has to say tai ho
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
“Where did the 9/11 crew come from again?”
Actually I just saw Boeing has refused to comment on apparatus attached to the belly of it’s non commercial jet during 9/11.
It’s clearly visible on tape and a diagram of the model plane used during 9/11 shows no such aperture.
People could be heard at the scene saying it was a military plane, not a commercial craft.
I would also like to know if families came forward claiming missing relatives.
What happened to the passenger lists?
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Next thing you know Iran will be funding and supporting coups all across the world while invading country’s by a self declared right to preemptive strikes.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
vibenna
What planet have you been living on? Iran is not a democracy in the western sense of the word – it does not permit the formation of rival political parties with viewpoints opposed to the Islamic theocracy, elections are Soviet style pre-approved show votes between candidates approved of and vetted by the Ayatollahs, the press is not free like it is in Iraq, there are no trade unions, there are severe restrictions on the movement of capital, the courts are an extension of the theocracy, women are second class citizens-subservient to men as proscribed by the clerics, women who dress too western or have ‘inappropriate’ hair dos are beaten up by moral police, gays are executed and only one religion is allowed-Islam. There’s very little that’s noble in the way the Mullahs run Iran. For crying out loud last week the government arrested a soccer coach for the crime of allowing women and men to play together!
Its leader publicly denies the Holocaust and states that it is his ambition to wipe out Israel. Iran funds terrorists organisations like Hezbollah and Hamas and almost all the weapons these organisations have used in Lebanon and Gaza were provided by Iran. Last time I looked Israel was a thriving western style democracy with robust courts, a strong trade union movement, a vibrant free press, freedom of religion, many competing political parties of almost every persuasion, a secular government, equality of women, no discrimimation against gays and a thriving capitalist economy. And Hezbollah and Hamas ….are a mirror image of its client state.
Iran showed how it prefers engagement when it invaded the US Embassy and held 56 US citizens hostage for 444 days. It fobs off the IAEA and the tells the UN what it wants to hear while it develops nuclear weapons.
I agree with dime – the US even under Bush was never going to attack Iran, it will be even less likely to under Obama. Netanyahu will win the upcoming Israeli elections and will then deal to Iran’s nuclear ambitions before the year is out. The world will howl, Obama will issue a stern telling off and the western allies will tell Israel secretly – good job mate.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
If a state that routinely aggresses against other sovereign states and has a history of ignoring international law had a nuclear programme, I would not be able to sleep at night.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Insider…..
“……We should not forget our culture stands on the shoulders of those who went before, and only a fleeting glance at history would quickly reveal that one of those shoulders is muscled by the significant cultural and scientific contribution of Islamic scholars to western thought…..”
EH….?
On what planet is that statement true?
Look into it. “Arab” scholars and “Persian” scholars and “Assyrian” scholars, yes. But that is not to be confused with the total shutdown of these fertile avenues of human advancement through the advent of Islam.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
^ Lets just try to practice what we preach before we come down on Iran, i have no love for Dictators and Tyrants but the west is barely a cut above since we place many of them in power.
Vote:February 4th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Yes Banana. It would be interesting to do a poll here on how many people who have already decided on little-to-no evidence apart from propaganda, that Iran is an existential threat to one or more states (probably they have in mind, Israel – any other?), also firmly believe that AGW has not been properly debated.
Talk about pot kettle black.
Pick a side that suits your own prejudice then call yourself a political analyst.
Thick as a whale omelet.
Vote:February 5th, 2009 at 7:15 am
Banana
“the west is barely a cut above” – what absolute piffle. Read the comparison between the US and Israel (or any western democracy for that matter) and Iran again closely and tell me what I might have missed:
1. Full court systems with trial by jury/habeus corpus – presumption of innocence and state funded defence if poor and various well staffed appellate courts vs religious clerics who impose Sharia law with no presumption of innocence and no right of appeal with barbaric medieval sentences given out.
2. Women treated as full equals to men in education and employment vs women who must veil themselves, who cannot be seen in public without a husband or male relative, who have limited rights to education and who if they chose to wear western clothes or hairstyles are beaten or arrested.
3. Elections that are held frequently with many safe guards against voter fraud contested by political parties that can form freely without restriction and who can contest elections with minimal mutually agreed upon rules and whose candidates are usually selected on merit and whose governments routinely change without major crisis vs sham elections of candidates hand selected and screened by the Mullahs. There is no freedom to form political parties as happens in the west – only to conform to the will of Allah and the Ayatollahs with ‘choice’ being between a mainstream Muslim policy programme and a hard line Muslim policy programme.
4. Free press with rights of free speech from editorial comment, reporting and public dissent published – politicians accountable to press and public via media interviews vs no free press only government sanctioned lackies who tow the party line on pain of imprisonment.
5. Freedom of labour to associate and form trade unions to protect the rights of workers usually allied with legislation covering minimum wage, work hours and conditions vs imprisonment of workers rights organisers and no freedom of association.
6. Freedom of religion and separation of church and state with no forced or sanctioned state religion and freedom of worship with whatever denomination and no pressure on non-believers vs a state religion that brooks no opposition – if Muslims convert outside the faith they can be arrested and killed. A belief that all other religions and non believers are infidels worthy of jihad or contempt and dhimmitude (2nd class status).
7. Freedom for homosexuals to conduct their lifestyle as they please with legal rights of their partnerships often enshrined in various laws vs homosexuals if caught usually executed.
8. Freedom of expression in art, literature and music even if some expressions of this freedom offend others vs all forms of entertainment not approved by Allah banned on pain of punishment.
Now I’m curious as to what in these comparisons is “barely a cut above”?
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