White House refuses to rule out military option on Iran

SDHD: "I bet you never heard about them signing the NPT, benefiting from it, and breaching it, have you?" OK, SDHD, what I need from you is: a) to point to an action by Iran b) then point to an article in the NPT that says a signatory can not do *this* or *that* c) then explain to me how that action of Iran in (a) stands in direct violation of the article pinpointed by you in (b). Shouting "they are making nuuuuuuuukes!" isn't good enough; that is an ACCUSATION, not an ACTION. Shouting that "the UNSC has passed a resolution!" isn't good enough; UNSC resolutions are not part of the body of text that is called the NPT. Show me an ACTION by Iran, and then show me the PROHIBITION on that action that is to be found within the NPT itself. Take your time: I'll wait. But I suspect I'll be waiting a verrrrry long time.

Iran,as a signatory of the NPT has the right to develop nuclear technology for civilian purposes including enriching it's own uranium. I can understand their wish to be able to supply fuel for their reactors from their own enrichment facilities given the tendancy of the US to constantly want more sanctions on Iran. If all the enriched uranium is supplied to Iran from other countries future sanctions could cut off their supplies.

This noxious comparison begins to nauseate. When muslim extremists invade the jew State, occupy the jew State, kill jew civilians whenever the urge exists, but always for a "just" cause, then comparisons can be made. Until then stfu.

"Together, these facts make it clear that Israels enemies need the best deterrent possible." - Natalie To deter Israel one need only be capable of forcing it to take more than three or four weeks to force you to stop fighting. The strategic weakness which forced Israel into war in 1967 remains it's strategic weakness today. And why it is careful not to engage in wars with anyone stronger than Lebanon. It is the strategic weakness that has forced Israel into trying to manipulate the Iranian crisis so that the USA will be drawn in. Israel is a small nation which cannot afford a major war unless that war is forced upon it. Even then it could not really afford either the Six Day or Yom Kippur wars. It HAD to afford them. Israel is no existential threat to Iran Natalie. Which is probably why Iran has not already developed nuclear weapons.

"Three facts dictate Irans actions: (1) Israel is currently expanding outside their borders, and has been for decades. (2) Israel has a fondness for using controversial weapons, such as land mines, cluster bombs, and white phosphorus. (3) Since 2006, Israel has killed more civilians than any other nation, including America." - Natailie 1. Actually Israel retreated from it's half-baked occupation of Southern Lebanon a decade ago. 2. Land mines, and white phosphorous and cluster munitions are all common weapons. Land mines were invented in ancient China and reinvented in Spain in the 16th century. The modern device was introduced in the 17th century. Cluster bombs were introduced with the German SD-2 'Butterfly Bomb' in WW II. These weapons are controversial largely on the left. They are ALL restricted in their use by decent nations. Your last assertion must be addressed seperately.

"Nobody wants nuclear proliferation, BUT..." - Natalie Durson That is not true. The French have helped one nation, the Russians one, and the US several acquire nuclear weapons. China even helped the US help Pakistan. So far Britain has not helped anyone go nuke. . . "When your enemy has nuclear weapons you better get some of your own." - Natalie Perhaps. Why has no other nation in the mideast developed nuclear weapons because Israel is assumed to have them? Would that be because the Israeli 'bomb' is a deterrent only? That so long as no nation tries to exterminate Israel there is no threat to any nation? Your other assertions will have to wait another post.

Do you understand royal vows. Most of these people have one obligation to keep the people of their nations safe.Will they please send their jews instead of killing them and their families to Isreal.I know they get on their nerves.We have an open election with Israel and with parliment elections every two years again in place Israel will be ... Saudi Arabia had a House of Congress.When I was little girl I got to sit in Irans Congress and Senate in scarf with my greats and grands. Women sat at the top and looked down even with Royal family. England has parliment same thing you sit at the side now and listen and send your page in with a response or question. If you are unhappy work your way to district rep and then parliment.In Israel it isnt like USA money doesnt put you there. It is the belief of the people in you. Not campaign funds. Not financial influence. Rankoo-Karoon

When are we to clean up the nuclear mess the world has made that you revealed. No longer do we need a religious preference to make nuclear or a dominate power. We have put nuclear waste coils in Siberia ice a fresh water source. We have put nuclear waste on our land areas where we need to grow food. Have we put chemicals also in our food zones so they grow with pollution in them. Tell me what do you do with four armed babies who some think the Gods sent but a nuclear buried core leaked. Some other idiot in USA put cores in earthquake zones. Some bury them in the oceans and the whales develop scabs. Iran already had the nuclear and the weapons. Get for real if they arent going to drop it now then they havent. They want peace too. What is your problem. In Israel it is the hope to them that there is no radiation for food source for them in drought. They are not stupid and arent going to start global nuclear war where everyone is left with burns and death. Rankoo-Karoon

This latest statement by the White House is the first evidence that it is not always possible to fool the President of the USA. His people and Congress recognize that the Iranian crisis has been allowed to go on too long and do serious damage to the world and US economy. It is time for Mr Obama to show that "yes he can" END the Iranian nuclear threat. Free Iran Now! The people demand bread not nukes. The blood of the martyrs will not be forgotten.

You cant turn against your God. Will the real God have mercy on those who are worshipping idols? Soon Russia, the U.S. and many other countries around the world including Iran will have to take a stand for the God they beleive in.

"It said the plan for Iran to swap enriched uranium for nuclear medicine fuel had legal assurances it would be fulfilled, contrary to Iran's assertions" Gosh! And, of course, those three nations ALSO signed the UN Charter, which (of course) gives a legal assurance against "the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state" Queue the Gibbster: "I wouldn't rule out anything." Well, I guess that tells us how useful "legal assurances" are......

Ganbriella Shalev: "For us it's an existential threat." Luvvie, what the heck isn't? Hezbollah have weapons? Existential threat! Hamas have bottle rockets? Existential threat! Palestinian kiddies throw stones? Existential threat! It's raining outside? Exiiiiiistential threeeeeeeat!

I guess we will just type up a requisition for a couple dozen new brigades and run them off in the reproducing medium. Threats from the United States of Over Extended right now ring very hollow and even pathetic. The US of A will not be capable of another war of choice until it has extricated itself from the wars Bush chose to start.

"There is a nuclear arms race in the middle east" Yeh that's because they don't have a leg to stand on.

Aha! An expert on Paranoia Gevorn. But Doctor Shmokter Paranoia is irrational fear. what's irrational about being scared by a country that holds World Holocaust Cartoon Competitions while simultaneously demanding that anyone printing an image of Mohammed be executed? Wouldn't you say that was irrational...Doctor. How about hanging kids from cranes? No that's just nasty, or repressing Women? Nice . Most recently another drone about destroying Israel. What about arming Hezbollah and Hamas to the teeth? No? Well how about murdering your opposition? C'mon Doc What's up?

"Why discriminate against Persia?" I bet you never heard about them signing the NPT, benefiting from it, and breaching it, have you? Do you enjoy sticking your fingers in your ears and yelling at the tops of your lungs so you can pretend to ignore the facts?

Israel has killed far more civilians than Hizbollah, Hamas, Syria, and Iran put together. Just adding these figures up over the last four years, and it isn't even close. Israel is currently expanding outside its borders and has been for years. Israel has a love of exotic weapons and has not been shy about using them. Achieving a balance of power is what stops wars, not start them. Israel desperately needs to be taught some manners. A nuclear armed Iran can do this, just by existing.

These people don't understand reality! They uinderstand propoganda and hate speech. This also makes it impossib;e for free, democratic natios like israel and the US to fight terror.

Please, please show us the data which suggest that Israel has killed all these people you speak of! Its funny that we never hear your foul mouth when Palestinians kill each other or when Islamic terror kills hundreds of people around the world...pathetic really! Are you sure you weren't dancing in the streets after 9/11?

I said that, since 2006, Israel has killed more civilians than any other nation. I stand by that fact. If there are people killed by African militia groups or any other private wars, I can not be aware of those numbers. Probably nobody can. Israel killed about 1000 civilians in Lebanon during the 2006 war and nearly that in the Gaza op. Americas numbers in Afghanistan and Iraq do not even come close to that total since 2006.

Natalie-too bad at one time you spoke with some sense of balance. Israel has killed more civilians-have you actually counted Civilian dead in Iraq, Pakistan, various countries on the African Continent. There are more Muslim civilians killed on a weekly basis by Islamic extremists where the intention is to attack civilians: Colleges (see pakistan), restaurants 7 Hotels (see india), villages (see pakistan & afganistan & iraq) democratic opposition (see Iran) and Arab militia against women & children (see Sudan, somalia, congo etc). Does that ever concern you?

Of course they want factual aasurances, ie swap at Kish island. An legal assurance is worthless if for some other reason an new sanction is issued. Any sanction obligate not to fulfil the contract nor the included legal assurances. They have to fear such new sanctions for they know how eager the West is to stop any enrichment and not only the enrichment to 19,75% as in the brokered swapdeal.

Ehud, I could not agree with you more! Thanks for explaining to the others that don't get it. Good day!

The nuclear arms race was started by America, France, and Israel, when the two nuclear powers assisted Israel in developing a secret nuclear weapons capability. Having started this arms race, Israel and America lead the charge to maintain Israels nuclear monopoly. Just after world war two, when America had the only nuclear weapons in the world, some wanted to nuke Russia before they developed the bomb. Harry Truman resisted this terrible idea, just as Obama will resist it regarding an attack on Iran. Science and technology will march on, even in the Islamic nations, in spite of Israeli wailing. It seems that Israel may need a new plan to deal with their neighbors in the region.

When your enemy has nuclear weapons you better get some of your own. Three facts dictate Irans actions: (1) Israel is currently expanding outside their borders, and has been for decades. (2) Israel has a fondness for using controversial weapons, such as land mines, cluster bombs, and white phosphorus. (3) Since 2006, Israel has killed more civilians than any other nation, including America. Together, these facts make it clear that Israels enemies need the best deterrent possible.

None of the countries you mentioned declares it has a "Christian" government, not the US, not France, not the UK (neither does Israel declare it has a "Jewish-religious" government). None of the states you mentioned has ever declared its intention to wipe another off the map. Iran declares it is an Islamic Republic, hangs dissdents, women, and gays by the lampposts, funds international terrorism ("international" in reality means Muslim, sorry), and has declared to wipe a member state of the UN off the map. There is no Muslim country (except Turkey) which is free (you know, human rights, women's rights, gay rights, rights to vote, free speech, free talkbacks, this kind of stuff), and countries that are dictatorships, indulge in conspiracy theories, and dream of past glory and world domination rather than improving the miserable lives of their citiziens shouldn't have access to nuclear bombs.

From Egypt to Saudi Arabia - they are ALL being run by dictators that use the military to suppress the people - who is she kidding? Iran is the only country in that muslim region that actually HAS ELECTIONS - have you EVER seen the kind of protests that Iran has had in ANY arab country?

"if Iran managed to develop nuclear weapons, the rest of the Muslim world would follow suit." Nutanyahu Kazakhstan and Pakistan have thousands of nukes. These are Muslim nations. No Problema. Jews have nukes. No Problema. Why discriminate against Persia? They aren't building nukes although they are mastering nuclear technology. No Problema. They don't need permission from paranoids. Salaam/Shalom

Hey israel tells about all those weapons you been sending to Georgia...

"Netanyahu told his Greek counterpart in an impromptu meeting in Moscow on Monday evening that if Iran managed to develop nuclear weapons, the rest of the Muslim world would follow suit." Let's see, we now have a super nuclear Christian world, a mostly athiest nuclear world made-up of China, Russia and N. Korea, a Hindu Nuclear world made-up of India, a Jewish nuclear world made up of Israel, and a a single Muslim nuclear country - Pakistan. So, if religion is the criteria, then all religions have nuclear powers! But 1 out of 57 seven Muslim countries is not such a high rate and the laws of equilibrium say that there's a shortage of nuclear powers in the Muslim world, don't you think?

With such statements "if Iran managed to develop nuclear weapons, the rest of the Muslim world would follow suit. ", Israeli leaders such as Bibi directly or indirectly foster tension with their Arab neighborhood. Bibi's statement has a lot of assumptions which has nothing to do except fostering tension in the region and to lead for a military race. He assumes the Arabs still thinking of destroying Israel, I advice Israeli researchers to investigate because Arabs only feel this when they see high-tech weapons directed to the chests of Palestinians and generally making their lives more difficult. Israel has started a multi-aspectual war against Palestinians since tens of years. And its really ridiculous how Israelis complain about Arabs while they're actually creating this tension through their policies against Palestinians. Everyone will seek a Nuclear power, Hizboallah may have such weapons in the future, as long as Israel poses them!. Then Israelis have destroyed themselves!

A statement like that seems stupid to me. Anyway Pakistan is already nuclear, why mention Iran as an example?

Mr.Netenyahu, do you think you are so clever to provoke enemity between Greece and Turkey??? Is Israel, or in fact lets say "you" specially, more trustable than Turkey!!!??? Mr.Papandreu is not stupid what is hidden behind of your words... You may not achiave your goal to provoke new conflicts between our naighbours... Turkey dosent have problem with Israel but wity you and someone like you....

Or, imagine the world bombed hour after hour with thousands of suicide nukers.

As has always be. It is killing innocents in Afghanistan and it will block Goldstone report at the SC, because sooner or later it will fall into America's head as well. America will not and must not open the Middle East to Iran regional's power intentions. The realities mentioned by Iran are persian dreams . Israel is still dominant, the U States should return backing without conditions its garrison state, The Arab Gulf countries understand that the enemy is Iran and not Israel. The outcome should be a massive attack against Iran nuclear facilities. Iran is not match if the west is determined to dismantle the regime that it in the verge of collapse anyway

Does the Secretary fear that Iran could fully descend into what, a Saudi Arabian-style totalitarianism? Or is it a UAE-type or Omani totalitarianism that she fears will destroy what vestiges of pluralism that survived the eight - year, Gulf-funded and U.S.-supported invasion of war against Iran in the 1980s by then then ally Saddam Hussein?