Iran 59

Amy Goodman interviewt Seymour Hersh over de Amerikaanse militaire strategie tegen Iran: 'Seymour Hersh: Senior Pentagon Officials Challenging President Bush's Iran War PlansPulitzer prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh reports that the Defense Department has been drawing up plans, at President Bush's direction, for a major bombing campaign inside Iran. Hersh says that generals and admirals have told the Bush Administration the bombing campaign will probably not succeed in destroying Iran's nuclear program and that war planners are not even sure what to target. [includes rush transcript]
North Korea acknowledged for the first time on Thursday that it had test-fired a series of missiles and vowed to continue launching them. It also threatened to use force if the international community tired to stop it.
The UN Security Council is due to reconvene later to discuss a draft resolution in response to the launches. President Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi are pushing for sanctions against Pyongyang. We'll have more on North Korea later in the program, but first, we take a look at another member of the Bush administration's so-called "axis of evil:" Iran.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday that Iran should respond by July 15th to an international offer aimed at halting its controversial nuclear program. The package demands that Iran suspend uranium enrichment in return for economic and political incentives.
Iran says its nuclear program is entirely peaceful and is designed to meet its energy needs, but the United States says it is using it to develop nuclear weapons.
The Bush administration agreed earlier this year to engage in direct talks with Iran but the military option is still very much on the table. The Defense Department has been drawing up plans, at the President's direction, for a major bombing campaign inside Iran.
In this week's issue of the New Yorker magazine, Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh reports that senior Pentagon officials are increasingly challenging the President's plans. Hersh writes that generals and admirals have told the Administration the bombing campaign will probably not succeed in destroying Iran's nuclear program and that war planners are not even sure what to target.' Lees verder: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/07/06/1349230