Unless, the US plays down it's skeptical on Iran and focus more at stabilizing its economy and their credit woes, countries may have time to plan contigencies, if, the after effect is not getting any better.
'World War' if Iran has nuclear weapons: Bush
Todayonline, 19 COtober 2007, Friday
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/217472.asp
WASHINGTON — President George W Bush yesterday warned that Iran must be barred from nuclear weapons to avoid the prospect of "World War III".
He intervened hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin made a new proposal to end the nuclear crisis as he met Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for landmark talks in Tehran, Iranian officials said, giving no further details on the proposal.
Mr Bush upped United States rhetoric at a White House news conference, warning that the world must do more to isolate the Islamic republic.
"We've got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel," Mr Bush said.
"So I've told people that, if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon."
Iran yesterday shrugged off Mr Bush's remarks.
"These declarations show the anger of the United States against the success of Iran on the international stage," said Mr Abdol Reza Rahmani Fazli, the deputy head of Iran's supreme national security council.
"The statements by the American president, who claims that Iran is seeking to make an atomic bomb, are part of a psychological war."
Iran insists it only wants to generate electricity using nuclear power, and has refused to budge on its right to the full nuclear fuel cycle. — AFP
Oil prices hit record high $90.07
AFP - Saturday, October 20
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20071019/tts-commodities-energy-oil-price-c1b2fc3.html?printer=1
LONDON (AFP) - - Oil prices soared to another record high above 90 dollars per barrel amid global supply jitters and tensions between Turkey and crude producer Iraq, dealers said Friday.
New York's main futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in November, touched 90.07 dollars per barrel in early afternoon deals. That beat the previous high of 90.02 dollars set late on Thursday.
London's Brent North Sea crude for December delivery was flat at 84.60 dollars after hitting a record 84.88 dollars on Thursday.
"Persistent geopolitical fears provide good support to oil prices," said analyst Andrey Kryuchenkov at the Sucden brokerage in London.
This week, crude prices have blazed a record-breaking trail as Turkey has moved closer towards a military incursion into northern Iraq -- where many of the troubled country's largest oil fields are based.
Iraq's Kurds vowed on Friday to fight off any attack on their region as pressure mounted in Baghdad and Washington for action against Kurdish rebels to stave off a potential Turkish incursion.
The market was also fretting over the falling US dollar. A weak greenback makes commodities priced in the US unit cheaper for buyers using stronger currencies and therefore boosts crude demand, analysts say.
In Friday morning trade, the European single currency hit a fresh record high at 1.4319 dollars.
Prices were "still underpinned by a weakening dollar and tight fuel supplies ahead of the winter heating season," added Kryuchenkov.
Demand for heating fuel hits a peak during the northern hemisphere winter and supplies are widely expected to tighten.
Turkey has said it will pursue diplomacy to defuse the crisis over Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq while Baghdad has tried to dissuade its northern neighbour from possible military action.
The Turkish parliament Wednesday approved a motion authorising military strikes against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is accused of using bases in northern Iraq for attacks on targets across the border in Turkey.
Tetsu Emori, a fund manager at Astmax in Tokyo, said a portion of Iraqi crude from its northern oilfields is exported from Turkey because it is easier to do so.
"This is why traders are looking closely at the situation along the border, Emori said.
"There are some Iraqi exports waiting to be transported but that could not (be) because of the tension. That's the main factor."
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Amerika dan Iran
15 Oct 07
Seorang rakan menanyakan samada saya menjangka Amerika akan menyerang Iran. Saya lantas menjawab berdasarkan pertimbangan akal secara rasional bahawa ini agak mustahil. Namun saya menempelak bahawa pertimbangan rasional bukan menjadi pertimbangan Amerika khususnya pentadbiran Presiden Bush. Perhatikan saja dasar Amerika di Palestin, serangan Amerika ke atas Afghanistan dan Iraq.
Jadi apa kesannya nanti? Saya menyampuk, Amerika akan mengalami kesengsaraan maha perit dan umat Islam dunia dan saya yakin masyarakat manusia umumnya akan secara keras menempelak keganasan Amerika. Timur tengah akan mengalami bencana besar!
Kita mendoakan agar malapetaka seperti itu dapat dielak dan keangkuhan kuasa Amerika dibantah!
ANWAR IBRAHIM
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My comments on his blog on 18 Oct 2007.
Jika berlaku peperangan diantara Amerika dan Iran, saya rasa ia tidak semudah menumbangkan kerajaan Sadaam sewaktu peperang di Iraq. Jika dikaji dari segi sejarah, Amerika sememangnya tahu kelemahan dan kekuatan Iraq, kerana Amerika sejak dari dahulu lagi yang membantu Iraq ketika peperangan diantara Iran-Iraq pada tahun-tahun 80an. Berlainan pula dgn Iran, dimana Russia (bekas Soviet Union) yg lebih membantu Iran ketika itu.
Ianya lebih merumitkan, jika taktik peperangan yg sama digunakan Amerika utk menentang Iran. Dengan tiada sokongon dari Russia dan beberapa kelompok negara Timur Tengah, laluan Amerika tidak semudah dan akan menerima lebih banyak padah dari yg sekarang. Malahan, dunia kini lebih sedar akan kegagalan Amerika dan sekutu-sekutunya di Iraq dan akan lebih berwaspada utk menyokong kekerasan keatas Iran.
Buat masa ini, Amerika hanya dapat memomok-momokkan dan menakut-nakutkan dunia (to instill fear) akan kewujudan Iran dan bahayanya jika ia dibiarkan menjadi kuasa nuklear di Timur Tengah, selepas Israel.
mohdzuraini
