First Things First

Attack On Iran Would Be Disasterous

International Atomic Energy Agency chairman Mohammed ElBaradei said on CNN Sunday there is no military solution to the problems with Iran in regards its alleged nuclear ambitions:

"I very much have concern about confrontation, building confrontation, Wolf, because that would lead absolutely to a disaster.  I see no military solution.  The only durable solution is through negotiations and inspections. …  My fear if that we continue to escalate from both sides that we would end up into a precipice, we would end up into an abyss."

Denying Vice President Cheney's claim that "Iran is pursuing technology that could be used to develop nuclear weapons" ElBaradei replied:

"I have not received any information that there is a concrete, active nuclear weapon program going on right now. … We have information that there have been maybe some studies about possible weaponization.  But we are looking into these alleged studies with Iran right now. … But have we seen having the nuclear material that can be readily used into a weapon?  No.  Have we seen an active weaponization program?  No.  So there is a concern, but there is also time to clarify these concerns."

Watch it:

Plame's Job: Stop Iran From Getting Nukes

Valerie Plame Wilson -- the CIA agent outed by senior officials of the Bush Administration -- has revealed that her assignment was to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon.  In an interview to be aired on CBS 60 Minutes on Sunday October 21, CBS reports that she was “involved in one highly classified mission to deliver fake nuclear weapons blueprints to Tehran.”  Portions of the interview follow:

Iranian Students Lash Out at Ahmadinejad

Reminiscent of protests that led up to the collapse of regimes throughout Eastern Europe, Iranian students confronted President Ahmadinejad of Iran during his visit to Tehran University October 7. Iranian human rights activist, Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi, reported that

"... the students called Ahmadinejad a fascist too!  They kept chanting to him: "Ahmadinejad, you Pinochet, Iran is not Chilli!"  Also the university authorities were prohibiting the students from entering into the auditorium where Ahmadinejad was talking.  The few students who were in there with silly placards supporting Ahmadinejad were the Basijis.  Iranian TV ended up not broadcasting it live claiming technical failure.  One person who spoke out asking to pose a question that was slightly critical of Ahmadinejad was dragged out of the auditorium."

Now is not the time to bomb Iran.  Now is the time to build solidarity with the Iranian people.