Jul 11 2008
New Israeli Anti-Missile System
Given Iran’s latest saber-rattling photoshopped missile launches, Israel announced today the deployment of the LAMS: Lolcat Anti-Missile System.
(HT: TigerinExile. More p-shop response here.)
Jan 11 2008
Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain
Translation: ignore the actual evidence and believe in global warming because we told you to!
And then there’s this:
21 die in Iran snow storms
07/01/2008 21:02 - (SA)Tehran - At least 21 people have been killed and 88 others injured in Iran in accidents related to heavy snowfall and strong winds, state media reported Monday.
Iran has suffered from the most serious snow storms in a decade since Saturday - forcing schools and government offices to close, blocking major roads and leading to the cancellation of all domestic and international flights.
As much as 55 centimetres of snow has fallen in areas of northern and central Iran, said meteorologist Ali Abedini. Heavy snow also blanketed the capital of Tehran on Sunday, the second time in a week.
“At least 21 people have been killed and 88 others injured … as a result of heavy snow,” state-run radio reported. “Some died of the severe cold, some were buried under avalanches and others died after their cars overturned on snow-covered roads.”
Did I miss something? I thought global warming meant that it would be, you know, warmer?
Jul 27 2007
Did We Sink a N-Korean Nuke Ship?
(HT: Something and Half of Something) 
In reports first published by DEBKAfile, American naval and air forces intercepted two North Korean vessels clandestinely en route for Iran with cargoes of enriched uranium and nuclear equipment in the past month. The shutdown of Pongyong’s nuclear facilities has made these items surplus to North Korea’s requirements and the Islamic Republic was more than willing to pay a hefty price for the goods.
On July 12, the second intercepted North Korean freighter was sunk in the Arabian Sea by torpedoes fired from a US submarine 100 miles southeast of the Iranian naval base-port of Chah Bahar. Delivery of its freight of enriched weapons-grade uranium and equipment and engines for manufacturing more fissile material including plutonium in its hold could have jump-forwarded Iran’s nuclear bomb and warhead project, lopping off at least a year of work. For this Iran’s rulers were ready to reportedly pay out a cool $500 million.
A few hours earlier, President Bush received an intelligence briefing on the vessel, its freight and destination. Apparently the shipment was brought forward by several weeks to evade detection by UN nuclear inspectors scheduled to visit Pyongyang this week to verify the dismantling of its nuclear facilities.
US airplanes had been tracking the freighter and picked up signs of radioactivity, indicating the presence of nuclear materials aboard.
President Bush had the option of ordering US Marines to board the vessel or to sink it. He decided on the latter - both because the North Korean freighter was approaching an area patrolled by Iranian naval units and seizure of the vessel by American marines might have provoked a clash; secondly, it was the better choice in order to avoid exposing US troops to radioactive contamination. American naval and air units in the Persian Gulf, Middle East and seas opposite North Korea were ordered to go on a high state of readiness and the torpedo the North Korean vessel was accomplished without delay.
After the attack, US warships raced to the spot where the ship went down where they picked up three lifeboats. Most of the North Korean sailors aboard were either injured or dead. Twenty in all died in the attack. They all bore symptoms of contamination. After the episode, the area was cordoned off and underwater equipment dropped to salvage the cargo from the sunken ship.
All the parties to the incident, the United States, North Korea and Iran, have kept the incident under wraps as the situation in and around the Gulf is inflammable enough to explode into a full-blown Iranian-US clash at the slightest provocation.
There was also the danger that North Korea might decide at the last moment to abort the closure of its nuclear facilities.
