News Stories

[ganbaru]

Arab monitor quits Syria mission in disgust
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...8041A820120111

[Haak]

Iranian Nuclear Scientist killed in car blast:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16501566

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Haak

Iranian Nuclear Scientist killed in car blast:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16501566

Looks like the Israelis played their first hand.

[bladeofdarkness]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Looks like the Israelis played their first hand.

speculative.

besides, If a lion tamer gets eaten by a lion, or an acrobat falls to their death, you wouldn't just assume it was the Israelis fault.
some jobs just come with certain occupational hazards.

[Ascaloth]

Originally Posted by bladeofdarkness

speculative.

besides, If a lion tamer gets eaten by a lion, or an acrobat falls to their death, you wouldn't just assume it was the Israelis fault.
some jobs just come with certain occupational hazards.

Yeah, I bet that applies especially to, well, nuclear scientists in Iran.

[bladeofdarkness]

Originally Posted by Ascaloth

Yeah, I bet that applies especially to, well, nuclear scientists in Iran.

Assassination are a natural occupational hazard in Iranian nuclear physics.
as demonstrated repeatedly over the last few years.

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by bladeofdarkness

Assassination are a natural occupational hazard in Iranian nuclear physics.
as demonstrated repeatedly over the last few years.

I can't really say if this is supposed to be a argument helping your point or sinking it.

[Haak]

I can't even be sure if it was a serious argument or a joke in bad taste...

[bladeofdarkness]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

I can't really say if this is supposed to be a argument helping your point or sinking it.

it was kinda suppose to be a joke
but on the REAL subject of SaintessHeart's original post, there is no actual evidence that points specifically to Israel on this, or indeed any of the other assassinations of the last few years.
much of the world wants Iran's nuclear program to stop, including their neighbors in the gulf and forces within Iran who don't wish to see the regime gain the imperviousness that nuclear weapons grant.

[Ithekro]

Could always be a Saudi Arabian hired assassin. They don't like Iran much either.

[Jaden]

Seems doubtful whether the man was actually a nuclear scientist. Not that being one is any reason to get assassinated, most people in the field are peaceful folks not involved in any weapons programs.

Probably he got killed for another reason and the story is made up because they don't like Israel. Or he was actually a big shot atom splitter in secret and was really killed to sabotage the nuclear program, we'll never know.

[Xellos-_^]

*puts on his tin foil hat
Could be China or Russia, while both countries like to use Iran to distract the US. They probably don't like the thoughts of Iran with nukes either.

*puts on his Atlantean Tin Foil Hat form
The other possiblies is it was done by the Knights Templar.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Jaden

Seems doubtful whether the man was actually a nuclear scientist. Not that being one is any reason to get assassinated, most people in the field are peaceful folks not involved in any weapons programs.

Probably he got killed for another reason and the story is made up because they don't like Israel. Or he was actually a big shot atom splitter in secret and was really killed to sabotage the nuclear program, we'll never know.

The report certainly makes for good domestic "proof THEY are out to get Iran!!" propaganda.

[bladeofdarkness]

Originally Posted by Jaden

Seems doubtful whether the man was actually a nuclear scientist. Not that being one is any reason to get assassinated, most people in the field are peaceful folks not involved in any weapons programs.

Correlation of Nitrogen Enriching Polymeric Membranes Performance Developed through
Various Methods with their Morphological Structure Revealed via SEM
http://journal.ippi.ac.ir/manuscript...006-06-975.pdf
the deceased is the last credited in this report.
i'd say odds are he was involved, at least partly, in Iran's nuclear program.

[Darkbeat]

It was assisted suicide. He paid the guy on the motorcycle to do it. Poor thing.

[Ithekro]

There have been a few of those in the last two years. Four if I recall correctly, though one guy lived.


Do recall that there were other people aside from the "target" that were killed in those blasts.

-----------------------------------------
US denies killing Iran nuclear scientist with magnetic bomb
'Western powers and their allies appear to be relying on covert war tactics to try to delay and degrade Iran's nuclear advancement,' security expert says

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45953703...east_n_africa/

US says basically "Not Me".

[solomon]

Anybody heard about Scotland wanting to set it's own path?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-16502955

I'm still trying to figure out all the details, there's likely LOADS of history behind this, but this could be BIG for the Union.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by solomon

Anybody heard about Scotland wanting to set it's own path?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-16502955

I'm still trying to figure out all the details, there's likely LOADS of history behind this, but this could be BIG for the Union.

Are they going to pay back the payout form RBS before they leave?

[Ithekro]

I wonder if England will still has access to the Stone of Scone when it comes time to crown the next Monarch?

And would the Queen (and her heirs) still be monarchs of Scotland? That is where the royal line goes from James VI of Scotland (James I of England).

When I saw it in 2001, they said they would give it back for the day....and no longer.

[DonQuigleone]

Originally Posted by solomon

Anybody heard about Scotland wanting to set it's own path?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-16502955

I'm still trying to figure out all the details, there's likely LOADS of history behind this, but this could be BIG for the Union.

Oh this debate has been going on for quite a while, since the SNP won an outright majority in the Scottish elections back in May. Prior to that, the pro indepedence SNP never had the majority in the Scottish Parliament to be able to pass a referendum proposal. Now they can, and it's definitely on the cards.

Not really a lot of History behind it though. There isn't really the kind of animosity between England and Scotland that you might see between England and, say, Ireland. They've had a fairly stable Union since 1707.

That said, if the Scottish Independence referendum passed it would make for a tricky situation. For one thing you couldn't really call it "the United Kingdom" anymore, or even "Great Britain". You'd also have other unusual questions, like Northern Ireland, who ties to England are even more tenuous then Scotlands, and who also culturally share a lot more in common with Scotland then England.

Before the SNP won that majority, the issue wasn't really discussed, furthermore, no one thought it would ever need to be, as Scotland uses Single transferable Vote PR, which extremely rarely gives an outright majority to any party (in fact, when the scottish parliament was created, that form of voting was instituted for that very reason, to preven the SNP from ever winning a majority).

As for the SNP, they've run a very straight ship, and they've got a fairly attractive platform. They're also committed to giving Scotland access to all the options in a referendum, no tricks. I'm not so sure how their Pro-Union opposition is going to handle things though. Either way, there's going to be an interesting few months in Scotland.