Congress looks to expand sanctions on Iran

[tsai3904]

"We are seriously looking at additional policy options, including further closing the (Central Bank of Iran) to transactions and other measures designed to impact Iran foreign currency reserves," an aide to Democratic Senator Robert Menendez said on Friday.

One congressional aide said that some lawmakers believe that if all banking transactions except for food and medicine were covered, the Iranian economy would collapse "pretty quickly."

...

The new U.S. congressional measures could become part of an annual defense policy bill, which the Senate and House need to finalize after the November 6 presidential election, said a second senior aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"It's just a matter of tweaking the current law, very slightly," the aide said.

...

Some lawmakers are pushing for all transactions except for those involving food and medicine to be covered by the banking sanctions, the aide said.

"You really move to a total embargo scenario," the aide said. "The Iranian economy would collapse pretty quickly."

More:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...89411U20121005

[Acala]

America - we are a proud people, but not too proud to kick a man when he is down. In fact that is our preference.

[Lucille]

Oh bloody hell. Is there a more vicious group of killers in the world than the US CONgress?

The Temptation of Regime Change
Paul Pillar: Overthrowing Iran through sanctions a bad bet
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/pau...me-change-7554

Robert Gates: War on Iran Would Be ‘Catastrophic,’ Make Tehran Nukes ‘Inevitable’
Former defense secretary Robert Gates said a US strike on Iran would 'haunt us for generations'
http://news.antiwar.com/2012/10/04/r...an-inevitable/

Costs of War on Iran: A Systematic Disregard for Human Life
http://antiwar.com/blog/2012/10/04/c...or-human-life/

Naval Update: T-Minus One Week Until Arabian Sea Destination Reached
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2012-1...nation-reached

The news surrounding the Middle East, particularly Iran and Syria, may come and go in waves, but for the most part it is loud political grandstanding, jawboning and largely noise. Or rather, it will be noise until these two catalytic events occur: the third US Aircraft carrier (CVN-74 Stennis) and the second big deck amphibious warfare ship (LHA-5 Peleliu), both dispatched as of several weeks ago with a destination the 5th US Fleet headquartered in Bahrain, reach their target - the Arabian Sea, located by the Straits of Hormuz and right next to Iran. As the following naval update map from Stratfor shows, both are now within a week of reaching their destination: conveniently so with at least two weeks to go until the presidential election. Needless to say, once on location, the naval and airborne support for any offensive operation, especially those launched during new moon cycles, will be simply suffocating.

[HOLLYWOOD]

Bahrain... 5th Fleet. But the United States, not the UN has given Waivers for many countries, like Japan, to buy Iranian Oil. Pretty hypocritical, eh? Shows you, you are only told a part of the the story TPTB want you to hear/read.

So are any of you hearing about the continuing Protests in Bahrain? The arrests, pellet shootings, tear gas, imprisoning, censorship by the Bahrain dictatorship?

While I'm at it, BBC World News screwed up today... when they broadcasted a news feed from Turkey covering the squabble between Turkish government and whatever false flag op of a motor/rocket attack against Turkey. They showed the Turkish people protesting against Abdullah Gul and Barack Obama!

A huge banner with both presidents wearing NAZI helmets with their respective country flags inlayed on them. My Türkiye is bad... didn't know what all the banners said, but the BBC reported 100,000s in Istanbul protesting Turkey going to war.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19840022

Man, talk about isolationism... the American people are sure isolated to what is Truthfully happening around the world.

[Matt Collins]

I can bet Rand won't vote for this.

[low preference guy]

I can bet Rand won't vote for this.

yeah, he probably realizes now that voting for political reasons the first time was a mistake, and they're making real damage. it wouldn't have happened to someone just a bit more principled. his vote for iran is why many can't support or vote for rand.

[Matt Collins]

his vote for iran is why many can't support or vote for rand.

Ignorance abounds.... not many people in the movement are upset with Rand over that, and the few that are, obviously haven't done their research. Rand voted to sanction the Iranian central bank. That would be like China refusing to do business with the Federal Reserve (that's a good thing by the way).

[Indy Vidual]

Bahrain... 5th Fleet.

So are any of you hearing about the conituing Protests in Bahrain? The arrests, pellet shootings, tear gas, imprisoning, censorship by the Bahrainian dictatorship?

While I'm at it, BBC World News screwed up today... when they broadcasted a news feed from Turkey covering the squabble between Turkish government and whatever false flag op of a motor/rocket attack against Turkey. They showed the Turkish people protesting against Abdullah Gul and Barack Obama!

A huge banner with both presidents wearing NAZI helmets with their respective country flags inlayed on them. My Türkiye is bad... didn't know what all the banners said.

If anyone has that clip, please post

Man, talk about isolationism... the AMerican people are sure isolated to what is Truthfully happening around the world.

+1984
I know what's happening around the world:
Did you hear Justin B. threw up on stage?

[Carson]

As rial plunges, Congress looks to expand sanctions on Iran

As in the original posters post and article; the rial plunging seems a little odd to me.

Iran should have one of the most stable currency's around the globe. They should have a solid source of income from their oil. They don't need to counterfeit their money supply. My first thought was maybe others are.

I suppose sanctions could take a toll, but still, this all seems fishy.


P.S. Then again maybe the shrinking resources is taking it's toll. I would think they would be getting around the blockages, being a country with actual money.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

Ignorance abounds.... not many people in the movement are upset with Rand over that, and the few that are, obviously haven't done their research. Rand voted to sanction the Iranian central bank. That would be like China refusing to do business with the Federal Reserve (that's a good thing by the way).

It is one thing to disbar the Government from transacting with a foreign-central bank, it is entirely another thing to pass an edict making it illegal for any person in the U.S. to do so. Furthermore, sanctions are a form of economic warfare, a prelude to the forlorn landscape that has become far too common for Americans. Our economy is War. The Government and much of the Economy are merely merchants of death and mercenaries. Rand was wrong, and you trying to defend his vote for that awful bill is as bad. Call a spade a spade - don't be a sycophant.

[sailingaway]

As rial plunges, Congress looks to expand sanctions on Iran

As in the original posters post and article; the rial plunging seems a little odd to me.

Iran should have one of the most stable currency's around the globe. They should have a solid source of income from their oil. They don't need to counterfeit their money supply. My first thought was maybe others are.

I suppose sanctions could take a toll, but still, this all seems fishy.


P.S. Then again maybe the shrinking resources is taking it's toll. I would think they would be getting around the blockages, being a country with actual money.

there was an article around saying the CIA were, or were suspected of flooding the country with fake money to devalue the rial, it was in Zerohedge or some other hard money site, saying the CIA knew what printing money did to a country's economy, regardless of what the Fed pretended.

[messana]

Bahrain... 5th Fleet.

So are any of you hearing about the conituing Protests in Bahrain? The arrests, pellet shootings, tear gas, imprisoning, censorship by the Bahrainian dictatorship?

While I'm at it, BBC World News screwed up today... when they broadcasted a news feed from Turkey covering the squabble between Turkish government and whatever false flag op of a motor/rocket attack against Turkey. They showed the Turkish people protesting against Abdullah Gul and Barack Obama!

A huge banner with both presidents wearing NAZI helmets with their respective country flags inlayed on them. My Türkiye is bad... didn't know what all the banners said.

If anyone has that clip, please post

Man, talk about isolationism... the AMerican people are sure isolated to what is Truthfully happening around the world.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19840969

Picture: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/midd...-condemns-live

[Matt Collins]

It is one thing to disbar the Government from transacting with a foreign-central bank, it is entirely another thing to pass an edict making it illegal for any person in the U.S. to do so.

It is not unconstitutional last time I checked.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

It is not unconstitutional last time I checked.

Who the hell cares? Slavery was constitutional for some odd years. If you base your morality on what is or isn't constitutional - anything you say from now on is invalid in my eyes. Prohibition was Constitutional. These 'Constitutionalist' who take no positions of their own, use no logic, or volition of intellect of their own. Sad.

[low preference guy]

It is not unconstitutional last time I checked.

it is a violation of individual liberty last time i checked

[low preference guy]

These 'Constitutionalist' who take no positions of their own, use no logic, or volition of intellect of their own.

he was paid by rand paul so that's all you need to know. logic doesn't matter to him.

[Matt Collins]

Who the hell cares? Slavery was constitutional for some odd years. If you base your morality on what is or isn't constitutional - anything you say from now on is invalid in my eyes. Prohibition was Constitutional. These 'Constitutionalist' who take no positions of their own, use no logic, or volition of intellect of their own. Sad.

I never said anything about morality, I said Constitutional, as in legal.

it is a violation of individual liberty last time i checked

I never said it wasn't.

[AngryCanadian]

And Hillary Clinton just this week claimed Oh no its not because of the sanctions that Iranian currency is hurting its because of there leader sure Hillary.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

I never said anything about morality, I said Constitutional, as in legal.

I never said it wasn't.

That's why you vote liberty, not Constitution. Just because they happen to overlap every now and then means jack $#@!. I smell a $#@!ing rat.

[Matt Collins]

That's why you vote liberty, not Constitution. Just because they happen to overlap every now and then means jack $#@!. I smell a $#@!ing rat.

Is it possible you can post without cussing? Seriously, how old are you?

[Matt Collins]

Let's not forget that there is a good possibility that the Fed is doing business with the Iranian central bank right now. Remember they were doing so with Libya right before our government bombed them. So if I had to guess, Rand has cornered the Fed into being unable to deal with Iran. If we get an audit, and it's found that the Fed is indeed dealing with Iran, then they are defacto operating outside of the law. Think about it...

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

Is it possible you can post without cussing? Seriously, how old are you?

Non-sequitur aside, I have my spurts, usually when something really pisses me off. Also, I'm a sailor, it is in my nature.

[Matt Collins]

it is in my nature.

Mine too, but you don't see me doing it gratuitously; it loses its effect and makes one appear uneducated.

[emazur]

That would be like China refusing to do business with the Federal Reserve (that's a good thing by the way).

Actually I think the consequences would be devastating in the short term (high inflation or hyperinflation) and it would only be a good thing in the medium and long term IF the U.S. government decided to then default on its debt AND return to sound money. I could see the default happen, but in the post WWII period how money countries have returned to the gold standard after experiencing massive inflation? Zero. Neither the bankers nor the federal government wish it to happen, and even if they did it would not be a legitimate gold standard, just smoke and mirrors to tide people over.

Gregory Zerzan was Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the administration of President George W. Bush. In his October 2009 article entitled "Dollar is a National Security Issue", he wrote

The ability to cripple the U.S. economy by massively devaluing the dollar is the type of "asymmetric warfare" that the People's Liberation Army has discussed openly in recent years. This is not to suggest that the People's Republic wants to destroy the dollar, nor that doing so would come without cost. But such power would clearly give China tremendous leverage.

Ron Paul has sounded the alarm bell on this issue earlier. In a piece titled "The End of Dollar Hegemony" from February 2006, he said

"In the short run, the issuer of a fiat reserve currency can accrue great economic benefits. In the long run, it poses a threat to the country issuing the world currency. In this case that’s the United States. As long as foreign countries take our dollars in return for real goods, we come out ahead. This is a benefit many in Congress fail to recognize, as they bash China for maintaining a positive trade balance with us. But this leads to a loss of manufacturing jobs to overseas markets, as we become more dependent on others and less self-sufficient. Foreign countries accumulate our dollars due to their high savings rates, and graciously loan them back to us at low interest rates to finance our excessive consumption.

It sounds like a great deal for everyone, except the time will come when our dollars-- due to their depreciation-- will be received less enthusiastically or even be rejected by foreign countries. That could create a whole new ballgame and force us to pay a price for living beyond our means and our production. The shift in sentiment regarding the dollar has already started, but the worst is yet to come.

[cindy25]

can we hope for a 99-1 vote ? will Rand vote no ?

[amy31416]

Mine too, but you don't see me doing it gratuitously; it loses its effect and makes one appear uneducated.

''

Really? You are the most uneducated POS around here. You have no business implying that anyone is uneducated.

[HOLLYWOOD]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19840969

Picture: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/midd...-condemns-live

Thanks... see how informed the citizenry of other nations are compared to the US/UK/etc?

But they are the savages, eh? This is how the propaganda machine of government works. Quite effective, William Cohen was right, "We know our propaganda program is successful when 100% of what the people believe is false"

[Matt Collins]

''

Really? You are the most uneducated POS around here. You have no business implying that anyone is uneducated.

Personal attacks are against TOS