studies at a major U.S. university.
She has forwarded to me an article produced by a financial management
firm in Florida called Money and Markets, a subsidiary of Weiss
Research, Inc. It was written by the CEO of the company, Dr. Martin D.
Weiss, PhD, assisted by a subordinate named Larry Edelson.
I am adding no evaluative comments of my own regarding the substantive
content of this analysis, except to note that the authors have included
a few minor factual errors and some questionable stretches of logic. *
But I believe you will agree with me that it is interesting and perhaps
significant that Wall Street analysts are beginning to take more notice
of risk factors arising from the threat of military action against Iran,
and to reach investment-related judgments accordingly. It has surprised
me that there has not been more of this. Wall Street has generally
acted so far as if the Middle East was on a different planet. Your
views on that point would be of interest to the whole group, I think.*
My professor friend introduced the article with the following comment:
This is from a financial newsletter. These guys are well-connected, Jewish,
Wall Street insiders, so it wouldn't surprise me if they've got good
intell. I've thought about this possibility myself........ that the US
fleets in the Gulf could be stationed there principally to intercept any
retaliation
attempts by Iran after an Israeli strike.
The Israeli lobby in the US has been pushing hard for an attack against
Iran, and lately there has been much frustration in Israel due to the
growing anti-war movement in the US and resistance in Congress to an attack
against Iran. Will the US hold back just due to some Congressional
reservations? The Israeli preparations seem to add to the evidence that an
attack against Iran is coming, one way or another.
*_Money and Markets --- Thursday, March 8, 2007_*
*The Iranian Nuclear Controversy
Could Soon Explode Back on the Scene,
Catching Investors by Surprise**
*
In “War Scenarios and Your Portfolio,” I told you that Israel would take
the lead and make a pre-emptive strike against Iran to take out the
country’s nuclear facilities. It seems that my prediction is about to come
true ...
According to London’s Daily Telegraph, Israel is already on a “war footing”
and is negotiating with the United States for permission to fly over Iraq
as part of a plan to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.
The objective: Surgical air strikes that will set Iran’s nuclear program
back at least 10 years. To conduct the strikes, Israel needs to co-ordinate
the plan with the U.S. so that an “air corridor” over Iraq is cleared.
But there’s more evidence Israel is planning an attack ...
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert recently persuaded Meir Dagan, the head
of Mossad for the past six years and one of Israel's leading experts on
Iran's nuclear program, to defer his retirement until at least the end of
next year.
Olmert has also given control of the military aspects of the Iran issue to
Eliezer Shkedi, the head of the Israeli Air Force and a former F-16 fighter
pilot.
Former Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu has stepped up his public
appearances dramatically increasing the rhetoric and heat against Iran,
comparing the country to Nazi Germany.
The Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Siyasa recently reported that Qatar, Oman and the
United Arab Emirates have all told the United States that they would not
object to Israel using their airspace, despite their fear of an Iranian
response. Turkey is also considering opening its airspace.
As I’ve said all along, the U.S. will not stage the attack. Thus,
Washington can continue saying it’s “not going to war with Iran.” But they
will do everything in their power to help Israel stage the attack.
Keep in mind that Washington has already substantially turned up the
rhetoric against Iran. It has also sent into the Persian Gulf the Fifth
Fleet of aircraft carriers, including the Nimitz class nuclear powered USS
John C. Stennis, and its accompanying destroyers.
At the same time, Washington has not removed the option of a military
strike, and has not quelled any of the rumors that Israel will lead a
strike. Moreover, because of the North Korea fiasco, I believe
Washington now
realizes ...
Economic Sanctions Do Nothing But Hurt Innocent Citizens
As history has shown us, isolating a regime with economic sanctions does
nothing but impoverish a country, causing millions to die of hunger and
disease.
Want examples?
The U.S. economic embargo against North Korea began 46 years ago. It’s
failed to prevent North Korea from developing nuclear weapons.
The U.S. embargo against Cuba started in 1962 ... and has failed.
Economic sanctions against Iran in 1979 failed to prevent the country from
furthering its advances in terrorism or nuclear enrichment.
Sanctions against Burma have done nothing to force regime change there, or
free Burmese citizens from a military dictatorship.
I could go on and on about sanctions in places like Zimbabwe, Syria, and
the Sudan. All of them have failed to force regime change. Instead, tens of
millions of innocent citizens have become victims. Why sicken and kill
innocent
people when you can accomplish a military
mission with surgical precision today? Why try to force social anarchy and
regime change by harming millions of innocent citizens?
I fully believe the Bush Administration is now acutely aware of this. And I
believe that’s another reason Washington will fully back Israel’s attempt
to squash Iran’s nuclear efforts dead in its tracks with an upcoming air
strike.
When Could the Attacks Happen, And What Will They Mean for Investors?
In my opinion, we could see the attacks within the next two months. If
you’re still skeptical of an attack on Iran, consider the following ...
Iran has trained secret networks of agents across the Persian Gulf to
attack Western interests and incite civil unrest in the event of a military
strike against its nuclear program, according to Adel Assadinia, a former
career diplomat who was Iran's consul-general in Dubai and an adviser to
the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
These sleeper cells were trained by Iranian intelligence. And they’re
recruiting Shiites from all over Iran, preparing them with munitions,
including anti-aircraft and surface-to-arm missiles. In other words, Iran
is expecting the air attacks.
Here’s another interesting anecdotal tidbit that solidifies Iran’s intent
to become a nuclear nation: The country just issued a 50,000 rial note
(equal to about $5) that sports a picture of the standard nuclear insignia
of electrons in orbit around an atom.
So don’t kid yourself: An attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities is
likely to come from Israel.
Martin Weiss and Larry Edelson