Why Would Iran Fake It?

Mitchum is often quoted as saying “”Half the people in America are faking it.”  Seems they’re not alone.  Yesterday, we were treated to a display of Soviet-like militariaas Iran showed the world an impressive display of it’s missle ability. Or, were we?

Charles Johnson over at LGF has done some serious work with the propaganda pics released by Iran, showing  a multiple missle launch. My proxy seems to be having some problems with LGF at the moment, so I can’t say this link works… and so I won’t post it. But Suitably Flip has echoed the stuff, so we’re OK for the moment.

(Hmmmm. I wonder if LGF is under attack? It would explain what I’m seeing here. Maybe.)

The photos that SF has up are clearly doctored, and that particularly clear when the original photo, undoctored, also shows up on the net.

First, let me say I’m a little bit amused by the idea that the western media so quickly accepts any info coming from Iran without any checking whatever. This goes directly to what I’ve been saying about our press for some time, now, on matters of accuracy. That our press booted this one is beyond question. The only question is stupidity vs bias, and at the moment, I don’t know the answer to that question.  Either way, the weight of this screwup falls directly on the shoulders of AFP, far as I can see.

However that falls out, the question comes almost at once, why Iran would want to play it this way. Clearly, they’re faking their own weapons ability. But to what end?

This is speculation, but it seems to me that this was designed to provoke a response from Israel.  Why would Iran invite such an attack, if they’re so low on weaponry that they have to fake their own ability to create propaganda stills?  Because Iran is depending on some sort of help from their allies in the region, such as Syria. I wouldn’t put it past them to have planned this in advance.

Clearly, Israel will be able to walk over Iran in about 20 minutes, if they don’t stop for the traffic lights on the way in.  If Iran stood alone, here, I’d be fine with that.  But a move from Israel at this stage of the game will cause of a lot of faux Muslim outrage from places like Syria, and Jordan, and I’d not be too shocked to see Egypt get into the game at that point.

Of course, there’s one other reason for all of this; To increase the price of oil and destabilize the west thereby.  With oil markets reacting in a panic every time someone clears their throat over there, the result of the kind of sabre rattling we see now is affecting the oil markets in a way we’re just now starting to get our arms around. At the least, it’s extending this bubble we’re in, to some degree.

Launching such missles, then, even with the issue of the fauxtography, from the view of Iran’s leadership, is a win-win for them, even assuming Israel takes the bait and attacks.  That by the way is something I’m hearing Washington has been repeatedly warning them via the back channels against doing.

memeorandum and particularly Michelle Malkin have more.

Addendum: Via email, comes the question of Iran and their desire to attack anyone.

That’s an important question. They may well desire it,  but I have my doubts, based on my admittedly limited understanding of their current military ability, if they could, at least alone. There’s an old Russian saying: Rattling a sabre  makes noise. Drawing it does not.

I doubt Iran has the ability at the moment, to make a credible attack on anyone. If they were planning to do anything of the sort, on their own, they’d not be spending as much time andeffort of propaganda, faked or otherwise. My take is they’re trying to set something up so they cam claim the status of ‘victim’. And we all know what that status provides in the UN, and in much of the west. So do they.