All cartoons are posted with the artists’ express permission to TPZoo.
Paul Jamiol, Jamiol’s World
Gates: New US Carrier in Gulf a “Reminder” to Iran
By David Morgan
Reuters
Tuesday 29 April 2008
Mexico City – The US Navy has temporarily added a second aircraft carrier in the Gulf as a “reminder” to Iran, but this was not an escalation of American forces in the region, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters during a trip to Mexico, Gates flatly denied a suggestion that the presence of two US carriers in the Gulf could be a precursor to military action against Tehran.
“This deployment has been planned for a long time,” Gates said. “I don’t think we’ll have two carriers there for a protracted period of time. So I don’t see it as an escalation. I think it could be seen, though, as a reminder.”
Interesting…
It just so happens this was announced about the same time as this hit the news:
CNN – Iran dumps U.S. dollar for oil trades
April 29, 2008
Iran, OPEC’s second-largest producer, has stopped conducting oil transactions in U.S. dollars, a top Oil Ministry official said Wednesday, in a concerted attempt to reduce reliance on Washington at a time of tension over Tehran’s nuclear program and suspected involvement in Iraq.
Iran has dramatically reduced dependence on the dollar over the past year in the face of increasing U.S. pressure on its financial system and the fall in the value of the American currency.
Oil is priced in dollars on the world market, and the currency’s depreciation has concerned producers because it has contributed to rising crude prices and eroded the value of their dollar reserves.
“The dollar has totally been removed from Iran’s oil transactions,” Oil Ministry official Hojjatollah Ghanimifard told state-run television Wednesday. “We have agreed with all of our crude oil customers to do our transactions in non-dollar currencies.”
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the depreciating dollar a “worthless piece of paper” at a rare summit last year in Saudi Arabia attended by state leaders from OPEC countries.
Just a quick reminder..
Right before we attacked Iraq, Saddam Hussein quit trading in dollars and went to Euros. After we invaded, and took out Saddam, we quietly changed it back to dollars for oil trading.
More on this here and here.
I posted on this before.
What does all of this have to do with Cheney’s recent trips to the ME? Is this the ‘urgency’ and the rising BOOM BOOM BOOM of these beating war drums?
TheZoo 
Caro at MTA had the Jamiol cartoon up yesterday. She is a bit derisive towards Obama, but she did scoop us.
Ah, but we use them with his permission..
Guys,
Carol at MTA does have permission to use my ‘toons. It was not a scoop. She just felt the need to put it up at that time. I know she’s pro-Hil and does not care for some of the stuff I do about Obama. However she does help me by posting some of my ‘toons. Hope there’s no offense.
Paul
P.S. There are sites that I refuse to deal with and will stop them for using without permission. My goal is to get out a message visually that this administration is hurting and lying to Americans.
PJ
Sorry Paul. I shouldn’t have written that..
Jen,
There are ‘toons that I send your way that are exclusively for TPZ that I don’t even put up on my site or anywhere else. The Pentagon Media Spin is an example.
Paul
Paul,
No offense. I know that Caro is severely biased. I really do not care how this washes out by the democratic convention, I just do not want the party destroyed by vindictive interior conflict. Barack is not a saint, but Hillary has a longer history to live down. She has supported Republican policies since entering politics in college.
I just try hard to make sure that all the cartoons we use we have permission to post directly from the artist. In the past, a number of places have taken cartoons from our blog and just used them.
I was took quick on the gun with the snark earlier..
I really appreciate your cartoons. More so than all the others (as in other cartoons). They are always direct, honest and unflinching. We really appreciate the ones you send for us to use exclusively. They are special.
I look forward to Tuesdays.. 🙂
I look forward to the first of the month – pension check, and the third Wednesday – Social Security check. Does anything else really matter?
Jen,
Thanks.
Walt,
I would hate to see the Dems destroyed over this infighting but what really bugs me is…Where was all this fight against the GOP when it was needed?! Except for those like Feingold, Murtha and their ilk, the Dems cowered in front of cowardly bullies.
I hated to see the other Dem candidates fall by the wayside as they were clearly better than what’s left. Hil lost me completely with the Kyl-Lieberman vote…thought it was reprehensible and the straw that broke the camel’s back for me.
I do like Obama and think he could be very good for the country. My concern with him is his ability to fight. He is letting others define him (“Elitist”, etc.) instead of coming out swinging. That’s what got Kerry. I want smash mouth (not smear) with bullies. Hil’s a fighter but only against the Dems. She rolled against the GOP when she needed to stand up to them. In November I will vote Dem. I hope both Hil and Obama supporters do the same. Either can beat McCain if all supporters stick together. McCain is a weak candidate.
Walt,
May be joining that “Check” club soon.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the depreciating dollar a “worthless piece of paper” at a rare summit last year in Saudi Arabia attended by state leaders from OPEC countries.
And the chymp called the increasingly ignored Constitution a ‘goddamn piece of paper’.
Wow, those two have so much in common!
Geez, Paul,
You are almost human, but seem to resemble our cat, Mandy, after Amanda Blake (Miss Kitty) – unfortunately confined to that great litter box in the sky.
In retirement, just remember to enter each of your telephones in the “Do not call list” and avoid free lunches.
Yep muse, I’ve been feeling reminded lately. Damn media, they’d rather talk about fluff and shit, rather than the IMPORTANT stuff like getting into another vanity war.
Love your cartoons, Paul!!
Zooey,
Thanks…love this site. You guys do a really great job!
Paul, let me add my thanks, too. Nice to see the avatar! And BTW, I agree with you on Hillary’s vote on the Kyl-Lieberman Act, as well as with your take on the other candidates (Kucinich or Edwards would have been my top choices.) I just hope that the superdelegates don’t screw us all. After watching a ‘likely-Republican-voters’ focus group reviewing the (at the time large) field of Democratic candidates, every one of them saying that they would vote for ANYONE over Hillary Clinton, I dread the possibility of a Clinton candidacy.
Jane,
That’s a big thanks back at you.
While there are those who will not vote for Hillary no matter what, there are independents that will. I’m actually surprised at the support she has. If it’s Hillary or McCain, I’ve got no choice but Clinton. I think McCain will take everything Bush has failed at and push it further. The pic of McCain attached to Bush’s chest says it all. It’s also a picture that astonishes me. How could anyone (especially a war hero) hug or support a person that left his brothers-in-arms dying in the rice paddies of Vietnam after training as a “fighter” pilot. He could have possibly saved some but he chose to run and hide. Oops, I’m starting to “soapbox” here…sorry about that. Bottom line…Dems are registering in record numbers. I don’t see them wasting that vote on McCain.
Avatar is ‘toon I did of our dog Bandit…best little guy you could ever want. For those interested, he’s a Shiba Inu.