Might I be so bold?

Might I be so bold as to make my first post on this fledgling blog to be something so slanderous as saying Kenneth Timmerman lied to me? The legal question has been brought to my attention recently. Someone, who will remain nameless, has already accused me of slander and libel. He was kind enough to give me the legal definitions of the aforesaid irresponsible activity and, in his own magnanimous way, informed me that, though he had every right to, he would not engage me in litigation. Thanks.

In any case, here are the definitions:

Slander is a false and unprivileged publication, orally uttered and communicated by radio or any other means, which charges or imputes that a person has committed a crime, has an infectious or loathsome disease, or is impotent or unchaste, or which tends to directly injure a person's business or professional reputation, or which causes, by natural consequence, actual damage. Cal. Civ. Code §46.

Libel is a false and unprivileged publication by writing, printing, picture, effigy, or other fixed representation to the eye, which exposes any person to hatred, contempt, ridicule, or disgrace, or which causes a person to be shunned or avoided, or which has a tendency to injure a person in his or her occupation. Cal. Civ. Code §45.

Back to the issue at hand. I do not make this accusation lightly nor without any proof.

As the story goes, some months ago Kenneth Timmerman was on the Rush Limbaugh show talking about his new book Countdown to Crisis which lists problems with Iran's terrorist connections and nuclear weapons program. I wasn't a guest, but given the current political climate I felt to need to chime in by being a caller. I was on hold for about 15 or so minutes (apparently, noone felt they had anything to say) before I finally was able to ask a question. I asked two:

"In what way was Iran non-compliant within the boundaries of their signatory status in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)?"

"How ready is the United States to use our own bunker busting mini-nukes in case of a military engagement with Iran?"

A little wordy, but they had to sound good. He complimented me on asking two excellent questions. After waving the smoke from my ass I listened to his responses which I paraphrase here with commentary:

a) Essentially, by even breaking the seals of their uranium enrichment facilities Iran is in violation of the NPT which they signed. What's worse, they are engaging in uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes, the implication being that they could further enrich weapons grade uranium. He is an investigative reporter but apparently he only reports what the government leaders want him to know. True, they have broken the seals in their enrichment facilities. False, that enriching uranium is outside of NPT perimeters. They are allowed to develop peaceful nuclear energy. Europe and the United States don't want them to because they, rightly so, don't trust the leaders of Iran not to make weapons grade material. Iran agreed to this unwritten, goodfaith addition. Now they are tired of it and want to develop alternative energy capabilities which they may do under the watchful eye of the United Nations. Iran has been very open, almost too open, about their enrichment program.

b) As far as mini-nukes are concerned, the United States doesn't possess them. The resolution was voted down in February, 2002. True enough. But what he failed to mention was the Pentagon and the White House continued to pursue them. In fact, in May, 2003 the Senate eventually voted to lift the ban and continue research. With all of the hub-bub about how long it would take Iran to develop nuclear weapons, just how long would it take the United States to do the same?

It has been revealed by Seymour Hersh that the White House, as of this month, is considering the nuclear option for Iran in the form of Bunker Busting Mini-Nukes. Scott Ritter, former UN weapons inspector and high ranking United States Marine predicted this, and nobody listened. Basically, I'm saying that someone lied to me and everyone else who listens to Rush Limbaugh's nationally syndicated radio talk show and that someone is Kenneth Timmerman.