Iran ready to help contain Russian fires

Following the expansion of wildfires in Russia, Iran's deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad Reza Sheibani offers to help Moscow contain and extinguish the blaze.

In a meeting with Russian Ambassador to Tehran Alexander Sadovnikov, Sheibani conveyed the Iranian government's condolatory message the people and officials of Russia.

“Iran has considerable capability and good experience in containing natural and unexpected disasters and is ready to make use of them (its experience and capabilities) to resolve the existing crisis...,” Sheibani was quoted as saying in a foreign ministry statement.

Is it just me or does Iran offer help freely quite a lot? One of these days someone has got to take them up on an offer.

Roughly 700 people a day are dying in Moscow due to these fires and the resulting fallout. Russia historically is incredibly stubborn especially when it comes to international aid. This hard headed attitude unfortunately often results in Russian citizens taking the full brunt. We only have to look at Chernobyl or more recently the Kursk sub disaster, where both the British and Norwegian rescue teams were delayed due to the Russian administration refusing them access.

www.presstv.ir...

Undoubtedly, there will be those replying here that call this a political move for alliance in the face of threats from attack from the US and Israel. However, like you said, Iran has been offering their help to just about everyone in chaotic disasters.

They wanted to help BP and the US close and clean the Oil fiasco in the Gulf. Now they are willing to go fight massive fires in Russia.

So, are they playing a game with the world to gain sympathy and alliances so that they can continue to develop their nuclear program? Or are they just genuinely considerate of the world and want to help those in need? I would like to believe the latter.

Whether staged or not, the interviews I have seen of Iranian people delivers a statement of compassion and appreciation for the rest of the world. Well, with the exception of Israel, but I am sure that they would make nice there as well, if they werent always under threat of anhialation from them.

Thats just my slanted opinion though.

If I ask nicely, will Iran help we with my mortgage or come an cut my grass at weekends ??

They do seem like a really helpful bunch ..

Regards
PurpleDOG UK

i would like to beleive that iran wants to help.
iranian people aren't all bad.

reply to post by PurpleDog UK


maybe possbily , if you enabled removal of sanctions on iran by UK

Originally posted by PurpleDog UK
If I ask nicely, will Iran help we with my mortgage or come an cut my grass at weekends ??

They do seem like a really helpful bunch ..

Regards
PurpleDOG UK

well thats not a natural or unexpected disasters now is it?

you silly little man.

reply to post by RizeorDie


RizeorDie

On a serious note the events taking place over there and in particular the cities like Moscow are terribly bad.... I was looking at some pictures from the BBC website earlier - link here....
www.bbc.co.uk...

And they reveal that the situation is dire.... breathing in all those toxins and particulates CANNOT be very healthy...

Also just read a story linking these fires to global climate change - link here ....
www.bbc.co.uk...

Which does not really look very good for us....

I also wondered if that storm cloud in Finland could have been caused in some way by excessive particulates in the atmosphere caused by the unprecedented fires ???

Regards

PurpleDog UK aka silly little man apparently !!

Has the US, UK or other countries offered to help? Lots of experienced fire fighters in and around California.

reply to post by crazydaisy


They haven't as of yet, at least not publicly.

I think that Californian and Australian fire fighters would be the most experienced in this sort of disaster, and could offer their assistance.

What baffles me is that the Russians have not yet resorted to cloud seeding? I am sure the Chinese could help them with that. Then again the conditions may be such that even this is a futile exploit as the air is just too dry.

Wheresthetruth i think most people will feel this way, but even if it is just a political ploy why not take them up on the offer, call their bluff so to speak. There is nothing to lose in this tricky situation but a lot to gain.

As for them offering in the Gulf? I couldn't believe it myself, here is BP a British oil company, albeit not one which the Iranians had been exploited by in the past, but still a company of 'the enemy' in a region of the US, and yet they still offer their services.



[edit on 10-8-2010 by Big Raging Loner]

Just on the topic of cloud seeding, I found this article relating to it's use in the effort to control forest fires.

www.standard.net...

Here is a fantastic answer posted in the Question Hub by user Ski NorthSouth.

Best Answer
Cloud seeding creates a nucleus for water vapor to condense on to make a droplet large enough to fall as rain. To work, there has to be a fairly high humidity. It is a gentle nudge to cause effective rain to fall. It does not create the moisture.

In a forest fire, not only is the air usually very dry...so are the ground fuels. I have seen (and fought) fires in heavy downpours of rain, hail, even snow! It takes time for the fuels on the ground to absorb the moisture. Small, fine fuels not only absorb moisture faster, they dry from the heat of the fire or lightning very rapidly. The larger fuels can take weeks to become wet enough to prevent burning. In the Northwest, slash burning is often done with snow on the ground and after several weeks of rain or snow. The large fuels burn just fine!

Larger fires generate severe weather including winds strong enough to snap 4' diameter trees and larger. The heat evaporates even heavy rains before it hits the ground.

Even if there were clouds and moisture to seed, at the right place, at the right time, the moisture would have little effect on the fire.

www.questionhub.com...

Basically i couldn't have compiled the info better myself, and it would appear that due to conditions cloud seeding simply is not a practical option. So it will be the old fashioned techniques with men on the ground that will be used.

I saw on the News earlier that the US already have people over there in Russia helping them etc.

I don't think it would be a good idea for Iran to go over there too?

Think they may be wanting to stir things!

reply to post by minkey53


Interesting I hadn't heard that. I'm on the search now, if you have any linkys or info stick it on. Cheers

RE: the US helping Russia battle wildfires

ibnlive.in.com...

Washington, Aug 10 (Itar-Tass) A group of specialists from the US government has arrived in Moscow to help the country fighting wildfires, a top American official has said.

The arrival of the team of US experts comes after a telephone conversation last Friday between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during which an offer to help fight against the fires was made, State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said at a briefing yesterday.

He said it was the US initiative to help Russia. In reply to a query whether Russia had asked for that, he said - no, it was Washington's offer to help.

This is great news! Can you imagine this 20 odd years ago? It appears that at this point they are more of a supervision team, but still it is progress, although I do feel now is the time for action, not discussion.

[edit on 10-8-2010 by Big Raging Loner]

I wonder: would the US/Israel allow Iranian airplanes to even take off en route to Russia? Isn't there a blockage of all international travel?

reply to post by new_here


I think the restrictions are on entering countries, not actually taking off from Iran. The UK for example has banned lots of flights, so the planes just don't leave the country.

There should still be flights heading to Russia though, and anywhere else that'll have them. But you raise an interesting point, and I think they would have to take a route over countries neutral of Israeli American influence.

Hello there folks few more articles relating to this disaster for those keeping track.

www.guardian.co.uk...

www.telegraph.co.uk...

Particularly worrying is the second article which relates to the close proximity of these fires to a Russian nuclear waste processing plant.