Stephen Lendman |<\/p>\n
Washington and Israel wage dirty covert wars. Iran’s been targeted for years. Imperial aims are prioritized. Rule of law principles don’t matter. Israel wants sole regional dominance. America wants it globally. Lawless tactics continue.<\/p>\n
They include cyber attacks, other sabotage, targeted assassinations, deadly explosions, sophisticated satellite, drone, and other spying, bogus accusations, a virtual blockade, hostile saber rattling, multiple rounds of sanctions, and attempts to cripple its central bank and oil industry.<\/p>\n
In addition, relentless anti-Iranian propaganda substitutes malicious misinformation and bald-faced lies for accuracy and truth.<\/p>\n
At issue is Iranian independence. The Islamic Republic threatens no one. Its nuclear program is peaceful. It seeks cooperative international relations. It wants its sovereign rights respected.<\/p>\n
Regime change is planned. Belligerence is America’s option of choice. It wants pro-Western governments replacing independent ones. Peace and stability are sabotaged. Pretexts are created. One war follows another. After Syria comes Iran.<\/p>\n
Institute for Policy Studies senior scholar Andrew Levine expects war. Obama wants it avoided until post-election. He told\u00a0Russia Today\u00a0<\/a>(rt.com) its “rationale\u2026.remains intact.”<\/p>\n He matches Republican hawkishness. He’s more hawkish on Afghanistan than Romney. Overall differences between them are like “Coke and Pepsi.” Both want regime change in Syria and Iran. They’ll do what it takes against both governments. Congress is supportive. Expect the worst. It’s coming.<\/p>\n Western proxies wage war on Syria. Media scoundrels invert truth. They consider cold-blooded killers freedom fighters. They’re armed, trained, funded, and directed to commit murder and other atrocities. Assad gets blamed for their crimes.<\/p>\n Journalist\u00a0Robert Fisk<\/a>\u00a0visited Daraya. Days earlier, terrorists massacred dozens of civilians. Some say hundreds. Mass burials were held.<\/p>\n Residents he spoke to contradicted official reports. They blamed Anti-Assad terrorists. A woman named Leena saw bodies on streets before Syrian forces arrived. Government loyalists were targeted.<\/p>\n Home were invaded. People were kidnapped and slaughtered. Assad was wrongfully blamed. Expect a full investigation to reveal more.<\/p>\n Washington may replicate Syrian violence in Iran. Baseless charges continue. On August 30,\u00a0Haaretz<\/a>\u00a0headlined the latest. Unnamed US, Israeli and UN officials were cited. Uncorroborated charges were made. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was named.<\/p>\n Haaretz called him a “top Iranian scientist believed to be the ‘father’ of Iran’s nuclear weapons program\u2026.”<\/p>\n No evidence proves one exists. Nonetheless, baseless charges continue. Fear is generated. Public opinion is manipulated. War plans perhaps remain unchanged.<\/p>\n Haaretz said Fakhrizadeh’s research was “apparently sidelined (for) a few years.” He “resumed his work in a lab on the outskirts of Tehran\u2026.”<\/p>\n A UN “nuclear watchdog” called him “a key figure in suspected Iranian work to develop technology and skills needed for atomic bombs and suggested he may still play a role in such efforts.”<\/p>\n A so-called report was cited. He’s the only Iranian official named. Accusations without proof said Tehran “appear(s) to be developing nuclear weapons.” How many times have we heard that before? Charges wore thin long ago. Nonetheless, they repeat.<\/p>\n In November 2011, a spurious IAEA report said he headed an AMAD Plan. He was falsely accused of “carr(ying) out studies related to uranium, high explosives and the revamping of a missile cone to accommodate a warhead.”<\/p>\n Again, no evidence corroborated charges. They’re baseless or manufactured to look believable. Unidentified officials lack credibility. Iran’s been falsely accused for years. Its agenda supports a nuclear free Middle East.<\/p>\n On August 29,\u00a0Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei<\/a>\u00a0addressed NAM leaders.<\/p>\n “In the recent past,” he said, “we have been witness to the failure of the policies of the Cold War era and the unilateralism that followed it.”<\/p>\n “Having learnt lessons from this historical experience, the world is in transition towards a new international order and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) can and should play a new role.”<\/p>\n NAM values, he said, include anti-colonialism, political, economic and cultural independence, solidarity and cooperation, world peace, and freedom from hegemonic dominance.<\/p>\n He accused Washington of bullying tactics. He called itsSecurity Council control<\/a>\u00a0“a flagrant form of dictatorship.” He said America and its “accomplices” terrorize defenseless people in the name of democracy.<\/p>\n They impose their will lawlessly on others. “Using their exclusive and organized media network, they disguise their lies as the truth, their falsehoods as true, and their oppression as efforts to promote justice.”<\/p>\n “In contrast, they brand as lies every true statement that exposes their deceit and label every legitimate demand as roguish.”<\/p>\n America is “fully aware that Iran does not seek nuclear weapons.” He condemned US and Israeli hostility. He criticized IAEA complicity with aggressive anti-Iranian policies. He also blamed UN officials for not countering US threats. He stressed Iran’s commitment to end Syrian violence.<\/p>\n He repeated earlier calls for a nuclear free Middle East. He urged other nations for support. Nuclear disarmament is fundamental. Everyone gains. UN officials should prioritize achieving what benefits all member states.<\/p>\n The 16th NAM summit represents a historic opportunity. Key is transforming rhetoric into policy. As host, Iran gains prestige and support against hostile US\/Israeli designs.<\/p>\n Israel instructed its ambassadors in all NAM member states to pressure their leaders not to attend. Washington likely did the same. Both nations have black eyes.<\/p>\n Bullying failed. It’s a hopeful sign. Dozens of presidents, prime ministers, and other top officials showed up. Doing so expresses anti-imperial solidarity.<\/p>\n