Tag: iran

Will Downing Street Memo Recur on Iran?

Recent remarks by Sir John Sawers, who heads Britain’s MI6 (the secret intelligence service that is Britain’s CIA counterpart), leave us wondering if Sawers is preparing to “fix” intelligence on Iran, as his immediate predecessor, Sir John Scarlett, did on Iraq. Scarlett’s pre–Iraq War role in creating “dodgy dossiers” hyping the threat of nonexistent “weapons … Continue reading “Will Downing Street Memo Recur on Iran?”

Netanyahu Refuses Explicit Iran Attack Threat

The perception that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is threatening to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities unless sanctions and diplomacy succeed in shutting them down has been the driving force in the Iran crisis. But although Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have made some tough statements, especially over the past several months, there is still … Continue reading “Netanyahu Refuses Explicit Iran Attack Threat”

Iran Sanctions: War By Other Means

Now that the talks with Iran on its nuclear program appear to be on the ropes, are we on the road to war? The Israelis threaten it almost weekly, and the Obama administration has reportedly drawn up an attack plan. But in a sense, we are already at war with Iran. Carl von Clausewitz, the … Continue reading “Iran Sanctions: War By Other Means”

Wars Have Unpredictable and Dangerous Collateral Effects

The recent bloodless (referring to American blood — the most important to U.S. policymakers) overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi in Libya has been touted as a low-cost model for future U.S. military interventions. The recent Libyan election is said to have vindicated America’s “leadership from the rear” strategy — supporting indigenous armies on the ground and … Continue reading “Wars Have Unpredictable and Dangerous Collateral Effects”

Why This Obsession With Iran?

“Iran is not seeking to have the atomic bomb, possession of which is pointless, dangerous, and is a great sin from an intellectual and a religious point of view.” Thus did supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declare in February that Iran’s possession of atomic weapons would be a mortal sin against Allah. It is also … Continue reading “Why This Obsession With Iran?”

Strait History: Iran’s Options

George Santayana wisely said: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Oblivious to history and its lessons, the United States and its Western allies are repeating their actions from the 1950s by imposing an oil embargo on Iran. The U.S.-led alliance has forgotten the past. Iran remembers. When, under the leadership … Continue reading “Strait History: Iran’s Options”

How a Nonexistent Bomb Cylinder Distorts the Iran Nuclear Issue

For many months, the most dramatic media storyline on Iran’s nuclear program has been an explosives-containment cylinder that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says was installed at Iran’s Parchin military base a decade ago to test nuclear weapons. The coverage of the initial IAEA account of the cylinder in its report last November has … Continue reading “How a Nonexistent Bomb Cylinder Distorts the Iran Nuclear Issue”

US Hawks Aflutter as Clinton Clears China on Iran Oil Sales

The administration of President Barack Obama is waiving tough financial sanctions that would have taken effect Thursday against both China and Singapore because it said the two countries had made “significant reductions” in their crude oil purchases from Iran. The announcement by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton brought to 20 the number of major importing … Continue reading “US Hawks Aflutter as Clinton Clears China on Iran Oil Sales”