'WINDS OF WAR' (The Coming War)
Romney and his Bush 'neocon inner circle' stoke the Israeli 'War Winds'
No argument can ever be made against the insanity of war, but it's necessary to argue against the insanity of beginning a war—especially a war of choice!
Bibi Netanyahu, the ultra-conservative Prime Minister of Israel, is now more emboldened then ever after Romney's visit to Israel. Romney incited Bibi's fanatical war mongering quest to bomb Iran and potentially set-off a Middle East war the likes of which have not been seen before; it's beyond incredulity. And now Bibi, with Romney in his pocket, is exerting every pressure on President Obama, all with the politically inept Romney's naïveté to its frightening consequences by providing Israel the political leverage to bomb Iran within the next three months. Hard to believe? Then read what Israel's Intelligence chief recently said.
"If I were an Iranian, I would be very fearful of the next 12 weeks," said Efraim Halevy, a former chief of Israel's intelligence agency and national security adviser.
http://www.jpost.com/...
The Obama administration believes in earnest that Israel might be preparing a unilateral military strike on Iran, perhaps as early as this fall or at the latest early next year, and the U.S. is now preparing for just such an eventuality. And Netanyahu, out of the goodness of his war mongering heart, intimated that he might even be kind enough to let the United States take the lead in his future military strike against Iran! Are we dupes or what! Are we, as a nation, so irrationally attached to Netanyahu's umbilical cord, as is Romney, that we would let Bibi take us into another unnecessary Bush-like Middle East war!
http://www.nytimes.com/...
There are reasons in Netanyahu's mind making it critical in his rush to insanity to bomb before November, obviously the coming U.S. elections; but more on this later. However, more importantly, why is Netanyahu in such determined haste to begin a war before the toughest sanctions ever on Iran have even begun to take effect. With his dangerous 'Sayeret Matkal' bravado (whose motto is, 'Who Dares Wins'), Netanyahu argues that tougher sanctions against Iran are useless and that only bombing will work. Obviously he knows full well that the sanctions being recently imposed have not had time to reach their full impact. But it's so insane to bomb, especially with so little regard reference the terrible consequences and madness which will surely follow close behind.
This is a war in which potentially millions could be killed! A million dead—an exaggeration you think? Consider the Iraq â Iran war, which for all intensive purposes was our first war, a U.S. proxy war, with Iran. Recall Rumsfeld not only meeting, but strategizing with Saddam Hussein to kill Iranians with the final death toll in that war overall being estimated at 1 million for Iran and ½ million for Iraq (Iraqi President Saddam Hussein greets Donald Rumsfeld, then special envoy of President Ronald Reagan, in Baghdad on December 20, 1983; http://bit.ly/...). Is it any wonder why the Iranian regime distrusts and has such strong antipathy towards us. They believe, and rightly so, if you juxtapose Iran with North Korea, that they must have nuclear weapons to protect themselves against U.S. hegemony. Think about all the tyrannical dictators we've supported and or partnered with over so many decades, especially in the Middle East.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/...
There is no question that none of us want to see a nuclear armed Iran, for Iran is another oppressive dictatorship with the intent of becoming the dominant power, a Persian power if you will, in the Middle East. And when you think about who enabled them to gain this power—it was under the George W. Bush administration. Remember Saddam's friend Rumsfeld, but obviously not for too long; with friends like Rumsfeld who needs enemies. People in the Middle East remember; Iran remembers and they don't trust us, and they're determined to have a nuclear weapon. Israel has nuclear weapons, and in the Iranian mindset, why not Iran!
Israel sees a nuclear armed Iran as an existential threat, and most would agree that Iran, along with its nuclear missile program, potentially poses a threat to Israel, the Arab states, maybe Europe and possibly by extension the U.S. itself; however, without advanced technologies and not having a capable ICBM that's a bit of a stretch. Obviously though not for North Korea—why aren't we planning to bomb them; and what about the most dangerous nuclear power on the planet—Pakistan—why not them. Not only are we not planning to bomb the Pakistani nuclear sites, but instead we give them billions in exchange for favors and influence to absolutely no avail, and yet they're the most perilous nuclear power of all.
Iranian statements particularly being ascribed to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (President of the Islamic Republic of Iran) that Israel must be wiped off the face of the map, an altogether affrighting avowal which would give pause to anyone, especially if one were Israeli; but the truth of it, he never said it. Nor is it the expressed policy of the Iranian government. Even the Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor, Israel's 'Minister of Intelligence & Atomic Energy' and Likud party member, agrees Ahmadinejad never said Israel 'Must Be Wiped Off the Map'. See the link to that video interview where the Israeli minister, Dan Meridor, agrees Ahmadinejad never did say it.
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/...
If we find ourselves at war with Iran it will be purely because that's what Netanyahu wants, and not what is necessary nor in our best interests. And Romney gave him a tacit green light to proceed to do so when he met with him recently in Israel. When you consider it matters not whether we agree or not, for if Israel bombs Iran, we will be in another war, a far more dangerous and deadly war in the Middle East, only this time with Iran. There is no sane reason for the U.S. or, for that matter, Israel at this juncture to be going to war with with Iran—it's absolutely insane.
Mitt Romney's inner circle of neocons*, particularly one Dan Senor (ultra-conservative and AIPAC [The American Israel Public Affairs Committee] member and 'Fox News' contributor), pushed this unsophisticated foreign policy neophyte Romney to enrage in one fell swoop all the Palestinians and all Arabs alike in the entire Middle East. Dan Senor, if you don't recall, was George W.'s spokesperson/propaganda chief in Iraq, always telling reporters how wonderfully everything was going, when in reality it was falling apart. The naive Mr. Romney, who received but one short briefing from the American ambassador in Israel, and with no other substantive communication from the administration, definitely took a harder line against Iran than the Obama administration—a hard-line, which is not the official policy of this country. If you were wondering why Mitt Romney was reduced to playing such a pandering stooge in Israel, you can blame his most obvious traveling companion who held the candidate on a very short leash from close proximity—Mr. 'Money Bags' himself, Sheldon Adelson; money talks and the rest of us will go on to fight in another Middle East war. This Romney inner circle is the same cadre of George W. advisers who got us into a totally unnecessary war with Iraq; are they going to succeed in doing it again—fooling us twice. Are we absolutely that stupid as a nation? Are Romney's sons going to fight and die in this Israeli promulgated war?
http://www.nytimes.com/...
*Meet the Romney neocon team: along with Dan Senor there are John Bolton & Robert Bork; and then there are the moguls, China casino slimeball Sheldon Adelson, Swift Boat financier Texan Bob Perry and, of course, the brothers Koch, Charles and David—what a package!
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Netanyahu is primarily pushing to bomb Iran now, before the U.S. elections, because he would like to affect the political outcome. However, like war, once you begin such a process there will be consequences totally beyond your control; one of the most sane reasons you never begin a war in the first place, especially without deliberation and due consideration—we have not reached that threshold, not yet anywhere near it! Unfortunately, the more Israel threatens, the more we're forced to respond, especially with the election only months away, by showing Israel that we will take care of the problem if it comes to that—will it then be our war! What has the politically naive Mr. Romney brought us to, even if he does not win the election!
Of course, the Obama administration is eager to prevent an Israeli attack, partly to avoid a major foreign policy crisis during the presidential campaign, and partly because it's clear that an Israeli strike would set off a terrible conflagration in the region. It's almost certain that Iran would retaliate, justifiably so after having been preemptively attacked, by launching missiles at Tel Aviv that would kill thousands of Israelis. Thusly, the United States would be under enormous pressure to defend Israel and respond, and we would then be pulled into another war in the Middle East.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/...
Our Secretary of Defense, Mr. Panetta, who was in Israel, used some of his sharpest language on Iran to date, as if to assure the Israelis that the Obama administration could be equally tough; even tougher than Romney. Are we allowing the Republican neocons again to drive us into another war? We're not even yet out of Afghanistan and the drums of the wealthy U.S. military-industrial complex, of which Romney is a significant investor-participant, are pushing to keep this country forever at perpetual war. Mr. Panetta added, "This is not about containment," as he told reporters at the start of his meeting with Mr. Peres (Shimon Peres, the Israeli president). "This is about making very clear that they (Iran) are never going to be able to get an atomic weapon."
This potential war is like an accident looking for a place to happen; for Iran is determined above all else to have a nuclear bomb and Israel is equally determined to stop them. What we have here are two immoveable forces traveling full speed directly at each other making this confrontation, this coming war, inevitable. Will someone please hit the pause button before it's too late! Where is the sanity in another war—there is none!
In Israel there remains feverish speculation among Israelis that Mr. Netanyahu will act in September or early October. Bibi, who desperately wants to drag America into the bombing campaign early, knows that his window of opportunity for doing so is closing rapidly. Clearly, if as he desires to get us involved within the next few months, he must do so firstly because Israel does not have the military capability—it does not have a bomb powerful enough to penetrate Iran's underground uranium-enrichment facilities—and cannot and doesn't want to fight a winter war. Recall Hitler's war with Russia. Mr. Netanyahu believes certainly that he will have less leverage if President Obama is re-elected; and even if Mr. Romney were to win, as a new president Bibi speculates his best friend would not want to take on a big military action early in his term, though with his war mongering inner circle I wouldn't discount that possibility—look what happened with hapless George W. After all, like George W., Romney needs to establish his commander-in-chief bona fides, and what better way, but to bomb Iran—more 'shock and awe' for our TV screens to demonstrate his resolve against Iran's quest for a nuclear bomb—but like George W., what Armageddon will he unwittingly unleash; I suspect far worse than what happened in Iraq. Right now Israeli newspapers are speculating the chance of an attack before November higher than 60 percent. 'It's probably a more crucial junction than it was ever before.' And Romney and his best buddy Bibi are stoking the 'Winds of War'.
(http://on.fb.me/Pd5GnH)
Is the time for war near or can Obama persuade Netanyahu otherwise. Both leaders are scheduled to address the U.N. General Assembly in New York on September 27, and basis the gravity of the situation it is expected that they will be meeting together privately to discuss Netanyahu's unrelenting drive to begin a preemptive war.
Bibi's illogical reasoning in using the timing of a coming U.S. election as the logical justification to start an all out war with Iran is madness; it might have some arguable comprehension if Iran actually had a nuclear bomb and delivery capability, but it does not now and may not have such for years to come. And even worse any strike at Iran's nuclear sites will only have the effect of delaying their nuclear program by maybe one year, two at the most. Why not give current sanctions now in place an opportunity to work; as long as there is time, then all political solutions must be vigorously pursued and given a chance to effect a more positive outcome. There is also a very real possibility given time that this authoritarian and religiously repressive regime will implode of its own accord. It always seems such regimes collapse, when only days before they seemed absolutely invincible.
There are many who believe that Iran is beginning to implode as an extension of the Arab Spring; we saw this during their last election, when Iranians saw what happened in countries near them. The attempted revolts during the 2009 election showed that the people of Iran were ready to stir the pot from the inside. And we should allow the very new severe sanctions recently put into place to further tear into the country and give internal upheaval a chance.
The new sanctions make it more difficult for Iran to process payments. Even on their often opaque international commodity markets, shortages can be felt directly on the streets in the form of higher prices and empty store shelves. According to commodity traders in Asia, shipments of palm oil from both the top suppliers, Indonesia and Malaysia, have been halted to Iran because traders fear they cannot get paid. These two countries account for 90 percent of global supply of the edible oil to Iran, a staple ingredient for products from margarine to all kinds of sweets. A trading source from Saudi Arabia whose firm runs a 16,000-tonne-a-year plant that refines food oil in Iran said the sector was barely operating. A margarine factory owner in Tehran told Reuters Wednesday he expected to halt production within months because of a shortage of raw materials.
The majority of Iranians are quite pro American and opposed to their oppressive government, and the only thing that a bombing campaign will ultimately accomplish is to solidify the people to unite behind their leaders during time of war. We will be undoing what the opposition in Iran in 2009 had painstakingly begun to do; to destroy the dictatorial religious Islamic theocracy ruling Iran.
NYT Op-Ed writer, Nicholas D. Kristof, who just completed an unmonitored 1,700-mile road trip across Iran, advised at the grass-roots level, this may be the most pro-American nation in the Middle East.
The Iranian government gave Kristof a very rare journalist visa, along with permission to drive with his young children and crew unescorted across the country from Mashhad in the east to Tabriz in the west, and back to Tehran. Kristof interviewed people at random along the way, and as far as he could tell he was not followed nor monitored.
Kristof explained that his trip was slowed by continued hospitality, for Iranians kept giving them presents or inviting them into their homes. And even in the security line to board a flight from Tehran to Mashhad, a Revolutionary Guard said genially, "We're not supposed to let batteries through, but we'll make an exception for you since you're a foreigner"; knowing full well that Kristof was an American.
Kristof summarized his thoughts by saying that Iran feels like other authoritarian countries he covered before they toppled. Basis what he saw, he guessed that the demise of this dictatorship would only be a matter of time â unless there's a war between Iran and the West, which was ignited by Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. That, Kristof said, would provoke a nationalist backlash that would rescue the ayatollahs.
See Kristof's story linked directly below.
http://travel.nytimes.com/...
Bombing Iran is the best way to guarantee exactly what we are trying to prevent. It's another George W. reckless war doomed to failure—culminating in untold death & destruction.
"Don't Do It Bibi!"
Please read Roger Cohen's most insightful NYT (8/16) Op-Ed, 'Israel's Iran Itch', about what we all lose if Bibi Netanyahu goes ahead with his plan to bomb Iran.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
One man’s insane quest to bomb Iran; what can the Obama administration due to stop or slow Netanyahu's madness.
Recommend you read Dennis Ross’s*discerning 8/17 comments, ‘How America Can Slow Israel’s March to War’
The problem as Mr. Ross describes is Israeli leaders fear that their clock will run out on them and that Israel, as it’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak put it, "Israel will no longer be a player at that point." It is for that point he said Israel is less patient, for Iran is rapidly approaching the moment when the depth, breadth and hardening of its multiple nuclear facilities would produce a "zone of immunity" in which an Israeli military strike would lose its effectiveness. Mr. Barak believes that Israel must act before that moment. Israel wants to go to war now! But Barak and Netanyahu may singularly be wrong in their assessment. Avi Dichter, former head of Shin Bet — the Israeli equivalent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has joined a host of former Israeli security and intelligence chiefs all saying that for Israel to lead an offensive against Iran would be a "total mistake." And thus the determination of Netanyahu to drag the U.S. into another Middle East war—a war with dangerous and undeterminable consequences for death and destruction!
*Mr. Ross was a State Department and National Security Council official; and special assistant to President Obama for the Middle East and South Asia from 2009 to 2011.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
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Romney raises the stakes for war with Iran. Ryan Adviser, Elliott Abrams, a former George W. Middle East official calls on Congress (8/21) to ask for war authorization against Iran. He solicits Congress for support & tells Congressmen that neither the Iranians nor Israelis think the Obama administration is "serious" about attacking Iran, and that the only real way to convince them is having Congress vote for war; and that this would demonstrate that, whatever the election results, American policy is set. Are we sure we want Romney in the White House
http://thinkprogress.org/...