Is Iran next target for war?

By Ashahed M. Muhammad -Asst. Editor- | Last updated: Apr 15, 2010 - 11:02:25 PM

‘If Israel is permitted to bomb Iran, America will be forced to defend her and in so doing, many American children—Black, Brown and poor White; Native American and Asian—who are in the armed forces will be forced to fight and die for something that really is tragic!’
—The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan

(FinalCall.com) - Recent news that Shahram Amiri, an award-winning Iranian nuclear scientist, defected to the United States and worked with the CIA in spying on Iran's nuclear program has many analysts asking if the intensified focus on the Islamic Republic of Iran is, again, a pretext for war.

Standing side by side with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on March 30, President Barack Obama announced he was renewing efforts for increased Iranian sanctions.

“We discussed our shared determination to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. On this the United States and France are united, are inseparable,” said President Obama. “But Iran thus far has rejected those offers. Today, the international community is more united than ever on the need for Iran to uphold its obligations. And that's why we're pursuing strong sanctions through the UN Security Council.”

Mr. Obama also recently announced that he and Russia President Dmitry Medvedev agreed to the most comprehensive arms control agreement in nearly two decades.

In a recent three-hour nationally broadcast radio interview, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan spoke about the political brinksmanship existing today between America and Iran, and Israel's desire to instigate military action against Iran.

“I heard recently that the Israeli government wants America either to attack the so-called nuclear facilities in Iran, or get out of the way, and let Israel do it,” said Minister Farrakhan.

“If Israel is permitted to bomb Iran, America will be forced to defend her and in so doing, many American children—Black, Brown and poor White; Native American and Asian—who are in the armed forces will be forced to fight and die for something that really is tragic!”

It is an open secret that Israel is the only nuclear superpower in the Middle East. Despite that, Israel is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. India, Pakistan and North Korea are non-signers, however, they have openly tested and officially stated they have nuclear weapons, while Israel continues a policy of intentional vagueness regarding her nuclear weapons program.

Former Israeli scientist Mordecai Vanunu released many details about Israel's nuclear program in the early 1980s. As a result, Israel imprisoned him for close to two decades and once released, severe restrictions were placed on his travel and associations. He is currently confined to Israel but restricted from speaking to the press.

This is part of Israel's grand strategy, according to author and Middle East commentator Ali Abunimah.

“The intense focus on Iran, particularly the constant drumbeat for war we heard so clearly coming out the AIPAC convention, is partly an attempt to change the subject away from Israel and the apartheid and ethnic cleansing it is imposing on Palestinians. But more than that, it is an effort to draw the United States into doing what Israel cannot do for itself: attack Israel's rivals in order to keep Israel as the number one military power in the region,” said Mr. Abunimah.

“AIPAC delivered an almost identical message almost a decade ago about Iraq—that Saddam is the new Hitler, that he would use WMDs to wipe out Israel, and so on. Another element is that the focus on Iran is a way to fuel and heighten the Islamophobic and ‘war of civilizations' discourse that Israel thrives and depends on to maintain its support base in the U.S.”

Mr. Abunimah doubts that Iran would even attack, pointing to the fact that Iran has more to worry about from Israel, and the U.S.—than vice versa.

“The fact is, Iran has never attacked any of its neighbors. No serious expert expects Iran would use nuclear weapons to launch an unprovoked attack on Israel, and that Iran, if indeed it is seeking nuclear weapons, wants them for deterrence both from Israel and the U.S., which occupies its immediate neighbors Iraq and Afghanistan. So Iran is a perfectly ‘rational actor' to use the international relations jargon—but it suits the Israel lobby to paint Iran as wild-eyed lunatics,” said Mr. Abunimah.

Related links:

US violates UN law by threatening Iran (PRESS TV, 04-12-2010)

Iran nuke document was forged (FCN, 01-08-2010)

Iran and its nuclear problems (FCN, 11-22-2009)

World community backs Iran's nuclear program (FinalCal.com, 09-14-2008)

How America crushed democracies (FCN, 08-28-2003)