Iran Offered Recognition of Israel, Nuclear Cooperation
Bush: "How dare you!"
In 2003, Iran offered to come in from the cold in a proposal to George W. Bush. Recognition of Israel within 1967 borders, pressure on Hizbullah and the Palestinians to moderate, signing the additional protocols of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, it was all there for Bush's taking.
What did Bush do?
He reprimanded the Swiss embassy, which takes care of US affairs in Iran, for daring to forward this proposal to Crawford on the Potomac.
Why?
Why?
Bush and his various constituencies (the military-industrial complex; the Christian Right; the Likudnik Lobby; and Big Oil) do not want peace with Iran.
How relieved they must have been when they managed to freeze out President Mohammad Khatami, who was trying to bring Iran back into the international community and reduce tensions.
How delighted they must have been when the world class buffoon Mahmoud Ahmadinejad succeeded Khatami and the hard liners strengthened their grasp after the Bush administration had done what it could to sabotage the Iranian reform movement.
Now Bush has Iran right where he wants it, in the sights of an ICBM.
Condi Rice called Iran the "central banker for terrorism" , even though the banks al-Qaeda used were in the UAE and Pakistan and no operational Iranian link to al-Qaeda has ever even been plausibly suggested. Rice hasn't said that again, because everyone pointed out to her that it is not true. Given that so many of the Israeli colonists busy stealing Palestinian land and pushing Palestinian children into thorn bushes are armed and demonstrably violent, and given that the US has designated Kach/ Kahana Chai as a terrorist group, it could as well be argued that the funders of Kach in particular and of the colonists in general are among the central bankers of terrorism in the world.
Then last week the Likudnik Lobby started a black psy-ops campaign to paint Iran as the Fourth Reich. The Khomeinist regime is oppressive and authoritarian, may God hasten its demise. But it hasn't invaded any neighbors, and it hasn't committed genocide (though it has executed dissidents and members of religious minorities who were prisoners of conscience), and you may as well assault Burma or Zimbabwe if you are a Warmongering Wilsonian.
posted by Juan Cole @ 5/26/2006 12:07:00 AM
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6 Comments:
Yeah, and the Israeli government has put billions into settling people that often have the same views as these outlawed groups on Palestinian territory.
Leverett's account:
http://www.brookings.edu/views/op-ed/fleverett/20060124.htm
Despite the possibility that I will be accused of "anti-israel" bias, I wanted to point out that carbomb assassinations are alive and well in Lebanon. The Mossad is suspected
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5019306.stm
I remember when I first heard about this a month or so ago, I got so mad I was spitting vinegar.
In a way, this was worse than all the other lies and spin of half truths.
In this administration, arrogance, incompetance and ignorance overlap so much you never know which one has the upper hand.
Finally, after reading your link to Hafed, ones must compare this to the situation with Libya where Gaddafi's regime all of a sudden is ok -- and again ask Why? Why? Why?
Jeffepops: Both Juan and Lawrence responded with specifics that were germane to the question at hand. You, however, in your insistence on trying to bully into silence anyone who dares criticize the Israeli government, are merely being thuggish. The sad fact is that because of the thuggishness of people like you, two things have happened:
1) It's easier to openly discuss these subjects in Israel than it is in America -- go crack open any copy of Ha'aretz and you'll see what I mean.
2) The reflexive use of the claim of anti-Semitism as a means to gag anyone (even Jews) who dare for any reason criticize Israel, only serves to cheapen that claim into meaninglessness. The more you and people like you abuse that claim, the less seriously you will be taken, and (in classic "boy who cried 'wolf!'" fashion) the easier you will have made it for genuine anti-Semites to go unpunished.
But enough of this. Why should I waste time attempting to reason with a person who knows he's lost his original argument and thus is trying to change the terms of the argument after the fact?
"Why?"
Because they want war, it is good for business, or at least, they expect it to be good for business.
Just look at how well the military-industrial stocks have done since 2002.
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