The Iraqi cabinet approved it last February, but that's where things now stand because of mass public opposition to a blueprint for plunder. If the puppet parliament passes it, foreign investors will reap a bonanza of resources leaving Iraq with just slivers. Its complex provisions, still being manipulated, give the Iraqi National Oil Company exclusive control to less than one-fifth of the country's operating fields with all yet-to-be-discovered deposits (most of Iraq's reserves) set aside for Big Oil. Even worse, contracts (under "production sharing agreements") up to 35 years will be granted, all earnings may be expropriated, and foreign interests have no obligation to invest in Iraq's economy, partner with Iraqi companies, hire local workers, respect union rights, or share new technologies.
Earlier in the 20th century, America coveted Middle East oil once its potential was realized. Post-WW I, however, Britain occupied Iraq and Kuwait, benefitted most until WW II, miscalculated on Saudi's importance, and let the Roosevelt administration secure an oil concession in the 1930s that began close ties between the two nations. The President and King ibn Saud struck a deal. America guaranteed the kingdom's security in return for a steady supply of oil at stable prices, and later on, the recycling of huge petrodollar profits into US investments and military hardware.
Thereafter, the region was key, and the Carter Doctrine highlighted it after engineering the Shah's removal in 1979. Carter stated - "Let our position be absolutely clear: An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America (and) will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force."
Post-9/11, the Bush Doctrine applied Carter policy globally in the 2002 National Security Strategy (NSS), later revised and made harsher in 2006. It's an imperial grand plan for world dominance, preventive wars are the strategy, the Middle East and Central Asia are its main targets, and the powerful Israeli Lobby assures Washington and Tel Aviv interests are in lockstep. More on that below.
The Long Campaign against Iran
The January 2007 Herzliya, Israel conference was notable for what's become the country's premiere political event. This one differed from others in two respects. Forty-two past and present US policy makers were invited, and attention focused on a Shia "arc of extremism" with debates and discussion highlighting Iran and Hezbollah.
Participants claimed Iran spread regional instability, was close to developing nuclear weapons, and would use them against Israel. There were similar echoes from the January 2008 conference with comments from speakers like Ehud Barak saying "The Iranian nuclear threat remains critical (and) We will not accept an Iran which possesses a nuclear capable military." General Ephraim Sneh added "Our problem is not the nuclear problem, but rather the Iranian regime. (It) incorporates imperial ambition, hatred of Israel, increasing military strength, and an unlimited budget." Ignored was common knowledge or any glimmer of truth - that the late Ayatollah Khomeini banned nuclear weapons development, today's Iranian officials repeatedly stress the country's only nuclear aim is commercial, and Tehran represents no threat to Israel or any other country in or outside the region.
Since the early 1990s, Israel claimed otherwise - that Iran sought nuclear weapons, represented an existential threat, and had to be confronted. By 1994, Haaretz reported that the country's top priority was neutralizing Iran to thwart its regional aspirations because Tehran threatened to acquire nuclear weapons, long-range missiles, and had the ability to export terrorism and revolution to subvert secular Arab regimes. Iraq was already under sanctions, but Israel saw both countries as a combined threat. Weakening one would only strengthen the other, so both had to be smashed.
With Iraq under occupation, Iran's now called the center of world terrorism and packaged with Syria and Hezbollah as Israel's axis of evil with Hamas added later after its early 2006 electoral victory. Israel has big aims - to become a regional hegemon, prevent a rival power from influencing the "peace process," and deny the Palestinians any hope of ending the occupation. It thus manufactured an Iranian threat and along with Washington blocks dialogue and negotiation.
Claiming Iran is a nuclear menace runs counter to the facts. Tehran is years away from producing nuclear power, and IAEA head Mouhammad el-Baradei reports no evidence that Iran is building or seeks to build nuclear weapons. He also told the press last August that "Iran is ready to discuss all outstanding issues which triggered the crisis in confidence. It's a significant step. There are clear guidelines (and Iran is not) dallying with the agency (or) prolong(ing) negotiations to avoid sanctions....Iran (deserves) a chance to prove its stated goodwill."
IAEA also reported Iran's uranium enrichment program slowed, operates well below capacity, and isn't producing nuclear fuel in significant amounts. It had only 1968 centrifuges functioning, several hundred others in various stages of assembly or testing, and its enrichment level is well below what's needed to build a nuclear bomb. In addition, in December 2007, the US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) reported that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 (without evidence one ever existed) and has none of these weapons in its arsenal.
The Bush administration and Israel sidestepped NIE and denounced the IAEA, called it an Iranian ploy to buy time, and "There was no (Israeli) debate about which country should be targeted after Iraq." The goal was to isolate Iran, end its threat to Israel, but avoid the mistake of invading and occupying another country with Iraq already out of control. Other choices were preferable - stoking internal conflict, inciting instability, attacking by air, and deciding which reports to believe.
An August 2007 one called "Considering a war with Iran: A discussion paper on WMDs in the Middle East" was particularly alarming. British experts Dan Plesch and Martin Butcher prepared it, other evidence of impending conflict supported it, no date was given, but they stated things are too far along in planning to stop. They wrote the Pentagon has plans for a "massive, multi-front, full-spectrum" shock and awe-type attack with no ground invasion. Its aim is to target 10,000 sites with bombers and long-range missiles, destroy the country's military capacity, nuclear energy sites, economic infrastructure and other targets to destabilize and oust its regime or reduce the country to a "weak or failed state."
Washington also pressured the UN to impose sanctions on Iran. In July 2006, the Security Council passed Resolution 1696 demanding Tehran halt enriching uranium by August 31 or be sanctioned. UN Resolution 1737 followed in December, cited the country's nuclear program and imposed limited sanctions with further ones applied after UN Resolution 1747 passed in March. On January 22, 2008, the five permanent Security Council members and Germany agreed to a third round of sanctions that was less than what the Bush administration wanted.
The cat and mouse game continues, the threat of wider war remains, and nothing may be resolved with the current administration in power. Nor is there much chance for change under a new one in 2009 as hawkish candidates from both parties dominate the race and support Israel's design on Iran.
The Islamic Republic remains Target One, but on July 12, 2006 the Olmert government surprised. It attacked Lebanon in a blatant act of aggression. It later came out the war was long-planned, Washington was on board, and a minor incident became the pretext to launch it. The target was Hezbollah, and the scheme was to remove what former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage once called "the A-team of international terrorism." That was his way of noting a long-time Israeli irritant that was able to liberate Lebanon's south by ending the IDF's 22 year occupation in May 2000.
I am a 72 year old, retired, progressive small businessman concerned about all the major national and world issues, committed to speak out and write about them.
Jonathan Cook's analysis is a TEXT BOOK lesson which should be taught at schools and colleges all across the Middle East. Bits and pieces of his observations are obvious to those of all ages who see, think and analyse. Most, however, do not know what to do about it because of apathy or the extremely limited opportunities available to them in the police states they live in BUT South Lebanese, Gazans and Iranians are providing examples. Like it or not for the US and Israel what is emerging and will continue to grow will definitely not be palatable to both. Enough is enough!
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syed mahdi (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 123 comments)
on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 at 2:11:32 AM
