By Dave Lindorff
Not one news story about this week's latest chapter in the administration's ongoing effort to gin up a crazy war with Iran--the so-called "provocation" caused by Iranian naval speedboats approaching within 200 meters of a US destroyer--mentioned that the US, which sits some 7500 miles away from Iran, has sent a whole fully-armed armada into the Persian Gulf just off Iran's coast.
Or that the Vice President actually flew out to an aircraft carrier that was part of that US armada, and threatened, from the flight deck, to have the US massively attack Iran.
Just who is provoking whom where?
Imagine, for a moment, that Iran had sent its navy to patrol in the Gulf of Mexico, in international waters just off of the coasts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, and that its leader flew out to one of those ships and threatened to take out America's oil infrastructure.
How do you think the US government would react? How do you think the American people would react?
Do you think the US would send naval vessels out to provokingly sail close to Iranian ships? Do you think the US might do more than that and maybe sink those ships? (Especially if at that very moment Iranian special forces were operating inside the US, creating havoc and supporting subversive elements, as US special forces are already doing in Iran.)
Well duh! Of course they would.
So what do we expect the Iranians to do in this situation? Just keep their fleet moored in harbors and watch the US fleet sail up and down the Gulf, and out in the Arabian Sea off their southern coast unchallenged?
I'm not saying that Iran's decision to move aggressively to challenge US naval power off their shores is necessarily the wisest move, but at least American journalists and editors ought to have the decency and ethics to point out to readers and viewers that it is the US, not the Iranians, that are provoking things here.
If and when there is a US attack on Iran, you can bet the pretext for it will be some act by Iran that the US media will present as a "dastardly" attack on innocent US forces. What we're seeing with this coverage of the latest confrontation between US and Iranian vessels is that we will not be getting the real story.
As long as the Bush/Cheney administration continues to have that huge armada of war-primed vessels hugging Iran's coast, it is the US that is the aggressor, and it is the Bush/Cheney administration that must get the blame for the consequences.
The American corporate media will also be responsible though, for our domestic news organizations are playing the willing propagandists here as willingly as did Pravda or TASS in the old Soviet Union.
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DAVE LINDORFF is a Philadelphia-based journalist and columnist. His latest book, co-authored by Barbara Olshansky, is "THe Case for Impeachment" (St. Martin's Press, 2006 and now in paperback). His work is available at www.thiscantbehappening.net
http://www.thiscantbehappening.net
Dave Lindorff, a columnist for Counterpunch, is author of several recent books ("This Can't Be Happening! Resisting the Disintegration of American Democracy" and "Killing Time: An Investigation into the Death Penalty Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal"). His latest book, coauthored with Barbara Olshanshky, is "The Case for Impeachment: The Legal Argument for Removing President George W. Bush from Office (St. Martin's Press, May 2006). His writing is available at http://www.thiscantbehappening.net
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P.S... Note to Rob Kall. Please start headlining some of these stories on Iran! by
Robert Sargent (10 articles, 0 quicklinks, 24 diaries, 299 comments)
on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 10:26:49 AM
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I dunno The report I read said that the US vessels were more than 12 miles from recognized Iranian territory (and, therefore, in international waters.) Is the word "recognized" sigificant here? Is there territory that Iran claims that the US doesn't "recognize" or am I over-reacting to standard, ordinary language? by
BSpencer (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 3 comments)
on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 2:13:34 PM
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Richard Mynick is a US citizen who, despite the best efforts of the corporate media, noticed something disturbing about how the 2000 election was decided, & felt it augured poorly for democracy. |
Here's a link to unbelievable video of the incident. I say "unbelievable," because the Iranian boats are literally outboard motor boats like the type used for pulling water skiers. They have no visible guns mounted on them. A few simple speedboats -- against a fully-armed US destroyer!! Some "threat"!! The ABC big headline is "US Releases Dramatic Video of Iran Boat Incident"! by
Richard Mynick (2 articles, 3 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 1025 comments)
on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 7:10:06 PM
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Brett Paatsch is an Australian born secular humanist with degrees in management and science and an interest in politics. He is a former pro-American that wishes to be pro-American again and thinks the impeachment and repudiation of President George W Bush for the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 is necessary to reestablish trust in American signatures on international treaties and confidence in the global rule of law. |
Think playing chicken with speed boats that could have been carrying explosives and intending to suicide-ram a warship. If the ships are in international waters and the US fired in self defence at a boat that is subsequently shown to contain no explosives then the US loses in the court of international opinion. If the US doesn't fire and the boat IS containing explosives then the US possibly loses a warship and Bush's mission in the middle east. Looks like a good chess move to me from the Iranians. And the US responded well by not taking the offered pawn. by
Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 17 diaries, 784 comments)
on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 7:37:11 PM
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Brett Paatsch is an Australian born secular humanist with degrees in management and science and an interest in politics. He is a former pro-American that wishes to be pro-American again and thinks the impeachment and repudiation of President George W Bush for the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 is necessary to reestablish trust in American signatures on international treaties and confidence in the global rule of law. |
The Iranians are Not stupid -they play media politics too! Yes its provocative for the American fleet to be in the Gulf. But based on a story in todays The Australian (a Murdoch paper) the Iranians are baiting the Americans whilst Bush is on a five or six day tour of the middle east. I am no fan of the Bush adminstration but lets get real here. The Iranians are perfectly capable of playing for the camerra and the world media just like the Americans. Had an American warship sunk a speed boat after firing on it, America would have had another difficult international incident to explain whilst Bush was in the middle east. More American embarassment given the current opinion of America in general and of Bush in particular in the world and especially in the Middle East would have delighted the Iranians no end. A speed boat is not much to risk for the opportunity to embarrass and humilitate President Bush - or make him or the US look like a bad guy again - in the world's media. by
Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 17 diaries, 784 comments)
on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 7:26:09 PM
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Hater of Nazis above all. Hobbies include activism, military model building, military history, exciting and vital conversation with retired crooks. Retired |
I Can't remember which carrier One of the carriers (and probably its task force) is under the command of an ardent Zionist. by
John Hanks (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 859 comments)
on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 7:44:57 PM
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At the time the US fleet went into the Gulf .. a CANADIAN ship was sighted with it. I did a blog post about it. I got a very "STIFF" comment from the US Navy on my blog (for real) asserting that it was a matter of public record where the US Navy is. That had not been my POINT; my point was about Canadians being actively involved in provocation. Does anyone on here actually KNOW if that Canadian cruiser is still there? I got "lucky" that one time finding out that info, but it's getting harder and harder to get accurate information. Hi, Dave! I put your impeachment book as No. 2 on my Amazon recommended reading list! I hope people actually buy it and READ IT. Keeping up with all the crimes and corruption sure is a fulltime plus job, ain't it?? by
ladybroadoak (37 articles, 20 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 390 comments)
on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 10:18:39 PM
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ps, on the Iranian move .. it was suggested that the Iranians just actually wanted to check out the US response time .. which they have done. I wonder if the Russians put them up to that? The North Koreans fire their missiles when the space shuttles go up to find out what the radio frequency is for the Central Command. Now that they've been caught out at that, things are drastically changing on that front. They would set off the HAARP signals. It would be very very interesting to know EXACTLY what the Iranians actually achieved, would it not?? They aren't stupid, and I don't think they want an nuclear attack on their citizens. by
ladybroadoak (37 articles, 20 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 390 comments)
on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 10:22:45 PM
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Midwesterner, veteran of VietNam era naval service, I still feel an obligation to defend the Constitution against "all enemies, foreign and domestic." |
Routine? The Iranian government characterized the incident as "routine", indicating that this was not the first experience of it. If this is the case, why are we just now hearing about it as if it were a primary causus belli? The Iranians are equipped with reasonably accurate cruise missiles with sufficient range to easily strike targets in the Strait of Hormuz, where this incident is reported to have taken place. Does it make sense that they would tip their aggressive hand by sending suicide boats to attack American warships with a low order of probability of success? Something stinks here, and I'm betting that it's Dick Cheney's breath. by
John Sanchez Jr. (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 6 diaries, 897 comments)
on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 10:52:04 PM
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57Yo m I'm a "been there, done that! Bought the tee shirt,to hide the scars!" type of person Ive worked�many jobs from�a chicken slaughterer to managing a branch of a multinational and many jobs in between.Raised in colonial PNG Left School 16,Grad Hi school 22 Night School, University 36� BBus (majored in Psyche and Marketing), Dip Comp prog and project Mmnt.at 50 I've been in 48 different community org ,23 on board with 18 prez or deputy prez.First social campaign at 17 for the aborigine... |
Dave Sadly provocation is in the eye of the beholder. It is also a fact that the more jingoistic the 'beholder' the more the provocation is expected. Chenney/Bush are looking for a fight and will probably find one before Bush leaves office. More as a political statement than anything. Republicans believe democrats are vulnerable on defence. Your Turn. by
Andris (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 532 comments)
on Wednesday, January 9, 2008 at 12:10:13 AM
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Taunts, nothing more ... Quoting "Brett Paatsch (sp?) : "could have been carrying explosives and intending to suicide-ram a warship. " We lost one our ships that way, before. More than once, if you review naval-history. But during the Clinton admin, some of our heroic-defenders lost their lives by an inflatable-raft 'speed-boat' with a fast-engine attached, and filled with explosives. That ship was out of commission for over a year. I did not like the article. I think it's extremely biased and sensationalistic. The Iranians have made provocative remarks to stop the international shipments of privately-owned oil-tankers to Europe, Africa, South America, Canada, England, the US and elsewhere, many times in the past, and other cargo as well. All ship-traffic is 'bottle-necked' through a passage. It is a Global_Security risk. If that bottle-neck is closed, ship-traffic stopped, global-economy would go into turmoil. Due to speed-boat suicide-bombers and outright bombings of cargo-terminals in the region, our heroic-defenders are serving and protecting all people equally, and that means YOUR ASS as well. They didn't sign-up for that shit, no matter how you construe it -- to be TAUNTED by suicide-rafters/speedboats or whatever. But are fully prepared to serve and protect all people equally to keep global-economy thriving, to bravely confront and nullify any threat that could possibly impact it. Now, here's the thing, and the part all the so-called 'experts' miss: There are those in Iran that want war, fully knowing they'd lose, merely to 'martyr-themselves' to embolden enemies of freedom/liberty, globally. I'm talking about HatefulReligiousConspiracy, which knows no specific religion, no specific organization, no specific border, no specific individual -- and just dangerously 'pops-up' as some twisted, psychotic 'positive-godly-good-plan' in the minds of believers. That's why it's so dangerous, because be it 'christians' or 'Islamacists' or 'hindi's or whatever, many have been literally brainwashed to think that the mass-murder of every man, woman, child, baby, pet, plant and wildlife on Earth is a 'positive-godly-good-plan,' when it's obviously the epitome of hate. And they conspire together, religion with religion, in hatefulness, under the guise of 'peace/love/tranquility/concern,' with endless 'reasonable-sounding' bullshit in the pathetic attempt to 'justify' the MEANness, merely to sit-back later, atop the rubble, misery and grief, to PROFIT, see -- see it yet? -- from the extremism their so-called 'religious-moderation' inspired, subtly-encouraged/instigated/HOPED-for themselves. This is a powder-keg, but not in the manner presented. It's highly volatile. HatefulReligiousSupremacy is the only imminent-threat 'wmd' in existence. We are a global-coalition defending all people equally against it. The radio-transmission SOURCE cannot be identified. It could have been from within our own fleet. But the TAUNTING of the speed-boats was obviously NOT. Don't jump to conclusions. Kind Regards, Clayton Winton Priest River, ID by
claytOnleOnwintOn (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 6 comments)
on Wednesday, January 9, 2008 at 10:26:33 PM
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