The South African Civil Society Information Service
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
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A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
11 Aug 2010
Renowned linguist and political critic, Noam Chomsky, delivered an address by pre-recorded video to the attendees of the United National Peace Conference in Albany, New York on July 24, 2010.
Amongst broader issues related to America’s military offensive in the Middle East, Chomsky argues that the US is gearing up for a war against Iran.
Noam Chomsky: The US is now fighting two wars of aggression in Asia and is planning a third. Military spending is escalating to unprecedented heights under Obama.
As if two wars in the region are not enough. Obama is now building up for a third war against Iran. It's widely claimed that Iran poses the most severe crisis facing the US. Congress has just strengthened sanctions against Iran.
Obama has been rapidly expanding (the military's) offensive capacity on the African island of Diego Garcia, which is claimed by Britain. Britain expelled the population so that the US could build the massive military base that it uses for attacking the Middle East and Central Asia.
The navy is expanding facilities there for nuclear powered guided missile submarines with tomahawk missiles, which can carry nuclear warheads. Each submarine is reported to have the striking power of a typical naval carrier battle group. The Obama build up also includes 100's of so-called bunker buster bombs, the most powerful in the arsenal of nuclear weapons. These are intended for blasting hardened underground structures, aimed for Iran.
The planning for these bombs began under Bush, but languished. Obama accelerated the program as soon as he took office and they're now to be deployed years ahead of schedule, of course, aimed at Iran.
A very respected British strategic analyst, Dan Plesch, points out, ”They’re gearing up totally for the destruction of Iran. The US bombers and long-range missiles are ready today to destroy 10,000 targets in Iran in a few hours. The fire power of US forces has quadrupled since 2003, accelerating rapidly under Obama."
A US fleet along with an Israeli naval vessel is reported to have passed through the Suez Canal on the way to the Persian Gulf, where its task, according to Arab press reports, is to implement the sanctions against Iran and supervise the ships going to and from Iran.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, visited Afghanistan a couple of days before I am speaking. On his return he went to Israel to meet senior military officers and planners. The major Israeli newspaper H'aaretz reports, "that the meeting focused on the preparation by both Israel and the US for possibility of a nuclear capable Iran.”
These increasing threats of military action against Iran are in violation of the UN Charter and they are also in specific violation of Security Council Resolution 1887 of September 2009, which re-affirmed the call to all states, to resolve the dispute related to nuclear issues, specifically, peacefully in accordance with the Charter.
They’re speaking specifically of the Middle East charter. The Charter of course bans the use or the threat of force.
What exactly is the Iranian threat?
There are many apocalyptic pronouncements, but they don't descend to the level of argument.
There is also an authoritative answer that was provided by several government reports to Congress on the military threat of Iran, last April.
The report makes it clear that the Iranian threat is not military. To quote the report, "Iran's military spending is relatively low compared to the rest of the region," and of course minuscule as compared to that of the US. "Iranian military doctrine is strictly defensive, designed to slow an invasion and force a diplomatic solution to hostilities. Iran has only a limited capability to project force beyond its borders."
The report says that Iran and its willingness to keep open the possibility of developing nuclear weapons is a central part of its deterrent strategy, not offensive.
Though the Iranian threat is not military, that doesn't meant that it might not be tolerable to Washington. Iranian deterrent capacity is an illegitimate exercise of sovereignty that interferes with US global designs. Specifically, it threatens US control of Middle East energy resources.
That's been a very high priority of planners since World War II. They recognize that control of Middle East energy resource provides substantial control of the world.
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