"If Israel takes such crazy actions as attacking our nuclear facilities, we will give it an unforgettable lesson." Iranian Parliament-Speaker, Haddad Adel
The prospect of war breaking out between the United States and Iran is more likely by the day. Still, for the most part, the American public seems strangely unaware of the growing danger. In late September Iran began conducting major military exercises in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, where officials claim that US agents have infiltrated and are carrying out destabilizing activities. Tehran has deployed 100,000 soldiers to the oil-rich region to address the growing unrest and to carry out maneuvers which anticipate a preemptive invasion by the US.
These signs of mounting tensions are further amplified by a resolution that was passed by the UN's nuclear watchdog agency (IAEA) two weeks ago. The agency voted by a slim majority to bring Iran before the UN Security Council for "non-compliance" with its treaty requirements under the terms of the NPT (Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty).
The US-backed resolution was pushed through the IAEA to make it appear as though Iran is conducting a secret nuclear weapons program. No evidence of such a program has ever been verified and the agency's chief, Mohammad Elbaradei, has repeatedly given Iran a clean bill of health on all matters related to its compliance with treaty obligations.
The "nuclear weapons" issue is a red herring similar to the WMD ruse prior to the war with Iraq. It provides the US and Israel with some cover of legitimacy for future attacks on Iranian weapons-sites. By disarming Iran, the Bush administration will have eliminated a long-term regional competitor to Israel and will be able to proceed with the neocon master-plan to redraw the map of the Middle East to suit US interests.
