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Iran: Former German official says War Imminent

To The Streets | 31.05.2008 20:45 | Anti-militarism | World

The real choice is clear.

It's devastation through an illegal and unnecessary war, or confronting the Extremists in the Knesset, and avoiding this Madness ...

The fact that this man repeats many of the lies peddled by the 'neo-cons', I'm suspicious of his conclusion.

Note that the one choice he doesn't mention is removing these War Criminals from power and tossing them in jail before they get the chance to compound their crimes.

IRAN: Former German official says war imminent
An opinion piece by the former German foreign minister published today in a leading Middle East paper says that Israel is planning to attack Iran over its nuclear program.

(Actually, the program of power generation is only the pretext, not the reason, for this illegal Act of Aggression.)

Joschka Fischer, German's top diplomat from 1998 to 2005, is a visiting scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

He wrote a piece (below) that appeared in today's Daily Star, an English-language Lebanese newspaper, arguing that President Bush's recent visit to the Middle East was a precursor to a war on Iran's nuclear program:

The Middle East is drifting toward a new great confrontation in 2008. Iran must understand that without a diplomatic solution in the coming months, a dangerous military conflict is very likely to erupt. It is high time for serious negotiations to begin.

(Diplomacy won't work, because the Extremists in Israel and DC don't care about this program. They created the illusion of a 'crisis' which does not exist with the sole purpose of feigning justification for a war they planned years ago, when they planned the war on Iraq.)

Fischer said Bush's speech during his address to the Israeli Knesset, or parliament, this month indicated a coming Israeli-U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear program:

He seemed to be planning, together with Israel, to end the Iranian nuclear program -- and to do so by military, rather than by diplomatic, means.... Although it is acknowledged in Israel that an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities would involve grave and hard-to-assess risks, the choice between acceptance of an Iranian bomb and an attempt at its military destruction, with all the attendant consequences, is clear. Israel won't stand by and wait for matters to take their course.

(in this case, the only 'matter' of importance is the Neo-Fascists' drive for war. Period. Everything else is a smokescreen.)

Fischer, former leader of Germany's Green Party, was one of the key diplomats involved in assessing Iran's nuclear facilities and pressuring Tehran for a temporary halt of its uranium enrichment program from 2003 to 2005, when he left office.

His piece was the talk of the town in Beirut. It stunned some abroad, as well. Conservative blogger Don Surber writes:

I had hoped that reasonable minds would by now have resolved this situation amicably and without violence. When a lefty like Fischer doubts that can happen, I worry.

(So long as the 'reasonable minds' are willing to Appease War Criminals, those criminals will push this for as long as they can.)

—Borzou Daragahi in Beirut

latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2008/05/iran-former-ger.html

As things look, Israel may well attack Iran soon
By Joschka Fischer
Commentary by
Friday, May 30, 2008

As a result of misguided American policy, the threat of another military confrontation hangs like a dark cloud over the Middle East. The United States' enemies have been strengthened, and Iran - despite being branded as a member of the so-called "axis of evil" - has been catapulted into regional hegemony. Iran could never have achieved this on its own, certainly not in such a short time.

(This was part of the 'Neo-Con' plan all along.)

A hitherto latent rivalry between Iran and Israel thus has been transformed into an open struggle for dominance in the Middle East. The result has been the emergence of some surprising, if not bizarre, alliances: Iran, Syria, Hizbullah, Hamas and the American-backed, Shiite-dominated Iraq are facing Israel, Saudi Arabia, and most of the other Sunni Arab states, all of which feel existentially threatened by Iran's ascendance.

(This refers only to GOVERNMENTS. The PEOPLE in those states know what's really at play here, despite Bush/PNAC's 'divide & rule' tactics.)

The danger of a major confrontation has been heightened further by a series of factors: persistently high oil prices, which have created new financial and political opportunities for Iran (and the oil men in the White House and Israel); the possible defeat of the West and its regional allies in proxy wars in Gaza and Lebanon ('the West' was not represented here. Only the 'Neo-Cons' ...); and the United Nations Security Council's failure to induce Iran to accept even a temporary freeze of its nuclear program (Which is currently investigating whether Israel and the US used coercion to achieve these Resolutions, which violate Iran's NPT rights.).

Iran's nuclear program is the decisive factor in this equation, for it threatens irreversibly the region's strategic balance.

That Iran - a country whose president never tires of calling for Israel's annihilation (He never actually has ...) and that threatens Israel's northern and southern borders through its massive support of proxy wars waged by Hizbullah and Hamas (Which are actually reactions to US/Israeli aggression and provocations) - might one day have missiles with nuclear warheads (if they decided to ever try and build them, which they are not ...) is Israel's worst security nightmare.

(No, Israel's worst 'security nightmare' is a Government bent on illegal war no matter what the cost to its citizens, and those of its 'ally'.)

Politics is not just about facts, but also about perceptions. Whether or not a perception is accurate is beside the point, because it nonetheless leads to decisions.

(A very important paragraph. But this is only true because we allow it to be. The facts haven't gone anywhere. It's just that everyone seems fine in ignoring them - to their own peril ...)

This applies in particular when the perception concerns what the parties consider to be threats to their very existence.

(Or when criminal Regimes, filled with dangerous Extremists, deliberately LIE to their own people, as has happened in both Israel and the United States.)

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's threats of annihilation are taken seriously in Israel because of the trauma of the Holocaust.

(And, despite the fact that they were never once uttered by this man - whose rise to power came AFTER the 'Neo-Con' plot against Iran - the Israeli Government's willingness to LIE to its citizens has created such a 'fear'.)

And most Arab governments share the fear of a nuclear Iran. Earlier this month, Israel celebrated its 60th birthday, and US President George W. Bush went to Jerusalem to play a leading part in the commemoration. But those who had expected that his visit would mainly be about the stalled (phony) negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians were bitterly disappointed.

(And naive ...)

Bush's central topic, including his speech to Israel's Knesset, was Iran. Bush had promised to bring the Middle East conflict closer to a resolution before the end of his term this year. But his final visit to Israel seemed to indicate that his objective was different: he seemed to be planning, together with Israel, to end the Iranian nuclear program - and to do so by military, rather than by diplomatic, means.

(But that was just rhetoric. The intention is simply to overthrow the Iranian Government, militarily occupy the country, and attempt to install another compliant Puppet Regime.)

Anyone following the press in Israel during the anniversary celebrations and listening closely to what was said in Jerusalem did not have to be a prophet to understand that matters are coming to a head. Consider the following:

First, "stop the appeasement!" is a demand raised across the political spectrum in Israel - and what is meant is the nuclear threat emanating from Iran.

(Even though there is no such threat, and the real 'evil' being enabled by Appeasement is the shameful silence in the face of increasing War Crimes by Israel and the United States.)

Second, while Israel celebrated, Defense Minister Ehud Barak was quoted as saying that a life-and-death military confrontation was a distinct possibility.

Third, the outgoing commander of the Israeli Air Force declared that the air force was capable of any mission, no matter how difficult, to protect the country's security. The destruction of a Syrian nuclear facility last year (which also didn't take place ...), and the lack of any international reaction to it, were viewed as an example for the coming action against Iran.

Fourth, the Israeli wish list for US arms deliveries, discussed with the American president, focused mainly on the improvement of the attack capabilities and precision of the Israeli Air Force.

Fifth, diplomatic initiatives and UN sanctions when it comes to Iran are seen as hopelessly ineffective.

(As they were designed to be, as this is not about the power program, but starting another illegal war. Period.)

And sixth, with the approaching end of the Bush presidency and uncertainty about his successor's policy, the window of opportunity for Israeli action is seen as potentially closing.

(It speaks volumes that Israeli politicians/Extremists are mourning the loss of Bush ...)

The last two factors carry special weight. While Israeli military intelligence is on record as saying that Iran is expected to cross the red line on the path to nuclear power between 2010 and 2015 at the earliest (without evidence, and contrary to the assessments of every related agency in the world), the feeling in Israel is that the political window of opportunity to attack is now, during the last months of Bush's presidency.

Although it is acknowledged in Israel that an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities would involve grave and hard-to-assess risks, the choice between acceptance of an Iranian bomb and an attempt at its military destruction, with all the attendant consequences, is clear.

(Or at least, that's the LIE Israel's ruling Extremists, like Bush/PNAC regarding Iraq, hope they can dupe the hapless population into believing ... But there is no such black and white choice. It's devastation through an illegal and unnecessary war, or confronting the Extremists in the Knesset, and avoiding this Madness ...)

Israel won't stand by and wait for matters to take their course.

(Which really means that Israel's relatively small band of Extremists won't respect the Rule of Law, and will attack this country - without provocation or justification - regardless of the cost to their citizens, or the world as a whole.)

The Middle East is drifting toward a new great confrontation in 2008. Iran must understand that without a diplomatic solution in the coming months, a dangerous military conflict is very likely to erupt. It is high time for serious negotiations to begin.

(Diplomacy won't work, because the Extremists in Israel and DC don't care about this program. They created the illusion of a 'crisis' which does not exist with the sole purpose of feigning justification for a war they planned years ago, when they planned the war on Iraq.)

The most recent offer by the six powers - the UN Security Council's five permanent members plus Germany - is on the table, and it goes very far in accommodating Iran's interests. The decisive question, however, will be whether it will be possible to freeze the Iranian nuclear program for the duration of the negotiations to avoid a military confrontation before these negotiations are completed. Should this newest attempt fail, things will soon get serious. Deadly serious.

(Again, diplomacy won't work, because the Extremists in Israel and DC don't care about this program. They created the illusion of a 'crisis' which does not exist with the sole purpose of feigning justification for a war they planned years ago, when they planned the war on Iraq.)

Joschka Fischer, Germany's foreign minister and vice chancellor from 1998 to 2005, led

Germany's Green Party for nearly 20 years. THE DAILY STAR publishes this commentary in collaboration with Project Syndicate-Institute for Human Sciences (c) (www.project-syndicate.org).

www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=925

Iran Will Cooperate with UN Probe into US/Israeli Allegations
 http://www.winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?13896S

Israel's Syrian Air Strike Was Aimed at Iran
 http://www.winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?8196S

The ME has had a Secretive Nuclear Power in its Midst for Years
 http://www.winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?8195S

Spooks Refuse to Toe Cheney's Line on Iran
 http://www.winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?8173S

IAEA Again Verifies Iranian Compliance
 http://www.winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?8130S

Israel Considering Strike on Iran Despite US Intelligence Report
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2224052,00.html

US intelligence report heightens danger of Israeli strike on Iran
 http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/dec2007/isra-d06.shtml

'Laptop of Death': Revising the NIE on Iran
The entire claim that Iran was building nuclear weapons rests on a laptop provided by a single, dubious source.

 http://www.antiwar.com/ips/akhavi.php?articleid=12028 www.antiwar.com/prather/?articleid=12025

Israeli Extremists Prep for Nuclear Strike on Iran  http://www.israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/7903/index.php

Hersh: Israel Pressed me to Write Syrian Site was Nuclear  http://www.rawstory.com/news/2008/Sy_Hersh_Israeli_raid_on_Syria_0208.html

Sy Hersh confirms: Syrian Facility Bombed by Israel Not Nuclear
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?10935S

A Strike in the Dark - What did Israel bomb in Syria?
by Seymour M. Hersh  http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/02/11/080211fa_fact_hersh/?printable=tr

War Clouds Over Mideast
 http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=108719&d=8&m=4&y=2008

Israel & The 'Clash of Civilizations'
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?11022S

The largest threat to the region doesn't come from Iran: it comes from Israel's success in having had the US "neutralize" countries which it believes to be an existential threat to it's existence. However, there's just one little problem with this approach concerning Iran. Russia's diplomats have stated unequivocally that any attack against Iran will be perceived as an attack on Russia.

UN Nuclear Watchdog in Milestone Iran Deal
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?14262S

Iran Dumps US Dollar in Oil Trading, US Preps War
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?14276S

Israel's Extremists STILL Beating Iran War Drums
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?14360S

Iran Mosque Blast Plotters Admit Israeli, US Links
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?14997S

Israel, US Joint Plotting Against Iran, Attack ElBaredei  http://www.israel.indymedia.org/newswire/display/7888/index.php llll

ElBaradei: Iran Not After Bomb www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/399278.html
Israel Calls for US Blockade of Iran  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/399342.html

US Report on 'Iranian Weapons' Postponed Due to Lack of Evidence
 http://winnipeg.indymedia.org/item.php?17560C

Pakistan May Turn Over U.S. Terrorists To Iran  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/399471.html

Iranian Mosque Blast Plotters Admit Israeli, US Links  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/399467.html

Bombing Iran: Extremists' Mad Clamor Persists  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/399468.html

Carter: Israel Has At Least 150 Nukes  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/399591.html

IAEA Again Confirms: No Weaponization in Iran
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/399625.html

To The Streets

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  1. Bush 'plans Iran air strike by August' — Tony Gosling
  2. “International Iran Conference” in Berlin — Ali Fathollah-Nejad

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