TEHRAN - The head of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano,
confirmed recent allegations on WikiLeaks of his intense loyalty to the United
States, by traveling to Washington ahead of the much-anticipated release of his
new report on Iran.
While the details of Amano's consultation with Washington higher-ups remain
confidential, the avalanche of media speculation regarding the content of his
upcoming November 9 report, including details of an appendix suggesting Iran's
proliferation activity at a military complex in Tehran, leave no doubt that the
United Nations' atomic agency is fully in league with the United States and its
Western and Israeli allies' intention
to ratchet up pressure on Tehran to relent on its current nuclear activities,
or face dire consequences.
Iran has faced several rounds of UN and unilateral sanctions over its nuclear
program, which some suspect is designed to build a nuclear weapon - a charge
Tehran rejects.
Not since 2002-2003, when US officials willingly lied to the world community
about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction threat, has the world seen such a
deafening noise surrounding a country report by the IAEA. A casual comparison
of the official Washington rhetoric then and now, with respect to Iran, reveals
a strong resemblance that ought to make George Orwell shiver in his grave.
Iran has officially complained to the UN regarding blunt threats by the US,
France and Israel; this while the US and French presidents joined hands at the
Group of 20 summit to orchestrate an Iranphobic campaign by categorically
claiming that Iran was engaged in nuclear proliferation.
As usual, another sensational campaign of disinformation on Iran is clearly
underway, with compliant Western media outlets making much in reports of a
"bus-size steel container" supposedly built to test high explosives, which
could well turn out to be for conventional arms. The other item on the news
agenda is "expanded information" that Iran has toyed with computer models on
nuclear warheads.
This is music to Tel Aviv's ears, given the intensifying war rhetoric of
Israeli leaders who appear to be increasingly boxing themselves into an "attack
Iran" mode.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi accused the IAEA of giving in to US
pressure to level accusations against Iran. ''Iran has already responded to the
alleged studies in 117 pages. We've said time and again that these are
forgeries similar to faked notes,'' Salehi told reporters in Tehran on
Saturday. "The IAEA should not do things under pressure ... Iran's nuclear
issue is not a technical or legal issue. It's a totally political case,''
Salehi said.
The IAEA report may be the final evidence that the Israelis need before they
launch their missile strikes at Iran's nuclear facilities, irrespective of
whether or not the IAEA is guilty of adopting as fact the fabricated evidence
of certain intelligence services.
The IAEA has no independent means to corroborate the mass of intelligence it
receives from other nations. This was explicitly admitted to by Amano's
predecessor Mohammad ElBaradei, who repeatedly cast doubt on the authenticity
of the so-called "intelligence on Iran". Amano does not seem to have his
predecessor's zeal for the independence required to dare to question Western
perspectives on Iran.
According to a well-placed source in Washington, who didn't want to be
identified, Israel's real intention is not war, but rather to accelerate the
Iran sanctions, particularly by the US Congress, which is mulling energy
sanctions and the like. If so, Israel is doing a good job, even though its
bluff may backfire next time around, especially with the Iranians having warned
Israel of very dire consequences if it were to attack Iran.
To be successful, an Israeli strike at Iran has to target dozens of sites, some
in or around populated areas, which simply means a strong likelihood of high
civilian casualties. That would trigger a tsunami of Iranian popular anger that
would in turn impel the political leaders to try to respond as hard as possible
at Israeli and US interests. It is a sure bet that the conflict would spread to
the Persian Gulf and adversely affect the flow of oil from the region.
"Iran can close the Strait of Hormuz at practically any time, and that would
put a stop to the export of some 6 million barrels of oil that is shipped out
of the region on a daily basis," says a Tehran University political science
professor on the condition of anonymity. He, like other Iran foreign policy
experts, is concerned that the US is playing a poor card by not reining in
Israel to quiet its "incendiary rhetoric." While US President Barack Obama is
perhaps too preoccupied with other subjects, this can prove a grave and costly
error.
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