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| Nuclear standoff between Washington, Tehran |
| Afshain Afzal |
| No alarm bells are ringing, there are no hooters or sirens but still uncertainty prevails in the gulf and its neighbourhood. Every day there are renewed threats from US and Israel that they might attack Iran but Tehran is crystal clear that noting will happen. US intends to break the backbone of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps by Psychological Operations and buying of loyalties. One wonders that if at all attack takes place, who will be the next target of the barbaric democratic regimes.
No one in White House is clear what will happen next but Yemen, Iran and Somalia are all lined up and are prepared for the worst. Westerners think that if Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have bowed their knees before the western might, why Yemen, Iran and Somalia dare look for an exceptional treatment? The United Nations is backing this international conspiracy otherwise how could any country dare think about attacking sovereign state?
Washington seems much worried about Iran’s nuclear and missile programmes and would resist allowing Tehran to restore old glory of Persian Empire. Every other day Tehran is greeted with threats of attacks and sanctions. Where Russia and China have expressed their concerns on imposing sanctions on Iran, US seems to go ahead with its plan. Being permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, of course, there would be a veto from these countries if US try to play nasty with Iran.
However, in October last year Washington played clever through the good offices of the United Nations and dragged Russia into US-Iran nuclear controversy by floating an idea of enrichment of Iranian uranium from France and Russia. Moscow is unhappy with Tehran has rejected the proposal of sending uranium to France and Russia for enrichment. US gave deadline of December 31, 2009, to Tehran to accept the October enrichment plan but so far Iran has not shown any sign of compliance. US has started pressurizing permanent members of United Nations to start considering possible tougher sanctions against Tehran. In the latest development, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on world powers to take a sobre approach and beware of pushing Iran into a corner.
Few weeks back, US had carried out missile attack on Yemen on the pretext that one of its Army personnel sought clarification via e-mail from Yemeni origin US national who happened to be a religious person. What if there is an attack on Iran? CIA has prepared grounds for a smooth murder of democracy by providing billions of dollars to Iranian opposition, which lost elections by a convincible margin.
In case of attack on Iran, Washington would push the Iranian opposition to form the parallel government against Shia clergy. One wonders why US is against Shias of Iran when everything is functioning smooth on democratic lines. It is not anymore a secret that US is patronizing Fararies and Sunnis in Iran’s troubled Sistan Balochistan province but on the other hand Washington spent billions of dollars on Shias in Pakistan to win them to it side.
Specifically, focusing on nuclear Iran, why US is silent and has not prepared an attack on North Korea? What are the guarantees that US and International Atomic Energy Agency can furnish to the masses around the world that nuclear arsenal possessed by North Korea would not be used against humanity? Why only Iran’s nuclear programme is threat to the world?
US is trying to push Iran to a corner, at a stage where it may retaliate. This is what US desires so that it may find an excuse to fire couple of dozen missiles from various directions. US has officially said that it has expanded land and sea-based missile defence systems in and around the Gulf to counter Iran’s growing missile threat. However, the deployment of surface-to-surface and sea-based missile defense systems in and around the Gulf is not a new development. Certain new naval warships have moved to unmarked locations as a strategy. Many moves are bogey but uncertainty prevails and anything may happen in confusion. Even if Tehran ignores the show of muscles by the US and allies, a missile from unidentified location can be fired at some western warship and propagated as attack by Iran on US. General David Petraeus, who heads US Central Command reportedly, conveyed that eight Patriot missile batteries have been deployed for military operations across the Middle East but it is not a new development at all.
Last month, certain naval warships were tracked in Mediterranean, which are probably aimed to conduct naval blockade to disrupt Iran’s trade and pressurize Tehran to come to the terms. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast while reacting to US claims that it has expanded land- and sea-based missile defence systems in and around the Gulf to counter Iran’s growing missile threat said, “We regard these measures as a conspiracy and a ploy by foreign countries to create a sense of Iran phobia.” In this regard, the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said, “They have always tried to keep the countries of the region weak and their existence dependent on division and insecurity ...”
One seriously doubt that such tactics would work as since 1979, Tehran is facing sanctions and even was not allowed to carryout trade in the neighbourhood.
According to accepted figures, in fiscal 2009, UAE bought $7.9 billion arms while Saudi Arabia bought $3.3 billion while in year 2008, arms deals were worth $8.9 billion and $7.8 billion respectively.
The military built up in the gulf is not aimed to merely impress Tehran but to turn the region into a battlefield for conspiracies. The statement Admiral Mike Mullen, “the Pentagon must have military options ready to counter Iran should Obama call for them” is an eye wash as it is over five years that Washington claims that it is prepared for an attack on Iranian nuclear and missile facilities but there was no move.
Washington is hopeful that it will be able to convince Russia but how to deal with China is difficult riddle. Washington has already warned Beijing of diplomatic isolation if it fails to accept the dictates against Iranian nuclear programme. There is also pressure from India but thing doesn’t seem working.
Whatever, the case may be, it is not fair that countries should be allowed to decide international issues at their own in the presence of White Elephants like United Nations. After all, despite unimpressive past track record these world bodies, we have to abide by the international law. Past record, reflects that the only country that carried out terrorist nuclear attacks was US when it twice attacked Japan and crippled millions of innocent Japanese. Ironically, after the war was over, the war crimes were labeled on Japan. One wonders, why till todate no one has questioned about US’ nuclear arsenal. Justice demands that US need to be punished for carrying out nuclear attacks in violation of international laws and League of Nations.
If after a gap of several decades, Nazis can be trialed and convicted; why Washington is an exception rather it was rewarded with permanent seat in United Nations Organization. Iran’s nuclear programme is peaceful unless there are solid evidences on the contrary. When Washington talks of action against nuclear Iran, can it give justifications of its on-going attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan. Where are those Weapons of Mass Destruction and dirty bombs on the pretext of these countries were occupied? It is the right time for the civilized nations of the world to decide that either world bodies like United Nations should be told to windup or allowed it to perform their responsibilities as instrument of peace, without fear and pressure from donors and dictators.
afshain@hotmail.com |
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