ABC REPORTS ON U.S. COVERT OPERATION TO DESTABILIZE IRAN

Brian Ross and Richard Esposito report for ABC News that George Bush has established a secret "black" operation to destabilize the government of Iran:

"The CIA has received secret presidential approval to mount a covert "black" operation to destabilize the Iranian government, current and former officials in the intelligence community tell the Blotter on ABC News.com."

Why must the United States be engaged in a covert operation against Iran? This is the type of government that repels support and creates hatred among other peoples for Americans. George Bush and Dick Cheney should respect the sovereignty of Iran and quit meddling with secret "black" operations in the internal affairs of Iran.

The ABC story goes on to report on the great risks of such a program:

"Still, some fear that even a nonlethal covert CIA program carries great risks. "I think everybody in the region knows that there is a proxy war already afoot with the United States supporting anti-Iranian elements in the region as well as opposition groups within Iran," said Vali Nasr, adjunct senior fellow for Mideast studies at the Council on Foreign Relations."

"And this covert action is now being escalated by the new U.S. directive, and that can very quickly lead to Iranian retaliation and a cycle of escalation can follow," Nasr said."

I believe this action contravenes the Charter of the United Nations that the United States government signed and agreed to. Article Two provides:

"The Organization and its Members, in pursuit of the Purposes stated in Article 1, shall act in accordance with the following Principles.

• The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.
  
• All Members, in order to ensure to all of them the rights and benefits resulting from membership, shall fulfill in good faith the obligations assumed by them in accordance with the present Charter.
  
• All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.
  
• All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations. "

A secret "black" operation by the United States led by Bush and Cheney to destabilize the government of Iran. This surely is not the utilization of a "peaceful means." The United States by this operation is clearly endangering international peace and security and justice. The United States is violating the Charter of the United Nations in one of its most basic principles.