NO EVIDENCE THAT IRAN PLANS NUCLEAR WEAPON

Graham Allison writes an op-ed in today's The Washington Post on U.S. policy towards Iran.

Allison seems to forget that every nation signatory to the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) has the right to make use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes.

Allison by innuendo claims Iranians are interested in developing nuclear weapons.

"The brute fact is that Iran has crossed a threshold that is painful to acknowledge but impossible to ignore: It has lost its nuclear virginity."

However, there is absolutely no evidence that Iran is pursuing something it has repeatedly said that it is not doing and does not want to do. Allison's article is one more attempt to scare the American public, demonize Iran and Iranians, and prepare the citizenry into accepting an unjustified and illegal attack upon Tehran.

BUSH ADDS TO LEGACY OF MISTAKES - OFFERS INDIA UNLIMITED NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY

The agreement to sell nuclear technology to India is another of the Bush/Cheney foreign policy disasters.

India is not a signer or party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It has not agreed to use nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes. Contrast India's refusal to join the NPT with Iran which is a member. Yet the U.S. Congress just last week went along with Bush's illogical and dangerous agreement to give India full access to nuclear technology.

Now Pakistan wants the same deal. India is its arch rival and potential lethal enemy. It makes nothing but sense for Pakistan to ask its "ally" in the "war on terror" to extend the same access as Bush has now extended India.

And what must Teheran be thinking? Bush and Cheney froth at the mouth over Iran's pursuit of nuclear power, yet so cavalierly give a non-signer to the NPT full access.

And what must Russia and China be thinking? I suggest both these nuclear powers interpret the move as a ratcheting up by the Americans of the nuclear arms race. The lesson for both Russia and China is clear - stop dismantling your nuclear arsenals; instead, fortify them!

Bush has done great damage in lives and resources with his foolish war in Iraq. But his legacy of disasters surely will include this dangerous and unwise nuclear agreement with India.

ISRAEL PREPARES FOR ATTACK AGAINST IRAN

Instead of telling Israel of its unqualified support, the United States should do everything within its power to prevent Israel from attacking Iran.

The BBC reports that Israel's defense minister has once again said that Israel is thinking of hitting Iran:

"Israel's defence minister has warned of his country's readiness to act against Iran if it feels threatened.
Ehud Barak, speaking in Tel Aviv, said Israel had "proved in the past that it won't hesitate to act when its vital security interests are at stake". "

First of all, there is no hard evidence that Iran is building, or plans to build, facilities to develop nuclear weapons.

Secondly, even if Iran wanted nuclear weapons, why must it be deprived while Israel has in storage some 200 nuclear bombs? Israel never joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty so why should the U.S. and other countries approve of its nuclear arsenal while at the same time saying that Iran would never be permitted to have nuclear weapons?

Thirdly, the only country in the history of the world that has ever dropped nuclear bombs on populations is the United States. The U.S. incinerated over 100 thousand in both Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Then it turns around and tries to appear virtuous and pure in describing Iran as a world threat. What hypocrisy!

DON'T ATTACK IRAN

The European Union has voted to apply additional sanctions on Iran pending acceptance of a package deal to remove uranium processing from Iranian hands.

How about agreeing that every country has the right to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes. The Iranian authorities have given their word that their nuclear power program is not to build nuclear weapons or bombs. What is so hard about accepting their word?

After all, Iran has never attacked another country with nuclear weapons or threatened another country with imperialistic armed forces.

Bush and Cheney and Olmert want to organize a military strike against Iran and Iranians. The world cannot let this happen. There is no legitimate grounds for killing Iranians or bombing their country. There is no proof Iran is going against its word.

Until Bush and Cheney and Olmert leave office, the whole world is in danger of a huge conflict starting in the Middle East and spreading to other countries. Attacking and invading Iraq was a huge mistake. Attacking Iran would be 100 times worse.

IN ZEAL TO START WW-III, BUSH & CHENEY DISMISS INTELLIGENCE ON IRAN

Bush is exasperating. The National Intelligence Estimate says Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program, yet Bush insists Iran is a threat. Talk about making up stories from whole cloth!

The BBC reports:

"Iran remains a threat to the world despite new intelligence saying the country may not be building nuclear weapons, the US president says.


"Mr Bush said the report released on Monday was a "warning signal" and his view that a nuclear Iran would be a danger "hasn't changed"."

This is another example of George Bush the Irrational. As if he is saying (as he has said on numerous instances before), "I know what is happening . . ., the facts and intelligence don't count . . ., I refuse to negotiate with myself."

By the way, Iran, as a signer to the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has every right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. Here are the words of the NPT:

"ARTICLE IV

"1. Nothing in this Treaty shall be interpreted as affecting the inalienable right of all the
Parties to the Treaty to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful
purposes without discrimination and in conformity with Articles I and II of this Treaty.

"2. All the Parties to the Treaty undertake to facilitate, and have the right to participate in. the
fullest possible exchange of equipment, materials and scientific and technological information
for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Parties to the Treaty in a position to do so shall also cooperate in contributing alone or together with other States or international organizations to the
further development of the applications of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, especially
the territories of non-nuclear-weapon States Party to the Treaty, with due consideration for the
needs of the developing areas of the world."

So what is Bush talking about? Iran as a signer to the NPT has every right under Article IV to enrich uranium "for peaceful purposes without discrimination and in conformity with Articles I and II of this Treaty." Iran states that it has no desire for nuclear weapons which many of its imams have called "un-islamic." The IAEA has discovered no evidence that Iran is building nuclear weapons. And yesterday we learn that even American intelligence agencies believe Iran has no program.

Where does this leave Bush? Just as the Iraqi intelligence was "sexed up" so that Bush/Cheney could fit it around their policy of invading and occupying Iraq, so we see another instance of these rogues doing the same thing with intelligence about Iran. Bush and Cheney have been obsessed in their quest to start another militaristic conflagration, this time with Iran. I can only hope that the embarrassment of the release of this assessment from the N.I.E. will shame them into abandoning or at least tabling their reckless and irrational war-mongering.