U.S., The Terrorist Organization
The crux of the matter is what you call a "terrorist organization." If it is simply an organization that terrifies civilians with violence or its threat, then the biggest and most vicious terrorist organization in the world is, without question, the US Army, followed by the US Air Force and the US Marines. The USA has combat troops stationed in 57 countries and has invaded or attacked Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Panama, Grenada, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and a few others in just your adult lifetime. Who else does anything similar???
When you refer to Iran's alleged aid to "numerous terrorist organizations," but I could only think of two - Hezbollah and Hamas. Your Al Qaeda references are just so much US government propaganda. I read they laundered their Saudi money mostly in Dubai. Given that Al Qaeda is ultra-Sunni and Iran is ultra-Shia, it doesn't compute. Faced with intransigent Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, I don't begrudge Hezbollah and Hamas of any tactic at their disposal. Nor do I accept, as you seem to do, the US government definition of what and who is a terrorist organization. One person's terrorist is another's freedom fighter. However, all the bombs those organizations have ever set off are collectively trivial compared to what the US military does routinely.
You say, 'there's no question they are enriching uranium for the only purpose that's "worthwhile".' That's unfounded. There is no tangible evidence.
Actually, attacking Iran would be very much worse than attacking Iraq. If you think the US is in deep shit now, attacking Iran will unleash a sewage tsunami, probably World War III. To do so with nuclear weapons would confirm the US as a pariah state and Bush as an international war criminal in the eyes of most of humanity.
I'm trusting that as an old Direct Action guy, you'll quickly sign the "Pledge of Resistance" to any attack on Iran.
David Hamilton
Just a note tagged onto David's observations. He might as well have said "2+2=4". I'm saying,"1+1+1+1=4".
I was in Panama recently. The word on the street is that outgoing president Ms Muscosa was paid $8 million to let Posada walk out of prison there. "Our terrorist" Posada is now somewhere in the U.S. but I can't find him on Goggle. The Bush administration was anxious not to have Posada stand trial in Cuba or Venezuela or any place else for the crimes he committed for "us".
The U.S. and France trained, armed, paid and sent into Haiti a gang of terrorists to overthrow Aristide and democracy in general. The U.N. is now completing the eradication of democracy in Haiti. Aristide is in exile in South Africa. As far as I know Iran has taken no part in this obvious travesty.
Guantanamo, need I say more? Abu Ghraib? World Wide Extraordinary Renditions. Stop me!
The U.S. is paying North Korea to arm Ethiopia's army, our proxy army, which has invaded Somali. Can it get weirder than this? I think it always can get weirder. There is oil in Somalia. The same oil field as is under south Yemen. There is oil in Darfur/Sudan and the U.S. wants it. The U.S. is happy for the Sudanese government to kill anyone who isn't going along and so the genocide (large scale murder) will not stop until all "rebel" factions are neutralized. If and when the U.N. is sent in it will be to enforce what the U.S. wants, as in Haiti. Only the unobservant do not understand this.
There is not an IDEAL U.S. with moral standing and a pure intent. There is only this capitalist cabal trashing the world. There is no Exceptionalism, no Camelot. So when anyone calls for the U.S. to "do something" about this or that I wonder what U.S. they are talking about, certainly not the one that exists. The government we have works for and is the giant energy corporations. There is a majority of people who want the U.S. military out of Iraq but so far our democratically elected representatives are dragging their collective feet (Democrat and Republican feet) until the bogus Iraq oil contacts allowing the U.S. and others to own controlling interests in Iraqi resources are signed into "law" by "our" puppet regime in Baghdad. A trillion dollars has not been spent to bring democracy to Iraq or any other fantasies like that. There are 100 billion barrels of oil under Iraq.
The U.S. overthrew the leader of Iran for nationalizing Iran's oil. The Iranians would be fools, within the rules set up by the world's nuclear powers, not to develop atomic weapons and a means to deliver them wherever a likely threat might come from. The likely threat has overthrown their government once already and is threatening to do so again. The U.N.'s permanent members of the Security Council is the largest gang of terrorists ever. Do they consider themselves "The Elect of God." I think they do. Just as George W. said he is.
Where is it that the U.S. has supported a democratic country that did not go along with U.S. foreign policy because that was the right thing to do? Where is it that the U.S. has supported the struggle of the majority to overthrow a despot who supported U.S. foreign policy? Quibbles anyone?
Perhaps Steve has moved from "My country, right or wrong" to "My country, less wrong" or maybe even "If there is going to be a winner it might as well be my country".
"Imagine there's no countries..." there really are not any countries. In the direction we are going there will not be any oceans, or air either. The ticket on the last ego trip will soon be punched.
Alan Pogue
