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Iraq-Iran-Syria (page 3)Where we are
By Hidari, Section Iraq-Iran-Syria
This piece from the LRB is so accurate, and really, sums everything up so well, there's little to add. So I won't add anything.
'Iraq is `unwinnable', a `quagmire', a `fiasco': so goes the received opinion. But there is good reason to think that, from the Bush-Cheney perspective, it is none of these things. Indeed, the US may be `stuck' precisely where Bush et al want it to be, which is why there is no `exit strategy'. Iraq has 115 billion barrels of known oil reserves. That is more than five times the total in the United States. And, because of its long isolation, it is the least explored of the world's oil-rich nations. A mere two thousand wells have been drilled across the entire country; in Texas alone there are a million. It has been estimated, by the Council on Foreign Relations, that Iraq may have a further 220 billion barrels of undiscovered oil; another study puts the figure at 300 billion. If these estimates are anywhere close to the mark, US forces are now sitting on one quarter of the world's oil resources. The value of Iraqi oil, largely light crude with low production costs, would be of the order of $30 trillion at today's prices. For purposes of comparison, the projected total cost of the US invasion/occupation is around $1 trillion.' (1 comment, 1103 words in story) Full Story Telegraph 9/16: "Bush setting America up for war with Iran"
By Michael, Section Iraq-Iran-Syria
Oh, lovely. A rare look inside the gut-wrenchingly Soviet manipulations of the Bush administration today, as we find that "Senior American intelligence and defence officials believe that President George W Bush and his inner circle are taking steps to place America on the path to war with Iran".
What? Is this even America any more? Parts of the government don't know what the people in power will do about taking us to war or not? This is sad commentary on the ruination of a great nation, isn't it? It is exactly the same as if, in the 80's, we had read something like, "Senior Kremlin officials belive that Premier Gorbachev and his inner circle are taking steps to place the Soviet Union on the path to war with Iran." And we would have marvelled at the corruption that allows a communist and authoritarian nation to override the interests of its people so... (323 words in story) Full Story Was Israeli raid a dry run for attack on Iran?
By Hidari, Section Iraq-Iran-Syria
The title of this story. (Apologies for dealing so myopically with this possible attack on Iran, but it seems to be of so much more importance than anything else at the moment, despite the fact that most of the mainstream media seem to be ignoring it).
This story is also interesting in that it is actually a story, written by someone who isn't content merely to repeat verbatim the propaganda spin of US or Israeli official, the normal style of the pro-war Observer. (1017 words in story) Full Story 'Proxy war could soon turn to direct conflict'
By Hidari, Section Iraq-Iran-Syria
Remember this date. Saturday September 15, 2007. It may become remembered as the day in which the slowly turning winds of the Middle East began to turn faster and faster, to create a whirlwhind which will, make no mistake, eventually engulf as all.
'The growing US focus on confronting Iran in a proxy war inside Iraq risks triggering a direct conflict in the next few months, regional analysts are warning. US-Iranian tensions have mounted significantly in the past few days, with heightened rhetoric on both sides and the US decision to establish a military base in Iraq less than five miles from the Iranian border to block the smuggling of Iranian arms to Shia militias.' (Note: one must forgive excusable lapses that are inevitable given the tight editorial guidelines under which Guardian subs work. What the writer of course means is 'to block the alleged (by the US Government) smuggling of Iranian arms to Shia militias'). (816 words in story) Full Story Pushing for a Fight.
By Hidari, Section Iraq-Iran-Syria
Yet again, we have to pinch ourselves, and remind ourselves of some objective facts. Here are the objective facts which constitute the backdrop to this 'story'.
(773 words in story) Full Story It Begins
By Hidari, Section Iraq-Iran-Syria
'British forces have been sent from Basra to the volatile border with Iran amid warnings from the senior US commander in Iraq that Tehran is fomenting a "proxy war." Reports Today's Independent
'In signs of a fast-developing confrontation, the Iranians have threatened military action in response to attacks launched from Iraqi territory while the Pentagon has announced the building of a US base and fortified checkpoints at the frontier. The UK operation, in which up to 350 troops are involved, has come at the request of the Americans, who say that elements close to the Iranian regime have stepped up supplies of weapons to Shia militias in recent weeks in preparation for attacks inside Iraq.' (731 words in story) Full Story US puts pressure on UN about Iran....quelle surprise.
By Hidari, Section Iraq-Iran-Syria
Without getting too philosophical, Ludwig Wittgenstein (in his work 'On Certainty') and the philosopher of history R. G. Collingwood (in his 'An Essay on Metaphysics') both wrote about how any 'rational' argument or debate is underpinned or framed by 'absolute presupositions'....ideas that are rarely, if ever, stated explicitly, but which underly the whole debate. For example, Wittgenstein wrote about how (in the 1950s) it was an absolute presuposition about debates on mental health that no one had been to the Moon, and that anybody who claimed they had was nuts. You didn't have to state it every time you had a discussion about mental health (or the moon). It was just taken for granted by any sane, 'civilised' person, and provided a shared social framework for any discussion to take place in.
Given that this is true (and I think it is)...what are 'our' (i.e. the Western media's) absolute presupositions about Iran? (1254 words in story) Full Story These are the sort of voices we should be listening to
By Hidari, Section Iraq-Iran-Syria
These are the sort of voices we should be listening to, but, unfortunately, stories like this are not the ones that get the headlines in the corporate media, generally speaking.
'Mohamed ElBaradei, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Friday he sees no reason to go beyond diplomacy over Iran's nuclear program and warned against rhetoric that is "a reminder of pre-war Iraq." "We have not seen any weaponization of their program, nor have we received any information to that effect -- no smoking gun or information from intelligence," he said. ElBaradei said the United Nations' nuclear watchdog group had a reasonable timetable for Iran to come clean on nuclear activities but that detractors weren't giving its efforts a chance.' (375 words in story) Full Story
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Iraq-Iran-Syria |
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