U.S. Foreign Policy: War, war and more war

By Marti and Luke Hiken -Guest Columnists- | Last updated: Feb 3, 2012 - 12:34:22 PM

'The U.S.’s commitment to destabilize every Muslim country in the Middle East is almost complete. Iran and Syria are among the last remnants of independent nation-states in that area of the world, with lackeys such as Saudi Arabia, and a handful of other client states prepared to do whatever the U.S. demands.'

As one would expect from the Obama administration, the U.S. is currently preparing to go to war in the Middle East again: this time against Iran and Syria. The American people are oblivious as to the reasons for the troop build-up in the Middle East, and have no more ability to stop the impending violence than they do over any other aspect of their lives. The lame rationale for our latest anti-Muslim sortie is that we are concerned about Iran building a nuclear bomb. The fact that we, in this country, have stockpiled hundreds of these nuclear weapons is, presumably, supposed to make everyone else in the world feel safe and comfortable. The frivolous and transparent lie about Iran’s potential nuclear arsenal is about as believable as the fantasy about Iraq’s non-existent weapons of mass destruction.

What we are told is what Defense Secretary Leon Panetta-CIA Director, David Petraeus, and the weapons manufacturers instruct the media to say:

• U.S. combat forces are surging in the Middle East. It was recently reported that the “American carrier Carl Vinson joined the carrier Stennis in the Arabian Sea, giving commanders major naval and air assets in case Iran carries out its recent threats to close the Strait of Hormuz.”

• Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis (chief of U.S. Central Command) warned that he needed additional forces to deal with Iran and other potential threats.

• 15,000 troops are stationed in Kuwait joining the others that are there. This includes two new units—Army infantry brigades and a helicopter unit. General Mattis said that we should not take this as a build-up to war.

With the recent news of another assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist, carried out by Israeli forces (a.k.a. U.S. special forces), we are told that Israel is “pushing” the U.S. toward war. To lend credence to this, pundits on CNN stated that in terms of war-making, that Israel could not act alone—that it, in fact, needs the U.S. Air Force to carry out a war and attack on Iran. It is very clear to most Americans that Israel cannot carry out a war by itself—that the U.S. is involved in every decision that affects Israeli actions against Iran, and that the Pentagon began planning and training for it years ago.

The attacks on Iran and Syria are imminent even though Russia is asking the U.S. and Iran to abandon the militant rhetoric. China, upon Treasury Secretary Tim Geitner’s recent request during his visit there, has not “significantly” reduced its Iranian oil imports. Turkey has also requested the U.S. resume diplomatic efforts. The U.S.’s commitment to destabilize every Muslim country in the Middle East is almost complete. Iran and Syria are among the last remnants of independent nation-states in that area of the world, with lackeys such as Saudi Arabia, and a handful of other client states prepared to do whatever the U.S. demands. It will be decades before any Muslim country will have the economic and military independence it would take to prevent the U.S. from intervening when and where it chooses.

What the U.S. media doesn’t discuss is why we seek to destabilize the entire Arab world. The reason is obvious: by destroying the infrastructure of countries that have valuable natural resources, the U.S. and Europe ensure the stability and price-fixing capacities of U.S. and European oil interests as well as artificial control over other natural resources worldwide. It is not necessary for us to steal Iraq’s or Iran’s oil. By destroying their ability to compete on the world market, our oil companies are free to set whatever prices they want, and can insist on a regulation-free environment within which to maneuver.

By manufacturing a nonexistent threat, and engaging in another unwarranted, one-sided war, President Obama can once again bow down to corporate America, pretend to be concerned for the welfare of the American people, and do nothing to control the war mongers.

The American people are so marginalized and disenfranchised that there is simply nothing that can be done to stop this madness. Just as we sat by and watched the destruction of Libya, the bailout of Wall Street, the theft of jobs, money and houses from right under our noses, the latest imperial assault is a done deal.

This will be a vicious war with the U.S. utilizing its “tactical” nuclear weapons (light weight nuclear devices and also drones) to destroy the Iranian nuclear plants underground. This represents yet another escalation of weaponry, just as did Mustard Gas in WWI; as bombing, conflagration and destruction of entire cities during WWII, culminating in nuclear war; as Agent Orange did in the American War against Vietnam; and torture and drones have in these wars in the Middle East.

We have become apt at war; we excel at it. If only we could be as apt at peace.

(Marti Hiken is the director of Progressive Avenues. She is the former associate director of the Institute for Public Accuracy and former chair of the National Lawyers Guild Military Law Task Force. Luke Hiken is an attorney who has engaged in the practice of criminal, military, immigration, and appellate law. Visit www.progressiveavenues.org for more information.)

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