THE WISDOM FUND: News & Views
July 17, 2004
The Times (UK)

U.S. Sets Sights on Toppling Iran Regime

Re-elected Bush would act to foment revolt, says senior official

by Michael Binyon and Bronwen Maddox

THE US will mount a concerted attempt to overturn the regime in Iran if President Bush is elected for a second term.

It would work strenuously to foment a revolt against the ruling theocracy by Iran's "hugely dissatisfied" population, a senior official has told The Times.

The United States would not use military force, as in Iraq, but "if Bush is re-elected there will be much more intervention in the internal affairs of Iran", declared the official, . . .

He hinted at a possible military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, saying that there was a window of opportunity for destroying Iran's main nuclear complex at Bushehr next year that would close if Russia delivered crucial fuel rods. . . .

At present the US relies on about a dozen Farsi satellite television and radio channels in the San Fernando Valley, California. They beam pirate broadcasts to the estimated seven million Iranians with illegal satellite dishes.

Last year Washington also set up a Persian-language Voice of America programme that is broacast into Iraq. The internet offers another channel for US propaganda, . . .

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Enver Masud, "U.S. Violating Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," The Wisdom Fund, March 11, 2003

[The CIA's acting director says eight of the 9/11 hijackers passed through Iran, but there is no evidence Tehran was connected with the attacks in 2001.--"9/11 hijackers 'transited Iran'," BBC News, July 19, 2004]

Ellis Shuman, "Report: Israel ready for pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear facility," Israel Insider, July 19, 2004

[The Bush administration is now under fire daily for the debacles in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also faces criticism for its failings in preparing for and reacting to the tragedy of Sept. 11. Consequently it has adopted a tried-and-true ploy of muddying the waters to deflect negative press: Blame Iran for everything.--William O. Beeman, "The Hawks and the Doves Are Aflutter Over U.S. Iran Policy," Los Angeles Times, July 23, 2004]

Eric Margolis, "Iran new U.S. whipping boy: Those who deceived America into attacking Iraq may be at it again," Toronto Sun, July 25, 2004

Scott Peterson, "Why the US granted 'protected' status to Iranian terrorists," The Christian Science Monitor, July 29, 2004

Simon Tisdall, "Diplomacy sidelined as US targets Iran," Guardian, August 10, 2004

George Jahn, "Nuclear Tests Vindicate Iran So Far," Associated Press, August 10, 2004

Laura King, "Israel May Have Iran in Its Sights," Los Angeles Times, August 22, 2004

[Bush announced his own National Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction in late 2002, and developed from it the Proliferation Security Initiative of 2003--Gordon Prather, "So Much for Non-Proliferation," CounterPunch, October 23, 2004]

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