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Ray McGovern Warns San Franciscans that U.S. War Against Iran Is Imminent
For Ray McGovern, famous for confronting Donald Rumsfeld about the truth, this is not the time to be complacent or neutral. The Bush Regime is evil and deserves our anger and opposition.
Now Is the Time to Be Angry: Ray McGovern Warns San Franciscans that U.S. Aggression Against Iran Is Imminent
Speaking at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco this afternoon, political activist and former CIA intelligence analyst Ray McGovern warned his audience that he believes that the Bush administration is eager to bomb Iran before the November election.
Why bomb Iran when most experts, including Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, say that it may be years before Iran could be capable of making nuclear weapons? McGovern described an administration desperate to protect itself from justice. If Democrats win a majority in Congress impeachment proceedings against the president, for example, could actually proceed (irrespective of Rep. Nancy Pelosi's vow that impeachment is "off the table"). McGovern cited Bush's low popularity poll ratings as a major concern to those advising Bush, and alluded to how the administration hasn't hesitated to use other crises as a convenient way to capitalize on American's propensity to stand behind their government.
McGovern described his background: growing up in the Bronx, a career in the U.S. Army, and then in the CIA-- where he advised presidents on intelligence matters, including George H.W.Bush. He described how neocons like Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz were tolerated and humored for years because they cemented loyalty to the Republican Party from extremists and religious zealots (but were universally thought of by serious and patriotic careerists as "the crazies"). He described his growing impatience and anger when they gained real power in the current Bush administration. Citing Gen. Colin Powell's and Condoleeza Rice's own words in February and July of 2001 that Sadaam Hussein was not a threat to the United States, McGovern described how the supreme international crime was committed when the U.S. initiated aggression against Iraq-- on the pretext that the 9/11/01 terror incidents were related, and that Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. All lies. McGovern described the accumulated evils that have taken place under this administration's watch: Torture. Kidnapping. Violating the U.S. Constitution. Illegal eavesdropping, spying, on Americans.
Very few Americans (less than 1%, he said) are directly affected by war-- in other words most are apathetic and ill-informed. He blamed the media for this, saying that Americans are not getting real news, accept possibly on the internet. He said Americans need to get angry because, quoting Martin Luther King, Jr. "there is such a thing as too late." McGovern described how when he famously confronted Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld about his lies his main inspiration came from recalling the courage of women like Cindy Sheehan, and Medea Benjamin and the ladies of Code Pink. "Women in this country have all the guts," he said. "We don't need good girls like Nancy Pelosi," he said later. "We need strong women like Cindy Sheehan." McGovern noted, bitterly, that today, the last Sunday in September was ordained as Gold Star Mother's Day by Bill Clinton in 1994.
Several times in his address today Mr. McGovern asked searching questions about the individual's responsibility in troubled times. He said that everyone should get involved right away and do whatever they can, harangue one's government representatives that torture, worse, government sanctioned torture is intolerable. He challenged many in the audience several times to camp out at Nancy Pelosi's office in San Francisco to insist that any compromise on this issue is inconceivable: that the United States must abide in spirit and in law with the Geneva Convention against torture.
"These seven weeks before the election are critical," he said several times in his rich sonorous voice which could not belie his concern that his very own survival might be at stake. By translating a forced "confession" written by Albert Haushofer, a tenured geologist at the University of Berlin who belatedly spoke out against the monsters that came to power in Nazi Germany (after quoting it in impeccable German), Mr. McGovern gave a glimpse of what drives him to see the Bush administration fail in its remorseless quest to exalt itself at the expense of America and the world. (This is not complete.)
Albert Haushofer:
Here I am guilty. But it is not what you are thinking. I should have recognized my duty. I should have more sharply named evil, "Evil." ...Today I recognize what I am guilty of.
Speaking at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco this afternoon, political activist and former CIA intelligence analyst Ray McGovern warned his audience that he believes that the Bush administration is eager to bomb Iran before the November election.
Why bomb Iran when most experts, including Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, say that it may be years before Iran could be capable of making nuclear weapons? McGovern described an administration desperate to protect itself from justice. If Democrats win a majority in Congress impeachment proceedings against the president, for example, could actually proceed (irrespective of Rep. Nancy Pelosi's vow that impeachment is "off the table"). McGovern cited Bush's low popularity poll ratings as a major concern to those advising Bush, and alluded to how the administration hasn't hesitated to use other crises as a convenient way to capitalize on American's propensity to stand behind their government.
McGovern described his background: growing up in the Bronx, a career in the U.S. Army, and then in the CIA-- where he advised presidents on intelligence matters, including George H.W.Bush. He described how neocons like Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz were tolerated and humored for years because they cemented loyalty to the Republican Party from extremists and religious zealots (but were universally thought of by serious and patriotic careerists as "the crazies"). He described his growing impatience and anger when they gained real power in the current Bush administration. Citing Gen. Colin Powell's and Condoleeza Rice's own words in February and July of 2001 that Sadaam Hussein was not a threat to the United States, McGovern described how the supreme international crime was committed when the U.S. initiated aggression against Iraq-- on the pretext that the 9/11/01 terror incidents were related, and that Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. All lies. McGovern described the accumulated evils that have taken place under this administration's watch: Torture. Kidnapping. Violating the U.S. Constitution. Illegal eavesdropping, spying, on Americans.
Very few Americans (less than 1%, he said) are directly affected by war-- in other words most are apathetic and ill-informed. He blamed the media for this, saying that Americans are not getting real news, accept possibly on the internet. He said Americans need to get angry because, quoting Martin Luther King, Jr. "there is such a thing as too late." McGovern described how when he famously confronted Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld about his lies his main inspiration came from recalling the courage of women like Cindy Sheehan, and Medea Benjamin and the ladies of Code Pink. "Women in this country have all the guts," he said. "We don't need good girls like Nancy Pelosi," he said later. "We need strong women like Cindy Sheehan." McGovern noted, bitterly, that today, the last Sunday in September was ordained as Gold Star Mother's Day by Bill Clinton in 1994.
Several times in his address today Mr. McGovern asked searching questions about the individual's responsibility in troubled times. He said that everyone should get involved right away and do whatever they can, harangue one's government representatives that torture, worse, government sanctioned torture is intolerable. He challenged many in the audience several times to camp out at Nancy Pelosi's office in San Francisco to insist that any compromise on this issue is inconceivable: that the United States must abide in spirit and in law with the Geneva Convention against torture.
"These seven weeks before the election are critical," he said several times in his rich sonorous voice which could not belie his concern that his very own survival might be at stake. By translating a forced "confession" written by Albert Haushofer, a tenured geologist at the University of Berlin who belatedly spoke out against the monsters that came to power in Nazi Germany (after quoting it in impeccable German), Mr. McGovern gave a glimpse of what drives him to see the Bush administration fail in its remorseless quest to exalt itself at the expense of America and the world. (This is not complete.)
Albert Haushofer:
Here I am guilty. But it is not what you are thinking. I should have recognized my duty. I should have more sharply named evil, "Evil." ...Today I recognize what I am guilty of.
For more information:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1FTmuhynaw
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Iran Attack - Crisis Is Upon Us
By Paul Craig Roberts
09/245/06 "Information Clearing House" -- -- A number of experts have concluded that despite the Bush administration’s desire to attack Iran, the aggression would be too rash and the consequences too dire even for the irrational Bush administration.
Military experts point out that at a time when generals are calling for more troops for Afghanistan and Iraq, it would be ill-advised for Bush to add Iran to the war theater. Experts note that Iran is well armed with missiles capable of attacking US ships and oil facilities throughout the Middle East and that Iran can direct its Shiite allies in Iraq to assault US troops there and set in motion terrorist actions throughout the Middle East.
Diplomatic experts point out that the US is isolated in its desire for war with Iran and has no ally except Israel, thus validating Muslim claims that the US is Israel’s instrument against Muslims in the Middle East. Experts note that military aggression is a war crime and that US violations of international law isolate the US and destroy the soft power on which US leadership has been based. An attack on Iran could be the last straw for Muslims chaffing under the rule of US puppet governments in Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Economic experts point out that the impact on the price of oil would be severe and the economic consequences detrimental. With the US housing bubble deflating, now is not the time for an oil shock.
It is difficult to take exception to this expert analysis. Nevertheless, the Bush administration continues to send war signals. Credible news organizations have reported that US naval attack groups have been given “prepare to deploy orders” that would put them on station off Iran by October 21.
How can Bush administration war plans be reconciled with expert opinion that the consequences would be too dire for the US?
Perhaps the answer is that what appears as irrationality to experts is rationality to neoconservatives. Neocons seek maximum chaos and instability in the Middle East in order to justify long-term US occupation of the region. Following this line of thought, neocons would regard the loss of a US aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf as a way to solidify public support for the war. US public anger at the Iranians could even result in US public support for a military draft in order to win “the war on terror.”
The Bush administration could bring Congress around by announcing a “Gulf of Tonkin” incident or by orchestrating a “terrorist attack.” However, this is unnecessary as Bush has prepared the ground for bypassing Congress with his propagandistic allegations that Iran, by arming Iraqi insurgents, sponsoring terrorism, and building nuclear weapons, is the major part of the ongoing “war against terrorism.” Now that Iran is blamed for rising violence in Iraq, an attack on Iran follows as a matter of course. All Bush has to do is to continue with his lies in order to bring the American public to a new war hysteria.
Bush’s attorney general has demonstrated that he has no qualms about validating any and all extra-legal powers that the White House requires for violating the US Constitution and international law. The congressional attempts to block illegal wiretapping and torture have failed. The Senate has refused to authorize torture, but the Senate has not prevented the administration from torturing detainees. The compromise leaves it to the White House to decide whether its interrogation practices are objectionable. In an editorial (September 22, 2006), the Washington Post concluded that “the abuse can continue.”
Polls show that Bush administration propaganda has convinced a majority of inattentive Americans that Iran is making nuclear weapons. Polls show that a majority support an attack on Iran under this circumstance. The neoconservatives and their media allies have succeeded in causing the public to confuse Iran’s legal nuclear energy program with a weapons program.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, whose inspectors pour over Iran’s nuclear energy program for signs of a weapons program, recently denounced a House Intelligence Committee report as “outrageous and dishonest.” Written by the Republican neocon staff, the Republican report falsely alleges that Iran had enriched uranium to weapons grade last April and that the IAEA had removed a senior safeguards inspector to keep the alleged breach of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Pact secret.
Once again neoconservatives have shown that they will tell any and every lie to achieve their goal of attacking Iran. Jingoistic anti-UN Bush supporters will automatically believe the neocon lie and will swallow right-wing talk radio claims that the UN is protecting Iran’s nuclear weapons program. As we learned from the Iraq hysteria, facts and experts are no impediment to the Bush administration’s lies.
Rumsfeld’s neocon Pentagon has rewritten US war doctrine to permit preemptive nuclear attack on non-nuclear countries. As the US paid a huge public relations cost in terms of world opinion and distrust of the US by endorsing the first use of nuclear weapons, the revision of US war doctrine must have a purpose. http://www.antiwar.com/orig/hirsch.php?articleid=9255
Neocons claim that tactical nuclear weapons are necessary to destroy Iran’s underground facilities. However, the real reason for using nukes against Iran is to intimidate Iran from retaliating and to threaten the entire Muslim world with genocide unless Muslims bend to the neocons’ will and accept US hegemony over their part of the world.
In his speech to the United Nations, Hugo Chavez might not have been too deep into hyperbole when he described Bush as an example of demonic evil.
By Paul Craig Roberts
09/245/06 "Information Clearing House" -- -- A number of experts have concluded that despite the Bush administration’s desire to attack Iran, the aggression would be too rash and the consequences too dire even for the irrational Bush administration.
Military experts point out that at a time when generals are calling for more troops for Afghanistan and Iraq, it would be ill-advised for Bush to add Iran to the war theater. Experts note that Iran is well armed with missiles capable of attacking US ships and oil facilities throughout the Middle East and that Iran can direct its Shiite allies in Iraq to assault US troops there and set in motion terrorist actions throughout the Middle East.
Diplomatic experts point out that the US is isolated in its desire for war with Iran and has no ally except Israel, thus validating Muslim claims that the US is Israel’s instrument against Muslims in the Middle East. Experts note that military aggression is a war crime and that US violations of international law isolate the US and destroy the soft power on which US leadership has been based. An attack on Iran could be the last straw for Muslims chaffing under the rule of US puppet governments in Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Economic experts point out that the impact on the price of oil would be severe and the economic consequences detrimental. With the US housing bubble deflating, now is not the time for an oil shock.
It is difficult to take exception to this expert analysis. Nevertheless, the Bush administration continues to send war signals. Credible news organizations have reported that US naval attack groups have been given “prepare to deploy orders” that would put them on station off Iran by October 21.
How can Bush administration war plans be reconciled with expert opinion that the consequences would be too dire for the US?
Perhaps the answer is that what appears as irrationality to experts is rationality to neoconservatives. Neocons seek maximum chaos and instability in the Middle East in order to justify long-term US occupation of the region. Following this line of thought, neocons would regard the loss of a US aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf as a way to solidify public support for the war. US public anger at the Iranians could even result in US public support for a military draft in order to win “the war on terror.”
The Bush administration could bring Congress around by announcing a “Gulf of Tonkin” incident or by orchestrating a “terrorist attack.” However, this is unnecessary as Bush has prepared the ground for bypassing Congress with his propagandistic allegations that Iran, by arming Iraqi insurgents, sponsoring terrorism, and building nuclear weapons, is the major part of the ongoing “war against terrorism.” Now that Iran is blamed for rising violence in Iraq, an attack on Iran follows as a matter of course. All Bush has to do is to continue with his lies in order to bring the American public to a new war hysteria.
Bush’s attorney general has demonstrated that he has no qualms about validating any and all extra-legal powers that the White House requires for violating the US Constitution and international law. The congressional attempts to block illegal wiretapping and torture have failed. The Senate has refused to authorize torture, but the Senate has not prevented the administration from torturing detainees. The compromise leaves it to the White House to decide whether its interrogation practices are objectionable. In an editorial (September 22, 2006), the Washington Post concluded that “the abuse can continue.”
Polls show that Bush administration propaganda has convinced a majority of inattentive Americans that Iran is making nuclear weapons. Polls show that a majority support an attack on Iran under this circumstance. The neoconservatives and their media allies have succeeded in causing the public to confuse Iran’s legal nuclear energy program with a weapons program.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, whose inspectors pour over Iran’s nuclear energy program for signs of a weapons program, recently denounced a House Intelligence Committee report as “outrageous and dishonest.” Written by the Republican neocon staff, the Republican report falsely alleges that Iran had enriched uranium to weapons grade last April and that the IAEA had removed a senior safeguards inspector to keep the alleged breach of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Pact secret.
Once again neoconservatives have shown that they will tell any and every lie to achieve their goal of attacking Iran. Jingoistic anti-UN Bush supporters will automatically believe the neocon lie and will swallow right-wing talk radio claims that the UN is protecting Iran’s nuclear weapons program. As we learned from the Iraq hysteria, facts and experts are no impediment to the Bush administration’s lies.
Rumsfeld’s neocon Pentagon has rewritten US war doctrine to permit preemptive nuclear attack on non-nuclear countries. As the US paid a huge public relations cost in terms of world opinion and distrust of the US by endorsing the first use of nuclear weapons, the revision of US war doctrine must have a purpose. http://www.antiwar.com/orig/hirsch.php?articleid=9255
Neocons claim that tactical nuclear weapons are necessary to destroy Iran’s underground facilities. However, the real reason for using nukes against Iran is to intimidate Iran from retaliating and to threaten the entire Muslim world with genocide unless Muslims bend to the neocons’ will and accept US hegemony over their part of the world.
In his speech to the United Nations, Hugo Chavez might not have been too deep into hyperbole when he described Bush as an example of demonic evil.
For more information:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/a...
More....
We learn that the U.S. won "support" from Pervez Musharraf by threateneing him.
We learn that the U.S. won "support" from Pervez Musharraf by threateneing him.
For more information:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/a...
Former CIA Analyst Ray McGovern updates info in a talk with Hesham Tallawi of Current Issues TV. (November 10, 2007)
In it, he discusses the bald-faced lies of the Bush Administration, including Georges Tenant.
He discusses a chat he had with Norman Mineta, and decalres that the Zelikow Commission on 9/11 involved a cover-up.
He also answers a question from a caller who asks if the CIA feeds the Media talking-points. McGovern says no, the White House feeds the Media the talking points.
An incredibly interesting interview:
In it, he discusses the bald-faced lies of the Bush Administration, including Georges Tenant.
He discusses a chat he had with Norman Mineta, and decalres that the Zelikow Commission on 9/11 involved a cover-up.
He also answers a question from a caller who asks if the CIA feeds the Media talking-points. McGovern says no, the White House feeds the Media the talking points.
An incredibly interesting interview:
For more information:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6...
Ray McGovern talks to Hesham Tillawi.
For more information:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6...
Gareth Porter and Ray McGovern writing at consortiumnews.com, March 4, 2009, suggest that the sabre rattling is not over: "...the specter of an Israeli strike has reappeared. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s incoming prime minister, is far more committed to an attack on Iran than his predecessors."
Go to: http://consortiumnews.com/2009/030409a.html
Go to: http://consortiumnews.com/2009/030409a.html
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