FEATURE ARTICLE

anti-war

anti-war
 
Stephen Lendman 
Date: April 26, 2013
Subject: WAR: About that War

America's War on Terror 2.0

by Stephen Lendman

Post-Boston bombings, expect Obama and Congress to take full advantage. Perhaps more war is planned. Big lies launch them. Fear-mongering enlists public support. Anything ahead is possible.

A previous article discussed dubious allegations of Syria's chemical weapons use. They resemble fabricated claims about Saddam's nonexistent WMDs. It's similar to false charges against all US enemies.

Iran's repeatedly targeted. New baseless accusations followed earlier ones. More on that below.

Earlier Iran was accused of a fabricated US Saudi ambassador assassination plot. It's falsely called the world's leading state sponsor of terror. Claims that it's developing nuclear weapons don't wash.

Other recent bogus charges included targeting Israeli officials in India, Georgia and Thailand, as well as planning former Defense Minister Ehud Barak's assassination.

None of the above passed the smell test. Headlines regurgitated them for days. Big lies repeated enough are believed. US polls say Americans consider Iran the nation's top enemy. Mind manipulation conditions them.

Since the 1980s, Washington planned regime change. Israel offers ready support. Independent governments aren't tolerated. So far, war has been waged by other means.

They include saber rattling, cyber attacks, other sabotage, subversion, multiple rounds of sanctions, attempts to cripple its central bank and oil exports, targeted assassinations, deadly explosions, satellite, drone, and other type spying, bogus accusations, attempts to isolate Tehran, and manufacturing consent for what may follow.

On April 22, Haaretz headlined "Canada foils Al-Qaida-inspired terror attack; two people arrested," saying:

Canadian authorities arrested two suspects. Chiheb Essegnaier and Raed Jaser face terrorism charges. According to Canadian authorities, both men:

"between April 1st, 2012 and September 25th, 2012, in the City of Toronto, in the Province of Ontario, and in the City of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec, and elsewhere, did conspire, the one with the other, to interfere with transportation facilities contrary to section 248 of the Criminal Code of Canada, for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a terrorist group, thereby committing an offence contrary to section 83.2 of the Criminal Code of Canada."

They "conspire(d) to murder persons unknown contrary to section 235(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada, for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a terrorist group…."

Four related charges followed. Allegedly a planned commuter train was targeted. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) claimed:

They had "the capacity and intent to carry out these criminal acts. There was no imminent threat to the general public, rail employees, train passengers or infrastructure."

They're charged with "conspiring to carry out an attack against, and conspiring to murder persons unknown for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a terrorist group."

They received "support from Al-Qaida elements located in Iran (in the form of) direction and guidance."

Both men emphatically denied charges. Little more is known except cursory, very suspect information. Canadian authorities explained little. Jaser's lawyer John Norris raised concerns. He called the arrests' timing "a bit of a mystery."

He awaits more information. He explained no public safety risk. He called acting now "surprising." It followed "what happened in Boston." It came when the city was on lockdown. It was "timed perfectly with what was happening in the House of Commons…."

It's agenda was changed. A final "Combating Terrorism Act (Bill S-7)" reading was scheduling. It includes new police state powers. Suspects may be held 72 hours uncharged.

Investigative hearings may convene. Individuals alleged to have information on suspected terrorist attacks have no right to remain silent. Uncharged terrorist suspects lose free movement rights. Canadian legislators are being pressured to act tough.

Essegnaier and Jaser appear set up. Charges against them are suspect. Evidence is easy to falsify. It's happened many times before.

Numerous past alleged US plots were planned by FBI provocateurs. Fabricated evidence was used to entrap innocent victims. Canada perhaps is manufacturing terror. The timing of its announcement alone raises suspicions.

In March, US Treasury Department's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen told the Washington Post:

"We believe that Iran continues to allow al-Qaeda to operate a network that moves al-Qaeda money and fighters through Iran to support al-Qaeda activities in South Asia."

So-called transit networks send "funding and fighters to Syria," he added.

Alleged documents claim an Al Qaeda-Iran connection. According to former CIA officer/Obama counterterrorism adviser Bruce Riedel:

"It is a partnership of convenience, with some really rough edges."

James Petras explained more. His book titled "The Power of Israel in the United States" is must reading. His March 2012 article titled "Israel's Willing Executioners: AIPAC Invades Washington" said:

Annual AIPAC meetings are "the most outrageous public display of Zionist pro-Israeli power as it shapes US foreign policy."

AIPAC's sole purpose "is to ensure Israel's unchallenged military and political power over a huge region from North Africa to the Persian Gulf."

Congress, US administrations, top bureaucrats and key advisors support what demands condemnation. "Not since the War of 2812," has Washington "been so utterly humiliated by a foreign power."

In July 2004, Stuart Levey became the first Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. By email, Petras explained more. He said AIPAC "literally created the position…." Doing so "assured that (it) went to its chosen agent Stuart Levey."

He "ignored money washing by drug cartels to focus on organizing sanctions against Iran." He served until March 2011. He returned to Wall Street.

David Cohen replaced him. He's "the transmission belt for the recent harsh AIPAC authored sanctions on Iran plus the latest Al Qaeda/Iran" allegations.

AIPAC-linked pro-Israeli zealots infest the Obama administration and Capitol Hill. They come. They leave. Others replace them. Israeli support long predated Obama.

AIPAC's one of 52 major US Zionist organizations. They fabricate Iranian threats. They do so ad nauseam. The so-called Canadian plot appears the latest.

On April 24, Haaretz headlined "Canada train plot begs the question: What is the connection between Al-Qaida and Iran?"

Despite no corroborating evidence, Tehran's always "the usual suspect in many terror attacks….(It's) connection (to) Al-Qaida is controversial at best, and to date has yet to be proved."

Their ideologies are polar opposite. Iran has "lots of practical, political, and military reasons for not cooperating with Al-Qaida."

Al-Nusra and other anti-Assad groups threaten a close ally. No evidence links Iran to regional or other terror plots (real or invented).

"Thus it seems, for now, efforts to link Iran to the (Canadian) terror plot….will require more solid evidence." Expect whatever may be presented to be manufactured out of whole cloth.

Iran categorically denied the allegation. It's spurious on its face. On April 23, the Tehran Times headlined "Iran calls claims of al-Qaeda link farcical," saying:

"Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has vehemently dismissed a Canadian claim that an attack had been planned on the country's soil with support from al-Qaeda elements in Iran…."

"This is the most ludicrous thing I have heard in my 64 years," he added.

Speaking at his regular press briefing, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Rami Mehmanparast said:

"We are opposed to any kind of violent actions that put the lives of the people in danger. The extremist Canadian government has put the Iranophobia project on its agenda over recent years and has pursued hostile (anti-Iranian) measures."

Mossad-connected DEBKAfile (DF) also pointed fingers the wrong way. It didn't surprise. On April 23, it headlined "Tehran and Assad slide past US and Israeli red lines - nuclear and chemical," saying:

"All the red lines (were) knocked over by Iran's rapid progress toward a nuclear weapon and by Bashar Assad, who, backed by Tehran, mocked (Obama's) warning a month ago that 'proof of chemical weapons use would be a game changer.' "

DF claims "sources confirmed the finding of concrete evidence that the Syrian army had launched chemical warfare against rebel forces."

Claiming and proving are world's apart. DF offered no evidence. Its allegation isn't worth the paper it's printed on. It said "dissonance between Washington and Jerusalem on the issue of a nuclear Iran was present" during Hagel's visit.

"Israel refuses to wait for Iran to reach (a nuclear) threshold and insists that the moment to strike is now."

Whether these type comments reflect bluster or Israeli policy remains to be seen. Washington and/or Israel bear full responsibility for so-called terror plots.

They're the world's leading sponsors of state terrorism. Complicit allies like Canada go along. Iran and Syria are falsely blamed. So are innocent suspects. No evidence suggests their involvement.

Imperial priorities matter most. Post-Boston bombings, worse times than ever may follow. Obama and Netanyahu have much more death and destruction in mind. Expect them to take full advantage.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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