The Washington Post (8/17/12) has a story on Iran and the threat of war that begins with this:
Preparations in Israel for a possible war are focusing new attention on whether Israel will attack Iran’s nuclear facilities and forcing an unwelcome debate in the thick of a presidential campaign about the U.S. role in stopping an Iranian bomb.
The article, by Anne Gearan and Karin Brulliard, repeats the same assumption a number of times–Iran is after a nuclear weapon:
Some say that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is bluffing in hopes of forcing President Obama to issue an ultimatum to Iran that America would do the job itself later. Although Obama has declared flatly that the United States will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, analysts suggest that Netanyahu is looking for a deadline on abandoning talks and resorting to military action….
Obama has already issued the strongest U.S. threat against Iran to date, declaring that the United States will not tolerate an Iranian nuclear weapon and ruling out a policy of containment. He has vowed to use “all options” if need be, but he has not set a deadline….
The United States opposes a unilateral Israeli strike now, arguing that there is still time for sanctions and negotiations to persuade Iran not to build a nuclear weapon.
And then, in the very last paragraph of the story, readers are told:
Since its nuclear program was exposed a decade ago, Iran has claimed that its objective is to produce electricity, not weapons. But the United States and its allies have maintained that the real goal is the capacity to build a nuclear weapon.
This assumption–that Iran is pursuing a weapon–is what appears to be guiding the entire crisis, and is the apparent basis for the ever-tightening sanctions that the West has put into place against Iran.
But Iran has consistently stated that it is not pursuing any such weapons program, and no evidence has emerged to substantiate the claim that they are in fact building a weapons program. Indeed, on several occasions, U.S. officials have acknowledged that they have no evidence that Iran is pursuing a weapon.
The group Just Foreign Policy flagged the Washington Post last year for a deceptive photo gallery that made a similar assertion:
The Post changed that erroneous headline, acknowledging the fact that the claim that Iran is pursuing weapons is precisely that–a claim.
But too much reporting treats those claims as the facts to be assumed, as more powerful nations mull over plans to attack Iran, based on a case they have not yet been able to substantiate. Imagine what reporting would look like if skepticism were applied evenly.
I dint understand why nobody has written about what you can go with nuclear capabilities besides “build a bomb”? You hear that Iran “claims” they need the nuclear energy for peaceful reasons, usually followed by “the west knows better & they want s bomb to destroy the whole world”. It keeps us scared and ignorant I guess….
“…the real goal is the capacity to build a nuclear weapon.” Someone explain to them that capacity ≠ intent ≠ attainment.
What plans do the Israelis, the Americans, and NATO have for that region in the aftermath of some form of “premptive” attack on Iran? Given their track record in places as diverse as Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia, it will probably be the same old tired formula of continuing attempts at isolation/containment of the government, more extra judicial murders using drones and death squads, and attempts to play off various factions within the nation of Iran and the larger region against each other. Of course just like the Taliban has in Afghanistan, in the face of these attacks, the out matched Iranians will just roll over and play dead…
Every empire since the beginning of time has fallen. When the USA falls, and it will, Israel will be just a footnote in the pages of time.
Iran has repeatedly invited all sorts of people to see for themselves. And no matter how many times they claim that they are not interested in a nuke we will tell them differently because we know what we want and that is their oil and the placing of an oil pipeline thru that country. The US is the worst country ethically! We cram our ethics down everyone else’s throat at the point of a gun. If the world follows our example the planet is doomed and humanity lost. Israel is the US’s 51 st state! Have we not learned from the last lies, about the Vietnam Lie, the Iraq Lie and now the Iran Lie?
Can’t report that the Supreme Leader has declared nuclear weapons are a violation of Islam? That might mean something in an Islamic Republic…
No matter what the U.S. says, it seems to have forgotten that we are the only nation that ever used nuclear warfare on human beings. I guess Oppenheimer was right when he quoted,”now I am made death.”
After Hiroshima and Nagasaki, how could anyone or any country want this?Isn’t this the ultimate Pandora’s box? Aren’t Chernobyl and Fukasima enough?
We came close to using nukes both with planning and accidentally. (Some generals wanted to end the Vietnam invasion with them. Korean war too.) We almost lost it in 1983 when the Soviets misread what we were doing and nearly launched on warning against us and Europe too. We need to get rid of those things.
Iran is so fearful of Israel they shout vile things in fear. Horrible things that make it worse for them and us and Israel. Imagine if Israel decides it is time to nuke them even if it is an EMP burst 100 miles above would be enough to wreck ours and others economies. Just the start of unrest and global fallout.
While thankful for a FAIR article on the bias in reporting on Iran’s nuclear program, the resulting situation still leaves us woefully inadequate for what is accurate reporting on what is actually happening in Iran.
Personally, I wish that Iran would give up its nuclear energy program for the same reason that all nations should – the deadly waste and proliferation potential will ALWAYS exist.
But Iran got started in nuclear energy from a PUSH by the US in the early 70s.
Showing by glaring example the problem, a regime change there has made the nuclear option almost untenable for the west, simply because any nation CAN upgrade their enrichment and produce a bomb at any time.
The notion that either christian or secular nuclear energy is protected and that a muslim nation will always resort to weaponization is fraught with hypocrisy.
The technology is problematic.
Regardless of what religion the present regime has adopted.
Well everyone on this sight obviously discounts the intel Obama receives daily.(a horrific ,dangerous result of the failed intel in Iraq).You have deemed his intel as next to worthless.His militaries reading of said intel.And Obamas interpretation, and understanding of that intelligence.The same for the Israeli’s, and other foreign services around the world.You have accepted the claims of that lovely group perched above Iranian society.You accept their sworn(on the Koran)promise never to build nuclear weapons.Yet at the same time YOU acknowledge that it is their right to do so,seeing as they are so put upon.So YOU are an advocate for them above and beyond their own stated claims and promises.You further ignore and poo poo away their threats as “just so much talk”.Which strangely is incredibly insulting……….TO THEM!I read an article from back in the day concerning the end of the Vietnam war and what would now transpire in Cambodia.It was by a lib.He said now that the little brown man had beaten back his white oppressor that all would be well in Cambodia.Our lies about those regimes laid bare.Freedom and collective prosperity would now show a new way to the oppressed people of SE Asia.3 million dead later….um not so much.There are numerous,too numerous to count, historical records of tyrants being ignored because it is the hard choice to face them.I don’t really think liberals are well suited to that job.This is just more of the same.The thing that must drive you nuts is even your own man……Your own selected leader(Obama)is smart enough to see the threat.Must infuriate you.
Gosh Micheal, where to start!
I have no idea what the Obama administration intel people believe, but it doesn’t matter. The Bush administration repeatedly told us in very shrill tones that the government of Iraq had and was building more weapons of mass destruction, and what do we know now? That was totally incorrect and likely was just a provocation for a war of aggression. End result at least 1 million dead for starters. The lesson we should have learned is when the US government makes these kind of claims they should be treated with the utmost skepticism and other motives should be looked for.
And Israel? Their motives are transparent. The conservative government of Israel wants to do anything they can to elect a conservative US president, so they are meddling in US politics to favor Romney. All their saber rattling is just a paid political commercial for the GOP and should be disregarded.
As for what Ahmadinejad says, it’s about as important to the government of Iran as what Joe Biden says is to the government of the US: that is, no importance. Ahmadinejad is not in charge of anything.
Finally, even if we believed that Iran was making a nuclear bomb (which they are not), what could we do about it? Answer: delay them by a year at most.
I have an idea. Let’s help make the middle east a nuclear-free zone. Starting with the bully on the block that has at least 200 nuclear weapons right now.
cenobite
You just repeated everything I just said.You are still putting the blame on us and Israel for what is happening in the Iran conflict.You say israel is lying ,and we are lying .You poo poo away “ah ma needs a jobs”control ,and point to the fact that the far worse(if that is possible)Mullahs are in charge.All of your beliefs center on your understanding of the failed intel in Iraq.And that WMDs were the only reason we went to war there.Not just one of the many reasons.So everyones motives are transparent…..except for Irans?Even Obama you discount with a flippant “I don’t know what he thinks”.Well I can tell you what he thinks.He believes Iran is the world center for terrorism.He believes they are building a bomb.He believes their threats against Israel and the US are to be taken seriously, and are credible within the twisted ,warped framework of their minds.
And lastly you end with the liberal mantra of retreat ,defeat,and surrender.”Oh what can we do about it?I have one question for you sir.Iran has sworn on a stack of koran’s that they will never build a bomb.If they do……….will you at least admit you were dead wrong?Or truthfully are we and Israel just getting what we deserve?Your kind were here before.Trumpeting Hitler and attacking FDR before the war.Even with the war in Iraq you disregard Saddams words days before he died.”He said he was the lion of Judea.Sworn enemy of Israel.Leader of Iraq.He said he would of rebuilt all weapon systems without regard to the UN or the US.They had no justification in any demands.”See we stopped him.We stopped the killers in Afghanistan.Freedom did not come cheap.Maybe that is the problem with libs.They want everything given to them.Nothing is worth fighting for, or working for……..or dying for.Ok we saw your type in WW1..WW2..and all the conflicts after.We get it.
Iran is doing work that will lead to photon torpedoes, phasers and warp drive.
We can’t allow that.
If negotiations fail, we will have no alternative than to bomb their Universities and Colleges, high schools, and elementary schools. We must stop this insane march to the Future by the Iranians.
Ash
It may seem like a joke to you,but the stakes are high.Iran funds and backs terrorist factions.They threaten openly Israel, and the great Satan(um …..thats you and me by the way).If you believe our intel, and our president,they are building the bomb.Guess my sense of humor is different.